Salem
was built by native fishermen in 1626 and is known for the tracing and
killing of those convicted of witchcraft. The most famous of which is
the 1692 paranoid witchcraft allegation causing over 200 innocent
people, both men and women, being imprisoned, including 21 executed, as
well as a number of deaths when tragic incident happening. At least
seven museums simulating this dark period can be found in Salem.
Presently,
beside the name "Witch City", Salem also attracts tourists with its
history as one of the aged cities in America, its typical lighthouses by
the coast of Massachusetts, etc.
At
the City’s historic center, the 18th century private homes and the
heyday of the City are still completely intact. On Chestnut Street,
connected to the mentioned historic center, series of shops, stores
always crowded with tourists throughout the day are situated.
Nowadays,
‘witch’ has become... a symbol of Salem, even the City’s police badge
includes the picture of a witch on the broom! On the roads of the City,
you can easily run into modern witches flocking to Salem to purchase
witchcraft utilities and equipment.
And,
in addition to traditional tourist souvenir shops, “specialized” witch
shops can be found which you can browse to remind yourself of ancient
blood-stained tales and modern-time super-natural beliefs.
Salem
can also be considered a gigantic outdoors entertainment park due to
Halloween festivity taken place almost throughout the year. If you are
in Salem in October, be prepared to elbow yourself through the crow of
nearly 100,000 tourists, double the number of local people! Therefore,
the history of Salem, with journeys to discover an extremely diversified
world of witches, is the key theme for tourism.
Salem
Witch Museum, at the city center, is the top tourist attraction spot in
Salem. From the simulated paranoid accusations in fascinating drama
forms, you can understand deeply the pain of those who were allegedly
accused of being witches. Witch objects in both archaic and modern times
may help you unveil the mystery of the world of witches!
The
Witch House, or The Jonathan Corvin House, the only house left in Salem
related to witch tales, is a highly-recommended visiting site. It is
the residence of Mr. Jonathan Corvin, one of the judges involving in the
1692 case regarding witch. Every room of the house is strictly
preserved to help tourists understand a part of the people’s life then.
bungalows-witch.jpg A mysterious wooden house of a witch prior to the death execution
At
Witch Dungeon Museum, you will undergo a memorable experience when
interacting with actors and actresses, bloody trials, and seeing
simulated detention rooms for those accused of being witches before they
are hung…
Finally
and normally, Old Point Cemetery is the final stop of a witch-tracing
journey in Salem. This is the burial location of the hung victims and
those related to the cloudy tales.
On
the other side of the sites recollecting witch images, “The House of
the Seven Gabbles”, the most age-old and renowned wooden house of the
area, will relieve your feelings with numerous exhibits in kind and
picture.
The
House will excite you with your discoveries of hidden rooms and
mystifying rooms and a secretive stairway in it. The flower garden
looking onto the sea seems to mitigate the gloomy atmosphere of the
house.
Another
choice is Peabody Essex Museum, which brings you back to the early
stage of American marine history, simultaneously allows you to
contemplate the Asian artistic and cultural collection aged hundreds of
years ago, when Salem was in marinal trade with this continent, Asia.
The
16 houses in Chinese architecture, relocated from the south of China,
are included in the Museum, and one of the alluring destinations to
tourists of all ages is the candy shop considered to be the most aged
shop of America in Salem. This is where candy corn, the
officially-recognized festive candy, is produced…
