Salem, MA
Heading to the heart of Spooky? Curious to visit where the Sanderson sisters roamed? Welcome!
*Visited in October 2020
I’ve invited my gal pal Abby (who went to Salem with me) to give her personal recommendations as well — those are shown at the bottom of this page!
Where to stay? We did AirBnB on this trip but word to the wise: Booking for October in Salem must be done months if not a year in advance. Our AirBnB was 10 minutes away from the main part of town, but honestly it was not our best choice and we definitely could’ve scored something better with a little bit of a bigger budget and perhaps a couple more months in advance! We booked our stay in February to go in October and that was considered last minute. Next time around the goal is to stay in the Hawthorne Hotel!
Should I rent a car? Not necessarily! We did not rent a car on this trip and managed fine. We flew into Boston and Salem is a 30 minute ride away so we opted for Ubers on this trip. Just about everything you’d want to see & do is within walking distance and the things that were a bit on the outskirts we ordered a car for. Since we went in 2020, the hustle & bustle of Salem in October was more tamed but we were told that usually renting a car at that time can be a nightmare because of parking (a lack of and because of the multiple parades that take place throughout the month) so it was a great tidbit for next time!
Where should I go to eat? Because Salem is on the water, any seafood you get will be delicious. Finz has waterfront views unlike most places that are further in town. Red’s Sandwich Shop, Boston Burger Company, Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Village Tavern, Turner’s Seafood (haunted!), and the Hawthorne Hotel were the most recommended places given to us and none of them disappointed. For dessert, you must hit up Goodnight Fatty — they sell cookies & milk through a to-go window and it’s right next to the Salem Witch Museum so this late night snack is extra spooky.
What can I do in Salem? Oof, where to begin! First & foremost: Salem Witch Museum (Adult admission: $15). Tickets go quick for this so make this one a priority! Witch House (Admission: $9) is another museum (not to get the two confused) but this one includes admittance for Pioneer Village as well. It’s part of where Hocus Pocus was filmed! Take a Salem Ghost Tour — you get to walk the cobblestone streets of Salem at night and learn about all the haunted places & history of this Massachusetts gem! The House of the Seven Gables (Adult admission: $20) is awesome and the views of the water are pretty incredible too. For shopping, HausWitch was a must, but I’ll let Abby take the floor on that one below! Oak + Moss is another urban boutique that’s worth stopping in, and really you can’t go wrong with any little shop on that strip. You can always Google the exact spots for Hocus Pocus sites, but just about all of them are within walking distance of each other. Allison’s house is near the Salem Commons, the Town Hall is central as well, Pioneer Village and Max & Dani’s house are close to one another, etc.
What’s something you didn’t do that you would’ve wanted to if the pandemic didn’t exist? There are costume parties & balls held throughout October that I would’ve loved to attend and be a part of. I mean, this is the place to go all out for Halloween. Parades were a no-go as well so I’m definitely making a point to come back when everything is running as normal in the spookiest month of the year! The one thing that remained whether the pandemic was happening or not is the importance of booking tickets to things around town. Their tourism sky rockets in October so last minute isn’t really encouraged here.
ABBY’S RECOMMENDATIONS
What are the top things you would recommend to do in Salem?
Absolutely has to be HausWitch. The energy in that shop is *chefs kiss* When we visited we had to make an appointment + had the entire shop to ourselves. The layout is lovely. Very airy with lots of natural light coming in the through the windows.
From crystals, to spell boxes, to bath products—it had all the bits + bops. Whether you are a baby witch, a seasoned witch, or even just someone who admires witchy culture—you will love this store.
All the way down to the playlist that was playing while shopped was immaculate. The tunes ranged from (our lord and savior) Dolly Parton to Superorganism. The woman working in the shop that day was very kind + helpful. We went in many shops while in Salem but this was hands down the best of the best.
I purchased—
Black Kyanite which looks like a witches broom. It helps to ground you + ward off negative energy.
Howlite which promotes calmness helping to reduce anxiety + stress.
Kiko & The Lavender Full Moon sugar spell scrub and the Hella Sensitive sugar spell scrub by Firmearte.
What meal / restaurant is a MUST?
I WILL SHOUT THIS FROM THE ROOFTOPS—
The seafood chowder at the Hawthorne Hotel was PHENOMENAL. I loved it so much I ate it 3 times during our trip.
Beyond how delicious the chowder was—the ambience is truly something to experience.
The Hawthorne Hotel has their main restaurant which gives off Titanic vibes with its ornate carpet + intricate chandeliers.
They also have a tavern that’s connected to the restaurant that definitely reminds me of the house in Knives Out with its wood paneled walls + wingback chairs. On our last night in Salem we sat in the tavern + I got a bowl of the seafood chowder + a hot toddy + it was a whole mood. The only negative thing I’ll say is that The Hawthorne is rumored to be haunted + I didn’t see one single ghost. 👎🏻
Anything that you would do differently that you would recommend?
Truly the only thing I would do differently would’ve been to come on a normal year. We went in 2020 + all of the extravagant masquerade/costume balls + parades were canceled. I’d love to see Salem in October in its prime. Gotta live out my dream of re-enacting the town hall scene from Hocus Pocus.
Friendly plug here! Abby is an amazing photographer and what makes her business & vision so unique are the styled shoots she does! To go along with this spooky Salem post, I want to share a branch of her business with y’all: Oh So Spooky. Abby uses her passion for the mystical to create bomb Halloween styled shoots so if you’re wanting to document your little ones in their Halloween costumes, show off your decked out your house in October glory, or just love horror movies and want the photos to show it, then check her out!
You can find more information on Oh So Spooky, past photo shoots, and more on Abby on her site here:
