The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, will offer Halloween-themed tours of the 1897 Poe House.
This year’s tour, “Haints and Diversions: A Poe Halloween Party,” invites guests to attend a turn-of-the-20th-Century Halloween party at the home of E. A. Poe, the prominent Fayetteville businessman and owner of the Poe Brick Company. Members of Fayetteville’s Sweet Tea Shakespeare theater company in period costumes will take part in scripted and improvised performances at the house decorated for Halloween.
Four tours a night will be offered hourly from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 16, 17, 29 and 30. Tickets to these family-friendly tours are $10 each and must be purchased in advance online.
“We want to share local history in a way that is fun, engaging, and a little different from your typical historic house experience,” Museum Educator Mary Cooper said. “The ‘Hallowe’en Revels’ night tours in October are one of the ways the museum achieves that goal.”
This year the museum’s gift shop will be open before and after the tours to allow guests to ask questions about the historical play and purchase souvenirs.
“By bringing the 1897 Poe House to life with period stories, games, and traditions, visitors will have a chance to step into the past rather than simply hear about it.” Cooper said.
Hallowe’en Revels is the first of four “living history” events at the museum this fall and winter supported by a grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County with funds from the North Carolina Arts Council and the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex Foundation.
The museum is located at 801 Arsenal Ave. in Fayetteville. Regular admission to the museum is free. For more information about the museum or the History Live! programs visit MuseumOfTheCapeFear.ncdcr.gov or call 910-500-4240.
About the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is located on the corner of Bradford and Arsenal avenues in Fayetteville, NC. The complex is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum operates under the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. To learn more about the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, visit MuseumOfTheCapeFear.ncdcr.gov
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, visit DNCR.nc.gov/
About the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
The Arts Council of Fayetteville|Cumberland County is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization based in Fayetteville, NC that connects our communities, embraces diversity, promotes individual creativity, advances tourism and economic development, and fosters lifelong learning through the arts. As a primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural, and historical activities in the Cape Fear Region, all affiliated programs of the Arts Council exemplify our 5 core values: Excellence, Accountability, Transparency, Collaboration, and Innovation. For more information, visit theartscouncil.com
In the year 2025-2026 year, the Arts Council distributed more than $1million in funding through grants and special allocations to Cumberland County artists, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and municipal offices producing arts and cultural activities.
Grants, programs, and services of the Arts Council are funded in part by contributions from community partners, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.