Updated in October 2026, this Poe Museum guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, parking or transport, accessibility and what to see.
The Poe Museum is a literary museum dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe, in the Shockoe Bottom neighbourhood of Richmond, Virginia. An adult ticket costs $12, last admission is at 4.30pm, and public guided tours run on weekends only in October and November. This guide was last updated in October 2026 and confirms the current ticket prices, the opening hours and the guided tour schedule.
Quick facts: the Poe Museum
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Sunday 11am to 5pm. Closed Mondays. Last admission 4.30pm. |
| Ticket prices | Adult $12. Senior (65+) $10. Military $10. Youth (7 to 17) $6. Under 6 free. |
| Address | 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, VA 23223 |
| Nearest transport or parking | Free gravel car park beside the museum. Main Street Station is a 6-minute walk. |
| Typical time needed | About 1 hour |
The Poe Museum opening hours
The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday from 11am to 5pm. It is closed on Mondays. Last admission is at 4.30pm, and the museum and gift shop close at 5pm.
The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The hours are the same all year, and there are no seasonal changes.
Docent-led tours run Tuesday to Sunday, subject to docent availability. Call before your visit to confirm the day’s schedule. In October and November, public guided tours run on weekends only, because of student field trips.
The Poe Museum ticket prices
An adult ticket to the Poe Museum costs $12. You can buy tickets on the museum’s website or in person at the gift shop. Advance purchase is not required.
- Adult: $12.
- Senior (65 and over): $10.
- Military: $10. Show an active card on arrival.
- Youth (7 to 17): $6.
- Children under 6: free.
- EBT/SNAP and Museums for All: free. Show your card on arrival.
- Members: free.
- Audio tour: free with admission, on any smartphone.
A visit includes a complimentary audio tour of the three exhibit buildings and interactive scavenger hunts for young visitors. Bring your own earbuds.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in October 2026.
5 top experiences to book in Richmond
- 🏛️ Dive into the city’s rich history on a guided Downtown Richmond walking tour.
- 🥾 Take a guided hike along the James River.
- 👻 Learn the sinister secrets of Shockoe Bottom on a walking ghost tour.
- 🍺 On a haunted pub crawl, combine beers with ghost stories.
- 🍴 Taste Richmond’s best flavours on an Arts District food tour.
How to get to the Poe Museum
The museum is at 1914 E Main Street, in Shockoe Bottom, east of downtown Richmond.
- By train: Main Street Station is about a 6-minute walk away. Amtrak and the GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit line stop there.
- By bus: the GRTC Pulse runs through Shockoe Bottom, and there is no stop directly at the museum, so allow for a short walk.
- By car: park in the free gravel car park beside the museum, or on Main Street in front of the museum.
- By taxi or rideshare: these are readily available in Richmond.
Parking at the Poe Museum
Free off-street parking is available in the gravel car park on the side of the museum. Street parking around the museum is also available.
The car park has one designated accessible space. Street parking on Main Street, directly in front of the museum, is another option.
How long to spend at the Poe Museum
Plan about 1 hour for a visit. The museum is small, and many visitors take 30 minutes to an hour. Allow longer if you listen to the full audio tour, join a guided tour or explore the garden.
The museum allows plenty of time for the grounds, and the gift shop is part of the visit. Allow time before the 4.30pm last admission.
Accessibility at the Poe Museum
The museum has an accessible entrance without steps on the Main Street sidewalk. Call the number on the gate and an employee will open it.
The historic grounds have mixed surfaces, including brick, gravel and irregular stone. The garden has an ADA accessible ramped brick walkway. Several exhibit buildings have raised doorways, and the narrowest is 28 inches wide. The steepest step to a door is 9 inches high. Staff can set up any of the four portable ramps on request.
One staircase, salvaged from Poe’s childhood home, leads to the Reading Room. A binder on the first floor summarises the room for visitors who cannot climb. The orientation video has closed captions, and the audio tour transcript is online. Service dogs are welcome. For questions, call guest services on (804) 648-5523.
What to see at the Poe Museum
The museum holds the world’s largest public collection of Poe artefacts. It includes Poe’s childhood bed, his pocket watch, rare manuscripts and a fragment of his coffin. Founded in 1922, it is Virginia’s only literary museum.
The Old Stone House is the oldest standing residential building in Richmond. It holds an exhibit about Poe’s childhood in the city. Poe never lived there, but in 1824 he stood guard outside it, as part of an honour guard escorting the Marquis de Lafayette.
The Poe Shrine opened on 26 April 1922. It was built from bricks and materials from the office of the Southern Literary Messenger, where Poe worked. A pale bust of Poe greets visitors inside.
The Enchanted Garden is based on the poem “To One in Paradise”. The stone benches came from a boarding house where Poe married his wife Virginia, and the ivy came from his mother’s grave. Broken glass on the garden walls recalls Poe’s story “William Wilson”.
The museum’s two resident cats, Edgar and Tib, live on the grounds. Tib is named after Poe’s childhood cat.
The Gift Shop offers a macabre retail experience, with books, mugs and shirts. Events such as Unhappy Hours and the Birthday Bash use the garden.
Practical visitor tips
| Topic | Tip |
|---|---|
| Timing | Arrive before the 4.30pm last admission. The museum closes at 5pm. |
| Crowds | The house is small and limits occupancy. Weekends in October and November have guided tours. |
| Layout | Three exhibit buildings surround the Enchanted Garden. The Reading Room is up one staircase. |
| Entry process | Tickets are sold online or at the gift shop. No advance booking is needed. |
| On-site logistics | Leave food and drink in the gift shop. Keep to the garden paths. Pets are not allowed inside. |
Frequently asked questions about the Poe Museum
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much does it cost to visit the Poe Museum? | $12 for adults. Seniors and military pay $10, and youth pay $6. |
| Is the Poe Museum suitable for children? | Yes. Youth aged 7 to 17 pay $6, children under 6 are free and young visitors get scavenger hunts. Please supervise children. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the Poe Museum? | No. Advance tickets are not required. |
| Is the Poe Museum open on Sundays? | Yes. The museum is open Sunday from 11am to 5pm. It is closed on Mondays. |
| Are pets allowed at the Poe Museum? | No. Service animals are welcome. Pets and emotional support animals are not allowed inside. |
Things to do near the Poe Museum
- The John Marshall House: the Chief Justice’s 1790 home at 818 East Marshall Street, about 5 minutes’ drive away.
- The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar: a museum on the former Tredegar Iron Works site by the James River, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: a free art museum with more than 50,000 works, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
- The Virginia Museum of History and Culture: a history museum on N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
- The Science Museum of Virginia: a hands-on science museum in the historic Broad Street Station, about 10 minutes’ drive away.
Alternative attractions
- St John’s Church: the Church Hill church where Poe’s mother is buried and Patrick Henry gave his famous speech, less than a mile from the museum.
- Libby Hill Park: a hilltop park with a view of the James River, a short walk east of St John’s Church.
- Main Street Station: a restored 1901 train station, about a 6-minute walk from the museum.
- Hollywood Cemetery: a historic Richmond cemetery.
- Virginia Holocaust Museum: a museum at 2000 E Cary Street, in Richmond.
More Virginia travel
Other Virginia travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- What to know before visiting the White House of the Confederacy in Richmond.
- Planning a visit to the Maymont Mansion in Richmond.
- Guide to Sherwood Forest – President John Tyler’s plantation.
- Discovering presidents and the first Thanksgiving at Berkeley Plantation.
- A practical visitor guide to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre in Chantilly.
