A museum that celebrates such a unique talent as the author/illustrator/playwright Edward Gorey should offer surprises, and this one, inside Gorey’s 200-year-old sea captain’s home, does just that. The house celebrates the author’s passion for collectibles—potato mashers and sea glass were favorites—and animals (he usually had half a dozen cats). The annual exhibits focus on his rich body of work, the quirky and macabre illustrations that were also the basis of his plays, set designs, costume designs, and even stuffed animal–making. This is a fun museum and a must for literary-minded travelers, who will also want to stop in the nearby Parnassus Bookstore, which was one of Gorey’s favorite places.