Edgar Allan Poe Coming to Garfield Historic Site for Halloween

President James A. Garfield died before Lon Chaney, Vincent Price or Wes Craven ever scared anyone from the silver screen.

But that doesn't mean he didn't enjoy a good spooky story.

Garfield was a voracious reader and it's unsurprising that he collected the stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe, the most popular scare-smith of his time.

So it's appropriate that Poe -- as played by actor David Keltz -- will make an appearance at in time for Halloween.

Keltz will perform as Poe at 6 and 8 p.m. shows on October 26 and 27. In each performance, Keltz will recite Poe's famous poem "The Raven" along with another of his stories.

On Oct. 26, Keltz will also perform "The Black Cat" at 6 p.m. and "Hop Frog" at 8 p.m. The following day, Keltz will recite "The Cask of Amontillado" at 6 p.m. and "The Tell-Tale Heart" at 8 p.m.

Keltz first performed as Poe on Halloween night in 1991 at Poe’s Baltimore grave. Since then, he has performed as Poe on stage, television and radio, as well as at schools and museums.

“President James A. Garfield was a reader of Poe’s works,” said Sherda Williams, the superintendent of James A. Garfield National Historic Site.

“In fact, several Poe volumes are on the shelves of the Memorial Library here in the Garfield home. What better way to celebrate this time of year than live performances of Poe stories we know the Garfields read and enjoyed?”

Tickets cost $15 per person per performance. They can be bought at the historic site and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A grant from the Lake County Visitors Bureau made the shows possible.