'Haunted' Salem walking tour rated best in US for culture and historical experiences
SALEM - Needham-based TripAdvisor is out with its annual list of the "best travel experiences" for 2023. And when it comes to culture and history, the reviews say you just can't beat one particular attraction in Salem, Massachusetts.
The "History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour" by Witch City Walking Tours is No. 1 in America on the travel site's list of "best cultural and historical experiences."
"There are many Salem tours out there but few are as compelling as this one, led by a local historian who brings alive the city's history at the time of day you choose," TripAdvisor says. "For spookier experience, pick a nighttime tour led by lantern light. Visit the Burying Point Cemetery, Witch House, and Ropes Mansion garden as your guide tells stories of the haunted history of Salem, Massachusetts."
The tour experience has a perfect 5.0 rating based on nearly 6,000 reviews. Users raved about the "informative and entertaining" guide to Salem's history and the famous witchcraft trials.
The two-hour tours cost $31 for adults. The tour website says visitors will experience "captivating tales of our city's history, chilling tales of the supernatural, while being awed by the breathtaking architecture, and discover the fascinating truth of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials."
Rounding out the Top 5 is the USS Arizona Memorial tour in Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, the official Hollywood sign walking tour in Los Angeles, a historical walking tour in Charleston, South Carolina and the Central Park walking tour in New York.
The Portland, Maine "Hidden Histories" walking tour was 12th on the list. Coming in 16th was a small group tour of the Freedom Trail in Boston.