Looking back today, it’s difficult to understand the collective madness that overtook the town here, leaving 18 people dead and making “witch trials” synonymous with unjust accusations. Many sights around Salem do their best to shed light on the tragedy, with results ranging from sobering to cheesy.

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

The most affecting is the simple Salem Witch Trials Memorial (Liberty St., www.salemweb.com/memorial), which displays the names of the victims on stone benches next to the central burying ground.

Witch House

Nearby, the Witch House (3101/2 Essex St., 978/744-8815, www.salemweb.com/witchhouse, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. May–early Nov., $8.25 adults, $6.25 seniors, $4.25 children 6–14, free children under 6) is the former home of magistrate Jonathan Corwin, who sentenced the guilty to death. Tours detail the restored interior, giving a sense of the time.

Salem Witch Museum

The most popular museum dedicated to the trials is the Salem Witch Museum (Washington Sq. North, 978/744-1692, www.salemwitchmuseum.com, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. daily Sept.–June, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. daily July–Aug., extended hours in Oct., $8 adults, $7 seniors, $5.50 children 6–14, free children under 6), which has an effective multimedia show that narrates the sequence of events in 1692. The museum also has an interesting exhibit about the perceptions of witches through the ages.

Salem Wax Museum of Witches and Seafarers

A somewhat more hokey depiction of the trials is on display at the Salem Wax Museum of Witches and Seafarers (288 Derby St., 978/298-2929, www.salemwaxmuseum.com, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily Apr.–June, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. daily July–Aug., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily Sept., extended hours in Oct., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Nov.–Dec., 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Jan.–Mar., $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children and students, free children under 5), which also purports to display the various pirates and rogue captains who colored the populace.

Witch Dungeon Museum

A reenactment of the trials, using original transcripts, is performed at the Witch Dungeon Museum (16 Lynde St., 978/741-3570, www.witchdungeon.com, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Apr.–Nov., extended hours in Oct., $8 adults, $7 seniors, $6 children 4–13), which has melodramatic exhibits on the affair.