Ride Your Broomstick To Salem
Salem, Massachusetts, is one of the most famous locations for occultists, Wiccans, and horror history lovers alike. Known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials, in which more than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft in 1692 and 1693, and twenty five people were executed during the hysteria of outing witches, Salem is said to be one of the most haunted places in America.
And nobody takes on their cloak of history like Salem.
A visit to Salem, Massachusetts, is on the bucket list of every witch lover, myself included. There are so many deliciously witchy places you can visit, and I've put together my very own list for when I get the chance to visit myself.
The Salem Witch Museum and The Salem Witch House
The Salem Witch Museum is a must see for any visitors to the area. This museum offers a comprehensive history of the Salem Witch Trials to better understand the hysteria that surrounded the accusations of those who were practicing witchcrafts. The first part of the museum will take you through an immersive look at the drama of this dark time, followed by a tour behind the word witch and the evolution of the witch over time.
If you're frothing at the bit for more history on this cursed time, the Salem Witch House is also a must see attraction, which provides more of a straightforward history of the trials. The owner of the house, Jonathan Corwin, served as a judge during the trials of 1692 and this structure is the only one still standing in Salem with direct links to the trials.
Gallows Hill or Bewitched After Dark
Gallows Hill allows for exploration of the Salem Witch Trials through a mish mash of fun experiences that seem not unlike the cabaret restaurant Dracula's. There are different "tours" available including a daytime walking tour, a ghosts and legends themed trolley tour, a museum of haunted and cursed artefacts, and even a "performance" called Tales and Ales, where you listen to a presenter discuss the tales of the area while sampling the local ales. The area was once rumoured to be the site of the infamous witch hangings, which did end up being debunked.
If you're looking for something a bit serious though, the tour Bewitched After Dark offers a historical walking tour of Salem's colonial history and is rated one of the best tours in Salem.
Old Burying Point Cemetery and Witch Trials Memorial
It wouldn't be a visit to Salem without visiting the cemetery that happens to be the final resting place of many notable Salem citizens from the 1600s. Old Burying Point Cemetery is one of the oldest cemetery in the United States and certainly one of the spookiest, with a memorial around the corner representing and paying tribute to the victims of the witch trials in 1693.
The Hawthorn Hotel
Established in 1925, The Hawthorn Hotel is said to be one of the top ten most haunted hotels in America, and is the regular investigation site for many professional paranormal investigators. You can stay here, and apparently people in room 325 have reported feeling the sensation of someones hand touching them in bed at night. There is also reports of a woman wondering the corridor of the sixth floor of the hotel, and reports of children screaming throughout the night.
HausWitch Boutique
HausWitch is a unique urban boutique that sells vintage and secondhand furnishing, cutesy witch craft supplies, works by local artists, and Salem souvenirs. It's an absolutely bewitching store, and is worth a peruse and a purchase!
There are also heaps of other witch themed specality stores, such as Crow Haven Corner, HEX Oldworld Witchery, The Cauldron Black, The Coven's Cottage, and even the vampire themed Vampfangs.
