Read "10 Things to Know About Poe Fest Int'l"

The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum turns seventy-five this year, and we've added a day of programming for an extra special year. 

Poe Fest International is a family-friendly, three-day event with several FREE and ticketed programs. The 2024 programing begins Friday, October 4. The festival street faire is October 5 & 6, 2024, from 11AM to 4PM each day and is free to enter! 

Live performances are planned on the festival main stage at Poe Fest Int’l—music, dramatic readings of Poe’s works, original theatrical performances. We are welcoming back several theater troupes and performers from previous years, as well as new acts!

A movie night, two special exhibits, Mansion & Shot Tower Tours, plus the return of exclusive tents and experiences planned at the street faire, including a murder mystery game presented by the Murder Mystery Co., an intimate "One Man Poe" performance tent by actor Stephen Smith, and even a Bloody Mary Brunch with Poe! Prince Prospero himself wouldn't believe this deal: Save $50 when you book a Red Masque Festival Pass online!

Additional events festival weekend are ongoing at locations away from festival grounds. VIP ticketed tour options are available, including:

• “Death Weekend” Bus Tour, $59. Includes several stops around the city of Baltimore, exploring the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore. 
• The “Poe Death Exhibit", Carroll Mansion & Shot Tower Tours $20
• The "Poe, Revolution, & Marquis de Lafayette" Diorama & Exhibit at Westminster Hall $20
• Tours of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, $24 
• Masque of the Red Death Movie Night starring Vincent Price, with special guest Victoria Price and Michael Connelly, $39 - 59

Tours of Poe House require tickets and are not included with admission to the festival. This precious historic site is very small; tickets are limited so that we may protect and preserve the house for future generations to enjoy and study. 

The Lord Baltimore Hotel is the host hotel for 2024 Poe Fest International. Reserve your rooms here: https://www.lordbaltimorehotel.com/book/dates-of-stay?groupID=4255204

The Charm City Circulator will bring you to Poppleton and Baltimore Streets, three blocks from the festival. 

Lyft, Uber and other rideshare services, use the intersection of W. Lexington & Schroeder Streets for drop-off/pickup.  

Limited Street parking is available. Paid parking in a secure garage is the corner of Poppleton & Baltimore Street, three blocks from Poe House. 

The Black Cat Ball is the Official Party of the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. This year’s Black Cat Ball is a 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala & Gothic 1940s Dance Party, featuring after-hours access to the “Poe Death Exhibit" at Carroll Mansion and a cognac toast to Edgar Allan Poe! Your most glamorous and gothic costumes encouraged.

• Diamond Gala ticket includes a Private Reception and Vincent Price-themed wine-dinner featuring some of the star's favorite recipes, with special guest, Victoria Price. Cabaret Dance Party & Valet parking included! $250 pp

• General Admission is a Gothic dance party in the 1840s Cabaret! Ticket includes dessert & gourmet ice cream social, beer & wine, and entertainment, $75 pp.

Sorry, this party is 21 and over only; 100% ID check! 

Winners of the Saturday Visiter Awards, an honor recognizing a new generation of artists & writers inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, will be announced at the Black Cat Ball! Meet the nominees at the festival, then join us the night of October 5th as we toast the 2024 winners!

This festival includes programming from other “Poe Places” around the United States, including The Poe Museum (Richmond,)The Poe Cottage (NYC,)  The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, Westminster Hall & Burial Ground (Baltimore,)The United States Military Academy at West Point, and The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum (Baltimore.) 

Poe Baltimore invites you to darken Poe’s chamber door at the seventh annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards, October 3 - 5, 2025.  The festival is family-friendly, three-days of programming with several FREE and ticketed events. Programming will take place at locations around Baltimore, and street faire at Poe House will be open Saturday and Sunday from 11AM to 4PM! The outdoor faire will feature Poe-themed performances, art, vendors and food, celebrating Poe’s life, works and his influence in the arts. If you enjoy Poe Festival programming, please consider donating to support this event. 

Additional, ticketed events and tours will also be offered October 1-11. Please see the festival program for details. Stage schedules will post September 1. 

Festival programming will begin Friday, October 3rd, with a MOVIE NIGHT, exhibit open, and special guests. The outdoor faire will be held from 11AM to 5PM on Saturday, October 4, and 11AM to 5PM, Sunday October 5, 11AM to 4PM. Check out our schedule and program here.

The stage program will post September 1.

The festival is held in front of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The physical address is 203 N. Amity Street, Baltimore MD 21223, and the event is in the closed intersection of N. Amity Street and W. Lexington. 

