SPOOK-TACULAR SALEM

Salem. Witch. Bewitched. The words seem undeniably linked, like a mobius strip of fear, bemusement, superstition and genuine American history. Only 10 miles north of Boston, the town is awash in positive Americana, yet the ominous "witch" stigma still resonates in Salem. Sometimes you can almost feel spirits crawling up your back. The real Salem teems with irony.

Statue of Roger Conant

A grim statue of town founder Roger Conant stands near the Common, in the middle of this hardy New England city. Conant, who began Salem (the word means peace) in 1626, is adorned in full Puritan garb: black hat and long black flowing cloak, and looks like the scariest witch one could ever find.

Yet Conant represented the best of those early settlers. His God-fearing Pilgrim descendants were among those who tortured and killed some of their neighbors, believing them to be witches. This Conant statue is placed curiously, right in front of the famous Salem Witch Museum. If this sounds discordant, it is.

For a place renowned for the 1692 murderous "witch hunts" show trials and killings, the fact that a large number of practicing witches have returned to Salem might seem surprising. It is estimated there are more than 2,000 neo-pagan witches in and around Salem today.

Witch Museum

Although many present-day witches reside and practice their beliefs quietly in this region, visitors most likely will want to learn about the 1692 Salem witch trials, where 19 innocent people were hung from the gallows. Salem boasts a number of museums, some hokey and other less so -- dedicated to the dramatic events from this period. The Dungeon Museum perhaps best demonstrates the very human tragedy associated with the witch trials. This small museum presents a brief stage play between live people, portraying the courtroom terrors the accused must have confronted. After the tragic play, visitors are brought into the dungeons below. The recreated dungeons are truly gruesome, and provide a glimpse into the horrors that must have afflicted the condemned. Besides being tortured, accused parties also had to pay for everything involved including their food, shackles, water, straw and clothing. Even if a prisoner was exonerated from all charges, the outstanding debts still had to be paid. The hated Sheriff Corwin personally pocketed all of the jailhouse tariffs. The ancient Salem Jail, or Gaol, still stands abandoned and forbidding, apparently haunted to this day.

Another important witch-trial-era related site is the Rebecca Nurse House, in Danvers, a community a few miles west of Salem. The austere yet strangely beautiful red house, built in 1678, lies amid a tranquil New England farm ground. In 1692, Rebecca Nurse, an upstanding member of the church and community, was nonetheless accused of being a witch, excommunicated and eventually hanged. An errant pig figured into the story. The historic site still evokes spooky feelings, and is worth the short drive.

A different kind of Salem's history is available by visiting the Turner House, or as it is commonly known, "The House of the Seven Gables," after the fictional house in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel. Local hero Hawthorne may, or may not, have used this house as his model, but the gorgeous Turner House (yes, it has seven gables) does provide a remarkable, well-preserved look at 17th century American architecture. It is one of the most beautiful houses from the period still standing.

House of Seven Gables

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) is the oldest museum in America, founded back in 1799. PEM, as it is known today, was founded by the East India Company, to house and display objects brought back by Salem's grand sailing ships, which circumnavigated the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today the museum holds more than 2.4 million works of art including: maritime art, New England arts and culture, vast stores of genealogical information, various collections of Asian art plus modern Indian art. PEM is an outstanding museum of contemporary New England art, Asian art and much more.

Another nifty attraction is the New England Pirate Museum. A guided tour through little known history- you are there-Salem docks in 1692, board a full-length pirate ship and explore an 80-foot cave, where you many encounter a rascal or two. Mingle with Blackbeard, Kidd and others who once prowled our coast.

Stay at the Hawthorne Hotel, named after Nate Hawthorne. During the Halloween season the host a huge costume ball called Medieval Madness. Itís elegant and a member property of the Historic Hotels of America. They also have the best restaurant in town, Tavern on the Green. Another good joint is Finz Seafood on Wharf Street.

To get to Salem, just fly into Boston, rent a car and head north about 10 miles up the coast.