Halloween in Salem Massachusetts is a month-long spree of haunted happenings, séances, ghouls, ghost stories, witches, pirates, vampires, and the macabre.
Salem starts decorating for Halloween in early fall. By October 1st, you'll see Halloween decorations everywhere you look.
Even better, all the Halloween special attractions, shows, and things to do are open, and continue welcoming guests all month.
Although visiting Salem makes a fascinating day trip from Boston at any time of the year, going in October gives you the perfect opportunity to experience this quaint coastal city's darker past along with plenty of present-day fun.
History & Hauntings Walking Tour - Explore the city's rich past as a wealthy seaport, learn about the Salem Witch Trials, and hear some eerie tales of the supernatural
Getting to Salem from Boston for a day trip or weekend adventure is easy, especially if you hop on the fast ferry from Boston's Long Wharf.
Once you arrive in Salem, you'll notice that everyone is wearing colorful costumes, wigs, and fanciful (or macabre) make-up - so make sure you wear yours!
Top photo: Halloween-themed display in a Salem boutique window; (c) Paris Discovery Guide
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Salem Halloween Grand Parade, Haunted Happenings Marketplace, & Tour from Boston
1. Watch the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade
Witch welcoming visitors to Salem
The annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade kicks off the festivities for Halloween in Salem in early October with music, pageantry, and floats.
The event, all performances, floats, vehicles, and displays will be stationary while attendees parade around the route, which includes the streets surrounding Salem Common and along Hawthorne Boulevard and Essex, Central, and Charter Streets.
Haunted Happenings Parade Route: Map courtesy of Salem Chamber of Commerce
Come and stroll by this fun and (maybe) haunted spectacle - and be sure to wear your Halloween best!
The Parade normally takes place on the first Thursday evening of the month - but check the Boston Event Calendar for October to confirm the exact date and time.
2. Explore the Haunted Happenings Marketplace
Haunted Happenings Marketplace in Salem MA
The annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade kicks off the festivities for Halloween in Salem in early October with music, pageantry, and costumed students from Salem schools marching from Shetland Park to Salem Common.
Come and watch - and be sure to wear your Halloween best.
The Parade usually takes place on the first Thursday evening of the month - but check the Boston Event Calendar for October for the exact date and time.
3. Join a Guided Tour from Boston to Visit Top Historical & Modern Sites while Learning about Salem's Unique Past
You will visit the Salem Witch Museum or the Real Pirates Museum, and learn about witchcraft and the historical reasons behind witchcraft panic that let to the witch trials in Salem, Boston, and other areas in New England.
This walking tour will take you to visit top sites in Salem's historic area, where you'll learn more about the historical events that take place here, and then you'll visit some cool modern spots.
Once the tour concludes, you can stay as long as you like for more explorations on your own before catching the ferry back to Boston.
4. Find More Halloween Events & Spooky Things to Do in Salem
Throughout the month of October, numerous Halloween-related events such as pumpkin decorating, seances, haunted tours, and even a pet costume contest take place.
Many of these events are free while others charge admission fees.
Some events for Halloween in Salem are expertly done, while you'll cringe at how cheesy others are - but hey, it's all in good fun!
Here are more top Salem attractions and highly-rated tours:
Salem Witch Museums: Which Ones Should You Visit on Halloween?
Witch, pirate, and similar museums abound in Salem. (Not that all can claim to be actual museums.) Once October arrives, they ramp up for Halloween with extra decorations, special effects, and blood-curdling screams.
Here's a quick guide to several top witch museums and ghoulish attractions. As you'll quickly discover, most focus more on chills and thrills rather than historical facts - so go expecting to maybe learn a couple of things but mostly just have fun.
Salem Witch Museum
Salem Witch Museum
Located in an authentic old Gothic church worthy of inclusion in any horror movie, the Salem Witch Museum is the oldest of the witch museums and claims to be the most visited. It's also reasonably historically accurate.
You'll see a "living history" presentation as animated mannequins in 13 life-sized stages around an auditorium re-enact the sad drama leading up to the Salem witch trials and executions.
Then, museum staff with guide you through an exhibit with more life-sized stages where you'll see the evolution of the word "witch" from pagan times to today.
The visit takes about an hour and fifteen minutes in total.
Tickets to the Salem Witch Museum can be tough to get close to Halloween - so book in advance!
Salem Witch Village
Salem Witch Village
Get ready for a guided tour of witchcraft through the centuries as you make your way through a "maze" of sets complete with mannequins, painted backdrops, and lights.
The tour guides' narrative focuses on what's a witch, and what isn't, with lots of detail about present-day wiccans. So even though Salem Witch Village isn't a museum and doesn't claim to be one, it does provide a lot of interesting information.
You'll also learn a bit about about Salem in 1692. Aside from the rather creepy fake spiders dangling in corners, Salem Witch Village primarily focuses on delivering facts rather than fright.
But on October weekends, the emphasis shifts to Halloween as Salem Witch Village becomes Haunted Witch Village where ghouls and goblins do their best to scare the visitors. It's fun - but probably best for ages 12 and older.
If you're a fan of wax museums, you'll probably enjoy the London-made figures in the Salem Wax Museum depicting local history from Salem's founding in 1626 through the witch hysteria of 1692.
As a bonus, the museum also features other locals - Scarlet Letter author Nathaniel Hawthorne, bands of pirates, and more.
Down in the dungeon - that is, the basement - you'll visit Frankenstein's Laboratory . . . if you can make your way through a maze, past grave robbers, and avoid the bats.
Location: 288 Derby Street
More Experiences in Salem: Ghosts, Vampires, and Murder Mysteries
Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail from North Station - Takes about 40-45 minutes, plus about a 10-minute walk from the station - Find details here
#450 bus from Haymarket T Station - Takes about an hour, plus about a 10-minute walk from the station - Find details here
By car - Takes about an hour depending on traffic, plus time to find parking - We do not recommend driving anytime near Halloween unless you want to pay exhorbitant parking fees
Near the wharf where the ferry from Boston docks
Helpful Tips: More About Halloween in Salem
When: October. Biggest revelry is on Halloween - October 31 and on the Saturday night before Halloween
Where: Historic Downtown Salem
Tickets to witch museums: Most charge around $12 or less. If you are a AAA or CAA member, show your card and ask about discounts. Free admission to Salem Witch Museum, House of Seven Gables, and Peabody Essex Museum with a Go Boston card
Hotels: As soon as you know your dates, make reservations as Salem hotels book up very early for the month of October. Check out Salem hotels
Marker commemorating one of the Salem witch trial victims
Salem's obsession with the supernatural started back in 1692, when two local girls accused their neighbors of being witches and the town exploded with hysteria.
Over the next 15 months, the Salem witchcraft trials left 20 people and 2 dogs - believed to possess "the evil eye" - dead, and hundreds more imprisoned.
Although the persecution of witches died down as soon as it started and became regarded as shameful over the next couple of centuries, Salem has been promoting itself as "Witch City" for well over 100 years.
Today, Salem is home to an active Wiccan community - and the center of a festival throughout October celebrating its haunted past.
Want to Spend More Time Exploring Salem?
Historical Colonial homes in Salem along a cobblestone street
Check out our recommendations for Salem hotels, and use this Salem hotel map to find other great deals (enter your travel dates to get accurate rates)
Booking.com Near the wharf where the ferry from Boston docks
