Richmond, VA – [September 9, 2025] – Long known for its layers of history and hauntingly beautiful landmarks, the Richmond Region now invites travelers and scare seekers to explore its spectral side in a whole new way. Just in time for the spooky season and Halloween, Visit Richmond VA has introduced an immersive augmented reality (AR) experience featuring the animated bust of Edgar Allan Poe at the Poe Museum, paired with a “Mysterious & Spooky Richmond Region” self-guided adventure. The iconic writer and master of the macabre spent much of his early life in Richmond, and the Poe Museum holds the world's largest collection of Poe memorabilia, ephemera, and artifacts.

Through AR technology, Poe's likeness comes to life as he speaks about the strange and surprising attractions in the region, gives interesting facts about himself, quotes his poem “The Raven,” and introduces visitors to the Poe Museum. Guests can interact on-site at the museum or summon him anywhere through their mobile device, extending the eerie encounters beyond the museum walls. The AR experience was developed and built for Visit Richmond VA by local Richmond technology agency, Shockoe.

Poe's animated likeness can be activated at https://shockoe.8thwall.app/poe-museum/, and the link should be opened on a mobile device for the full experience.

“The Richmond Region is a destination where history and mystery go hand in hand, and no one embodies that spirit quite like Poe,” said Katherine O'Donnell, President & CEO of Richmond Region Tourism. “This imaginative new experience invites visitors to step into the spooky side of the region and become immersed in the many mysterious corners and ghostly tales that make this such a unique and extraordinary place.”

 In the “Mysterious & Spooky Richmond Region,” travelers can journey through the macabre, the uncanny, and the unexplained—just beyond Richmond's well-trodden historic paths.

Featured on the Visit Richmond VA blog for self-guided exploration at https://www.visitrichmondva.com/blog/post/mysterious-spooky-richmond-region, tour highlights include:

• Hanover Tavern – A 1700s landmark where ghostly whispers still echo through the halls.
• Hollywood Cemetery – Final resting place of presidents, poets, and countless whispered legends.
• Rest in Pieces – A curiosity shop brimming with taxidermy, relics, and oddities.
• Henricus Historical Park – A centuries-old setting where candlelight tours blur the line between reenactment and haunting.
• Historic St. John's Church – Burial site of Poe's mother, Eliza Poe, whose presence lingers still.
• Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours – Guided walks that reveal the spectral undercurrents of city streets.
• Red Vein Escape – An escape room where nightmares feel real and darkness has no limits.
• Halloween Attractions – Immersive frights and eerie encounters during the Halloween season.

 While October is a fitting month to take part in many of these fright-filled festivities, eerie is evergreen in the Richmond Region. Whether wandering the cobblestones by lantern light, conversing with Poe's AR likeness, or exploring the region's historic sites, visitors will find themselves immersed in a world where legend and reality are entwined all year long.

“Poe once wrote that 'the boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague,' and that can also be said of the Richmond Region,” said Maeve Jones, Executive Director of the Poe Museum. “This adventure is the perfect invitation to travelers who crave experiences that are as imaginative and mysterious as they are unforgettable.”

To initiate the Poe augmented reality experience, visit https://shockoe.8thwall.app/poe-museum/

For more information on the “Mysterious & Spooky Richmond Region,” visit https://www.visitrichmondva.com/blog/post/mysterious-spooky-richmond-region

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