Welcome to Bedford Shop LocalBedford + Neighbors Join BK Email Group Calendar Activities + Classes Adventures Adventures Out Camps Dining with Kids Playgrounds Storytimes + Libraries Early Years K-12 Health + WellnessJob SearchKid-Friendly BusinessesSupport GroupsEverything Else! Mom Basics Boston Genealogy Examiner WordsWorth2 About Us Advertise Home
Adventures Out
Day Trip: Salem
Why Go: Most of the year, Salem is a wonderful place to set your sails – full of history, education, and fun. During October, the “Witch City” is mobbed by crowds drawn to the month-long celebration known as Haunted Happenings. Not all of the celebration’s activities are appropriate for kids, so check the web site to plan a Halloween-oriented visit.
What to See: Although Salem was the central focus of the witchcraft trials of 1692, much of the fervor started in Salem Village, which is now the neighboring town of Danvers. The Witch House (310 Essex St.), home of witchcraft trial Judge Jonathan Corwin, is the only building in Salem that is actually associated with the trials. The house tour, however, focuses more on the building than its incidental witch connection.
At the Witch Dungeon Museum (16 Lynde St.), you'll see live witch trial reenactments and recreated prison cells. At the Salem Witch Museum (19-1/2 Washington Square), sit around a glowing red circle of the witch trial victims’ names while a voice narrates the story and lights point out the scenes. Then head to the museum’s newer Witches: Evolving Perceptions exhibit to learn how people have been persecuted over the years based on fear.
Did you know that Nathaniel Hawthorne added the “W” to his surname to separate himself from his well-known witch trials ancestor, “the hanging Judge” John Hathorne? The author’s birthplace is one of the six buildings that make up the House of the Seven Gables campus (115 Derby St.).
Salem also has a rich maritime history. At the Salem Maritime National Historic Site (160 Derby St.), take a tour of the East India-bound USS Friendship replica on Derby Wharf, the Custom House and the Narbonne House, built in 1675.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, some merchant ships were plundered at sea by pirates and many of those pirates were from New England. At the New England Pirate Museum (274 Derby St.), a pirate tour guide will show you the treasures, then take you to the “seaport,” where you’ll board a vessel and explore an 80-foot cave. Annually, the Salem Pirates Faire comes to the waterfront Salem Willows Amusement Park. The rest of the time, enjoy the old carousel, amusement rides and arcades plus a picnicking area by the sea. Much of Salem’s tourist areas are seasonal, so call ahead.
Finally, don’t miss the Peabody Essex Museum (161 Essex St.). You’ll see gorgeous art and treasures from the East Indies and other places around the world. The museum offers lots of activities for families and children, so check their online calendar before you go.
(BPP PHDG, 2008)
Before your next night on the town, visit Restaurant.com
for big savings at local eateries.
Bypass theater ticket lines. Buy movie tickets in advance at Fandango.com. Read reviews and find showtimes for any movie in the U.S.
Home | Shop Local | Advertise
© 2003-2009 Robin C. Mason, WordsWorth2
Email Robin with calendar event listings, suggestions, and corrections.