New England - Eastern USA - page 349

dustry that once thrived in Salem. Stroll out to the end of Derby Wharf and peek inside
the 1871 lighthouse or climb aboard the tall ship Friendship . Get complete information
from the NPS Regional Visitor Center ( www.nps.gov/sama ; 2 New Liberty St; 9am-5pm) .
This overview of Salem's maritime exploits is the perfect introduction to the excep-
tional Peabody Essex Museum ( www.pem.org ; 161 Essex St; adult/child $15/free;
10am-5pm Tue-Sun; ) . The museum was founded upon the art, artifacts and curios col-
lected by Salem traders during their early expeditions to the Far East. As the exhibits at-
test, they had deep pockets and refined taste. In addition to world-class Chinese and Pa-
cific Island displays, the museum boasts an excellent Native American collection.
WITCH CITY
The city of Salem embraces its witchy past with a healthy dose of whimsy. But the
history offers a valuable lesson about what can happen when fear and frenzy are
allowed to trump common sense and compassion.
By the time the witch hysteria of 1692 had finally died down, a total of 156 people
had been accused, 55 people had pleaded guilty and implicated others to save
their own lives, and 14 women and five men had been hanged. Stop by at the Witch
Trials Memorial (Charter St) , a simple but dramatic monument that honors the inno-
cent victims.
The most authentic of more than a score of witchy museums, the Witch House
(Jonathan Corwin House; www.salemweb.com/witchhouse ; 310 Essex St; adult/child/senior $8.25/4.25/
6.25, tour add $2; 10am-5pm May-Nov) was once the home of Jonathan Corwin, a local
magistrate who investigated witchcraft claims.
For an informative, accurate overview of Salem's sordid past, sign up with Hocus
Pocus Tours ( www.hocuspocustours.com ; adult/child $16/8) , which is neither hokey nor
pokey.
Plymouth
Plymouth calls itself 'America's Home Town.' It was here that the Pilgrims first settled
in the winter of 1620, seeking a place where they could practice their religion without in-
terference from government. An innocuous, weathered ball of granite - the famous Ply-
mouth Rock - marks the spot where where they supposedly first stepped ashore in this
foreign land. Nearby, Mayflower II ( www.plimoth.org ; State Pier, Water St; adult/child $10/7;
9am-5pm Apr-Nov; ) is a replica of the small ship in which they made the fateful
voyage across the ocean.