We admire Gorey’s genius and really wanted to see his house when we visited Cape Cod. We came shortly before a tour started and wisely joined in. Our knowledgeable and chatty docent made sure we received our money’s worth and then some by supplying anecdotes about Gorey, the house, how he came to live in it, what he did with it, and how he became part of the community. It was the kind of tour that makes you wonder whether you should maybe change your priorities in life. The bottom line: while one could easily spend several hours just staring at the art and knickknacks, I highly recommend the tour. And if you finish the scavenger hunt, you have my eternal admiration.

The Edward Gorey House in Yarmouth Port, the home of this aptly named author, illustrator, set and costume designer from 1986-200, is whimsically macabre. An introductory talk which, we were warned, is “not hampered by facts” is offered at the top of each hour before visitors begin a self-guided tour of the house. Even if his name doesn’t ring a bell, you are familiar with Gorey’s craft. His work on the 1977 Broadway revival of Dracula starring Frank Langella won a Tony for best costume design. A fun activity inspired by Gorey’s Gashlycrumb Tinies is to set off on a “scavenger hunt” to find 26 – one for each letter in the alphabet – “hapless children” scattered throughout the house. The circled feet sticking out from beneath an area rug in the photo I submitted for The Edward Gorey House are those of “…George, smothered under a rug” from the scavenger hunt activity.

This gem of a museum is packed wall-to-wall with illustrations, artwork, memorabilia, books, collections of this, collections of that... you get the picture. If you're like me, you've seen Gorey's distinctive illustrations all your life without thinking about the man who created them. He was a magnificently quirky individual with a way of looking at the world that was his alone. All that comes through, loud and clear, in this museum. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and very entertaining. When we visited, they started by giving a talk about Gorey and his work, then they let us roam around the house and satisfy our curiosity. Parking was easy. Advanced reservations recommended. We went at 11:00 AM on a Wednesday in September, and there were probably ten people there.