By Melissa Garza
I’ve always loved Salem. I’m both a historical buff and a fan of most things related to horror, so Salem is a perfect fit. I’ve been there quite a few times but visiting the new attractions and hearing the tragic history of the city retold is an interesting way to spend a day. My husband Stephen and I have ventured twice. Once for our celebration of 1 year of dating, and then again for our honeymoon. As both trips were very significant to me, now Salem and the places in which we stayed hold a closer place to my heart. So much so, that as the warmer weather begins to find its way to New England, I must once again try to sway the readers of ScaredStiffReviews.com to find time to vacation in Salem.
The Hawthorne Hotel
First, if you ever visit for more than a day, both my husband I must recommend The Hawthorne Hotel.
We stayed at the historical Hawthorne Hotel which is right in the middle of all of the tourist attractions. The room was cozy and comfortable. The service was pleasant and upbeat. Simply because an electrical outlet was out in our room we were residing in, the staff upgraded us to a much larger one. We hadn’t even noticed the issue but were notified by a phone call asking us to upgrade. The entire staff went out of their way to accommodate our requests and make the visit a pleasant one.
Count Orlok’s The Nightmare Gallery
There were many museums and attractions we made our way through on the two day venture. We walked the streets with a Ghost Hunt Tour that constantly made jabs against their competitors. Nonetheless, the tour was a fun one, and we did learn that both Clue and Monopoly are really about Salem‘s gory history. We went to a wax museum which displayed the horrible history of the poor residents who were executed for being accused of witchery. We visited a tour that explained the evolution of witches and their practices today. All of the above were fascinating. They all had their moments of intrigue. Still, nothing compared to “The Nightmare Gallery.”
“Count Orlok’s The Nightmare Gallery” is the one definite must-see in Salem, especially for horror fans. It is by far the best attraction in the city. When you first walk in, you are greeted by life-size and brilliantly constructed “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein.” The artistic abilities of those who designed these brilliant depictions surpass any I have seen before. I have gone to celebrity wax museums and they simply do not compare to the level of greatness that these special-effects artists were able to capture.
Every character that shaped horror is within the confines of the gallery. Even the obscure that one would not expect an homage of are displayed. One of the major highlights is seeing the great Lon Chaney in full costume from the film “London After Midnight.”
From “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” and “Dracula” to “Freddy Krueger” and “Pinhead,” horror fans will delight in seeing the amazing work that was put into the monsters. One of the best aspect is that they are constantly adding more to the gallery. Everytime we visit they have more. This is the type of attraction, my husband and I would travel far to go see! Thankfully, we don’t have to. It’s only a few hours away.
Near the end of the tour, a trivia portion began which was a lot of fun for two reasons. One is that it is simply enjoyable to test your own horro knowledge. The second is to see how much the owner loves his craft. He’s not just a business man but a horror fan. I must say for such a horror-buff, I went into full game show mode and forgot everything I knew. As I do not want to ruin that experience for anyone else, I won’t share any of those that I should have remembered but regretfully forgot.
So, if you’re planning on visiting Salem, you will not regret visiting Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery. If you’re not planning to visit, you should. I know I will be returning as I am always looking forward to seeing what new monsters are on their way! What can I say? I’m a girl who just can’t resist ghouls.
You can befriend Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery on Facebook and check out their many other pictures!
This place is AWESOME!!!