Edgar Allan Poe House in Philadelphia.
The house on 7th Street in Philadelphia is where Poe, his wife Virginia,
and his beloved mother-in-law, Muddy, lived for a stretch during their
six years in the city. I've never been there and I don't intend to, especially after reading the review below.
The Poe house is very much a B-List place in the world of the NPS and when you see where it is and how small the house is that will become apparent very quickly.
But with that said, if you can use your imagination a bit it can still be a winner as the displays are very well put together and Poe the man and his life were such oddities that the more you find out the less you understand.
A few noteworthy tips if you go:
The area around the house is shady at best and if you do walk from CC or make the walk from the Market-Frankfurt Blue Line just simply watch your back as the locals are "interesting" at best. As other reviewers already remarked, there is zero in the neighborhood to do except for maybe get shot or stabbed.
You can't just enter the house. There is a sign on the door that tells you to knock first.
They do this because if you come first thing when they open apparently there is only one ranger there and if they are in another part of the house they won't be at the door to greet you. (And it probably has something to do with the locals as well.)
If you do show up when only one ranger is on duty they will not offer the guided house tour.
The house is free but the 1st floor has a well done short movie and various displays explaining Poe's life and all of his struggles and the strange circumstances surrounding his death.
Floors two and three are unfurnished and simply show where the members of the house likely lived while the basement does it's best at being creepy.
Overall the price is right and if you can break away from the more well worn touristy path of history in/around Independence Hall you can definitely find something that is very different and very well put together at the Poe House.
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 9am - 5pm
(The house will be closed from March 1, 2013 through June 30, 2013 for restoration work.)
Writer/director Peter Bradley brings Edgar Allan Poe's classic horror poem,THE RAVEN, to chilling life in a faithful, word-for-word adaption. Seen in numerous festivals in seven countries, and used as a teaching aid in Drama and English programs in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, THE RAVEN is greatly inspired by German expressionist cinema of the 1920's. Based not completely in reality, but not completely in fantasy, one man's self-induced torture over the loss of his lover manifests itself and pushes him over the edge of sanity. This stylized piece captures the twisted, tortured world of Poe in a simple, yet highly detailed way that has to be seen and heard to be believed.
No comments:
Post a Comment