Sassy Says Go To Salem

Posted by Saluki in Sassy Says | 1 comment

Sassy Says Visit Salem Massachusetts!

I was born in Salem Massachusetts. I lived one city over, but Beverly and Salem at that time shared a Hospital.  My Father worked in Salem for a lot of my childhood, and especially this time of year, I miss it terribly. In the spirit of “The Haunting of MVF”, I dedicate this Sassy Says to Salem, the Witch city.

I will be sharing some of the things I have done, and some of the experiences, and stories my family has told over the years.

Hotel Hawthorne

The Hotel Hawthorne is one of the oldest hotels in Massachusetts. The hotel is a stately Federal style hotel, named after writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne spent his childhood in Salem and returned in 1846 to work as Surveyor of the Port for three years. Hawthorne wrote the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, at his home in Salem.

The Hawthorne Hotel was the result of an unusual subscription drive by the citizens of Salem to build “Salem’s own hotel.” The Hawthorne Hotel has been an integral part of the city since being completed in 1925.

My Father worked as the evening security guard for the hotel for a few years, and he told me some stories before he passed away about what it was like working there. He had a few experiences with hearing footsteps while he was doing rounds. He also told me about one time, he heard noises from the ballroom, old time music, and laughing, and sounds. He knew that there wasn’t a party booked for that night, so went to check it out, and when he opened the doors to the ballroom, the sounds faded away. His accounts are not the only accounts of haunting in the Hotel, the Ghost Hunters visited and found inconclusive evidence that the hotel may or may not be haunted.

I have been to the Hotel Hawthorne for a couple weddings, and I felt some energy there that I cant really explain. It is such a great possibly haunted location in Salem.

Witch Dungeon Museum

The mood is set from the moment you enter the Witch Dungeon Museum. You are there, in Salem Village in 1692, and you are guaranteed a unique educational experience with a chill or two. You’ll experience the acclaimed performance of a Witch trial adapted from the 1692 historical transcripts. Professional actresses in repertory reenact the electrifying scene.

Welcome to Salem Massachusetts, where in the year 1692 something very unusual took place. The Reverend Parris’ daughter Betty and Niece Abigail began acting very strangely. The minister asked Dr. Griggs to examine the girls, but he could not find anything wrong with them. Abigail and Betty continued their strange behavior and other children began to copy them. Here are some of the odd things they did: Some children would bark like a dog, others would throw themselves on the floor and have fits. One child tried to crawl into the fireplace. Another child said the Devil was after her. The adults now believed that the Devil had come to their little village. The children began to say that some of the people in the village were witches and had cast spells on them. The villagers gathered at the meetinghouse to find and punish the people who were bewitching the children. The children began to accuse their neighbors. They said they were witches. Fear spread through the village. The Devil had come to Salem. The trials lasted for thirteen months. One hundred and fifty-six people were accused. Nineteen were hanged. One man was pressed to death. Two dogs were hanged because the children said they gave them the “evil eye”.

There are all things you watch unfold as you sit inside the Witch Dungeon Museum. The story is real, the deaths are real, it was one of the scariest times in early America, and it happened in Salem. The performance is about an hour and a half long, and is filled with historical facts. The Museum is my favorite thing to do in Salem, and if you ever go, please make this one of your stops.

House of Seven Gables

When you arrive at The House of the Seven gables, professional guides will warmly greet you for an unforgettable historical experience. Outside, spectacular seaside gardens await you. Inside of The House of the Seven Gables, also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, you will discover a mysterious secret staircase where you least expect it! Built in 1668, this is the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England. The House of the Seven Gables inspired author Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his legendary novel of the same name.

As a matter of fact, the very home where Hawthorne was born, was moved to The House of the Seven Gables and now lies just feet away from the mysterious mansion made famous in fiction. When you step into the Nathaniel Hawthorne House, you will learn about the life of the famous author.

But there’s more, The House of the Seven Gables also has an 18th century granite sea wall, and two seaside Colonial Revival Gardens. The museum houses more than 2,000 artifacts and objects, more than 40 framed works, 500 photographs and glass plate negatives, and more than 50 volumes in the rare book library.

Another great tour, The House of Seven Gables is a great early American icon. The tour is not difficult, the staircases are narrow and steep, but it is worth a quick look.

The Cat, The Crow, and The Crown

The Cat, The Crow, and The Crown is a shop found in Salem that is owned by Laurie Cabot. Laurie Cabot is a witch, and her coven does a lot for the city of Salem, from help for children with special needs to restoring the older buildings in the city to preserve them. Her shop does really well, and is a nice diversion from the typical “Halloween” style “magic” stores in Salem.  It might not be your thing, but it is definitely worth a look inside.

These are just a few reasons to visit Salem, my birthplace, and a place that around autumn I miss terribly.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my favorite thing about Salem…

Hocus Pocus was partially filmed there ;)

And that’s what Sassy Says.