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Old 11-24-2014, 11:01 AM
 
Location: 42°22'55.2"N 71°24'46.8"W
4,848 posts, read 11,744,265 times
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My family is coming up to visit during Thanksgiving and they don't feel like doing the whole Boston thing again. I'm taking them to the Peabody Essex Museum on Friday. What else should we do in Salem while we're there? What's the best witch house tour to take? Nothing scary - we'll have 6 kids, infants, toddlers and elementary school aged. Any other historical sites worth seeing?

Lastly, any family-friendly restaurant recommendations for about 15 people? No Chinese food - they are used to the good stuff in NYC.
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Old 11-26-2014, 05:56 AM
 
513 posts, read 639,486 times
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The House of Seven Gables is great. I went to a tour at the Witch Museum and it was educational. The Witch Dungeon was OK, but the tour of the dungeon might be scary for the kids.
I also just love to walk around and look at the old architecture in the historic district on Essex St, the common, the Hawthorne Hotel is cool to check out and Pickering Wharf.
Some restaurants that can accommodate larger parties: Tavern in the Square, Victoria Station (right on the harbor), and Salem Beer Works. Turner's on Church St. is good as well, but a bit pricier and more seafood based.
Have fun!
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Old 11-26-2014, 06:00 AM
 
513 posts, read 639,486 times
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I would check out the House of Seven Gables. The Witch Museum is probably a bit better than the Witch Dungeon for kids. Other things to see: historic district on Essex St., Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, and Pickering Wharf.
Restaurants that can accommodate larger parties are: Tavern in the Square, Salem Beer Works, and Victoria Station. Finz and Turner's would be OK as well but are more seafood focused.
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Old 11-26-2014, 07:51 AM
 
3,244 posts, read 7,418,978 times
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The funny thing about Salem, is they call it the 'Witch City', yet they killed far more 'witches' in Andover/North Andover than Salem ever did. I was on Grand Jury in Salem for 3 months about 15 years ago there.. Other than Young Engineering and Meshna's, I avoided the place like the plague. Just my opinion, but having formerly grown up on the North Shore, it is no place to write home about. We called it Lawrence-on-the-Sea. Nice towns on the North Shore are Hamilton, Manchester-by-the-Sea, etc.
Pickering Wharf is ok in a tacky sort of way, there is Finz, 62 Restaurant, Howling Wolf, and a bunch of others. It has been so long since I was there, I don't even know what exists anymore. I just remember getting there was h*ll... Route 114 was a train wreck. JMHO
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Old 11-26-2014, 08:23 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts & Hilton Head, SC
9,898 posts, read 15,461,978 times
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Another vote for The House of Seven Gables.
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Old 11-26-2014, 09:58 AM
 
Location: near bears but at least no snakes
26,634 posts, read 28,419,191 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaseyB View Post
Another vote for The House of Seven Gables.
Is it open at this time of the year? I vote for it too. Too bad it's not summer because one of the nice parts was looking out at the ocean and sitting in the patio area. It had a gift shop if I remember.

Just checked and it is open.

The House of the Seven Gables |
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Old 11-26-2014, 10:31 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts
1,359 posts, read 863,667 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperSparkle928 View Post
The funny thing about Salem, is they call it the 'Witch City', yet they killed far more 'witches' in Andover/North Andover than Salem ever did. I was on Grand Jury in Salem for 3 months about 15 years ago there.
What?! This is still going on?!
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Old 11-30-2014, 10:52 AM
 
Location: Northeast
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Go to Red's. A historic sandwich shop a block from the Peabody Essex Muesem.
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Old 11-30-2014, 12:44 PM
 
Location: Baja Virginia
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LOL@"Lawrence-by-the-sea". But seriously, unless it's gone way downhill, it's nowhere near that bad, and a lot more interesting than "classy" towns like Manchester or Hamilton.
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Old 12-01-2014, 07:46 PM
 
Location: Northeast
1,886 posts, read 2,210,798 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperSparkle928 View Post
The funny thing about Salem, is they call it the 'Witch City', yet they killed far more 'witches' in Andover/North Andover than Salem ever did. I was on Grand Jury in Salem for 3 months about 15 years ago there.. Other than Young Engineering and Meshna's, I avoided the place like the plague. Just my opinion, but having formerly grown up on the North Shore, it is no place to write home about. We called it Lawrence-on-the-Sea. Nice towns on the North Shore are Hamilton, Manchester-by-the-Sea, etc.
Pickering Wharf is ok in a tacky sort of way, there is Finz, 62 Restaurant, Howling Wolf, and a bunch of others. It has been so long since I was there, I don't even know what exists anymore. I just remember getting there was h*ll... Route 114 was a train wreck. JMHO
You are right about Pickering Wharf as not the most kind of places. The local cops will tell anyone that the crime and such is the worse there. Salem is a dynamic place that thrives on the history of the trials yet there is a serious undercurrent of homeless people and drug addicts that fill the streets. That is not a speculative view on my point, a view from being there working and seeing for many years. It's rich in culture and one can argue that these problems exist in many cities. Point taken and agreed.

I just wish there was more the city could do for the homeless as they r not a city with no money. They have plenty of money and r dong many pork barrel projects as we speak and earn god knows how much during the Halloween season. Their tourist dollars are abound but build more parking garages.lol. Good for the city, yet can't do a bit for the helpless? Not trying to be off topic but offering some perspective on larger issues.

I hope the op finds the city well and has some fun there. It offers much but could give back some too.
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