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    The Poe Museum

    4.3 (170 reviews)
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    Reviews With Photos - The Poe Museum

    Candie W.

    You ever wonder - How was Edgar Allen Poe's personal life? Question answered! I am a fan of museums, history, and poetry. So, this really was a treat. I made it past the last entrance time but the staff was accomodating and allowed me to enter. The museum was both a fun and informative experience. I learned a few extra nuggets from the staff as well :) Although the museum is self paced, at the end - the staff excitedly shared personal stories (like the resident black cats and how they came to live there). Please visit if you are in Richmond, VA

    Tongela P.

    I've been a fan of Poe since middle school, so I'm not sure what took me so long to visit this museum, but I'm glad I finally did. It's small but packs a mighty punch! Despite the size, there is so much to explore and take in. Be prepared...I took a lot of pics! I loved meeting the black cats, Edgar and Pluto, that live there. RIP to Pluto who escorted us through part of our tour of the grounds. I ended my visit with perusing the gift shop, where I spent most of that time sniffing candles. I finally settled on The Black Cat candle and few other goodies.

    Poe museum
    Bella J.

    It is a very interesting and creepy place. As soon as I came in through the door, the creepiest black cat with the meanest green eyes greeted us. I had an instant creep. Turns out there isn't 1 but several black cats, of which one of them jumped at me in the room with his writing table, what looks like a crypt etc. Almost made me lose my soul. There isn't too much to see, but it provides interesting insights including the few words he came up with, his handwritten letter begging for money, his critique turned enemy writing s**t about him when he himself is the biggest creep who slept with his 40 day old corpse wife... lots of weird things.. I am glad I came here, but it was odd nonetheless.

    Edgar Allen Poe

    Visited the Poe museum today. We actually got in on the guided tour lead by Layna. She was an excellent tour guide and informed us basically of Poe's entire life. The tour involves Three different buildings with many artifacts from his life. The cost is $12.00 and they have different events in the evening "The unhappy hour". The tour was well worth it and it made for a fun day with the flight crew.

    Poe bust in Stone House
    Lisa C.

    The Poe Museum is my favorite Richmond Museum and not just because it has cats. In addition to its courtyard greeters Edgar and Tib,, The Poe has knowledgeable human employees. As expected the museum displays contains much Poe memorabilia both personal and literary. They also host educational and entertaining events. I'm a fan of themed Unhappy Hours and Poe's birthday bash.

    Sunday afternoon
    Pat C.

    This is a small museum with 3 houses/places to visit. All the houses are airconditioned. No need for reservations. Went on a hot Sunday afternoon. Letters, books, furnitures, things belonging to Edgar Allan Poe and those related to him are on display. There's a nice garden at the middle with Poe's bust. The gift shop sells books, magnets, toys, posters, shirts, etc. Would not say it's a must see but if you have an hour to spare, you can learn a lot about his life and interesting facts.

    Poe Memorial
    Leinani S.

    If you have any interest in Edgar Allen Poe, this is a must-visit! The museum is comprised of several buildings surrounding a serene interior courtyard which display a fairly astounding number of personal artifacts belonging to Poe, his sister, his wife and other family members. There are also some pop culture artifacts and modern artworks on display. In particular, there is a rather fine daguerreotype of Poe and a letter from Poe to his famous contemporary Washington Irving. Tours are self-guided, so you can take as long as you like in the exhibits or just take a seat in the garden and make friends with the black cats who reside at the museum. There is a well-stocked gift store with everything from plushies and children's books to whiskey glasses and scholarly tomes on Poe. Admission fee with discounts for students and seniors. There is a very small parking lot at the side and additional parking on the street and in a nearby public lot. During special events it is recommended to purchase tickets in advance. Otherwise there is no need.

    Boot hooks
    Raven L.

    Very interesting museum filled with memorabilia and descriptions. Had a wonderful time perusing all the exhibits. I do feel like the enchanted garden area could use some love- but overall enjoyed my time here.

    Jenny H.

