In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death, Prince Prospero attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball within seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms.

The story has been turned into an annual Halloween event called The Masquerade of the Red Death, held in the area of Detroit, Michigan. The annual event began in 2013, and is said to put the guests in the center of Poe's story.