Visiting the Salem Witch Museum
The popular museum offers an introduction to the incomprehensible events that played out in Salem Village in 1692.
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| The Salem Witch Museum |
It is every museum's goal to make the past come to life, and the Salem Witch Museum comes closer than most with a haunting presentation played out along the walls of a room that museum guests are ushered into. Visitors sit around a pentagram with names of victims of the Salem witch trials in the darkened room. Meanwhile, light travels slowly along the walls, lighting up the three-dimensional historical scenes one by one as a deep voice explains the events that led to 19 people being hanged and one pressed to death for witchcraft in 1692.
What is a witch? Hollywood portrayals are contrasted with olden-day and modern-day witches in a follow-up presentation that explores that question. The 20- to 30-minute museum visit is a helpful educational refresher for a visitor to the spooky city, and it's a good place to bring kids. The museum store is also worth spending a few minutes in after the museum presentation, as it sells a thoughtful collection of books exploring witchcraft.
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Getting There
The museum is located in the center of Salem, on Route 1A across from the common. From Route 128 (I-95), take either the exits for Route 114 or Lowell Street and follow the signs to downtown Salem.
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Author: C. Danko
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This site is a private enterprise and not associated with any goverment agency or tourism board.