
The Salem witch hunt was indeed a real-life horror story. In case you need a refresher, twenty innocent people were put to death during the Witch Hysteria of 1692, leaving Salem forever branded. Actually, these days many people refer to Salem as “The Witch City.”
The people of Salem totally play up their spooky reputation to tourists, too. In addition to the town’s normal bewitching attractions, Haunted Happenings run for the entire month of October and draws nearly a quarter of a million people to the city. This year, my family was among Salem’s visitors and today I want to tell you about all the fun we had there.
**Disclosure: I received a complimentary media pass to all of the locations mentioned in this post in order to tell you about our experience in Salem. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way.
Since we had the kiddos with us, we kept our visit to Salem family friendly (well, as family friendly as the murders of 20 innocent people can be I suppose). Here are all the things we did while we were there:
The Salem Witch Museum
The main presentation is based on actual trial documents. Visitors experience the drama of that dark time though thirteen life-size stage sets, figures, lighting and a stirring narration as they are witness to the web of lies and intrigue of the Salem Witch Hunt.
In our second exhibit, Witches: Evolving Perceptions, live guides take you through changing interpretations of witches, the truth behind the stereotypes, witchcraft practice today and the frightening phenomenon of witch hunting.

The Salem Witch Museum is located at 19 1/2 Washington Square and is open daily, year round: 10:00am-5:00pm, but they do have extended hours on select dates in October, so be sure to check their website before you go. Continue reading »