Although the town of Danvers (then Salem Village), just to the north of today’s Salem, was the primary site of the witchcraft hysteria of 1692, Salem has strong ties to the dark affair that was sparked by the bizarre behavior of two young girls. The “Witch House,” home of Jonathan Corwin, one of the infamous trial judges, still stands at the corner of North and Essex streets. Built in 1642, it was the site of the preliminary witchcraft examinations. By the time the panic over alleged witches had spent itself, 19 people had been hanged on Salem’s Gallows Hill, and one man had been crushed with stone weights.

Salem is a coastal city of about 38,100 residents, situated 16 miles northeast of Boston on Salem Bay. By the end of the eighteenth century it had become an important port, and by the mid-nineteenth century it had become a manufacturing center. Its modern economy is based on tourism and professional services.

Writer Nathaniel Hawthorne was born here in 1804. His birthplace is part of The House of the Seven Gables Historic Site, which includes the house (built in 1688) that he featured in his famous tale. The Peabody Essex Museum is one of New England’s largest, and is the oldest continuously operating museum in the country. Its extensive collections include 552 original documents pertaining to the witchcraft trials, as well as 30 galleries, a research library and 11 historic houses.

Additional attractions in Salem include a pioneer village—Salem 1630—and the Salem Witch Museum, while Salem Whale Watch offers whale-watching tours. The city’s maritime history can be explored at the New England Pirate Museum and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Salem can be reached by car on a number of highways north from Boston. Ferry, bus, and commuter rail service from Boston to Salem is available as well.