Salem casts more spells than witches on Halloween

BY MARSHALL S. BERDAN | Special to Newsday

Salem's Witch Dungeon

During the summer of 1692, nearly 200 people were accused of being witches in Salem, Mass., a small Puritan settlement 16 miles northeast of Boston. Twenty of them (18 women and two men) were convicted and executed, all but one by hanging. The "witch hysteria" as it is now known, passed almost as quickly as it began, and Salem went on to become a leading seaport and prominent manufacturing center. But it's those horrific events of 1692 that remain the focal point of Salem's multimillion- dollar tourist industry, which reaches its fevered pitch every October with dozens of activities - from the family-oriented to the downright terrifying - guaranteed to both entertain and educate. So hop on the family broomstick and fly up to Witch City, U.S.A.

Which witch is which

Though the actual bewitchings took place several miles away in Salem Village (modern- day Danvers), downtown Salem is ground zero for almost all of the witch-hysteria exhibits. By far, the most popular of these is the 20-minute audiovisual extravaganza at the Salem Witch Museum, 19 1/2 Washington Square. (978-744-1692;salemwitchmuseum.com), in which dramatic tableaus materialize out of the dark recesses of a former church. Costumed actors recreate the trial of Sarah Good at the Witch Dungeon Museum, 16 Lynde St. (978-741- 3570; witchdungeon.com), another former church on the site of the 1690 town goal, while guides at the Witch History Museum, 197-210 Essex St. (978-741-7770; witchhistory museum.com), lead the way through 15 life-size dioramas depicting the wider hysteria.

For an authentic look at late 17th century life, be sure to take in the Witch House, 310 Essex St. (978-744-8815;salemweb.com/witchhouse), the former home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and Salem's only surviving building with direct ties to the hysteria. On your way back, stop and contemplate the Witch Trial Memorial adjacent to the Old Burying Point Cemetery where stone benches commemorate each of the 20 victims, accompanied by graven proclamations of their innocence.

Witchcrafts

In 1692, there were no witches in Salem. Today there are hundreds of them (a male witch is also known as a witch, not a warlock), and many make their living by providing tourists with glimpses into the beliefs and practices of contemporary Wicca. For a basic introduction, follow a Wiccaguide through the Salem Witch Village, 288 Derby St. (800-298-2929;salemwaxmuseum.com), which depicts the evolution of witchcraft from medieval times and also offers a spell-casting demonstration. Salem's most famous witch, Laurie Cabot, holds court at her shop, The Cat, the Crow, and the Crown, 63R Wharf St. (978-744-6274; lauriecabot.com), on Pickering Wharf, just three doors from Salem's leading psychic, Diana McKanas, 77 Wharf St. (978- 740-0222; salempsychiccenter.com). All told, nearly two dozen occult, magic and psychic emporiums - including the Salem School of Witchcraft (2½-hour classes cost $20) - await your business, with most of them setting up shop at the month-long annual Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo in the Museum Place Mall.

Things go bump in the night

It didn't take long for Salem's enterprising citizens to realize that those who pay to see witches would probably pay to see other spectral and scary entities, as well, leading Witch City to throw open the doors of supernatural diversity. October visitors now have a mind-boggling array of occult options, including the Spellbound Museum of the Supernatural, the Museum of Myth and Monsters, a 3-D spectacle, multiple haunted houses (including Dr. Frankenstein's Laboratory), and more guided ghost, murder, and supernatural walking tours than you can shake a broomstick at.

October surprises

Salem's transformation from the site of the infamous witch trials to self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World" was decades in the making, a natural outgrowth of the increasing popularity of Halloween. In 1982, the city corralled all its various activities into one coordinated festival, launching Haunted Happenings, four weeks of daily and nightly theater, tours, parades, costume balls and miscellaneous special events, culminating in a Samhain [Halloween] Magick Circle, Walk and Feast. Among the more family-oriented highlights are two theatrical productions, "Cry Innocent," an audience-participation re-creation of the trial of Bridgit Bishop, the first to be accused of witchcraft, and "A Night in Besieged Salem Village" (ages 13 and older); a children's costume parade; and Bootiful Pets Parade. Those older than 21 will want to check out the more lavish (and expensive) Festival of the Dead offerings (festivalofthedead.com) sponsored by the Witches of Salem. For a complete listing of events, contact Destination Salem (877-725-3662; hauntedhappenings.org).