Tag Archives: New England

December 30, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs And Blossoms – 18 Broad St – The Pickering House (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: 18 Broad St, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: The Pickering House is both the biggest and perhaps most impressive homes on the tour!

The Pickering House was built in 1660 by John Pickering. From its construction until 1998, ten generations of the Pickering family lived in the home. Since 1998, it has continuously occupied by a caretaker family, making it the oldest continuously inhabited house in the United States. Over the centuries, the home has hosted numerous visitors including George Washington who is said to have dined at the very same table that is still in the house. The original portion of the home – the front living room – retains its exposed beams from 1660. Additional sections were added over time, with the most recent major renovation, the kitchen, completed in 1911. The exterior, a Gothic Revival Influence, was chosen by John Pickering VI to mirror European architectural trends during his time at the residence.

The most impressive building, at least from its exterior, the Pickering House is also the oldest home on the tour.

One of the features of the home that caught my attention was the chimney which is a group of flues from several chimneys.. You can see the chimney in the left of the photo below. The reason for the shape of the chimney was to allow for all of the flues from the various fireplaces in the home. When it was renovated, the home owners wanted to duplicate that look even if the home didn’t have as many fireplaces in it any longer.

There is a lot of history inside the Pickering House. For instance, the home still has the original wallpaper.

And this couch which was a gift from Eleanor Roosevelt.

There were pretty decorations and furniture throughout the home.

To keep the large home warm, this fireplace was said to have been much bigger. The fireplace was originally from doorway to doorway. It was downsized during renovations.

Just like most historic homes in Massachusetts, and New England for that matter, George Washington slept in this home. It’s amazing how this rumor or legend has become a claim to fame for so many homes and inns. Legend has it George Washington slept in one of the second floor bedrooms. It is said that Washington stopped by the Pickering house and tied his horse to an old locust tree in the front yard when he visited Colonel Pickering in 1789. But, whether he slept there is still a bit of a mystery. Everywhere I looked for information to support this claim either didn’t mention anything to support it or used hedge words like “rumored” or “legend has it.” In any event, that’s their story and their sticking to it.

There also musicians playing Christmas music in one of the dining rooms. I could have stayed all day and listened to them.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Pickering House also had a barn that was lit up and decorated for the holiday season. It was a festive way to end the tour of the home.

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas, Christmas In Salem, history, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, travel, Uncategorized

December 28, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs And Blossoms – 10 Broad St built for Hannah Smith (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: 10 Broad St, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: The home at 10 Broad St has a long history of changing ownership, construction (and deconstruction) and a lot of charm!

Like many of the houses on the Christmas In Salem tour, the home at 10 Broad St was part of the 17th century “homestead land” of Jonathan Neal (that name may ring a bell from my previous post) which was partitioned among the children and grandchildren. Hannah Smith, a 43 year old widow and granddaughter of Neal, inherited “Lot #7 and the small old house thereon” in 1799. Hannah razed the old house and built a new one in 1800, occupying the Broad St portion of the house and renting out the portion that front Cambridge St. After her death the property was partitioned again and divided into two parts by her heirs as two separate residences.

The Cambridge St section of the building was continuously occupied for much of the 19th century while the Broad St side was often vacant. One hundred years later, the two entities were united into a single-family residence by another widow, Hope Brown, in 1954.

The entrance to the home is located at the side of the right of the building. There was some Christmas decor attached to a Neoclassical Style Dolphin Door knocker.

This fireplace had a holiday feel to it.

The house had a red and chicken theme. I liked the black and white photo better. But it didn’t illustrate the color theme as well as the color photo. So, I’ll attach the black and white photo below as well.

These chairs were originally Ikea chairs the owner bought and were decorated to represent important times, events and other things of their life.

The tour guide didn’t say specifically what events or things the decor represented. But, I think that adds to the secrecy and mystery of the decorations.

The home had a lot of Christmas cheer (and some extra cheer in the bottles of the last group of photos). I especially liked how they set up the dining room table as though they were expecting dinner guests.

I liked the stars hanging from the lighting fixture and, of course, the bokeh.

While I was walking along the trail to the various homes, I saw a few of these markers.