    This is the museum for me. I'm detailed oriented so it's easy to get overwhelmed with sights and info but the Poe museum is Just the right size. Great information and interesting artifacts that paint an informative picture of Poe's life. Only suggestion would be to have more direction as far as where to start reading in each room to have some chronological order. Liked that there was a free audio tour- only wish I had brought my airpods .

    Faye S.

    On our way home from Washington, D.C., we stopped at Poe Museum. I've always been an avid fan and thought how it'll be great to visit his museum. GPS took us directly to it. It's in a great location. There's a private parking lot for the museum. You can also park on the street if the parking lot's full if permitted. The museum itself comprises of the oldest house in Richmond, two more small buildings and a garden surrounded by the buildings. The ambience itself brings you back to the bygone era. The staff at the souvenir shop's friendly and helpful. The souvenir shop's stocked with everything Poe. I ended up buying a refrigerator magnet. I buy magnets of places I've been. Glad we stopped and paid homage to this great writer and poet. I'm just saddened by his tragic life. It was crowded when we went and felt rushed. It would be nice to come back during weekday so we can spend more time.

    William V.

    Nice way to kill some time in the city. The museum offers a self guided tour that takes about 45 minutes if you listen to the entire audio tour. I suggest you bring earbuds if you want to listen to the audio tour. There are 3 different buildings to look at. They all have displays about Poe's life. There is a garden in the center of the buildings. At the end of the tour we did spend some money in the gift shop. Fun afternoon.

    Laurie V.

    This is a refresh of my last review of this very cool spot. (Which, by the way, happened to be my 1000th review on yelp!) So, yup. Still cool. Still macabre. Still interesting. Much busier this time. Same sweet cats, Edgar and Pluto. And if you read my last review, I am happy to say no harm was done by the door that maybe should not have been latched during the construction project. I really needed another two hours here to get the full experience, but we were on a tight schedule and had to keep it moving. Love love love this place. Don't worry. I'll be back evermore.

    Entrance into the museum
    L P.

    My sister and I came here with a friend on a whim after dropping off another friend. The lady working inside the ticket office/gift shop was friendly and helpful. There is an audio tour option, but we mostly navigated without audio. We wandered the buildings and grounds for a little more than an hour. Everything was well kept, and I would definitely return, as I didn't get to read a majority of the plaques. Reading about Poe's life and death was eye-opening. The black cats around the grounds were used to people being around. I snagged a photo of one. (I had to open the door for the cat, and another came in right after.) The gift shop was lots of fun, and we found goodies to bring back home for family.

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    Cute museum. Interesting historical objects. The cat in the garden was also lovely. Worth visiting

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    Ask the Community - The Poe Museum

    Review Highlights - The Poe Museum

    I chased it for 15 minutes, but we bought a Catterina of our own from the gift shop and a couple of Edgar's books.

    Mentioned in 49 reviews

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    Virginia Museum of History & Culture

    Virginia Museum of History & Culture

    4.5
    (55 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    If you're into history and/or call Virginia home, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is worth…read morea visit. Open every day from 10am-5pm, tickets are between $8 and $12 with children five and under free. Located next to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is inside a historic building erected to commemorate the Confederacy. Now it's a museum honoring all Virginians, regardless of background. Here's why you should visit: 1) Entrance: There's a large parking lot near the main entrance. Walk inside and you'll see a well-designed cafe that serves local coffee and food, a bookstore with books and products from Virginia, restrooms, and the ticket area. Staff are helpful and the entire space is kept clean. 2) Exhibits: Start with the 15-minute film about the history of Virginia starting 16,000 years ago to today. It's worth the time. Then explore the exhibit halls where you can find art, artifacts like letters George Washington wrote, and more. One exhibit walks through history of Virginia from 16,000 to present day. Another honors all five regions of Virginia. Another talks about the original murals in the building and another showcases art of Virginia. Little rooms are filled with more exhibits displaying some of the 9,000,000 objects in their collection. There's even an area for kids to play in a little market, try on colonial clothes, and more. Interactive exhibits are part of every room. 3) Experience: It's not an overwhelming museum, but you can easily spend a few hours seeing most items and reading most displays. I learned a lot!

