Salem, Massachusetts – So Much More Than Just Witches

It seems every Halloween the focus of attention in New England turns to Salem, Massachusetts and its historical past of witches and the macabre. Today I thought I’d visit it as a summer destination for you.

Historically Salem was one of New England’s busiest ports in the 18th and 19th century with wharves and ships crowding the harbor area.

Although many of the wharves have long gone the remaining waterfront has been designated as a national historic site, and I’ll talk more about this later.

Salem is “best” remembered in American history because of the hysteria that marked the events in 1692. These events were the infamous witch trials when twenty innocent people - and two dogs – died at the hands of superstition and fear.

Before we visit the sites related to those events let’s cover some of the other areas of interest to summer visitors.

Peabody Essex Museum:

The Peabody Essex Museum celebrates the globetrotting ships that left this port and returned with treasures from the far corners of the trading world. The museum has a large collection of artifacts - about 854,000 works of art – mostly from Asia and Africa and from the historical sailing days of Salem.

The PEM has invested a lot in the last decade to ensure the PEM stays relevant to its heritage. New Buildings have been added and it recently acquired Yin Yu Tang, the only complete Qing Dynasty house located outside China.

Visiting the Peabody Essex Museum offers an opportunity to explore Salem’s rich heritage and positive contribution to the region. More information can be found at: www.pem.org

The House of the Seven Gables:

The House of the Seven Gables is the name of a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne’s most acclaimed work is “The Scarlet Letter” published in 1850. Hawthorne was considered to be one of New England’s literary giants and moved in the same circles as Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr, Herman Melville, and Henry David Longfellow.

Though Hawthorne never lived in the House of the Seven Gables it was owned by a relative and his memories of the house and its distinct architecture inspired his novel. Today the property includes a number of structures moved there over time and including the home where Hawthorne was born.

The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and has a secret staircase and is the oldest surviving 17th century (1668) wooden mansion in New England. Tours of the house and gardens are conducted daily. More details at: www.7gables.org

Salem Maritime National Historic Site:

The Salem Maritime National Historic Site recaptures the glorious past of 19th century Salem as one of the nations most important ports. The harbor site includes historic buildings, wharves, and the reconstructed tall ship “Friendship.” Most people start their visit to historic maritime Salem by visiting the orientation center on Derby Street which has exhibits and an orientation film.

The Salem Maritime site is run by the National Parks Service and rangers offer one hour guided tours throughout the season. Self-guided walking tours are also available along with an audio podcast you can download from the parks web site at: www.nps.gov/sama

The Salem Witch Museum:

One of the most popular attractions for visitors to Salem remains the Salem Witch Museum. The fascination of the events of 1692 and the subsequent witch trials is captured in this museum.

Tours are conducted year round and provide a history lesson of the witch trials of 1692. You’re taken back to the dark and evil spring and summer of 1692 when 180 people were accused of witchcraft and 19 sentenced to hanging. The accusers were hysterical young girls who mysteriously fell ill and the innocent victims were female and male adults who basically had no defense against the girl’s accusations.

For more information on tour times and fees check out the museum’s web site here: www.salemwitchmuseum.com/

Salem Wax Museum:

Located on Derby Street in the historic area of Salem the Salem Wax Museum is composed of London-made wax figures depicting characters and events from Salem’s founding in 1626 through the 1692 witch trials and beyond to the city’s prominence as a major seaport.

There is an old burial ground behind the museum you can visit. But don’t look for any remains of the Witch Trials era – these were privately buried by the family as they were not allowed to be buried on consecrated grounds. More information can be found here:
www.salemwaxmuseum.com

For many more suggestions on things to see and do in Massachusetts see my Massachusetts vacation guide here.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
New England Vacation Guide