Salem, Mass. lives for Halloween all year long. And by mixing the classic seasonal spookiness with deep, dark history, the town is the perfect place to kick off your fall season.
Salem gains its infamy from the 1692 Witch Trials, during which more than 150 people were sent to trial and 20 executed for witchcraft practice in the small Massachusetts town. Although it’s no longer as grim, Salem embraces its history and hosts hundreds of Halloween-themed events every October. Grab an apple cider or pumpkin beer and check out the ways this small town comes alive with ghosts and ghouls during the fall months.
Where
Salem lies about 16 miles northeast of Boston. The town can be reached by commuter rail, which boasts a Salem stop. Or, if you want to get on the water, Boston Harbor Cruises runs a ferry from Boston to Salem, which takes less than an hour.
Activities
During all of October, Salem hosts its 33rd Annual Salem Haunted Happenings, which includes haunted houses, parades and storytellers. In this highly walkable town, this festival allows visitors to get acquainted with Salem before embarking deeper into its history. There’s a lot of things going on for all ages, including art shows and face painting.
Bewitched After Dark Walking Tours
Nothing’s scarier than scary stories that are actually true. Salem native, historian and “modern Witch” Jeff Page gives a thorough tour of the Salem landscape, focusing on sites from the Witch Hysteria of 1692. The tour is offered in the afternoon, but it also is offered at night if you’re in need of a little more spookiness.
Bewitched After Dark also offers a haunted tour, the non-historical Scary Stories Tour, if you’re looking for something even creepier. The walking tours are usually one hour and 45 minutes long.
Location: Tours leave from the Bewitched in Salem Store, 180 Essex Street
Price: $20 per person, free for children 6 years old and under
Time: Every day except Wednesday at 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Cry Innocent: The People versus Bridget Bishop
Rewind back to 1692 and particpate in a witch trial during a performance of Cry Innocent. During this show of sorts, visitors get to join a Puritan jury to decide if Bridget Bishop, a young woman who was on trial in 1692, is guilty of witchcraft. Audience members can listen to the testimonies, question the witnesses and eventually decide on Bridget’s “fate.” The show is the longest continuously-running show north of Boston, so it’s something to check out. Each show runs for about 45 minutes.
Location: Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square
Price: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and $10 for students (13+ with ID)
Time: October 4 through November 1, everyday from 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
If you’re in Salem for the night, check out the Spellbound Tours’ Voodoo, Vampires, and Ghosts Tour, led by Dr. Vitka, a Salem resident and professional paranormal investigator. The tour stops at sites such as the Old Burying Point Cemetery, the Witch Dungeon and the Old Salem Jail, all of which are supposedly haunted. Tours usually take one hour and 30 minutes.
Location: Revere Bell by the Salem Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street
Price: $13 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and students with IDs, $7 for children under 11 years old
Time: 8 p.m. every day, additional 2 p.m. tour on Saturdays and Sundays
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial
Although Halloween witches are fun, it’s easy to forget that many innocent people were hung during the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, 14 women and six men were accused of being witches, convicted and later hung right in Salem. The Salem Witch Trial memorial is made of 20 granite benches attached to a low stone wall near the Old Burying Point. The name of the accused and date of execution are engraved on the benches.
Location: Liberty Street
Price: Free
Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery
Calling all horror buffs: Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery is a horror movie wax museum by day, but, in afternoons in October, the monsters start to move. The museum features more than 50 life-sized reproductions of all your favorite Hollywood vampires and serial killers. Famous horror celebs often visit, especially in October, so if you’re looking for a real-life horror movie experience, Count Orlok’s is the place to go.
Location: 285 Derby Street
Price: $8 for adults, $6 for children ages five to 12, $6 for college students with a student ID
Time: 8 p.m. everyday, with an additional 2 p.m. tour on Saturdays and Sundays
Food
Salem sits right on the water, so seafood is popular in the town. If you’re looking for something local, check out Turner’s at Lyceum Hall or Finz, for some waterfront views and fresh fish.
If you want to stick with the Halloween theme (and are in the mood for some burgers), A&B Salem, a relatively new addition to the town, is the place for you. This burger and beer restaurant is located in the Old Salem Jail, the oldest continuously running jail in America. Even though the jail closed in 1991, some claim they’ve seen ghosts roaming around the jail since.
Top image via Wikimedia Commons
