TravelWise
How to get there | On the trail of the Witchcraft Hysteria | Things to see and do | Where to stay | For more information
HOW TO GET THERE
BY AIR
To Logan International Airport in Boston, 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) from Salem. For information, call +1 617 561 1800.
BY BUS
Take Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus number 450 or 455 from Boston’s Haymarket Square. Call 800 392 6100 or +1 617 222 3200 for information.
BY CAR
From Boston City center, take U.S. Route 1 north to State Route 107. From points north, take Interstate 95 to State Route 114 east. From points south, take Interstate 95 to State Route 128 east to State Route 114 east.
BY TRAIN
Take the “T” commuter rail service from Boston (North Station) on either the Ipswich or Rockport train; call +1 607 227 5090.
ON THE TRAIL OF THE WITCHCRAFT HYSTERIA
Salem of 1692 encompassed parts of Beverly, Danvers (Salem Village), Peabody, and Salem (Salem Town). Modern Salem is suburban and highly developed, so little remains as it was 300 years ago. An invaluable resource for finding sites related to the witchcraft outbreak is The Witchcraft Hysteria of Salem Town and Salem Village in 1692: the Complete Touring Companion and Historical Guide, by William Story (Willart Publishing, Peabody, Massachusetts, 1995, Booklet).
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
DANVERS
Danvers Archival Center
15 Sylvan Street; +1 978 774 0554
An extensive collection of witchcraft books and historical documents covering the Salem witchcraft outbreak of 1692. Free.
Rebecca Nurse Homestead
149 Pine Street, +1 978 774 8799
Home of one of Salem Village’s most respected residents who was convicted and executed during the hysteria. Furnished with period furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries. Also on the grounds: a replica of the Salem Village meetinghouse, built for the movie Three Sovereigns for Sarah in 1984, and a family graveyard with a monument to Rebecca Nurse. Seasonal hours. Admission fee.
Salem Village Witchcraft Victim’s Memorial
176 Hobart Street
The memorial includes quotations from eight witchcraft victims. It stands near the site of the original Salem Village Meetinghouse.
Samuel Parris Archaelogical Site
67 Centre Street
In 1970 archaeologists uncovered the foundations of Salem Village’s Parsonage, once the home of Reverend Samuel Parris. It was here that Parris’s slave Tituba told her tales of magic.
SALEM
Chestnut Street
Prosperous merchants in the 19th century demonstrated their wealth by building Federal-style mansions. Some call this the most beautiful street in America.
Haunted Happenings
A month-long Halloween celebration. Activities include haunted houses, parades, historical reenactments, costume balls, and seances. Check out the Web site or call the Chamber of Commerce at +1 978 744 0004 for details. Admission fee for some events.
The House of the Seven Gables
54 Turner Street; +1 978 744 0991
Built in 1668 and made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. Four other historic houses are on the grounds, including Hawthorne’s birthplace. Admission fee.
Old Burying Point
Charter Street
The oldest cemetery in Salem, and one of the oldest in the United States, with graves dating back to 1637. Of note are the decorative tombstones and the graves of several witch-trial judges, including John Hathorne.
Peabody Essex Museum
East India Square; +1 978 745 9500 or 800 745 4054
Includes three furnished houses of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and a museum filled with artifacts of local history, treasures from the Far East maritime trade, and exhibits on the natural history of New England. Admission fee.
Salem 1630 Pioneer Village
Forest River Park; +1 978 744 0991
This living-history village with guides in period clothing provides a good insight into life in the 17th century. Special events include evening outdoor theater and a “haunted village” around Halloween. Admission fee.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
178 Derby Street; +1 978 740 1650 or +1 978 740 1660
Once upon a time, not long after the witch hysteria of 1692, Salem Town was a thriving international seaport, second only to Boston. This National Historic Site preserves wharves and buildings of Salem’s port dating from the 17th through the 19th century, including the Custom House, Bonded Warehouse, West India Goods Store, and Hawkes and Derby Houses. Free.
Salem Witch Museum
19 1/2 Washington Square North; +1 978 744 1692; 800 544 1692 for reservations
Thirty-minute multimedia presentation and exhibits explaining the witch trials of 1692. Admission fee.
Summit of Gallows Hill
Gallows Hill Park, near the intersection of South and Hanson Streets
Historians don’t know exactly where the convicted witches of 1692 were hanged; the location was at the top of a hill with locust trees and a fissure into which bodies were tossed.
Many experts believe that the most likely location is in modern-day Gallows Hill Park. A few other witchcraft scholars contend that Gallows Hill was too steep for the cart that carried the condemned. Instead, they suspect the location was slightly closer to town, in the vicinity of Boston, Pope, and Proctor Streets.
Witchcraft Victims Memorial
Charter Street, adjacent to the Old Burying Point
A peaceful courtyard with locust trees and stone benches inscribed with the names of those who died in 1692. Dedicated in 1992 during the 300-year anniversary of the hysteria.
Witch Dungeon Museum
16 Lynde Street; +1 978 744 3570
A live reenactment of a witch trial and a tour through a re-created dungeon, guided by professional actresses. Open April through November. Admission fee.
Witch House
310 1/2 Essex Street; +1 978 744 0180
Witch-trial judge Jonathan Corwin’s home, where many of the accused were examined prior to their trials. Features period furnishings. Open March through November. Admission fee.
WHERE TO STAY
Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square West
Phone: 800 929 7829 or +1 978 744 4080
Fax: +1 978 745 9842
The only full-service hotel in Salem and a member of the “Historic Hotels of America” program. Formal restaurant, 83 rooms.
The Salem Inn
7 Summer Street
Phone: +1 508 741 0680
Fax: +1 508 744 8924
Converted and restored town houses from the mid 18th Century; on the National Register of Historic Places. Four stories, 31 rooms, no elevator.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts
This non-profit Web site is the Internet home of many Salem sites and attractions. Contents include a visitor’s guide, a calendar of events, a virtual tour of the city, and seasonal tourist information.
Salem Chamber of Commerce
32 Derby Square
Salem, Massachusetts, 01970
Telephone: +1 978 744 0004
Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs
93 Washington Street
Salem, Massachusetts, 01970
Telephone: 800 777 6848
North Shore Chamber of Commerce
5 Cherry Hill Drive
Danvers, Massachusetts, 01923
Telephone: +1 978 774 8565
Massachusetts Department of Travel and Tourism
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
100 Cambridge Street, 13th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts, 02202
Phone: +1 800 227 6277 or +1 617 727 3201
The Salem Evening News
Salem’s local newspaper.
This information was accurate as of October 1997. If you find that something has changed, please e-mail traveler@nationalgeographic.com.