    Not sure what I was expected, but I was sorely disappointed with this museum. The fee is $12 and I…read morefeel I spent about 12 minutes in there, so one dollar for every moment spent? Idk, I didn't feel that price tag was worth it. The history and culture wasn't presented in a way I thought captured my attention, nor made me want to retain said information or learn more. Save your $$$ and go to the VMFA which is right there, amazing, and free.

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    Virginia Museum of History & Culture
    Virginia Museum of History & Culture
    Virginia Museum of History & Culture

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    The Valentine

    The Valentine

    4.1
    (29 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    We had a great summit at the Valentine. The set up was perfect and the staff were very attentive to…read moreour needs the meeting area was clean and well ventilated. After the event we were able to move about the museum that at some interesting items relevant to Richmond modern and older history. Great little museum to visit.

    The Valentine, aka The Wickham House is located in downtown Richmond, and a stone's throw from the…read moreJ. Marshall House. It was a special tour that brought me to the Wickham House. Don't be confused by the name, The Valentine. This 19th-century home was purchased in 1898 by Mann Valentine Jr. who added a museum to the property and renamed it The Valentine. My visit was part of a dual tour with the John Marshall House (treason trial of A. Burr). The tour started promptly at the appointed time, and we began our tour of the home. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the Wickham house, the family and the history of that time. Her tour was much more than a simple recitation. She brought the home to life through her descriptions, easily fielded questions and encouraged discussions. We all gained a clear picture of life at that time as well as the role that John Wickham played in history. The house is kept in beautiful condition with many examples of how the family lived, from clothing to imagined food out on the table. I was truly impressed by the beauty of the home. After the tour we were able to meander through the museum that is a part of the property. It is an interesting stroll through Richmond's history from the early 1800's to the present. I would definitely suggest a visit here if you are a history fanatic. Check out your options for parking before you get here (I parked in one of the local garages and spent about $15).

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    Museum items
    Museum items
    Set up for event
    Set up for event
    Conference set up

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    Conference set up
    The American Civil War Museum- White House of the Confederacy

    The American Civil War Museum- White House of the Confederacy

    4.0
    (92 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    I came to Richmond for the week for a work trip and had some free time so I wanted to check out…read moresome Civil War stuff. Richmond is an amazing city with a rich and vibrant history, so you should make your way here! I was too late to go inside but the exterior oozed history. I could picture the South's generals huddled inside trying to plan their next move. It's a bit weird to see this relic in the heart of the medic district but fitting for such A city.

    I had no idea this was here until my friend indicated he wanted to come here, so quite a neat find!…read more While you will need the patience of a saint to get the parking down (park in the big hospital lot and get parking validation inside the museum), everything else about this visit was excellent. We had a great tour and a very personalized one since only three guests (including my friend and I) were on the tour. The white house of the confederacy is full of history and our guide provided a ton of background on Jefferson Davis and his family, which was particularly cool since I had recently gone with my parents to the historical naval base where he was held prisoner for several years after the end of the civil war. The furnishings were very beautiful and nicely maintained, amazing how often these estates of antiquity had to sell their things to make ends meet and then organizations have to chase them down later to bring everything back together. Still, very cool to be in the rooms where so much history was made. It's so unusual for such an important part of history to be surrounded by hospital buildings, though that is the nature of Richmond: a whole lot of stories in a relatively compact region. Lucky to have been able to learn a bit more about it here! Overall: 4.5 stars ----- Pros: - Excellent tour guide who clearly had made a study of the many features of the house and its former occupants. - White house and its furniture were in beautiful shape, clearly the organization is doing a great job keeping everything maintained. - Price for the tour wasn't too bad considering you get a personalized tour for it. Cons: - The parking situation here is a pain but doable if you plan ahead.

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    The American Civil War Museum- White House of the Confederacy
    Entrance
    Entrance
    White House officials The Confederacy

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    White House officials The Confederacy

    The Poe Museum - museums - Updated August 2026

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