Discover the Extraordinary Mr. Poe in Baltimore

Edgar Allan Poe lived and worked in Baltimore for many years. In tribute to the 200th birthday of the master of the macabre, the inventor of the detective story, the engineer of science fiction, Baltimore is celebrating citywide with Nevermore 2009. The array of special events, exhibitions and tours reaches its crescendo October 8-11 as friends, fans, and fiends gather to give him the send-off that he never had.

There's never been a better time to get to know the town where Poe first buried the living and raised the dead. Here are 10 chilling and thrilling ways to unearth Poe's story in Baltimore:

1. The Viewing
   Mr. Poe's body will be available for viewing (open casket) at his former home at 203 North Amity Street on October 7 from noon to 11 p.m. That's 11 hours of viewing time! Private viewing for the family from 9 until 11 a.m. (Admission at the door) www.poebicentennial.com.



2. All Night Vigil
   From midnight to 7 a.m. on October 8, a public candlelight vigil will be held at the Poe Monument at the entrance to Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. The public will have its only opportunity to pay tribute to Mr. Poe with toasts, tributes, poems and music. Theatrical performances throughout the night will bring his tales to life. (Free) www.poebicentennial.com.



3. Funeral Procession
   Mr. Poe's casket, led by the Loch Raven Pipes and Drums with a police escort, will travel in an antique horse-drawn hearse from his former home at 203 North Amity Street to Westminster Hall on October 11. Departure from the Poe House at approximately 11:30 a.m. and arriving at Westminster Hall at noon. (Free) www.poebicentennial.com.



4. Poe's Funeral
   Join people from around the world as Poe's life is celebrated with two funeral services on October 11, one at 12:30 and the second at 4:30 p.m., at Westminster Hall. A number of Mr. Poe's contemporaries, dignitaries and those he's influenced have been invited to present eulogies including: the Reverend Rufus Griswold, Mrs. Sarah Helen Whitman, Mr. George Rex Graham, Mr. George Lippard, Miss Mary Louise Shew, Dr. John Moran, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mr. Alfred Hitchcock, Mr. H. P. Lovecraft, the narrator from The Tell Tale Heart and many others. Appropriate funeral music will be offered by the Monumental Brass Quintet, soloist Paula McCabe, a violinist and United States Naval Academy organist Monte Maxwell. Beloved actor and Poe aficionado John Astin will officiate over the services. This promises to be the biggest public tribute to Poe for his bicentennial in the country. (Tickets, $35 in advance and $40 at the door, required; seating is limited.) For detailed program information, go to www.poebicentennial.com.



5. Edgar Allan Poe: A Baltimore Icon
   The Baltimore Museum of Art presents a dramatic exhibition of prints, drawings and illustrated books inspired by Mr. Poe, from October 4, 2009, through January 17, 2010. The exhibition features the works of renowned French artists Paul Gaugin, Edouard Manet, and Odilon Redon, along with surrealist Rene Magritte and abstract expressionist Robert Motherwell. The exhibition is divided into three sections: Love and Loss, Fear and Terror and Madness and Obsession. (Free) www.artbma.org.



6. The Tell-Tale Tour
   Explore Mr. Poe's Baltimore through many fascinating museums, attractions, historic houses and tours brought to you by the Greater Baltimore History Alliance. Collect a Raven trail guide stamp from five of the 10 stops on the tour and you could win one of several great prizes, including a VIP Weekend in Baltimore. Sites range from the B&O Railroad Museum and the National Museum of Dentistry to the Mount Clare Museum House and the Maryland Historical Society. The Tell-Tale Tour has been extended through October 15, 2009. (Various locations and admission charges.) www.nevermore2009.com.



7. The Original Fell's Point GhostWalk™
   Historic Fell's Point has been home to privateers, ladies of the night and sailors from around the world, some of whom haven’t left. Join your guide under the cloak of night to learn more about the many haunted pubs, shops and homes lining the streets of Fell's Point. The tour also uncovers stories of Poe's days in Fell's Point, including his time living on Wilkes Street, now Eastern Avenue, after he was kicked out of West Point. He dressed in his West Point uniform and staged pretend military drills with the street urchins of the neighborhood. He frequented a number of taverns on the route, such as the Horse You Came in On, which has nicknamed its ghost, "Edgar," and has many tales of mischief. Tour runs October 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. (Admission) To purchase tickets and be entered to win a gift certificate for the Mount Vernon GhostWalk™, visit www.fellspointghost.com.



8. Heritage Walk
   Tours begin at the Baltimore Visitor Center on the West Promenade of the Inner Harbor. The Heritage Walk takes in four centuries of history around the Inner Harbor, Little Italy and Historic Jonestown. The route passes the street where Mr. Poe took his final steps. (Free; tours depart at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on October 10 and 11). www.starspangledtrails.org



9. Mount Vernon Cultural Walk
   The Mount Vernon Cultural Walk begins at the Baltimore Visitor Center on the West Promenade of the Inner Harbor. The tour takes visitors along the historic Charles Street Scenic Byway to Mount Vernon Place, the site of the nation's first monument to George Washington. The neighborhood is dotted with historic mansions and many of Baltimore's leading cultural institutions. The tour passes the John H.B. Latrobe House, where Mr. Poe's literary career began. (Free; tours depart at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on October 10 and 11) .
   
   Both the Heritage Walk and Mount Vernon Cultural Walk are part of the Tell-Tale Tour of Baltimore. Collect your Raven stamps and you could win! Visit www.starspangledtrails.org for more information and a complete schedule. www.starspangledtrails.org



10. Edgar Allan Poe: More than a Poet
    The Enoch Pratt Free Library's Central Branch features an exhibition of photographs, letters and other memorabilia belonging to Mr. Poe from the library's archives.
    
    For more information on hotel Poe-related hotel and B&B packages, click here.