The eerie writings H.P. Lovecraft- one of the most significant supernatural horror fiction authors of the 20th century- are inexplicably bound to his hometown of Providence. This tour walks in the tortured author’s footsteps through his traumatic upbringing and favorite haunts; guests also meet some of the fictional characters that Lovecraft wrote into the city’s fabric through dramatic retellings of his creepiest tales.
But Lovecraft isn’t the only author that ambled the city’s centuries-old sidewalks: Sarah Helen Whitman was an eccentric local spiritualist and poet who was briefly engaged to master of the macabre Edgar Allan Poe. This tour also explores her life and relives the couple’s whirlwind- and doomed- romance.
Meeting Point: Prospect Terrace Park, across from 65 Congdon Street, Providence, RI
Distance: About 1.5 miles
Grade: Flat and downhill
Tour Length: About 90 minutes
The Providence Athenaeum, our nearly 200-year-old library which all Providence authors enjoyed (and continue to!)
Prospect Terrace Park, Lovecraft’s favorite and the city’s best view
Lovecraft’s and Whitman’s homes
135 Benefit Street: the inspiration for Lovecraft’s The Shunned House
The place where Poe first saw Whitman, later claiming “love at first sight”
140 Prospect Street: Home of H.P. Lovecraft’s character, Charles Dexter Ward
Guests should wear comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate attire, and bring an open mind. In hot weather, hats, sunglasses, water bottles, and sunscreen are usually good ideas.
Tours are rain or shine! Only in dangerous weather conditions will a tour be canceled. A tour guide will reach out to you the morning of the tour to let you know if a tour is canceled- if you have not been contacted, assume the tour is proceeding as scheduled.
Street parking is readily available throughout Providence, and free on Sundays. This is the easiest option.
For the Dark Tales Tour, the best parking is on the streets around Prospect Terrace Park.
There are no bathrooms on this tour.
We love giving tours to private groups- we find that some of the best bonding experiences happen when a group is learning something new together, or sharing a family-style meal.
There are incentives for groups of 10 or above, and we can customize tours to make them more suitable to your group’s budget or timeline. Please send us a message to learn more about group tour options and pricing, or cut straight to the chase and request a private tour.
Tour guide tips are not included in the tour price, but are appreciated when a guide exceeds your expectations. A generous tip is anywhere between $5-10 per guest.
Tours can be canceled for any reason up to seven days after purchase.
The Providence Tour Company also offers trip protection, which allows guests to cancel up 48 hours before the tour is to begin. The fee for trip protection is a flat 10% of the ticket price.
If you believe that your circumstance warrants an exception to this policy, please contact us.
Office Address:
225 Dyer Street
Providence, RI 02903
*This is not the meeting location of tours. Please refer to your confirmation email for tour meeting location details.
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