Since these homes are in the “Mcintire District), named after famous Salem architect, carver, sculpture and crafts worker Samuel Mcintire. A whole post or series of blog posts could be devoted to Samuel Mcintire’s work. But, the fact that an entire section of Salem has been dedicated in his honor says volumes. Even though he may not have had a part in the building or design of some of these homes, his influence can be noticed in all of the homes.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas, Christmas In Salem, historical, history, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, travel

December 27, 2025

Christmas In Salem -Boughs And Blossoms – 12 Broad St built by Jonathan Neal (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: 12 Broad St, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: The home on 12 Broad St, built by Jonathan Neal, has some impressive decor, an interesting history and a connection to bees and chickens! I bet that got your attention!

In 1767 Johnathan Neal, a yeoman and carter, built this house on land owned owned by the Neal family since the 1600s; The house Jonathan built was described as two stories high and one room deep with a pitched roof which may have been a recycled from a previous house. Certain elements, such as a front-to- back summer beam on the first floor, suggest a possible pre-1730s date while elsewhere there is beaded box molding suggestive of post-1730s construction. The house is said to have had 6 working fireplaces. It was extensively renovated in the 20th making it difficult to determine which elements are original and which have been restored.

The area of Broad St where this house stands was not far from the town almshouse (a charitable residence, often endowed by a benefactor, providing housing of poor, elderly, disabled or otherwise disadvantaged people in a community) where indigent and very sick people were housed in the 18th century. Because of the location of the almshouses, the street was known as Almshouse Lane.

Neal died in 1790 after falling off the wharf near his almshouse after visiting a “house of intemperance.” Neal landed face first in the mud. Hey, we’ve all had bad nights. Unfortunately, Neal’s bad night was fatal. After his death, the house was divided among his children into four units occupied by the Neal family and in-laws. After the Civil War, the dwelling house became a two-family home and in 1925 it was a single-family home for the first time in over 25 years.

In 1885, Leverett Saltonstall, who grew up on nearby Chestnut St, recalled that Jonathan Neal’s sons had run a bakery at 12 Broad St where pigs were often slaughtered in the yard. The process was so grim and viscous screams and squeals from the pigs could be heard around the block. Because of the noises, Jonathan Neal Jr was taunted by the children as “Piggy Neal who makes pigs squeal.”

Instead of the pigs mentioned above, bees and chickens are now the themes of the house. The owners raise chickens and are beekeepers. There were beekeeping supplies outside of the house.

This is the original wallpaper from the 18th century. I know. I had to ask twice to make sure I heard that correctly.

The home was decorated tastefully for the holiday season.

Keeping with the chicken and bee theme, this tree had chicken and beekeeper decorations (zoom in and look about 1/3 of the way from the top on the left)’

This was one of the fireplaces on the first floor.

I was particularly impressed by the artwork above the fireplace.

I particularly appreciated the wainscoting and traditional decor in the dining room.

I know Christmas is over. But, these posts serve as “left overs” from a holiday season I think we all wish lasted longer! Fear not. I have many more tours to take you all on!

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas, Christmas In Salem, historical, history, holidays, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, travel, Uncategorized

December 23, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs And Blossoms – 8 Chestnut St (Built by Daniel Gregg)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: 8 Chestnut St, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: The historic home at 8 Chestnut St had a decorative and historic feel to it!

Constructed in 1805 by Daniel Gregg, the home on 8 Chestnut was originally built as a one-story store and residence. It is one of the oldest surviving homes on Chestnut St. In its early years, Captain Somers operated a grocery store at the building while David Ashby, sexton of the nearby South Church, resided there. Around 1828, Deacon John Stone purchased the property (one of several he would own on that street) and he added the upper stories. Stone would later convert it into a full residence. By 1830, it was advertised as a rental property before eventually housing the Stone family there.

The house is considered a fine example of the early 19th-century brick Federal architecture. Its elliptical entryway with sidelights and decorative wood panels exemplifies this style.

I was able to arrive just as they were putting on the finishing touches of the decorations.

