‘Tis the season for Salem to capitalize on its unsavory past. It can’t get more Halloween than visiting the same streets once frequented by alleged witches, so this year, why not join the throngs of tourists?
The town’s offering of events, ranging from campy to horrifying, make Salem the ultimate Halloween town. Whether you’re a seasoned visitor or a first-timer, our Salem guide will give you some of the best haunting suggestions for your visit.
TRANSPORTATION
You can get to Salem by taking the Newbury/Rockport Line towards Rockport and getting off at the Salem stop.
FORTUNE TELLERS
Feel like having your fortune read? Now may be the time. In addition to a Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo (open every day of October), you can choose to visit one of the many Salem-based psychics offering a variety of services, including fortune telling and palm readings. Many of the shops, like Angelica of the Angels, offer magic-themed products in addition to psychic readings.
But be careful what you wish for– some services can run a high price. According to the SalemPatch, Salem-based Fatima’s Psychic Studio was recently accused of pricing a curse removal at a hefty $16,000.
RUN “LIKE HELL”
Unleash your devilish side and pound the pavement (err, cobblestones?) in a 6.66 mile costumed race on October 26. Participants don devil suits and “Run Like HELL” to the finish line. Cash prizes are given for the best female and male ‘devils.’ You can register online here.
FOOD AND BREW
If all that Halloween spirit has left you in need of a beverage and some fall eats, stop by The Old Spot. Located off of the Salem Common, the English pub’s menu boasts traditional bar food as well as fall goodies like English Cider Slow Pork and Pumpkin Ravioli.
The bar’s specialty drinks include the “ThicketyBoo” and the “Gobsmack” as well as sixteen draught beers including “an ever changing line up of seasonals,” according to its website (pumpkin beer, anyone?). Its central location and large front window make it a good place to watch life go by.
NIGHT TERRORS
Pioneer Village at Forest River Park meets is open on weekend nights and offers brave souls guided fright walks into the woods, making a pit stop at one of the site’s 100-year-old houses. If you have an urge to live out a real-live horror movie, this venue looks promising. The Village is 15 minutes out into the woods via public transportation from downtown Salem.
This new addition to Salem’s Halloween offers a vague description on its site making it all the more mysterious and terrifying. Preview the fun below. You can buy tickets online, if you dare.
GHOST TOURS
Get ready to get scared– or not. Salem’s tour guides offer special nighttime ghost tours, which function more as historical guided tours than an adrenaline-pumping thrill. Nonetheless, it’s a good way to learn about the quaint town’s ghostly past and may be a better option for people looking for a less intense Halloween experience.
Reserve tickets online for Salem’s lantern-lit Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour, which promises to bring participants through Salem’s “haunted history.” Try the “Witch Trial Trail” tour for a more spur of the moment experience. The candlelit tour meets every Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. in front of the Old Town Hall on Front Street until October 30.
COSTUME PARTY
Most of Salem’s costume parties, attracting die-hard Halloween fans, sell out far in advance, however, some smaller options are still available. Finz waterfront restaurant will be hosting a Costume Contest in their bar lounge on the night of Saturday, October 26. There will be a DJ from 9-12 p.m. Cover is $10.
Of course, there’s always the option of showing up to Salem dressed in your Halloween best and making any bar of your choice your own personal costume party.
OUTDOOR EVENT
Radio 92.9 will be hosting a Shocktop Beer Garden featuring seasonal Shocktop beer and a concert stage on Halloween day on Washington Street. Admission is free.
SOMETHING STRANGE
If all the run-of-the-mill events leave something to be desired, you can spend some time with some of Salem’s modern-day, self-proclaimed witches. At 5 p.m. on Halloween night, the Salem Witches Magic Circle meets along with the Dragon Ritual Drummers to celebrate deceased friends and family members, according to the event description on Salem’s Halloween City site.
