Thread: Edgar Allan Poe theme party

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I'm planning an Edgar Allan Poe theme party for a corporate group which is meeting near Baltimore, MD. I'll be setting up in a ballroom.

Thus far I've started a Poe tombstone replica (the large white square one in Westminister cemetery) from foam along with 2 brick columns and black iron fence. I'll be incorporating misc other tombstones and black trees with purple lights filled with ravens in the graveyard section.

I'm also thinking of incorporating a victorian room set up with a chair, fireplace, lamp, old books (Poe poetry of course) and flickering candles.

I searched high and low for the large raven on ball that Michael's had a while back, but haven't found anything. I wanted to use these to cap off the columns.

I've made most of the detail parts to the Poe tombstone (harp, leaves, acanthus leaf corners and Poe bronze image) and cut out the main walls. The part I'm still unsure of is replicating the curved top trim.

Also trying to think of good names for the food dishes.

Any suggestions or things to add?

Pendulum hanging from the doorway. (Pit and the Pendulum)
Black cat (The Black Cat)
Sound effect hidden somewhere of a heart beating (Tell-Tale Heart)
If it has a fireplace that isn't being used, have a dead body stuffed up into it (Murder in Rue Morgue)
In the refreshment area, have an old bottle of Amontillado. (The Cask of Amontillado)
Have the invitations say they're coming to the House of Usher (Fall of the House of Usher)
Have a dead rose on a table with a sealed "love letter" with Lenore written on it

I believe it was the Better Homes and Gardens Halloween edition that has a Poe themed Dinner Party section. Might be worth checking out for ideas. I know they had a chalkboard set up on one table with a passage from the Raven written on it, looked nice I thought.

Fabulous, Thanks!

Very Very cool ! I have always loved Poe. You may have this already, but you could have someone do a dramatic reading of Poe's stories by candle light, or "The Raven" youtube has some good readings (some by Vincent Price) that are excellent. Perhaps you could set up some kind of display with this in an endless loop. On a big screen TV. would be megga-cool!!!

I'd love to attend this one. What about a re-inactment of his wake and funeral held last year?


You could make a catacombs area with the bones from Cask of Amon. (throw in some Mardi Gras type masks or maybe a bricked wall (scene setter) with one brick cut out with a face in it.

Poe and the Tell-Tale Heart is my earliest memory of a scary story. It still spooks me.

I did that theme last year. Of course I served up some raven wings (chicken wings).
I had ravens every where - got some at Michaels and Dollar Tree had some too. Was going to play a game on counting the ravens, but just didn't work out. Had a Jenga game out to play "Fall of the House of Usher" We had red masks over some sconces. The Better Homes article was a great inspiration - did Nevermore on black poster board and put in an antique gold frame. This year I saw Kmart had a butler with a raven sitting on his shoulder - the raven says "Nevermore" at the end - too bad didn't see it last year. I was dressed as Annabelle Lee (Victorian dress and had a hat from Victorian Trading Company - was really a witch hat, but had a raven on it).

My invite was worded like this and had a picture of Edgar Allan Poe on the invite.
The purpose of this “Purloined Letter” is to invite you to join
Edgar Allan Poe and Annabelle Lee
at the “House of Usher”
For a “Masque of the Red Death”
“Your Tell-Tale Heart” should respond to this invitation at ....

It would be awesome if you could arrange it like in the Masque of the Red Death and Have the eerie clock chime echoing through the hall and have enough people in on it to stop still as it chimed that it gave the proper effect.

Bain, great ideas. Do you have photos of your party? This is a great theme. Did you do anything last year in honor of Poe's wake and funeral on the anniversary of his death?

How the hell did you talk a corporate group into a POE theme???? Too extreme , too cool, tooo... just too.
Been a Poe fan since I was like 12. I want to be in your organization. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary. Too cooll! Hope your party rocks.
Considered burying someone alive as a party game??? Cait