The home has a side entrance rather than an entrance on the street. One theory for this states it was done to avoid or pay less in taxes since the area facing the street was the area that was taxed. Google and other sources dispute this though claiming it was done more for functionality and aesthetic purposes. In any event, our efficient tax officials have rectified this loophole!

This home has so many little details and history. Even the bricks on the home are unique and interesting. The brick pattern layout on the outside of the house is Flemish bond brick pattern. A common feature in Georgian style homes, the Flemish bond pattern features bricks laid lengthwise (stretchers) alternating with bricks laid with their shorter ends exposed (headers) within the same courses. 

You may have to zoom in to see the details.

The house had a very festive decor.

The fireplace and wainscotting are restored from the original construction.

And, of course, lighting fixtures.

This house in only one of a group of homes on Chestnut St. Stay tuned for more historic homes on this street!

11 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas, Christmas In Salem, historical, history, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, travel

December 19, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs And Blossoms – John Fullington House (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: 19 Cambridge St, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: The John Fullington home, constructed in 1807, is full of lots of surprises.

Although records show this home was built in 1807 by John Fullerton, it was really built by John Fullington, a bricklayer. The house has gone through some changes since it was originally built, though. It is now stylistically considered a mid 1860s home. While the original structure may have been in the federal Style, the house has been redesigned in the Second Empire Style around 1865. Some of the elements of the Second Empire Style include the mansard roof with flared eaves punctuated by dormer windows, large and small decorative brackets and the recessed side hall entrance containing double doors. The front doors were recently restored by a Salem based artisan. The door hood is topped by a flat cornice upon which rests a rectangular bay window.

During the late 19th century, renovations in the rear extension were added, creating a larger kitchen as well as a small upstairs bedroom.

James J. Buckley, a wine merchant, acquired the property in 1865. He most likely was responsible for the major renovations that were made to the house at that time. Buckley owned a liquor store on Washington St and shared the home with his wife Margaret and their son James O. Buckley. After Buckley’s death in the early 1870s, Margaret continued to live in the house until 1919 when it was sold to Isabella Murphy, the widow of John Murphy. Her son, Edward, a painter and leather worker, lived there with his wife until the 1950s. Mary Murphy occupied the house until the 1980s.

The home tour guide made an astute observation at the entry way of the home and I agree – the owner of the home must not have cats. If you know, you know.

The home did have some unique and unexpected features like this bell above the doorway.

Besides a certain type of decor I will touch on later, the owner of the home has a special affinity for our 16th President. The top hat on the book is a tribute to Abraham Lincoln. There’s also an Easter egg on the floor on the right side of the Christmas tree.

One of the pieces of decor that stood out to me were the chairs.

This chair is a 1880’s Victorian chair model.

I also liked the Christmas decor in and outside of the home.

I agree with this sign!

And, if you’ve been following my posts, you know I appreciate most of the lighting fixtures of these homes. This light had an environmental feel to it.

Now, back to the special theme of the home that I alluded to previously and the “Easter egg” from earlier in the post. This home like some of the homes on the tour had a theme or certain type of decor. The theme of this home was rocking horses! The owner of this home really likes rocking horses.

As you can see, the Fullington home was full of charm, Christmas cheer and a few pleasant surprises!

9 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas In Salem, historical, history, homes, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, rocking horses, Salem, travel, Uncategorized

December 12, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs & Blossoms – Joseph Kinsman House (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: December 6, 2025

Location: 311 Essex St, Salem, MA (about 30 mins northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 ($50 if you buy ticket on day of tour)

Parking: There are several parking lots and garages and metered on street parking in Salem.

Summary: The Kinsman home has multiple Christmas trees, interesting art and decor and a lot of history!

Another home that I have walked past while marveling at its design is the Joseph Kinsman house. Some of the homes on this tour look like something you’d see in a movie. Wait until we get on to Chestnut St.

The Kinsman House has a long history of owners and changing locations. In 1850, Eliza Fiske sold her property which included her house on the corner of Essex and Summer Streets to John Kinsman, Superintendent of the Eastern Railroad, and his wife Nancy Fogg. The house, which was originally numbered 311 Essex St and later renumbered 309 after the Second Empire-style house was constructed, was demolished by the 1950s to make way for the expansion of Summer and North Streets (the streets adjacent to Essex St). Kinsman, after getting remarried to his second wife Martha Lord, sold his property to Caroline E and Joseph F. Dane, a shoe and leather dealer, on 1864, the lot already had two brick houses. Dane and his wife lived in 309 Essex St and rented out 311 Essex St to various tenants.

