By Kaylie Flannigan
Staff Writer

Salem is a hot tourist destination in the fall—especially during the month of October. I was fortunate enough to make the trip out there with my mom for her birthday. The place is packed with lots of people, vendors, and museums.

I had no problems hopping on a train at North Station and taking a quick half-hour ride to Salem. The train was on schedule and had plenty of space for seating.

The city is easy to navigate on foot, and I had no trouble reading the map that I received in the visitor center. The visitor center was conveniently located near the main street, where most of the museums and shops are located. My mother and I wandered around and tried to decide on a museum. We bopped around in different stores, but my favorite was Modern Millie.

Also, we went in and out of the numerous magic and witchcraft shops. There is also a large thrift store that was really interesting to peek around. Most things are extremely overpriced, but they have an interesting assortment.

We did a lot of the usual tourist things, which included visiting the main cemetery in the center of the downtown area. It was filled with tourists and very old gravesites. There is also a memorial next to it with names of the more famous people who were killed at the height of the with trial hysteria. The whole place was very strange.

We placed our name on the waiting list for a late lunch at Flying Saucer Pizza. I was extremely thrilled because they have vegan pizza options. The pizza was amazing, and the small was so big that I was able to take it home with me to have for dinner as well.

After lunch, we decided to go to the Witch Dungeon Museum. It was right around the corner from the restaurant. All of the museum lines in Salem were incredibly long, and this museum was no exception.

The line fortunately moved fast, and the tickets were $9 a person. The first stop in the museum was a small scene of a witch trial acted out by two people. The second was a recreation of the original dungeon that those convicted of witchcraft were kept in while awaiting trial.

The whole experience was brief and very cold. It really was not as exciting as I had hoped it would be. We did not end up going to any more museums since they are all pretty similar in content, and we were running out of time.

We walked around the area a little more, and then I took the commuter rail home. I would totally recommend a trip to Salem this time of year, but make sure to wear your Halloween costume. It may be better in November when the crowds die down a little. It is a beautiful town with rich history spouting from every corner.