The ports of Massachusetts’ North Shore once bustled with trade and adventure. Today, the quaint towns and beautiful beaches are the area’s main draw. Many North Shore residents work in Boston, so the commuter rail runs often from North Station.
Salem, 16mi. northeast of Boston, is served by commuter rail trains from North Station ($3.75, Rockport Line). Buses (90¢) to Salem Depot include #450 from Haymarket or 455 and 459 from Downtown Crossing. By car, take Rte. 1A or Rte. 107N through Lynn and Sqampscott.
Even though the real mayhem occurred in Danvers, a town formerly part of Salem township, Salem proper has cashed in on its fame as a hub of the 17th century witch hysteria. Today, with the mix of wax mannequins, aura photography studios, and middle-aged tourists, some still might find the town a bit hysterical. October is the best time to visit Salem, when lots of free events and activities celebrate haunted happenings. During the rest of the year, the most obvious stop for any visitor is The Witch Museum (978-744-1692; www.salemwitchmuseum.com. $6.50. Open 10AM-5PM; in July and Aug., til 7PM.) at 19½ Washington Square North. Don’t expect to get much more than a laugh from its cheesy audiovisual presentation (25 min., every 30 min.). There are countless other “museums” of the occult that, while fun(ny), seem like little more than middle school projects—complete with dioramas. Among those, the Peabody-Essex Museum (978-745-9500. $13, $9 for students, open daily 10AM-5PM) in East India Sq. stands out for its strong collection of artifacts related to Pacific whaling and nautical culture. Its recently acquired Yin Yu Tan House, the 200 yr old dwelling of a Chinese merchant, offers a level of authentic cultural experience that you won’t really find at, say, The Hollywood Wax Museum. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of Seven Gables is a similarly well-maintained and relevant historical site (978-744-0991, www.7gables.org. $11, 10 for AAA members. Open daily 10AM-5PM, July-Oct. til 7PM). Literati can skip the high entrance fee and grab a glance of the house from the right of the Visitor’s Center. The Custom House, another of Hawthorne’s literary inspirations, is free, but like other historical buildings in this area of Salem, is not really presented as brochure-wielding tourist sites.
