If you’ve got to choose a city in New England where Halloween should feel right at home - it’s got to be Salem.

Located on the North shore 30 minutes from Boston, the city of Salem is a popular tourist destination and famous for the Witch Trials of 1692.

During October the town welcomes visitors for its special celebration of Halloween month.

As this weekend marks the final days leading up to the big night itself then you can be sure special events abound. Here’s ten selections of what to expect Halloween weekend…

1692 Salem Village Trolley Tour

Two-hour tour through Old Salem Village to explore the parsonage archaeological site, Ingersoll’s Ordinary and the Witchcraft Victim’s Memorial. A Trolley excursion from Salem to the esteemed Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers. Formerly Salem Village, Danvers is where the hysteria of 1692 erupted. Reservations required.

Salem Witch Museum

A fascinating place to visit and with extended hours through Halloween. Open until Midnight on Friday, Saturday and Monday - 8:00pm on Sunday. Dare you be in the museum as the clock strikes midnight!

Vampire & Ghost Hunt Tour

Offered daily every night in October at 8 p.m. (rain or shine).Join supernatural expert Mollie Stewart or her paranormal investigators for a nightly journey around Salem’s dark edges in search of the ghosts of Salem! Friday, October 28th at 6PM, 10PM Saturday, October 29th at 6PM, 8PM, 10PM Located at the Visitor Center on 2 New Derby Street. For more information, please call 978-745-0138.

Haunted City: Salem Witch House

6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.Salem’s only home with direct ties to the events of 1692. Allow 1-1/2 hours. Adults: $10 in advance, $12 at the door Children (6-14): $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Children under 6 are free, but please note that this is not an event geared for children. Call (978) 744-8815 for tickets or more information. 310 1/2 Essex Street.

The Festival of the Dead

Halloween is the time of year when the shades of the dead whisper from forgotten places and spirits walk among us. The Witches of Salem, Massachusetts honor this time with Festival of the Dead, an annual event series that explores death’s macabre customs, heretical histories, and strange rituals.

Witch Trial Trail

7:00 p.m.The Witch Trial Trail departs from the Old Town Hall on Front Street. Salem’s oldest walking tour and a mainstay of Haunted Happenings since 1983. This popular one hour outdoor candlelit tour, led by well-known historian and author Jim McAllister, explores the sites and story of the 1692 witch trials, Salem’s darkest hour. Candles are provided. Reservations are neither required nor accepted - all who show up for the tour get to go. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children 7-17. For more information, please call 978-745-6314.

The Terror Trail

6:30, 7:30 & 8:30 p.m.Nightly during October. Reservations are required, so please check with us for available times.. This spooky one-hour and twenty minute candlelit tour features tales of local murders, spectral assaults, and haunted houses. Developed by Witch Trial Trail creator Jim McAllister. Each Terror Trail tour is limited to 35 people and reservations are required. Telephone (978)745-6314. The cost for adults is $12, for ages 7-17 $5. Candles are provided.

Spirits of the Gables

7:15 p.m. - 11:15 p.m. Guilt. Greed. Revenge. Witness the cursed Pyncheons haunting the hallways of their eerie mansion. Encounter Hawthorne’s tormented characters as they bring to life the blood-stained curse destined to become the Pyncheon legacy. $13 per person. Performances begin every five minutes and last approximately 35 minutes. Combination tickets available. Reservations recommended. 978.744.0991 ext. 104.

Legacy of the Hanging Judge

7:15 p.m. - 11:15 p.m. In 1692 the Salem Witch Trials wrought havoc on a small New England Community. Meet magistrate, John Hathorne, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s great-great grandfather, who is infamous for his role in the condemnation and deaths of so many people. Enter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace as it is transformed into the prosecutor’s chamber. $13 per person. Performances begin every ten minutes and last approximately 35 minutes. Combination tickets available. Reservations recommended. 978.744.0991 ext. 104.

Chilling Tales

Eerie legends of the supernatural at sea. Classic ghost stories of the sea adapted for performance by professional actors on board Friendship of Salem, docked at Derby Wharf. Presented by the Salem Theatre Company in partnership with the National Park Service Salem Maritime Historic Site. October 7 - 31, 2005. For more info call 978-790-8546.

For more details on these are other events in Salem visit the town web site here.

I’ll have a special message for you on Monday November 1 - you’ll not want to miss so make sure you return here first thing in the morning.

Have a spooky weekend,

Cliff Calderwood
New England Vacations Guide

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