We want to visit Salem toward the end of Oct. Is Salem too frightening for small children? I have a five year old little girls who seems afraid of most Halloween Decorations especially those with skulls, blood, or things that make noise. Could she handle the museums and plays? WE are looking at attending that Children's Brunch but I am wondering about the other sites. Please help before we book rooms.

I haven't visited Salem specifically at Halloween, but I worked in the Witch Dungeon years ago. Although the short play (followed by a "tour" of the dungeon) is based on fact, I don't think it would be appropriate for very young children.

I can highly recommend the Peabody Essex Museum. Try to get in to see the Chinese House. My young niece loved it.

"I have a five year old little girls who seems afraid of most Halloween Decorations especially those with skulls, blood, or things that make noise. "

Salem in October is the worst possible vacation destination for such a child. I've visited as early as October 10 and found stuff like that in every storefront, street vendors, etc. You will not be able to walk more than a block from your hotel without encountering stuff that bothers her.

I would suggest another time for Salem or another destination - does not seem a match to me. At this time of hyear you never know where and when you will encounter all the witch, Halloween, dead stuff seasonal nonsense - it is not just confined to shows, museums, haunted houses. Most of it is just repetitive and silly to adults, but if your kid has an issue with such things, I would try to revise plans.

From an adult point of view, unless you are into this sort of things, Salem is also scarey for adults - traffic, drunks, noise, no parking. If you want other suggestions for Boston area in late fall, will be happy to try.

Strongly agree with staying away from Salem in October. It IS too scary for kids, and parking and finding some place to eat are next to impossible. We tried to take some foreign visitors to the Peabody Essex the last weekend before Halloween (okay, who knows when Halloween is at my age) and could not find anywhere to park within walking distance, including garages.

Thanks guys. I had a feeling......this is our only opportunity to see Salem as we're moving at the end of the year. But! Maybe I can convince my Husband to stay at home and take a weekend with the older kids and mother in law. We'll figure out something. Again, thank you for your advice.

Just updating incase someone looks back. We took the children ages 9,7, and 4 to Salem the monday and tuesday before Halloween. We were first very thankful for not being there on a weekend although things closed much too early during the week. We seemed to be the only people dressing in costumes which helped the children feel more festive. The little one didn't have any trouble with any of the witch exhibits but did have a few nights where she couldn't sleep. I'd take the kids again.

Sorry, but your child couldn't sleep, yet you'd take her again?

People enjoy torturing their kids I guess.

Good grief.

Dear Lord. She knew the kids might be scared, and they were traumatized enough they couldn't sleep, but she'd do it again.

Wild wolves may have better instincts.

Maybe "mom"n3 would be a more appropriate screen name.

Interesting how the girl got younger after the initial post (she was 5 in the original post, but is 4 in the update). Did she think people would be more likely to advocate taking the girl if they thought she was older?

What do you suppose people find "festive" about celebrating the horrible murders of innocent women (and a few men too)? I wonder if momn3 told her kids the true story of the Salem witch trials?

Here's from Wikipedia:
"There were four execution dates, with one person executed on June 10, 1692, five executed on July 19, 1692, another five executed on August 19, 1692 (Susannah Martin, John Willard, George Burroughs, George Jacobs, Sr., and John Proctor), and eight on September 22, 1692 (Mary Eastey, Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Alice Parker, Wilmot Redd, and Margaret Scott). Several others, including Elizabeth (Bassett) Proctor and Abigail Faulkner, were convicted but given temporary reprieves because they were pregnant. Though convicted, they would not be hanged until they had given birth. Five other women were convicted in 1692, but sentence was never carried out: Ann Foster (who later died in prison), her daughter Mary Lacy Sr., Abigail Hobbs, Dorcas Hoar, and Mary Bradbury.

Giles Corey, an 80-year-old farmer from the southeast end of Salem, refused to enter a plea when he came to trial in September. The judges mistakenly believed that the law provided for the application of a form of torture called peine forte et dure, in which the victim was slowly crushed by slowly piling stones on a board laid upon the victim's body. (British law had, in reality, abolished this practice twenty years earlier.) After two days of peine fort et dure, Corey died, his chest crushed, without entering a plea..."

I have some great halloween for kids ideas:

Take them to New Orleans for a midnight cemetary tour, or better yet take them to look for zombies and vampires. I hear they are alive and well in the French Quarter

or

How about letting them get chased around by a monster with a chainsaw at Haloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando.


I mean really why would you just settle on Salem to scare your children, when there are so many choices??

What kind of parent thinks this is ok for a small child?? Ever hear of Disneyworld??

wow... a trip to remember huh. Bizarre...

Forgive me all. The 4 was a typo and also I guess I didn't give enough detail. The not sleeping was because she wanted to go back as she really enjoyed the carnival. We didn't do any of the real monster stuff but took the bus ride around town, toured the house of seven gables, and the peabody essex museum where the kids learned origami. The pirate museum wasn't frightening nor was the witch museum. We've taken the children to New Orleans (not at night),Disney World and Disneyland, Ensenada Mexico, Niagra Falls, Granda Canyon..............................