The Witch House
310½ Essex St.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Admission: Self-guided tours $8.25 adult, $6.25 seniors, $4.25 children age 6-14. Add $2 to each price for guided tour. Free for children under age 6.
Season of the witch
The dark house was the home of Jonathan Corwin, one of the magistrates who presided over the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Corwin was a magistrate and judge, along with John Hathorne, for a special court convened to hear accusations of witchcraft being practiced in Salem. They signed arrest warrants for more than 150 accused people. Locals came to call Corwin’s home the witch house, and that’s now its official name. The home, owned by the city, is one of the last original buildings connected to the trials. “This is a Puritan household, lit with lanterns,” said Elizabeth Peterson, director of the house. “Nothing here is sensationalized. When you look at the latest scholarship, the truth is so much more fascinating than anything that has become legend and lore.”