The Edward Gorey House

For my second major stop during my adventure in Yarmouth, MA on Cape Cod in late September 2023, I visited the Edward Gorey House. Located down the street from Historic New England’s Winslow Crocker House, this museum memorializes the life of a illustrator, author, and Broadway costume designer. While the house appears ordinary from the exterior, Edward St. John Gorey used his love of whimsy and the macabre while decorating. Each year, a new exhibit showcases another facet of his life.

Gorey lived on the property from 1979 until his death in 2000. Two years later, his family and friends turned the house into a museum to share his life and art with the public. His career began while attending Harvard in 1946 after serving in World War II. While he earned a degree in French Literature, he spent his career illustrating book covers and writing his own books. Gorey was prolific, with around 500 book covers in his portfolio in addition to 116 books under his own name and various pseudonyms. Besides print media, Gorey loved theater and ballet. In 1973, he staged his own version of Dracula, which went on to be a best selling production on Broadway and garner him two Tony Awards — Best Revival and Best Costume — in 1978. Using his earnings from the show, he purchased what is now the museum.

Gorey was a notable, eccentric figure around town. One of his favorite establishments was Jack’s Outback in downtown Yarmouth Port. Gorey ate nearly every meal at the restaurant when he was in town and would ring himself up on the registry. A framed waffle from Jack’s Outback still hangs in the kitchen of the home. While the original business owned by Jack Bragington-Smith closed in 2004, its successor Jack’s Outback II still provides breakfast and lunch. Another favorite place for Gorey was the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) office based in Yarmouth Port. Gorey kept pets, especially cats, throughout his life but had been an avid wearer of fur coats. After a “moment of truth”, as described in exhibit signage, Gorey vowed off fur and donated money to several local animal welfare organizations. A few of his remaining coats are on display in the museum.

Besides artifacts from Gorey’s life and framed artwork, both on display and for sale, the collection at the Edward Gorey House included an alphabet themed scavenger hunt based on his book The Gashlycrumb Tinies, in which children meet their deaths in a wide range of darkly humorous ways. The hunt will not be to everyone’s taste, as it includes a characters who fall down stairs, are eaten by bears, choke on peaches, and are sucked dry by leeches. As you may have noticed, the scavenger hunt rhymes. Those who complete the scavenger hunt are given an exclusive sticker. Other unique items on display are Gorey’s license plate emblazoned with his pseudonym Ogred, cardboard cutouts designed by Gorey and used on Masterpiece Theater, and whatever Gorey had in his kitchen on the day he died. Two cats live in the second story of the house and occasionally made an appearance at the top of the stairs.

While I enjoyed the wholly original layout of the museum and its contents, this house is not for everyone. Those who do not like dark humor or easily become nauseated will not enjoy the self-guided tour. The house has a ramp to the entrance, allowing for those using a wheelchair to access the building, but the narrow doorways and passages between display cases may be difficult to navigate. The entire museum is on the first story of the house, so visitors do not have to climb stairs. The space is well-lit but can become overcrowded. For driving and parking directions, the Plan Your Visit Today page on the website offers sarcastic advice. While currently closed for the season, the museum will reopen on April 4 and remain open through December 29. The days of the week and time of day that the museum is open will vary depending on time of year, which is explained slightly better on the Plan Your Visit Today page. The current costs for tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for students, teachers, & seniors; $4 for children ages five through twelve, and $0 for children under five.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 7/10

Accessibility: 7/10