The vibrant port city by the Chesapeake Bay comes alive every fall—with visits from the dead and undead.  Meet some “spirits” of the season at Baltimore’s spooky sights and haunted happenings:

Tell Tale Heart

Edgar Allen Poe is a central figure in Baltimore’s literary history. The famous American poet lived at 203 Amity Street between 1833 and 1835. The small brick house was actually owned by his aunt, and those living there with Poe included his grandmother and two cousins. One of those cousins, a 13 year old named Virginia Clemms, became his wife, who died of tuberculosis. Her death had influence in much of his writing.

You can tour Poe’s House & Museum in the heart of downtown Baltimore on weekends–Sat and Sun from 11 am until 4 pm. The House contains Poe’s portable writing desk and chair, as well as his telescope. Poe mysteriously died on a Baltimore streets of unexplained causes. The writer’s mortal remains were laid to rest in a eerie Gothic-style church graveyard, and you can also tour the Westminster Burial Ground to see where Poe, his wife and her mother are buried. PoeBaltimore.org lists several sights that celebrate Poe’s life and work.

Overrun by Mummies.

The Walters Art Museum features a spooky cool exhibit of Mummies, both animal and human; some predating King Tut by 3,000 years. The exhibit includes a stunning collection of ancient Egyptian art, sarcophagi and embalmed humans. Though tastefully displayed, they still raise the hairs on a visitor’s neck.

Spirited Baltimore

A waterfront city filled with 200 years of history boasts an eclectic array of ghouls walking the streets at night. Meet up with a few on the Fell’s Point Ghostwalk or Pub-Crawl; haunted history tours led by living history characters. Or wander through Westminster Hall Burying Ground and Catacombs in the company of a guide and a few helpful spirits.

Baltimore’s 2014 Halloween Events for Adults Only:

Halloween Pub Crawl in Fells Point on October 301, 31 and Nov 1, 2014. Check out http://www.club zone.com for more information

6th Annual Halloween Party on Baltimore Sound Stage featuring Ballyhoo and Tribal Seeds on Oct. 31 at 8 pm call 410 753-1403 for more information on the oyster shucking, pumpkin fare and Halloween candy cocktail bar

Heavy Seas Ale House Halloween Bash at Heavy Seas Ale House on 1300 Bank Street on Oct. 31, 10pm

3rd Annual Divas Freak and Fright Pre-Halloween Trophy Party at G10 on 2135 Edmondson Avenue on Oct. 25 at 9 pm check http://www.zevents.com

Curses!

This September was the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, and you can visit Fort McHenry, a Revolutionary Era fortress where Francis Scott Key wrote The Star Spangled Banner. The imposing brick structure was also used during the Civil War as a prison and then as a hospital for injured and dying troops during World War I. Today, reports of strange noises in the dungeon, the smell of gunpowder, sightings of ghostly soldiers bearing weapons, and the feeling of being watched are some scary reasons to tour this historic fort…or Not.

Sleep with the Spooks

The Admiral Fell Inn, was once a historic home in Fells Point, and now a popular boutique hotel on the Baltimore Harbor. Besides its ideal location for tourists, The Admiral Fell Inn is known as one of the top Haunted Hotels in America. Dating back to the 1700’s, the hotel consists of seven connected buildings with narrow hallways and creaky staircases. Each of the 80 rooms is named for a historic figure. The hotel offers its own ghost tour, and guests often report hearing noise. But hotel management assures that “nothing gruesome happened here.” So they say…

Baltimore Food for Thought MidAtlantic Travel Restaurant Reviews Travel Admiral Fell Inn American Visionary Art Museum Baltimore Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poe House Fell's Point Fort McHenry Ghostwalk Star Spangled Banner Walters Art Museum