Though many Poe-related sites were lost during the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, the Edgar Allan Poe House survived and is open to visitors with an interest in the famed poet and author. The modest Museum consists mainly of the small five-room rowhouse where Poe lived for a few years in the 1830s. A number of artifacts on display include a lock of Poe's hair, glassware and china belonging to his guardian, John Allan, a telescope and sextant, a traveling desk, Gustave Dore's 1884 illustrations of "The Raven", and a reproduction of the only known painting of his wife, Virginia.
The Museum also provides a series of videos that trace the life of the poet. Displays relating to Poe's death include several of the bottles of cognac left over the years at Poe's grave by the mysterious "Poe Toaster" and a reprint of the infamous obituary written by Rufus Griswold. The House is also the site of the annual Edgar Allen Poe Birthday Celebration.