After their parents deaths in the early 1900s, the Dane children divided the property between the two buildings, selling 311 Essex St to Dr. George K. Blair, a renowned physician and surgeon in Salem. Madeline, his wife, lived at 311 Essex St until her death in 1983.

The tour guide for the home had some horns growing. He should have that looked at!

The entryway was decorated with some traditional Christmas decorations.

The spacious bedroom had a lot of character and pretty decor.

This painting of the house, done by a local artist, hung on the bedroom wall.

These colorful curtains were from high end decorators Cole & Son.

The decor on the fireplace mantle and table were emblematic of the aptly named “Boughs and Blossoms” tours. And, no, they are not decorated this way all year long! I did ask!

I’m always intrigued by the lighting fixtures at these historic homes.

The owner of the home is a connoisseur of whisky and other fine liquors. But, the tour guide assured us there was no liquor in this drink (wink, wink).

This so called “blessed buck” is indeed a real buck.

The home had various works of art and other types of decor around the home. I especially liked the painting in the middle. But, it is a house in Salem, So, of course, there was a skeleton and what appears to be a dragon in the group of paintings. This is what I like so much about these home tours. It’s interesting to see what they look like on the inside. And, it’s fun to see how different each of the home owners decorate.

There were quite a few trees in the home. One in the bedroom.

And in the kitchen.

And one outside

Some of the visitors dressed up for the event. These guys wore some festive headwear!

And these ladies wore their best hats! This is just another reason to love these tours! The people you meet are both interesting and fun to be around!

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Boughs & Blossoms, Christmas, Christmas In Salem, historical, history, Massachussetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem

December 10, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs & Blooms – Joshua Ward House (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: John Ward House, 148 Washington St, Salem, MA (about 30 minutes northeast of Boston, MA)

Universally Accessible: No

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: The Joshua Ward House, rumored to be haunted, is said to be Salem’s oldest Federal style brick building. It was the first home on the Christmas In Salem’s Boughs & Blooms historic homes tour.

Salem’s not just a Halloween destination anymore and the throng of crowds at the Christmas In Salem historic homes tour, titled “Boughs & Blossoms, is proof of this. The event, which included tours of 12 historic homes, and a bonus tour of a tiny home, attracted thousands of visitors to the Witch City. And it seems to be a bigger event each year.

While you can visit the homes in any order you choose to, a list is provided of the homes on the tour and the Joshua Ward House was the first house on this list. I found most of the information for these blog posts in the guide book given to each person on the tour. But, all of the info about the homes aren’t just in the guide books. The tour guides also provided additional information not included in the guidebook which I am including in these posts.

Like many of the countless people who walk past this grand home, I always wondered what it looked like inside. So, it was very exciting to finally see the interior of this mysterious building.

Joshua Ward, a merchant and privateer, built the house shortly after the Revolutionary War. It is said to be the oldest Federal high style brick house in Salem. The house was built adjacent to Ward’s business activities by the waterfront and would have extensive views down to the harbor. It was built with the assistance of famed Salem architect and wood carver Samuel McIntyre. In fact, you will see Samuel’s handywork or influence in many of the homes in the tour.

For all of the gearheads out there, I used my Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR with a 24 mm while photographing this and all of the houses. Except, I did use my 90D Canon with a 18 to 400 mm lens for the photo of the exterior of the house so I could fit the entire exterior of the house in the frame. I also had to use a 1.4 aperture for most of the photos of the interior because of the low light environment.

The entrance to the home was decorated tastefully.

I thought this light was pretty unique.

While many inns, homes and other historical dwellings claim “George Washington slept here”, he really did sleep in the Joshua Ward home. When Washington visited Salem in 1789, diarist William Bentley recorded that Washington requested to sleep in the Joshua Ward house. He is said to have slept in the second level, southeast front bed chamber. When the home was turned into a hotel in the 19th century, it was known as the Washington Tavern in recognition of Washington’s visit. This bust was made in George’s honor.

