--- title: "Richmond Region Tourism: Poe Museum AR | Shockoe" description: "How Shockoe brought the Poe Museum's bust of Edgar Allan Poe to life in augmented reality for Richmond Region Tourism, on site and from any mobile device." canonical: "https://shockoe.com/our-work/richmond-region-tourism/" --- # Poe Museum AR > How Shockoe brought the Poe Museum's bust of Edgar Allan Poe to life in augmented reality for Richmond Region Tourism, on site and from any mobile device. [← All case studies](https://shockoe.com/our-work/) Richmond Region Tourism Client *Richmond Region Tourism* Sector Tourism What we did Concept, design, and augmented reality development *A hand holding a phone that shows the animated bust of Edgar Allan Poe on a brick pedestal, in a dim, warmly lit room.* ## Bringing Richmond's history to life. ### The challenge Richmond Region Tourism wanted to draw visitors and locals to the Poe Museum and the wider region, including students, literary fans, and travelers drawn to the darker side of history. The content had to be respectful and informative, yet current enough to reach audiences who know Poe from pop culture, and the goal was physical visits, not just views. ### The build An augmented reality experience that brings the Poe Museum's bust of Edgar Allan Poe to life. The animated Poe shares facts about his life, recites lines from The Raven, and introduces the museum, or leads an overview of the region's self-guided Mysterious and Spooky Richmond Region tour, with stops such as Hollywood Cemetery, Hanover Tavern, and Historic St. John's Church. Guests can meet him at the museum or summon him anywhere from a mobile device, so the experience reaches beyond the museum walls. ## The result The experience launched for the Halloween season and drew coverage in the local press, giving Visit Richmond a shareable way to connect the Poe Museum with the wider Richmond region, on site and from anywhere. ## Project images * *The augmented reality menu with options to explore the Poe Museum, explore the region, learn about Poe, and hear lines from The Raven.* * *The animated bust of Edgar Allan Poe with a raven on his shoulder, shown on a phone.* * *Poe's bust and raven rising above a brick pedestal in the augmented reality view.* * *Smoke swirling around Poe's bust in the augmented reality view on a phone.* * *Poe's bust at the museum seen through a phone, with an Enter If You Dare prompt.* * *The Visit Richmond blog post for the Mysterious and Spooky Richmond Region tour, shown on a phone.* ## In the press * Axios Richmond [Edgar Allan Poe returns in AR as Richmond's creepiest tour guide](https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2025/10/01/edgar-allan-poe-ar-tour-guide-richmon) October 1, 2025 * Budget Travel [Take a Spooky Tour with the Ghost of Edgar Allen Poe Through this City](https://www.budgettravel.com/article/take-a-spooky-tour-with-the-ghost-of-edgar-allen-poe-through-this-city) September 17, 2025 · Published by Visit Richmond VA ## Questions about this project ### What did Shockoe build for Richmond Region Tourism? An augmented reality experience that animates the Poe Museum's bust of Edgar Allan Poe. He shares facts about his life, recites lines from The Raven, introduces the museum, and guides guests through a self-guided tour of the region's spookier sights. ### Do guests have to be at the Poe Museum? No. Guests can meet Poe on site at the museum, or summon him anywhere through a mobile device. ### Who was the experience built for? Visitors and locals, including students, literary fans, and travelers drawn to the darker side of history. The aim was to drive visits to the Poe Museum, to other sites across the region, and to Richmond as a destination. ### Was the experience covered in the press? Yes. Axios Richmond covered the launch, and Budget Travel published Visit Richmond VA's announcement. ## More in Hospitality & Heritage [All case studies](https://shockoe.com/our-work/) St Andrews Links ### The Home of Golf App An app as elegant as the Old Course. 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