Tourism Day in Salem - A Great Success!!

Destination Salem hosted Tourism Industry Day in Salem yesterday, and we had a blast! Here's a snapshot of our day -

9:00 AM, the Salem Ferry departed Long Wharf North in Boston. Note the new location of the Ferry, because we were all at Central Wharf next to the Aquarium wondering, "where's the boat?!" - it was on the other side of the Marriott Long Wharf, adjacent to the lovely Christopher Columbus Park. The new dock in Boston is really easy and convenient. Just don't look for the ferry at Central Wharf!

10:00 AM, arrival in Salem and a warm welcome from Representative John Keenan. Everyone hopped on trolleys, and we were off!

We visited the Salem Witch Museum, Witch Dungeon Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, and House of the Seven Gables - using the trolleys to connect to each site, and taking in highlights of Salem along the way... Chestnut Street, Salem Common, Salem Willows, Pickering Wharf... all places to return to later, on foot, when there is time for exploration!

We had snacks and water on the trolleys, which was a good thing because lunch wasn't until nearly 2pm!

BUT, lunch was served on the lawn at the House of the Seven Gables. Can you say stunning? Salem native and author Brunonia Barry spoke to the group, and a delicious lunch was provided by the following restaurants:

- Brother's

- Caffe Graziani
- Capt's
- Cilantro
- Coffee Time Bake Shop
- Finz
- Nathaniel's at the Hawthorne Hotel
- Rockafellas
- Sixty2 on Wharf
- Upper Crust

We called lunch "Salem Bites!" and it was appropriate! The nibbles were delicious.

After lunch, the group was set loose on Salem for a scavenger hunt that encouraged them to run around the streets and see just how walkable Salem is! For anyone who isn't being driven by the tourism day schedule, I would call after lunch "time to shop!"

The group visited...

- Bewtiched in Salem

- Crafter's Market

- Hex

- Life & Death Tours

- Maria's Sweet Somethings

- National Park Service Regional Visitor Center

- Quint Essentials

- Remember Salem

- Rita's Water & Ice

- Rouge Cosmetics

- Sophia's

- Treasures Over Time

- Trolley Depot

- Witch City Consignment

- Witch House

- Witches Cottage at the Griffen Theatre

And they did all of this in about 60 minutes (impressive, right?!). One of the concierge on the tour commented that they didn't realize the diversity of shops in Salem, and the scavenger hunt was a great way to get them in and out... and now they want to come back again and again.

And don't think I didn't notice the concierge who wasn't the scavenger hunt type - he had a lovely afternoon respite in one of Salem's watering holes! (This goes to show that there's something for everyone in Salem!)

Salem Trolley and CityView Trolley provided excellent transportation and tours throughout the City. Including a last minute double-back for a scavenger hunt team

We took the 4pm Ferry back to Boston, arriving just after 5pm... exhausted and delighted by a lovely day in Salem!

To see more pictures of Tourism Day in Salem, visit the Destination Salem page on Facebook!

Bridget Bishop

On June 10, 1692, Bridget Bishop was executed on Gallows Hill in Salem. She was the first to be found guilty by the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which was established in May to try the witchcraft cases.

The Salem witch hysteria lasted for ten months of 1692, beginning in January when Reverend Parris' nine-year old daughter, Betty, fell ill. Other girls fell ill in the coming weeks, and the village physician deems the children "bewitched." The children are persuaded to reveal the names of people who are bewitching them, and those who are named are examined and arrested. By the end of the hysteria, nineteen people were executed for witchcraft. One man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to stand trial. More than 150 men and women from throughout the region were accused and imprisoned.

Today we remember the victims at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, located behind the Charter Street Burying Point. The memorial was dedicated in 1992 by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and it stands as a reminder of the lessons of tolerance and compassion learned from the Salem witch trails.

For more information on the Salem Witch Trials, visit the Salem Witch Museum, the Witch House, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch History Museum, or the Salem Wax Museum of Witches & Seafarers. Information from the blog came from the Salem Witch Museum Miscellany.

To view images of the Witch Trials Memorial, visit The City Guide at Salemweb.com

Breathing Life into 1692

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are what historically make Salem "the witch city," and, as such, visitors have options for learning about the Trials and what happened here in 1692.

The Witch Dungeon Museum effectively brings 1692 to you through the dramatic reenactment of one of the trials, with text excerpted from the original court documents. When I saw the trial of Elizabeth Proctor, the actors did an incredible job. Even knowing the history, I was hooked by the drama and the social intricacies of the era.

The reenactment is followed by a tour of the dungeons below the church. These are recreated - but an original beam is on display. The dungeon is dank and spooky (rumor is that it may be haunted), and the size of the cells is something amazing to see. Prisoners today have it easy compared to those of the 17th century.

There is not a lot of magic to discover in the tragedies of the Salem Witch Trials, but the lessons are important and continue to be relevant today.