Salem Witch Trial Memorial
Located directly next to The Olde Burying Point are a series of (22) stone benches inscribed with the name, date, and means of execution of those found guilty during the witch trial hysteria. A very somber walk around the garden to pay homage to those who died during this time.
The Olde Burying Point
Although you cannot actually wander the graveyard - this is the burying ground of Justice Hawthorne who was extremely vocal and responsible for many convictions. He was the one who said that the Devil couldn’t harm the girls without their consent, so basically, he was the dude that said all the women and men accused of witch craft did it to themselves by being in cahoots with the Devil himself. A swell dude. Great history opportunity though, and right next door to the Memorial. There is also a walkthrough museum here, but we didn't go through it.
The House of Seven Gables
I hope you enjoy your trip to Salem! Leave a comment if this was helpful to your or if you plan to use this information on your upcoming trip! I’m aiming to create a community of nomads helping nomads (travelers helping travelers) so if you have anything to add or any questions about specifics of these locations I would love if you’d share them in the comments. If you would like information of haunting or haunted locations i’d be more than happy to write about them. I made note of all the local witch spots + haunted rooms in various hotels :)
Hocus Pocus fan? Check out my Hocus Pocus Filming location blog post to help plan out the rest of your trip!
You can get tickets to walk through the house and learn the history of the home. If you’re a fan of American Literature this is a unique experience to see the house that is in the Hawthorne family and is the setting of its namesake book. It was actually passed around through Nathanial Hawthorne’s family and I believe it was his sister’s home while he wrote the book. You can learn a lot about it by taking the museum tour. It is very close in proximity to Ye Olde Pepper Company.
Red's Sandwich Shop
First of all, a delicious place to stop for a meal, but also the original name of this establishment was the London Coffee House and was the original meeting place of the Patriots of the American Revolution. I cannot stress enough the deliciousness of the Homestyle Turkey Sandwich. If you’re a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fan - I think this is the closest you can get to what I imagine Ross’s “moist maker” would taste like. It was delicious and I would eat it again 100%.
Ye Olde Pepper Company
United States History + Literature
Home of the very first ever commercially made candy in the united states - the Gibralter. You can stop into this candy store and pick up a Gibralter to try that is still made with the original recipe. A Gibralter is similar in consistency to those barrel peppermints you get at restaurants. They also sell the "original candy" - Blackjacks which I believe are licorice flavored hard candies although they were sold out when we visited so we were unable to try them. You can also get chocolate truffles, salt water taffy, fudge and other sweet treats.
Cry Innocence: the people v. Bridget Bishop
Salem Witch Trials
This is an interactive and educational audience participation play in which a pre-trial for Bridget Bishop, accused witch, takes place before your eyes. It's staged in town hall where the Hocus Pocus town Halloween party was filmed. I went into this play expecting it to be similar to a murder mystery dinner party where you watch a performance and then vote at the end on a conviction, but it was more interactive than that. The audience participated in the play as much as the actors did. This play is perfect for families of elementary aged or middle school children who have recently learned about the Salem witch trials. This is a representation of a real pre-trial the took place against the real Bridget Bishop and it is interesting to see if your group votes with or against history.
Although popularized by the Witch Trials and allure of witches, hexes, potions, and psychics - the abundance of ghost tours and witch museums aren’t necessarily enjoyable for young kids or those like myself who don’t enjoy being scared. For those of us who, although intrigued by Salem’s witchy past, tend to enjoy the Disney/Hallmark version of holidays - here are some places to make your trip both enjoyable and family friendly this Halloween Season.
There is so much history riddled about Salem and so many amazing places to visit.
OCTOBER 2022
family friendly things to do in Salem, Massachusetts
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