Seekonk Grand Prix is a family arcade and amusement center appropriate for all ages. A combination of indoor arcade games together with outdoor rides, such as bumper boats and go-karts, provides entertainment for all. Seekonk Grand Prix offers a variety of American snack bar cuisine including hot dogs, hamburgers and soda. This is a great venue for birthday parties or celebrations.
The Salem Witch Museum is an obvious choice for anyone vaguely interested in history, but while it's worth a visit, it might not be what you'd normally expect in a museum. You won't find artifacts from the witch trials of 1692. You will find a large room with life-sized wax figurines and a recording telling the story of the Salem Witch Trials, followed by a guided tour of a room detailing and discussing the evolution of witch hunts. It is an eerie and educational place that will enrich your Salem experience. Also, note that children are welcome but younger kids may be scared by some of the displays.
Best and worst time to go to the Salem Witch Museum
The museum is open year round with only a few closures: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and weekdays the first two weeks of January. The museum closes early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Weekdays are your best bet, though with presentations every half hour, if it's crowded due to a tour group, wander the charming town and come back to the museum in a bit. There are extended hours in October, but the later you go in October, the more crowded the entire town will become.
Must see/do at the Salem Witch Museum
Check out the statue out front of Roger Conant. Though most people assume the statue depicts a witch trial participant, it actually commemorates the founder of Salem. Also, look through the museum's gift shop for fun, but be aware that you'll find witchy, varied, and cheaper shopping throughout the rest of Salem.
Admission to the Salem Witch Museum
Admission is about $10 per adult with reduced rates for seniors and children through age 14. Children under 6 are free.
Parking and Public Transportation to the Salem Witch Museum
There are plenty of metered spots on the streets of Salem as well as a quite a few parking lots. The cheapest lot is the South Harbor Garage on the waterfront (cash only). There is also the Church Street Lot with smart meters (that take cash or credit card) and no time restrictions, but you must pay when you park. The slightly pricier Museum Place Garage is also cash only, paid upon exit, but is in a great location for tourists right across the street from the Salem Regional Visitor Center. For public transportation, take the #450 or #455 bus from Haymarket (in Boston) to Salem, or take the Commuter Rail from North Station to the Salem Station. Additionally, there is a ferry from Boston to Salem.
Food at the Salem Witch Museum
The museum itself is small and does not have a restaurant, but Salem has plenty of dining options. Salem Beer Works is a popular microbrewery with generous portions of tasty comfort food.
Insider tip for visitors to the Salem Witch Museum
October in Salem is like the mall on Black Friday: crowded and often overwhelming. If you go to Salem on a weekend in October, plan to spend hours (more as you approach Halloween) in traffic and looking for parking. You will see people dressed in costume all month, which is fun. On Halloween and Halloween weekend, you'll see a huge mass of people in costumes, many of them drunk; you may or may not find this as fun. Parking is certainly not fun, but scary; park at the Beverly T station or further and take the train with all the other costumed commuters.
Author's bio: Deborah Jarvis is a freelance writer who grew up and currently lives in the Greater Boston Area. She never pahks her cah in Hahvahd Yahd and tries not to drive like she's from Boston if she can help it. She has been to Salem on Halloween and lived to tell about it.
Plaster Fun Time, located in the Chelmsford Plaza, dedicates itself to nurturing the creative side of kids and their families. Customers are offered bare plaster statuettes, wall hangings or masks, and then staff supports them through the creative painting process. At all times, half the store is reserved for walk-in painters. This is part of Plaster Fun Time's commitment to fostering a sense of pride and creativity in kids whenever the mood strikes. Plaster Fun Time provides an affordable way to indulge your child's sense of artistry, as you pay only for the pieces your child paints. Private and birthday parties can be scheduled, and group discounts are available for 20 children or more. Parents can rest assured that all materials handled by their children are completely safe and non-toxic.
The Witch Dungeon Museum has a long history of educating and entertaining tourists. Stop in to view a live reenactment of the 1692 Salem witch trials. The reenactment uses text taken from the original trial transcripts. After the performance, take a guided tour through the witch dungeon and other notable witch trial locations, including Gallows Hill.
Established in 1972, Peter Williams Museum Services specializes in conserving and restoring 19th and early 20th century oil paintings, murals and frames. This location also has a gallery showcasing paintings by artists such as Robert Cormier and Ives Gammell. Peter Williams Museum Services also offers art brokerage services. Please call for an appointment.
Founded in 1988, Arlington Center for the Arts is a community art space located on Foster Street. The Center features a gallery showing the work of Arlington Open Studios participants, the Tufts Gallery and a 150 seat theater, in addition to offering art classes for students of all ages and an after school arts enrichment program. For upcoming exhibit, course catalog and registration information, visit the Arlington Center for the Arts Web site.
While Salem, Mass., is notorious for the witchcraft hysteria, according to the folks at the New England Pirate Museum, it wasn't the so-called "witches" who were the ones causing the real trouble around these parts. The museum offers visitors the chance to see recovered artifacts, board a full-scale pirate ship, and explore an 80-foot pirate cave. Additionally, tour guides recount stories of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and others, providing a historical perspective while keeping the overall atmosphere lighthearted and fun.
Located on Washington Park in Newton, the New Art Center is a non-profit community space that opened 33 years ago. The Center offers a range of art education programs, features regularly scheduled exhibits of local artists and student works, hosts art-focused lectures and special events and offers space rentals for private functions. Visit the New Art Center website for program registration, donations and upcoming event information.
Since 1971 Revels has been providing a unique form of entertainment: a blend of music, dance and theater recalling arts based on seasonal traditions. Audience participation is encouraged, and the group combines amateur and professional talent. Performances take place at many venues throughout the year, so be sure to check the calendar.
Plaster Fun Time is a Massachusetts based company with headquarters on Newbury Street in Boston. The Braintree location is in the Pearl Plaza shopping center. Plaster Fun Time is based on the principle that kids' creativity is best cultivated by letting them 'do it their way' – in this case, making molds with plaster, painting them, etc. There are nine Plaster Fun Time locations in the state and each facility is equipped to handle birthday parties, school trips and other groups as well as walk-ins. Plaster Fun Time accepts cash, Mastercard, Visa and Discover.
