Salem, Massachusetts

There’s hardly a person alive in North America who hasn’t heard of the Salem Witch Trials. This makes the town of Salem one of North America’s top destinations for Halloween; and, on some sites, it is listed as the #1 Halloween destination in the world. During an average year, the town expects to see about 100,000 people on October 31.

Not surprisingly, in November, the city shuts down and doesn’t open again until April. I figure that locals have earned a break from all the madness.

Visiting outside of the tourist season is still worth the trip. This town has a folk artsy feel to it and simply walking the small streets and graveyards will pique anyone’s interest in the town’s history. I preferred this over all the gaudy witch and occult attractions/shops. This town also has a rich shipping and literary history. The Salem Maritime National Historic site gives insight into the town’s importance to trade and shipping in the United States; and, the House of the Seven Gables Museum tells the story of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Finally, (back to the witch stuff) one thing needs to be made clear (something that confuses people and is often written incorrectly on websites): there are two witch museums in Salem.

1. The Witch House (#17 in the gallery). This house is the only standing building in Salem that is related to the witch trials. Once owned by the Corwin family, the house’s most famous resident was Jonathan Corwin who was the judge involved in the trials. Location: 310 Essex Street. Only open from March 15-November 15.

2. The Salem Witch Museum (#2 in the gallery). Here you will see a reenactment of the events leading to, during, and after the witch trials. Presentations are about the history of witchcraft and the public’s perception of witches over the centuries. This is a good place to start your visit in Salem. Built between 1844-1846 as a gothic style church, this building is not related to the witch trials in any way. Location: 19 N Washington Square. Open year-round.

Many websites get the two museum’s confused. And, the church next to the Witch House at 316 Essex Street, is sometimes photographed and then labelled as the Salem Witch Museum. This is The First Church in Salem and is not related to the Salem Witch Museum in any way.