Discover a time when accused witches walked among us. Forty years before the infamous trials in Salem, fear gripped the small settlement of Springfield, Massachusetts. Neighbors whispered about Mary and Hugh Parsons as rumors simmered for years, exploding into hysteria that eventually consumed the town. Witch Panic! dives into the daily lives of the Parsons, examining the circumstances that led to their 1651 accusation and arrest for witchcraft. Review the evidence of the Parsons’ witchcraft as a member of the jury and determine their innocence or guilt.

The exhibition also features objects from the Museums’ permanent collection, including one of the last remaining copies of Springfield founder William Pynchon’s The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption, one of the first books to be banned in English North America. The Museums’ copy the has the distinction of being owned by Cotton Mather, the Puritan clergyman who influenced and recorded the witch trials in Salem (1692-1693).

Witch Panic! Massachusetts Before Salem explores how witchcraft influenced early Springfield and how the conversation continues 375 years later.

Witch Panic! is sponsored by New England Public Media and St. Germain Investment Management; and supported by Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.