Salem, Massachusetts is best identified for a series of events that occurred practically 325 years ago. In 1692, 20 harmless men and women have been put to dying because they have been believed to be witches. Whereas this momentary outbreak of hysteria and witch hunting was tragic, it pales in comparison to the number of “witches” burned at the stake or tortured in Europe in the course of the early Modern Period, but it is a stigma and a history that has hung over the town ever since. These witch trials, which have been portrayed in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, overshadow the city’s rich history as an important seaport.
At the moment, more than a million people go to Salem annually, especially throughout the town’s month lengthy “Haunted Happenings” in October, with events like parades, avenue gala’s, household movie nights on the common, lantern excursions, costume balls, haunted houses, live music and chilling theatrical performances.
I’m not so into the macabre, spooky, or haunted; nor am I drawn to the Halloween-themed retailers or New Age and Wiccan boutiques scattered throughout town; however I was intrigued by the historical past of the city and thought Salem would make an excellent day trip destination. Located just 30 minutes north of Boston, Salem is a simple day journey from Boston, Portland, ME, and even our dwelling in Rhode Island.
We lucked out with a gorgeous, unseasonably warm Election Day this November, making an ideal day for exploring this seaside town. While among the city’s prime attractions, just like the Salem Trolley and harbor boat excursions have been closed for the season, the various museums and historic maritime website were open and under no circumstances crowded.
Because our foremost draw, like most, was the witch trials, our first cease was at the Salem Witch Museum. Whereas there are lots of museums in Salem dedicated to the witch trials — the Witch House, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch Trials Memorial, the Witch Historical past Museum — theSalem Witch Museum is heralded as Salem’s most visited museum. Not quite a museum within the traditional sense, while you enter the museum you buy a ticket for a “presentation” that begins at regular intervals. I’ve to say, it wasn’t at all what to do in salem ma I expected. My assumption was that there could be some sort of film or interactive presentation that told the history of witch trials with out sensationalizing or over dramatizing the satan worship / witchcraft facet, since it was later confirmed to be all a falsehood began by a gaggle of ladies that had been both bored or caught up in a mass hysteria.
Instead, after we entered the presentation we had been seated in chairs set surrounding a witch’s circle in red on the floor within the center. The lights exit and the soundtrack comes on, lighting up a collection of dioramas on the outskirts of the room. The presentation begins out by highlighting a statue of Satan with the creepy voice speaking about satan worship and witchcraft — dramatic and a bit a lot for younger kids. It then goes on to talk briefly about how they assume the rumors of witchcraft began, the trials, the situations in the prisons, and how the accused have been tortured after which hung or pressed to death. It concluded with a dialogue about how the accuser later recounted and the victims were declared innocent.
After the presentation, the group moved to a second space the place we were told in regards to the history of witches and the perceptions of witches by the ages, and reminded how “witch hunts” of various kinds nonetheless take place today. The Salem Witch Museum is present in Washington Sq. and is open day by day 10 am – 5 pm, with longer hours in the summertime and through Haunted Happenings. Tickets are $9.50 for adults and $6.50 for kids ages 6 to 14. After chatting with my daughter after our go to, we both agreed that we wouldn’t recommend it for teenagers below 10, depending on their maturity and how simply they scare.