Streets in front of Poe House are closed to traffic for this event, so please use the intersection at W. Fayette and Schroeder Streets for Lyft/Uber Rideshare drop-off. 

There are additional events at locations away from festival grounds: 

• The Poe Death Exhibit is at Carroll Mansion, 800 E. Lombard Street
• Movie Night, 2025 location TBA.
• The Black Cat Ball is at Westminster Hall & Burying Ground , (where Poe is buried) at 519 W. Fayette Street. 
• The Poe Cemetery Tour and Exhibit is at Westminster Hall & Burying Ground (where Poe is buried) at 519 W. Fayette Street. 

See the entire festival map here!

Poe Fest International attendees are encouraged to book hotel rooms through the festival’s host hotel, The Lord Baltimore Hotel. For your convenience, use this link for festival rates/rooms:  https://reservations.travelclick.com/85390?groupID=4614677 

Other hotels in the Inner Harbor area provide easy access to public transportation which will bring you to Poe Fest International. 

Poe Fest International is rain or shine! However, if the National Weather Service issues an inclement weather warning within the festival area, an announcement will be made. All activities will pause until the warning has lifted.

Poe Fest International is a family-friendly event, though parents should expect gothic and Halloween-type decorations, costumes and vendors. The festival will have kid-friendly activities such as art-making and other workshops. Admission to festival grounds is FREE. We have something for everyone.

Ticketed events and tours are geared more toward mature audiences, with funeral decor and other death imagery where viewer discretion is advised. In the case of the Black Cat Ball, attendees must be 21+. There are no tickets priced for children.

No. Tickets are required to tour the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. This precious historic site is only 620 square feet, built in 1832. For the sake of preserving Poe House for future generations, we must limit access. 

There is limited street parking available at the festival. The closest paid parking garage is at University of Maryland BioPark Garage One, 1 N. Poppleton St (three blocks from the festival.) 

The use of public transit is highly recommended—the Charm City Circulator (Orange Line) picks up and drops off at the University of Maryland BioPark less than three blocks from the festival. 

Streets in front of Poe House are closed to traffic for this event, so please use the intersection at W. Fayette and Schroeder Streets for Lyft/Uber Rideshare drop-off. 

No. We encourage everyone to come on site with preferred payment option of either cash or debit/credit. We will not have ATMs on site.

Want to vend, volunteer, or perform at the festival? Please click here. 

Admission to grounds at Poe Fest International is FREE to the public. There are additional tours and other events that are ticketed, ranging in price per event. Please visit our ticket site for details.

You do not have to purchase tours or ticketed events to enjoy the festival. Festival grounds will include stage performances, workshops, vendors, and the return of the RavenBeer Garden.

No! Several events take place at locations away from festival grounds. Please check your ticket components for addresses and times. 

Tours, Bus Tours and Exhibit tickets have sold out before the festival in previous years, therefore no tickets have been available to purchase on-site. Attendees are encouraged to book tickets early to ensure access.

If tickets are available festival weekend, attendees may purchase at the festival INFO DESK. 

Attendees who register will be entered into drawings and subscribed to our festival news for last-minute updates. But you do not have to register if you are not interested in updates—attending Poe Fest International or viewing the livestream on our YouTube Channel is FREE.  

WARNING: You may have been a victim of a phishing, social media or internet scam. Please contact your credit card company immediately.

Tickets are not transferable, and we do not permit third parties to sell tickets, nor can we honor them. You can ONLY purchase tickets and/or tours via our website. 

The festival is rain or shine! All tours and fees are non-refundable. In the event tours are canceled or closed, an alternate date will be scheduled. 

Replacement tickets or changes cannot be provided for people who miss their tours.

The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival is a program presented by Poe Baltimore & The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. Festival proceeds support programming. Donate via payment method of your choice at http://poeinbaltimore.org/support.  

You can also donate via text.  Text “POEBALTIMORE” to 44-321.  

Absolutely! Checks can be mailed via post to: Poe Baltimore, PO Box 23773, Baltimore MD 21203

Poe Baltimore is a 501c3 non-profit organization created to fund, maintain and interpret The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, and to celebrate the legacy of one of Baltimore’s most famous residents.  We are dedicated to maintaining the museum as a vibrant experience for the thousands of visitors who come from around the world each year, and as part of a broader mission of city-wide events and educational opportunities. Donations to this organization are considered charitable. To learn more, visit: PoeBaltimore.org