Salem is a city of United States, in Essex County, Massachusetts, with almost 41 000 citizens and it represents a very important page of the Puritan American history. Despite this fact, the city is better known as “the most haunted city of the USA” and because of that, annually the amount of tourists is very high. As you can figure out, the busiest day of the year, in Salem, is 31st of October. On Halloween, the tourists crowd on every “haunted” spot of the location but some for some places the fight for tickets is bigger. So here are the places you should fight for:
The Old Burying Point Cemetery
The Old Burying Point Cemetery, also called “the Charter Street Cemetery”, is the official Cemetery of the Salem city in which many generations found their rest. Their funeral stones still exist aligned in rows and even though the names can’t be spelled anymore, the stones are broken, or even knocked over; you can still commemorate them with a good thought. People say that you have a certain kind of mood and the moon is in the right position, you might want to take some pictures because you will get a chilly surprise.
Salem Witch Trials Memorial
Next to the Cemetery, you can find the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, and obviously, it’s a haunted place too. The place is spacious and it has a mystique beauty, giving you the feeling of an outdoor cathedral. Around the place you can find benches, also made of stone, on which you can find sculptured the name of someone who was killed because it was thought of being a witch or wizard. 20 people, wherefrom 16 were women, were hanged, pressed, or killed in another horrible way, being trialed for witchcraft. The natives of Salem say that the spirits are still around them, and that they are always willing to share their story with visitors.
Further, in you Salem tour, you should go visit the top of Artists Row, where you will find the Derby Square. Here you can see the Old Town Hall, which presented a lot of paranormal activity.
Joshua Ward House
The next stop is the Joshua Ward House that is also believed, for many generations, to be haunted. Many citizens reported that the saw Giles Corey’s ghost still existing in his own rooms. This fact is quite ironic because Corey was hired as a sheriff during the Witch Hunt. In any case, he is not alone: some reports shows that an angry, old woman keeps him company, haunting the stairs of the house. They make quite a pair, aren’t they?
Hawthorne Hotel
If you visit Salem, you will definitely have to stay the night just to fee the city’s vibe and that means that you will need some place to sleep. My personal advice is that whatever you do don’t rent a room in the Hawthorne Hotel, because it is the most haunted hotel in Salem and there are many stories behind the haunting. The most popular story that travels among the people is that not only the souls of the residents remain in the building but also the souls of the visitors. The interesting thing about this location is that even though the hotel is named after Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is not haunted by the author. Most commune paranormal activity reported in the building is that some objects are mysteriously rearranged or relocated and that causes troubles to the employees. Some other time, apples are just rising from nowhere, making people believe that Bridget Bishop, a woman that was hanged and now haunts the Gallows Hill, is paying a visit to the tourists that live in this hotel.
The House of the Seven Gables
The House of the Seven Gables, also called the Turner- Ingersoll Mansion, is the house of two families, as the name reveals. The Ingersoll’s were directly related with Nathaniel Hawthorne, but then again, there is no sign of him haunting the house but we can spot Susan, his cousin who is believed to rove the nearby hills and some people was actually able to see her or to hear her playing in the attic.
Salem Jail
The last, but not the least, is the Salem Jail which is basically the home of all the atrocities and obviously now is the home of some of that spirits. The prisoners were even convicted to death or they were put in prison for life. In both of the cases the spirits are still there, haunting the old building of torture. The whole atmosphere there is kind of creepy and it lifts the hair of the back of your neck because of the constant feeling of electricity that overtakes you.
In conclusion, if you are longing for some paranormal safari, Salem is the right place to go but be careful because once you go there you will never be the same. The whole experience is quite life-changing and a little bit traumatizing but it’s definitely good if you want to open your mind about the after life.