If you love all things spooky, chances are you've heard of Salem, Massachusetts. It's usually one of the most popular destinations in the US to celebrate Halloween, but this year, tourists are being urged not to visit because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But fear not (about missing out, at least)! We've rounded up some interesting facts about Salem so you can enjoy it from home this season. Check them out below.
1. The infamous Salem witch trials lasted for approximately one year between 1692 and 1693.
2. The Witch House is the only building you can visit in Salem that has a direct connection to the witch trials of 1692.
3. The city ran a public competition to design the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, and it was officially dedicated in 1992 on the 300th anniversary of the trials.
4. The Salem Witch Museum offers an educational experience about the historical trials, and it was recently featured in Netflix's Hubie Halloween.
5. Disney's 1993 cult classic Hocus Pocus featured numerous filming locations around Salem.
6. There's a monster museum in town — Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery — which is home to a life-size replica of Hocus Pocus's Winifred Sanderson.
7. In 1970, Bewitched filmed the "Salem Saga" episodes in the city after the show's set in California burned down.
8. The House of Seven Gables is the real-life setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel of the same name.
9. Room W17 at the Salem Inn is believed to be haunted — many guests have reported "strange happenings" like things moving mysteriously and unknown shadows.
10. Salem is the birthplace of the National Guard, which dates back to 1636.
11. Opened in 1799, Salem's Peabody Essex Museum is the oldest continuously operating museum in the US.
12. The game manufacturing company Parker Brothers was founded in Salem over a century ago.
13. These days, Salem is home to a number of witchcraft shops, including Hex: Old World Witchery, the Coven's Cottage, and Crow Haven Corner.
14. The Old Burying Point Cemetery (aka Charter Street Cemetery) opened in 1637, making it the oldest cemetery in Salem — and one of the oldest in the whole country.
15. More than 75 massive street art murals can be found in the neighborhood known as El Punto (the Point).
16. And typically, over half a million visitors flock to Salem each October to celebrate Halloween.
But alas, this year you're probably better off staying home and spending Halloween watching Hocus Pocus instead.
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