Bram Stoker’s Dracula Experience, Whitby: A unique tour where you can learn about the story of Dracula inspired by the Yorkshire coast

Bram Stoker, the author of the classic novel Dracula, visited Whitby in 1890 and was inspired to write the book.

He stayed at a guest house in West Cliff at 6 Royal Crescent and conducted his research at the public library at 7 Pier Road, now Quayside Fish and Chips.

Count Dracula arrives ashore at Whitby and runs up the 199 steps in the form of a black dog to the graveyard of St Mary’s Church in the shadow of the Whitby Abbey ruins.

The novel was published in 1897 and during the period between 1890 and 1897, Bram Stoker was part of the literary staff at The Daily Telegraph in London. He wrote other fiction including the horror novels The Lady of the Shroud in 1909 and The Lair of the White Worm in 1911.

Dracula incorporated pieces of local folklore including the beaching of the Russian ship Dmitry and Stoker discovered the name ‘Dracula’ at the old public library.

The Dracula Experience tours take place in a historic building on 9 Marine Parade, Whitby, YO21 3PR which was first documented in 1641 when it was leased to Isaac Newton by Sir Hugh Chomley for 1,000 years.

The building later became The Captain’s Reading Rooms, where ships captains could read the London papers and locate future cargoes.

It now houses regular unique tours that take visitors on an immersive journey through the Dracula story and its connection to Whitby.

The tour includes a recent addition of a new cinema which shows a film created in-house which tells the story of the real Dracula (Vlad Tepes) in Transylvania and how this story inspired Bram Stoker’s writing.

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Bram Stoker’s research for the book took place in the building when it was The Captain’s Reading Rooms.

There are also live actors who transform the tour into an immersive experience and an audio track narrates the story. The shop window includes displays of Dracula-related items and merchandise for sale.

Entry prices are £6 per adult (age 14 and over) and £5 per child (age 6 to 13) and during spring, it is open from April to July every day from 11am to 5pm.