Salem

A coastal town with a dark history that still haunts and mystifies
Noteworthy for: In 1692, the Salem Witch Trials terrified New England when the region's citizens were accused of witchcraft by 'seemingly possessed' young girls.

Talk of the town: Unrelated to the trials but culturally significant, the original 'House of Seven Gables', which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, overlooks Salem's coast and is open to visitors.
The sudden mass hysteria that overtook Salem and surrounding communities, resulting in more than 150 people charged and 20 executed, remains a mystery today. One theory is that ergot, a fungus from which LSD is derived, ruined the local rye and poisoned the girls. Their disturbing symptoms were similar to that of LSD's hallucinogenic effects.

Unsurprisingly, the town has capitalized on its lurid history with kitschy attractions like the Witch Museum and Dungeon that relies on mannequins, tacky special effects, and melodramatic reenactments. Wiccan shops and psychics also abound, sometimes overshadowing the true beauty of Salem's rocky coast, moody seas, and tilting gravestones in almost forgotten cemeteries.

Those wishing to learn more of the history in an authentic setting should visit the Witch House, the 17th century home of Judge Corwin who presided over the trials and offered physical examinations of the young girls' bodies for any 'spectral evidence'. The newly expanded Peabody Essex Museum also displays original documents and artifacts relating to the trials in its Library.