Summary

The article recounts a personal experience of visiting Salem, Massachusetts during October, highlighting the city's historical significance, the atmosphere of the town, and the challenges of navigating the busy season.

Abstract

The author describes a road trip to Salem, known as Witch City, during the peak of its tourist season in October. The city, famous for the Salem Witch Trials, attracts visitors with its Halloween-themed festivities, street performers, and historical sites such as The Burying Point Cemetery and the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. Despite the early arrival, the author faced difficulties finding parking and breakfast due to the influx of tourists. The article also touches on the historical figure Judge John Hathorne and the ongoing fascination with the witch trials, as evidenced by the sold-out Salem Witch Museum tickets. The visit concludes with a mention of the Bewitched Statue, a nod to the city's pop culture influence.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the high demand for city services during the busy month, justifying the increased parking fees.
There is an appreciation for the preservation of historical gravestones in The Burying Point Cemetery.
The author seems to have mixed feelings about the commercialization of the witch trials, noting the presence of entertainers dressed as macabre celebrities and the significant crowds.
The act of leaving flowers and coins on the memorial benches is seen as a meaningful tradition, paying respects to the victims of the witch trials.
The author expresses disappointment at not being able to visit the Salem Witch Museum due to sold-out tickets, suggesting that advance planning is necessary for such a visit.
The article concludes with a sense of admiration for Salem's ability to draw visitors year after year, as well as its dual identity as both a historical site and a modern-day tourist destination.

TRAVEL

I’ll Take Witch City, the Ultimate in Scary Cities

Visitors flock to the home of the Salem Witch Trials every October

**Photo composite by author** in Adobe Photoshop

Another weekend, another road trip.

On Sunday, my daughter and I were in the car by 6:30 in the morning to make the one-hour drive to Salem, home to witches, warlocks, and all things scary.

The month of October is crazy in Salem. There is no shortage of people arriving in the costume of their choice, just as there’s no shortage of buskers (actors or entertainers), particularly on Essex Street, the central hub of the tourist business. Cars are not allowed, not just during October, but year-round.

When we arrived, the search was on for parking — at $40 per day. It’s usually $1.50 an hour at most parking lots, but all bets are off in October, Salem’s month-long iteration of Black Friday.

There are likely some less expensive options, but visitors will have to walk some distance to find the on-street festivities.

I can’t complain. The amount of city services needed to clean and maintain the streets is incredibly high. By 9:30, parking lots were closed. It’s not unusual to see people driving around in a parking lot, praying someone will leave.

And that’s why we arrived early.

Despite the early hours, finding a restaurant with less than 25 or so people waiting to enjoy breakfast was next to impossible. When we did find a short line, latecomers were left standing in line to order. A coffee and an egg and cheese bagel took 30 minutes.

Briana and I walked to The Burying Point, more commonly known as the Charter Street Cemetery, the oldest Salem cemetery, which opened in 1637. Although many gravestones are unreadable, some stones have been preserved for future generations.

**The Burying Point Cemetery was established in 1637. It’s the second-oldest cemetery in Massachusetts.** Photos by author

Among those buried at the cemetery is Judge John Hathorne, one of the leading witchcraft trial judges. Early in his career, he became a delegate to the General Court and ultimately remained in the judiciary for nearly his entire life. Promoted to the Superior Court in 1702, he resigned in 1712. Hathorne died in 1717 at 76 and never apologized for his role in the Salem witch trials. (Source)

Outside the cemetery is the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, dedicated on August 5, 1992, for the tercentenary of the Salem Witch Trials. The memorial is a three-sided granite wall with benches displaying the names and execution dates of each of the victims. (Source)

**Here are three of the benches remembering the innocent people who were hanged as witches in 1692.** Photos by author

Flowers and coins adorn the benches, representing small votive offerings. Placing pennies on graves is an old American tradition meant to pay the dead’s way by ferry across the river Styx.

**Edward Scissorhands and Capt. Jack Sparrow were in town to pose for pictured with adoring fans.** Photo by author

The pace picked up on Essex Street as visitors filled the street for fun and entertainment, including posing for photos with many macabre celebrities — for a small fee, of course.

**It’s not often you’ll find Beetlejuice and Michael Myers conversing in the middle of the street. At right, is the Witch Finder, a one-man judge and jury looking to find witches guilty.** Photos by author

Unfortunately, I was unable to visit the Salem Witch Museum. Tickets are sold online in advance and were sold out by the time Briana and I arrived.

If you’d like to take a virtual tour of the many sites related to the 1692 witch trials, click here.

I’ll close this trip out with one of Salem’s biggest stars: The Bewitched Statue, which pays tribute to the TV sitcom, “Bewitched.” The seventh season of the show was filmed in Salem.

Thank you for reading.

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