Gallows Hill Museum – Salem Happenings

Haunted Happenings: The Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre

One of my favorite places to go in Salem, especially during the Halloween season, is the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre. This theatre, which was formerly known as the Griffin Theatre during the off season and the Witch Cottage during Haunted Happenings, not only features a number of comedy acts, children’s programs, plays, and other performances during the year but also features some of the most impressive Halloween fare that you will find anywhere. In fact, the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre’s main attraction during the month of the October, the Witchcraft & Ghost Experience, is a theatrical performance that will dazzle you with special effects and possibly scare the ever living daylights out of you as you learn about the Salem Witch Trials and the legends that have existed in the Salem area for quite some time. Best of all, the Witchcraft & Ghost Experience is only one of the amazing pieces of entertainment that the theatre has to offer, and you may be able to enjoy one of the theatre’s local walking tours, ale tastings, magic shows, trolley tours, or their latest attraction, the Lost Museum as well. For more information on everything that the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre has to offer and/or to purchase tickets for a specific event, please visit the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre website.

Please Note: One of the scariest things about the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre can be the lines on a Saturday. However, you can completely eliminate the unpleasantness of waiting in line to purchase tickets by purchasing your tickets online. In fact, if you would like to avoid lines all together, you can purchase a VIP Pass online that will let you avoid the ticket purchasing line, skip the line to get in, receive a Gallows Hill T-shirt, and get a free drink. If the VIP Pass is a little out of your price range though, you can always head to the theatre on a weekday when the crowds are much less frightening.

Photo via VisualHunt

Haunted Happenings Has Begun!

Now that the parade has come and gone,
the Halloween season in Salem has officially begun.
And, even though the bands and floats are done,
there’s certainly no shortage of fun.
In fact, with an entire booklet of events to choose from,
there’s really no way that you could be glum.
As a result, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy the season from the start,
here are some events this weekend that will surely play the part.

First, if you’re a Salem resident, you may want to check out the Mayor’s Night Out in Salem. The Mayor’s Night Out is the city’s way of thanking all of the residents of the city for resisting the urge to revolt against the oncoming tide of tourists. This event allows Salem Residents with an appropriate ID to enjoy a number of the city’s attractions and museums at no cost or at a significantly reduced rate. Some of the attractions that are free this year include the Gallows Hill Museum & Theatre, the New England Pirate Museum, the Salem Wax Museum, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch History Museum, and the Witch House. The Peabody Essex Museum, the Salem Museum, and the Salem Witch Museum are also free to Salem Residents, but these museums are actually free to residents year-round. For more information on the Mayor’ Night in Salem, which runs from 3:00 P.M. to 10 P.M. today (October 3, 2014), please visit the Official Salem website.

Secondly, if you’re not a Salem resident or you’re more interested in shopping than museums, the Bizarre Bazaar may be more what you’re looking for. The Bizarre Bazaar, which is also known as the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, will feature over 90 vendors selling everything from apparel to zombie-themed accessories. The Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair will also feature a number of street performers and musicians that will be sure to keep you and your family entertained while you shop. For more information on the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, which runs from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Saturday and 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Sunday, please visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce website.

Finally, if you don’t have a great deal of interest in driving into Salem or you would just prefer to play with some LEGOs, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston may have the perfect Halloween event for you. This is because the LEGOLAND Discover Center is hosting a Brick-O-Treat Event from now until Halloween. This event will allow you and/or your kids to build spooky creations out of LEGOs, search for Monster Minifigures in their Monster Mash Scavenger Hunt, search for LEGO pumpkins, and take part in a custome contest for some awesome prizes. For more information on Brick-O-Treat, please visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston website.

Photo credit: kennymatic / Foter / CC BY

Friday Fun: Haunted Houses

With All Hallows’ Eve less than a week away, Salem, Massachusetts has already begun to kick its Halloween celebration into full gear. In fact, this weekend, crowds of people will swarm to the Salem area to check out the carnival, visit the museums, see a reenactment of the witch trials, take part in a ghost tour, and/or partake in any of a countless number of other “Haunted Happenings” in the Witch City. However, if you’re looking for something truly creepy to do with your friends and/or family this weekend, you may want to check out one of the city’s haunted houses.

Salem is known for its wide assortment of haunted attractions, and there is certainly no shortage of haunted houses within the city. The only problem is that there are so many haunted houses in Salem that it can be difficult to figure out which one to go to. Fortunately, if a haunted house is what you’re looking for, there are a couple of attractions that are definitely worth a visit.

First, if you’re looking for the haunted house experience without all of the walking, the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre has one of the creepiest stage shows you will ever see. This show, which is one of the most highly rated attractions in Salem, will not only try to scare you right out of your seat but will also try to teach you about the Salem witch trials and the mythology surrounding witches. I have to admit that this is one of my favorite attractions in Salem, and the live actors and the special effects will definitely have your heart racing by the end of the show. For more information on the Gallows Hill Museum/Theatre, please visit the Gallows Hill website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a more traditional haunted house, you may want to pay the Witch Mansion, located on the Essex Street pedestrian mall, a visit. This haunted house, complete with its own back story, uses a combination of live actors and special effects to create a truly creepy experience. Best of all, if you want to go to the Witch Mansion with a child that’s a little too young for all of the creepiness, you can get a special necklace that will literally protect your child from all of the monsters inside the house (for an additional fee of course. Mhahahaha!) For more information on the Witch Mansion, please visit the Witch Mansion’s website.

Photo credit: country_boy_shane / Foter / CC BY-ND