Ok, now to address the elephant, or ghost, in the room. Since this is Salem, of course there is a connection to ghosts. The house has been widely said to be haunted. The house is said to be haunted because the home was built on the land where where High Sherriff George Corwin had his house. George Corwin was the person who issued the arrest warrants for the people accused in the Salem Witch trials. He is also the person who is said to have placed the stones on Giles Corey’s body to force his confession of being a witch. Giles never confessed. Instead, he’s alleged to have cursed Corwin and the city of Salem. His and the victims of the trials spirits are said to reside in the home. For whatever it’s worth, the tour guide at the house chuckled and told me he has never seen or heard any paranormal activity (although he did tell me he’s seen UFO’s or UAP).

The home has been refurbished and turned into a boutique hotel. It is also a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The work of art above the fireplace is called See No Evil.

The hotel has some luxurious accommodations. As long as you don’t mind sharing them with some uninvited guests!

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Boughs & Blossoms, Christmas In Salem, historical, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, travel

December 8, 2025

Christmas In Salem – Boughs & Blooms – Tiny Home (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: December 6, 2025

Location: 5 Brown St, Salem, MA

Universally Accessible: This home was universally acceptable. But, many of the homes on the tour were not.

Cost: $40 per ticket ($50 if you purchase day of tour tickets)

Parking: There are several parking garages in Salem, as well as metered on street parking.

Summary: As part of the of the Christmas In Salem tour, the tour included a tiny home. The “Not So Tiny Home” gave a glimpse into a different type of home.

Christmas In Salem is known for the ornate historic homes in Salem, MA. But, this year there was a special home on the tour.

Considered a “bonus home” on the Christmas In Salem “Boughs and Blooms” historic homes tour, the “tiny home” on Broad St is part of the Peabody Essex Museum’s exhibition, “Not-So-Tiny Home.”

The creation of the New England couple Chloe Barcelou and Brandon Batchelder, the “Not So Tiny” home is a custom-built, 300-square-foot steampunk caravan. The tiny home was built to resemble a fairy-tale cottage, pirate ship and Victorian adventure.

Most of the inside of the home was built using recycled film sets, thrifted finds, and salvaged materials. The home is filled with secret compartments, fold-out furniture and other creative spatial solutions.

The tiny home was not open for tours. So, I was not able to take photos from inside the tiny home. But, I was able to find this photo of the inside of the tiny home on msn.com. Looks like a home I could get used to!

This is just a preview of the Christmas In Salem historic homes tour. There are many more homes on the Boughs and Blooms historic homes tour that I will post as soon as I can edit them!

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas, Christmas In Salem, historical, New England, photographs, photography, tiny home, travel

December 3, 2025

2025 Moonlight Magic (Shelburne Falls, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: November 28, 2025

Location: Shelburne Falls, MA (2 hours northwest of Boston, MA)

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking was available at various lots in the city. On street parking was available in the city. Shuttle service was provided if you parked in one of the lots.

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Website:2025 Moonlight Magic

Summary: Shelburne Falls celebrated their 40th annual Moonlight Magic festival near the Bridge Of Flowers. Musicians, clowns and, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Claus were just a few of the people who walked in the parade.

A trip to the Bridge of Flowers usually involves looking at, and photographing lots of beautiful flowers! But, this trip to the bridge was different.

Each year for the past 40 years, Shelburne Falls has been hosting the Moonlight Magic event. Held the day after Thanksgiving, technically along the Iron Bridge located next to the Bridge of Flowers, the event includes clowns, a Buddy look-alike (or the real one?) who was very happy to see Santa and the main event; the Parade of Lights!

On cue, as the festival began it began to snow. The bridge, city scape and water gave a great backdrop for some late night photos, especially with the snow.

Before the parade began, visitors were welcome to visit the diverse group of stores and vendors on the street. What visit to the area would be complete without a visit to see Boswell at Boswell’s Books? Technically Boswell the 5th, he seemed a little worn out from all of the pats and traffic in the store!

There were lots of decorations, lights and candles lit in bags that illuminated the city and stores and gave off a real Christmas feel.

