It’s not a place to spend more than a day, but the spooky Salem as a good stopover en route to or from Boston. Everything is witch-themed (t-shirts, restaurants, etc.), since the town is the site of the 1692 Witch Trials. The stop was especially necessary for Rachel, who was reading The Crucible for school.
Definitely walk over to the Salem Witch Memorial to make Arthur Miller’s classic play about lies and their consequences take on new meaning. I remember hating Winona Rider in the movie. The Salem Witch Museum is undergoing renovations, but is still open and offers more information on the town and its sordid history.
Closer to the harbor is the former home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, known as the House of Seven Gables, which inspired his novel of the same name. It definitely gives off the oppressive Puritan vibe that you find in his books.
There are also a dozen or so psychics if you are curious about what the spirits have in store for the rest of your trip.
The main street also has the 40 Whacks Lizzie Borden Museum if your trip wasn’t quite creepy enough. You can visit her former home and the scene of her parents’ infamous murders, now a bed and breakfast, in St. Fall River, MA.
If you’re looking for a bite that isn’t in any way witch related, swing by Boston Hot Dog, which has over 30 varieties of toppings. Think Jack’s Cosmic Dogs with a northern accent.
Great pics, what a unique haha.
Salem has a new walking tour filled with conspiracy and ghosts. Its the Salem Tunnel Tour. Learn about the smuggling tunnels built for a Superior Court Justice, a Secretary of the Navy, and several Senators to avoid paying taxes. Learn about the tunnels that presidents, George Washington, John Quincy Adams, and James Munroe knew about. Be fascinated by the murderers, pimps, politicians, and pirates who used them. Even the underground Railroad used them. These tunnels went from the sea to an underground secret train station! Learn more on the Salem walking tour that is different from the rest.