The witch stuff in Salem, though sometimes informative, tends to be kitschy. The House of the Seven Gables might be more interesting to you. Also, the Peabody-Essex Museum, while having a lot of art, also has the Yin Yu Tang House, a large 18th century Chinese house that was disassembled, shipped to Salem, and reassembled there.

Personally, I prefer the Lowell National Historical Park. It’s a collection of old water-powered textile mills, some of which still operates and is demonstrated. There’s a museum with more info about that period as well as about the early labor movement. The guided tour is worth the extra expense. You can get there by commuter rail, then either a walk about a mile to the Park, or bus/Lyft/Uber. For both this and Salem, make sure you understand the commuter rail schedule.