While I was setting up for the parade, I came across this big fella named Goose (a one year old Irish Wolfhound).

Although he’s only 1, this dog is almost as tall as his dad who is 6 feet 4!

As the sky grew dark and people began to congregate along the parade’s path, I made my way to the start of the parade. Initially, I was going to photograph the participants as they crossed the bridge. But, it was too crowded and dark. So, I settled under a street light near the starting point of the parade.

The parade started with lighted decorations!

Following not far behind were some cute Great Pyrenees dogs!

These “chickens” were clucking as the rode by.

Those weren’t the only animals in the parade. These miniature horses also walked in the parade!

There were also some musical participants!

The Melha Shrine Clowns also made an appearance!

This lit up vehicle featured a light up Rudolph whose nose blinked!

The vehicles weren’t the only things all lit up. These spectators were adorned in colorful lights for the parade!

And what parade would be complete without Santa and Mrs. Claus!

The Christmas spirit was certainly in the air during Moonlight Magic!

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13 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christmas, Massachusetts, Moonlight Magic, New England, parade, photographs, photography, photos, Shelburne Falls, western massachusetts

November 26, 2025

International Monster Museum (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: September 26, 2025

Location: Witch City Mall, 186 Essex St, Salem, MA

Cost:  $15 for Adults

 $9 for Children 12 & under

Hours: The International Monster Museum opens at 11:00 am daily (call for closing times, as they change seasonally).

Parking: There is parking available in the parking garage at Witch City Mall. There are additional parking lots and garages as well as metered on street parking in the city

Universally Accessible: Yes

Website: International Monster Museum

Summary: Dozens of monsters, trolls and other scary creatures come alive at the International Monster Museum

Salem, MA, isn’t just known for witches. In fact, one stroll down the Essex Street Pedestrian will reveal monsters, zombies and goblins, And not just during October.

The International Monster Museum on Essex St has become one of the hotspots to see some of these spooky creatures.

Upon entering the museum, you are struck by a variety of famous and not so famous characters.

The attention to detail in the making of the monsters is impressive.

There were also artifacts such as this vampire hunter kit.

And this bottle of vampire blood.

Once you enter the dimly lit maze of monsters (don’t worry, they give you a lantern to help you see), you are surrounded by creepy characters of all kinds. Be ready, though, as some of the statues and figures are animatronics.

The life like statues come in all shapes and sizes.

It can be scary at the museum. So, don’t lose your head during your visit!

Not all of the figuresd are standing upright!

There are many twists and turns in the museum. And you never know what you’ll find around any of those corners! Some of the statues, like this one of a werewolf, have signs that give a description and the origins of the creature.

Old person alert. I always think of Wolfman Jack whenever I see depictions of a werewolf, especially when he’s dressed.

I like how the used the lighting to both give you light to see while still giving an eerie feel.

The museum thought of all of the different types of monsters, creepers and whatever these are!

Fans of the movie Leprechaun, both of you, may enjoy these statues!

As random as it may seem, this ghoul is supposed to be eating the entrails of Edgar Allen Poe, Uhm, yuck.

Just when you think you’re about to leave and the horror has ceased, these monsters lurking by the exit!

Even though I visited in September, the museum had a real Halloween feel to it. Halloween season is beginning sooner each year it seems. In fact, I mentioned to one of the staff that September is basically “pre-Halloween season.” Before you know it, they’ll start decorating and celebrating in August!

If you missed the museum this past Halloween season, don’t worry it is open all year round. Because it’s always spooky season in Salem!

I have been reading and reviewing books about New England or written by people from New England. Today’s review is about a book that has recently turned into a movie; The Long Walk by Stephen King (339 pages). I read the story from the Bachman Books, a collection of Stephen King book. But, you can also purchase the book as a stand alone.

On its surface, the plot for The Long Walk seems both cruel and unpalatable. And it is both of these things. But, in Stephen King fashion, it is also very readable. The name basically says it all. I did find it hard to believe I could be so engrossed about a story of this nature.

If you want to read my full review with spoilers, click on the link to my Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8102323442

18 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Halloween, Massachusetts, monsters, museum, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, statues, travel