Truly a struggling writer, Edgar Allan Poe penned his melancholy tales in many cities - Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Va., New York - during his search for success. He wrote of mysterious circumstances, lost love, and horrible punishments.

Literary immortality came to Poe only after his early death (he lived 1809 to 1849). This year, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, it seems everyone wants to throw a party for Poe.

Philadelphia hosted the Poe Studies Association's third international conference last weekend. Celebrations in the city range from events at the Poe National Historic Site to the spooky "Haunted Poe" warehouse in South Philadelphia.

The Baltimore Museum of Art is offering the exhibition "Edgar Allan Poe: A Baltimore Icon." That city where he expired held a proper funeral recently for the author, 160 years after the fact, at a church near his grave site.

On Oct. 29 at the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site on Seventh Street, park ranger actors in period costume will present "Poe's Cask." Readers will remember Poe's tale of creeping horror that involves a trip to the basement - so this is not for claustrophobics.

Mary Jenkins, interpretive program specialist at the site, explains, "Every October, we feature a candlelit tour of Poe's house. This year, we have somebody playing the role of Edgar Allan Poe and interpreting the story of 'The Cask of Amontillado,' where the protagonist lures his enemy down to the wine cellar."

Jenkins said new exhibits were installed in spring and emphasize Poe's life and times in Philadelphia.

"There's also an exhibit about Poe's worldwide influence on literature and popular culture," Jenkins says. "Everybody from Arthur Conan Doyle and Fyodor Dostoyevsky to Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King."

Poe rented the house in 1843 and lived there with his cousin Virginia, whom he had married when she was only 13, and his aunt/mother-in-law. It is difficult to know which stories he wrote at the house. But during his time in Philadelphia, he published "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Gold-Bug," which won a newspaper prize of $100.

Jenkins notes, "In the house where Poe lived, we still don't know what kind of furniture he had or even what the walls looked like. But we've done some investigations, and we've had an artist do drawings for each room to evoke how they might have appeared at the time."

In addition to his poems and tales, Poe penned theories on cosmology and cryptography. More surprising, he jotted down "The Philosophy of Furniture." The site's reading room is furnished according to those principles.

For a reliably spooky atmosphere, fit for any reading of Poe, collectors can turn to the Gothic Revival style, which became popular around 1830, during Poe's lifetime. Entranced by English and European architectural examples, consumers bought Gothic chairs, beds, and bird cages, and even constructed complete houses in the style.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has outstanding examples in its permanent collection, including a rosewood chair and walnut cheval mirror that may have been made locally. Another great place to view Gothic Revival is Nicholas Biddle's Andalusia in Bucks County.

Modern Goths, pledged to keep the gloom real, will enjoy the October run of "Haunted Poe," a twist on the haunted-house format, set up in a South Philly warehouse. Actors bring to life some of Poe's best-known tales, including "The Black Cat" and "The Masque of the Red Death."

Doreen Bolger, director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, put together the "Baltimore Icon" exhibition, which continues until Jan. 17. She emphasizes the eternal appeal of his work: "The curious thing about Poe is how modern he is, how he goes beyond the painters and decorative artists of his generation.

"When you think about the fact that Poe died in 1849, before mid-century, his tales are not sentimental but very, very tough. He addressed subjects that other people didn't dare to approach.

"We have an amazing collection of material related to Poe, in a large measure by French artists," Bolger says. "French artists embraced him even before he was popular here."

For example, the exhibition includes a series of prints by Edouard Manet that represent scenes from "The Raven."

"I think it's wonderful," the director says, "for people to see the strong connection between the written word and visual images. For me, I think 'The Raven' remains the great romantic tale. It's really about the narrator's loss of his great love Lenore - a tale that's as fresh today as when it was written in 1845."

Antiques: Poe Events

"Poe's Cask," actors in period costume bringing to life the story of "The Cask of Amontillado." 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, 532 N. Seventh St. Tickets: $10. Information: 215-597-8780.

"Haunted Poe," Poe-based haunted-house attraction in a warehouse. 7 p.m. nightly through Nov. 1 at 38 Jackson St. Tickets: $15-$25. Information: 1-800-838-3006 or www.hauntedpoe.com.

"Edgar Allan Poe: A Baltimore Icon" exhibition. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, through Jan. 17 at Baltimore Museum of Art, Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, Md. Free admission. Information: 443-573-1700 or www.artbma.org.