Visiting the Salem Witch Museum

The popular museum offers an introduction to the incomprehensible events that played out in Salem Village in 1692.

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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Salem Witch Museum

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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