Salem in 24 hours.

We are going to be in Salem for just 24 hours the first of July . Would like to see some historical but not cheesy witch venues, a night tour, the house of 7 gables, and perhaps something down on the waterfront. Any suggestions? Do we need to take the trolley tour?Thanks so much!!

Salem in 24 hours.

The witch venues are for the most part cheesy. Your best bet would be a trolley tour (its good all day). Check out the Custom House and Friendship on the wharf and stroll the Essex St pedestrian walkway.

Have fun.

TheSalemInsider.com

Salem in 24 hours.

The trolley tour is a great way to get around the city if you%26#39;re trying to pack in a lot in one day, plus the guides on the trolley will tell you a lot of interesting facts along the way.

The House of Seven Gables is a great idea, as is the Peabody Essex museum. There%26#39;s not a whole lot on the waterfront, but it is a very scenic spot, you could always do a bit of shopping at Pickering Wharf.

As for cheesy witch exhibits- well, most of them are, so it can%26#39;t be avoided. But, if you%26#39;re new to the whole witch trial topic, then the only sites that cover the whole story are, the Witch Museum and the Witch History Museum. Don%26#39;t let the similar names confuse you, they are two different attractions. I really don%26#39;t like recommending the Witch Museum, but when somebody%26#39;s new to the trial history, it is your best bet.

Drop into Charter Street cemetery for a look at old Puritan headstones with some fascinating carvings on them. There%26#39;s a memorial to the Witch Trial victims next to it.

There%26#39;s also a pirate attraction that is quite interesting. It dispels some of the common myths about pirates and their lifestyle.

Stroll along the Esssex street pedestrian mall. If you have time, you can wander up to Chestnut street to see some beautiful houses. The whole street is a designated historic site.

It%26#39;s hard to recommend a nighttime tour, they%26#39;re all pretty similar and equally good. My favourite was Spellbound and a close second was Haunted Footsteps.

If you need any more suggestions, just ask. This only scratches the surface and I could suggest more if these don%26#39;t sound like what you%26#39;re looking for.

Thanks so much all of your for the great advice. I really appreciate it! I am looking forward to our time in Salem. Anyone seen ';cry Innocent';? Sounds like it would be interesting.Thanks so much!

Cry Innocent is an excellent short play. I highly recommend it. Word of warning, though- if it%26#39;s a really hot day expect to bake inside the Town Hall building where this takes place. They have some fans running, but they don%26#39;t alleviate much. But, it%26#39;s a short enough performance that you could put up with it.

I always suggest taking the trolley. Especially if you are going to be in Salem for only 24 hours. The Trolley Depot in the center of town is Where you pick up your ticket. The trolley takes you from one end of the town - Chestnut Street and the historic districk - to the other end of town - the Salem Willows - whih is the Atlantic ocean. You learn so much on the trolley that you wouldn%26#39;t otherwise know about. And if you want to do one of the night tours, Haunted Happenings, I believe they give you 10 percent off both tickets. I highly recommend.

Peg

Salem

Is the trolley, ';hop on - hop off';?

Yes, you can get on and off all day long. The hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

We are just returning from a weeklong trip to boston and on our first night in the area we did a night tour in Salem, Beware of the Haunted Footsteps Ghost tour, call and verify who is actually leading the tour the night you go, we went and got a newbie that was just awful, so borning she almost put us to sleep. I can%26#39;t remember her name now to save my life but if you call and verify that some one more experienced is doing your tour.

Thanks for the warning. We will do that.

Thanks Peg for the info. We might just do it as we tour Salem. Not only could we pick up some interesting facts about Salem but it might save our tourist weary legs to boot!