Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston but his legacy was forged in Baltimore. Beginning June 15 and running through September 30, Charm City will honor the macabre writer on the 200th anniversary of his birth with “The Edgar Allan Poe Tell-Tale Tour of Baltimore.” The tour is part of Nevermore 2009, a yearlong city festival honoring the late writer/poet of such acclaimed works as “The Raven” (the hometown football team took its name from the 1845 poem). The tour is set up like a scavenger hunt as participants collect Raven Trail Guide stamps while they explore sites that offer a glimpse into what Baltimore was like back when Poe was writing. These include the National Museum of Dentistry, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the Star-Spangled Trails, and the Top of the World Observation Level.

Make sure and hold on to those stamps, too—they’re valuable. When you attend and collect stamps from at least five participating locations it qualifies you for two Grand Prize VIP Weekends and ten first prizes. The Grand Prize VIP Weekend includes two nights for two at Harbor Magic’s Pier 5 Hotel, two Harbor Passes, a $200 gift card and an exclusive tour of the Poe House and Museum with curator Jeff Jerome. Recipients of the first prize will receive gift baskets from “Poe-ticipating” Greater Baltimore History Alliance members.    

Baltimore’s Citywide Poe Festival, www.nevermore2009.com.