Visiting Salem, Massachusetts in October!

Going to Salem, Massachusetts in October was a trip I was looking forward to since last year! The locals dress the town up in Halloween decorations and tourist from all 50 states come together to visit. I mean who doesn’t like gorgeous fall colors along the East Coast with their stunning architecture? You can almost feel the history of each home as you pass by and admire their beauty, but the turning leaves make the scenery even more ‘bewitching.’😉

The Best Time To Go:

The best time to visit Salem is during the month of October. This is when they decorate the town and have outdoor events, but this is also the most busiest time of the year for them. Plan for large crowds of all ages and people bumping into you 24/7. I’m not one for crowds myself, but it wasn’t the worst experience. Since there are so many people in town, there tends to be longer lines for the tours and some also sell out fast. This unfortunately happened to me for  The Witch House. I would suggest arriving in the morning to beat some of the crowds and also get good parking! We found parking to be an issue both days we visited.

Another thing to keep in mind is the weather! It was extremely cold the first day because it rained and it was very windy. Don’t underestimate the climate in New England because I know I did! Luckily for us, it warmed up a bit the following day and the rain cleared, but it was still low 50’s by the ocean.

What To Do/What To See:

There are so many attractions to see and with all the events they have throughout October, it’s kind of challenging to do Salem in one day. I would definitely suggest two days if you want to see mostly EVERYTHING. Especially with the large crowds and lines. Some places I would suggest visiting are:

• The Witch House
• Salem Witch Museum
• Old Burying Point Cemetery
• The House of the Seven Gables
• Ropes Mansion
• Hex

Aside from these places, they also have NUMEROUS cute stores for shopping, MULTIPLE witchcraft stores for visiting and/or shopping too, and a Psychic Fair & Witches’ Market. Here you can get your palm read or a tarot card reading just to mention some services they offer. My friend Laura and I got a reading done at Crow Haven Corner. It was very interesting to say the least! I encourage anyone who’s into psychic readings or have been wanting to get one done, to do so here in Salem.

Like I mentioned prior, we weren’t able to go inside The Witch House since it was sold out, but this seemed to be one of the most popular places with tourist taking pictures nonstop. This is the home where Judge Jonathan Corwin lived in the 1600s and it’s the only building left that has a direct connection to the Salem Witch Trials. The outside of the home is truly magnificent.

Another great location is The Old Burying Point. Some of these headstones date back to the early 1670’s. This is also where they have the memorial for Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, and John Willard to name a few. Bridget Bishop was the first to be hanged for witchcraft. We made sure to pay our respects here.

One of our last stops was at Ropes Mansion. They have a beautiful garden in the back along with multiple benches and a pond with fish. It was really peaceful when we sat down for a bit to rest our feet from wearing heels all day LOL! It was also nice because we saw a couple get married and take their wedding photos.

Where To Eat/Go Out:

We ventured off to Boston both nights for dinner after leaving Salem, but we were able to grab lunch in Salem the second day. Some places I would recommend checking out are (below are Salem & Boston locations):

• Sea Level Oyster Bar
• Union Oyster House
• Bell In hand Tavern
• The Black Rose
• Cheers

The seafood was absolutely amazing, but that was expected while being on the East Coast! We made sure all of our meals consisted of fresh seafood somehow!😊 We didn’t make it to The Black Rose or Cheers, but this was recommended to my friend Laura, so I figured I would share as well! Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in Boston and Bell In Hand Tavern is the oldest bar! I thought that was super cool because we didn’t plan that at all when we grabbed dinner both nights. We kind of just went with our instincts. There’s also several bars on this street making it easy to shift into the nightlife after dinner. It was nice to get out since I stopped going out as much back at home in Indiana.

Overall, Salem was an awesome weekend trip! We got to explore Massachusetts and see some incredible places with a lot of history! I think I would go back if I can fit another trip in my itinerary. I guess we’ll have to see next year!

Xox

La Flare