Salem, MA information

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County. Home to Salem State College, Salem Willows Park and the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem is a residential and tourist area which includes the neighborhoods of Salem Neck, South Salem and North Salem, and Witchcraft Heights.
Many people associate the city with the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, which the city embraces both as a source of tourism and culture — police cars are adorned with witch logos, a local public school is known as the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, the Salem High School football team is named The Witches, and Gallows Hill, a site of numerous public hangings, is currently used as a playing field for various sports.
Arthur Miller's 1952 play The Crucible dealt with the witch trials of the 1690s. The play, and the 1996 film version with Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis, were popular and commercial successes.
Salem also embraces its Maritime History which is dominant on the city seal with a motto that says, "To the Farthest port of the rich east." Salem also boasts the first National Historic Site designated by Congress, Salem Maritime National Historic Site which protects Salem's historic waterfront.
Tourists know Salem as a mix of important historical sites, New Age and Wiccan boutiques, and kitschy Halloween-themed and/or witch-themed attractions. The most recent (and controversial) addition of significance is a bronze statue of the Samantha Stephens character (played by actress Elizabeth Montgomery) of the "Bewitched" television program in Salem's Lappin Park on June 15, 2005. (...) more....

Salem, MA travel guide by