Salem Pirate Museum
 

In Salem has anybody been to the New England Pirate Museum on Derby Street? I was wondering if it was worthwhile to see. Will be traveling with my 11 year old son.<BR>Thanks.<BR>

It is a tourist trap, affiliated with two other junky Salem tourist traps, the Witch Dungeon Museum and the Witch History Museum.<BR><BR>Would somebody out there please explain WHY tourists find it necessary or even interesting to go to Salem? Most of us locals have never bothered, occasionally a school or camp field trip ventures there. Do they have some sort of special interstate promotional machine, or what? There are one or two genuine historic things, and the rest is junk. If you're interested in history, go to Lexington, Concord, or Plymouth.

Or Quincy.

For a long time, Salem resisted the temptation to give in to the idiots who kept coming to the town asking where the witches were. Eventually they decided that they might as well get the bucks and allowed things to go where they wanted to. There are other things to see in Salem, esp. some wonderful old houses, but if you want to enjoy the Nawth Shaw, head on up to Marblehead (Mahbblehead) and Gloucester.

There are many good reasons for visiting Salem. The Peabody Essex Museum (www.pem.org) is worth the trip alone. One of the finest museums in the greater Boston area. It's right across the street from the National Park facility where you can learn about the really historic (not touristy) attractions in Salem. There's also the House of Seven Gables to visit. You can easily spend a day in Salem and never visit a touristy witch venue, or pirate!