A deeper look at Salem reveals much more than its dark, witchy past.
A view of Salem and its seafaring architecture
Every October, over 500,000 people visit Salem for its spooky festivities. But the town goes far deeper than bubbling brews and ghost tours—in fact, outside of its one darker chapter in history, the city on the North Shore of Massachusetts hosts some of the most spectacular architecture and restaurants around… making for a perfect weekend escape. “Salem lives in its history every day. And of course the tourists coming to town are going to remind you of the dark history, so that stays alive, but we also have a chance to rewrite it in a modern way,” Brunonia Barry (brunoniabarry.com), author of bestselling book The Lace Reader, explains. She notes the town’s architecture and food scene as two of her most favorite components. Here, we catch up with the Salem (salem.org) local on her top things to do in town, all while navigating tourist traps.
A look at the Peabody Essex Museum.
PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
“A world-class art museum that also houses one of the largest collections of marine history in the United States with interesting exhibits that are always changing.”
YIN YU TANG HOUSE
“[It] is a late-1800s Chinese house that belonged to eight generations of the Huang family in the Anhui province. It was taken apart, and a crew reassembled it within the Peabody Essex Museum. It’s really fascinating, but you have to make a reservation for things like that.”
ARCHITECTURE
“[There’s] five periods of architectural history in the city. Salem is a great walking city, so you can see it all while following the historic trail.”
Chocolate turtles from Ye Olde Pepper Companie
YE OLDE PEPPER COMPANIE
“We also have the first candy store in America. They created the candy called the Gibraltar, which helped make Salem the richest port in the New World. Ship owners would use the popular treats as ballast on the outgoing ships and swap them for favorable trading positions at ports around the world.”
SALEM ATHENAEUM
“This membership library and cultural center is open to the public. It houses a large selection of historical books, some of which were read by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who chose the library to educate himself rather than continue attending school.”
STAND IN FRONT OF THE WITCH HOUSE, CORNER OF ESSEX AND SUMMER STREET
“You can stand there and see all five periods of architecture in the city.”
THE CHEESE SHOP OF SALEM
“It’s a great place to learn about and sample every cheese there is. An experienced staff of wine and cheesemongers will put together platters and local delicacies for you to take back to your hotel.”
Order some of the best seafood in town at Turner’s
TURNER’S SEAFOOD AT LYCEUM HALL
“Built on land that was once home to Salem’s first accused witch, Lyceum Hall was later the spot where Alexander Graham Bell placed the first long-distance call. That’s just a beautiful historic building, but it also has some of the best seafood in town.”
PUNTO URBAN ART MUSEUM
“It’s an open-air art museum with 75 large-scale murals, painted by world-renowned artists. … It’s worth having a guide, since there are many painted buildings on different streets.”
Brunonia Barry
Photography by: COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK; TIMOTHY HURSLEY; COURTESY OF YE OLDE PEPPER COMPANIE; FERNANDO ANDRADE/UNSPLASH; SCOTT BOOTH
