Back in March, when I saw a cheap flight to Boston that happened to fall during my school’s fall break, I knew the opportunity had finally arrived: I was going to Salem during spooky season. As a history nerd and big fan of Hocus Pocus and other witchy things, visiting Salem has been on my bucket list for several years, and this year I finally got to check that item off my list.
Needless to say, this plan is not a unique one. Salem in the Fall is equivalent to New Orleans during Mardi Gras; it’s a major tourist destination.
Going into my trip, I was a little apprehensive that I would maybe encounter a little too many people, and that my trip wouldn’t be enjoyable because of the crowds. However, I had a great time. It was crowded, but I found it not super overwhelming and overall very pleasant.
If you want to visit Salem during peak tourist season, here are my recommendations:
- Go on a weekday
During my tour of The House of The Seven Gables (a tour I would also recommend going on), my tour guide mentioned that the weekend I visited happened to be the second busiest of the month, with the first busiest weekend being Halloween weekend (obviously). I found this strange, seeing as Salem was busy but not that busy.
The tour guide then pointed out that the day we were visiting was a Friday, and things would get exponentially busier on the weekends, to the point where the streets would be hard to move down. So my first tip, unless you’re the rare person who enjoys being in crowds, would be to go on a weekday.
Like I said earlier, the crowd was still present, but I found it much more manageable than I probably would’ve had I gone on a weekend. Crowd size is also something to factor in if you are planning to take on Salem solo, like I did. I know for myself, not being in a super packed area eases a lot of my anxiety when it comes to solo traveling.
- Book as much as you can in advance
If there’s a museum or attraction you want to see, or if there’s a restaurant you want to eat at, I cannot stress this enough, book in advance. A follow-up to this suggestion would be to plan out your day as much as possible. Have a set list of your must-sees and have a clear plan to get them in, allowing for crowds and any wait times.
I bought my ticket to The House of The Seven Gables and made my lunch reservation several days before I went to Salem, and honestly, this is the way to go.
With the sheer amount of people coming to Salem during October, it’s risky to trust that things will be available the day of. I would also recommend booking your transportation to Salem in advance – whether you’re taking the train, ferry, or other mode of transportation. I definitely would not drive or Uber, though – I wouldn’t even attempt it.
- Be prepared to wait in lines – a lot of lines
Every store in the heart of Salem’s downtown (where most of the activity is) has a line to wait in to get inside. This goes back to my previous suggestion of planning out your day as much as possible.
For example, if there’s a shop you really want to go to, allow for time to wait to get inside. The line sizes vary from store to store, and for the most part, they move pretty quickly, but I would still be prepared to wait a little regardless.
- Get to Salem as early as you can/want
I arrived in Salem at around ten thirty in the morning, partly because I always get an early start when I’m solo traveling, and also because I knew the crowd would likely be thinner in the morning. I was correct.
As the morning turned into afternoon, I noticed a stark increase in the amount of people. I wouldn’t force yourself to get up super early to get to Salem if you’re not an early riser (unless you want to get there that early that badly), but I do think that the earlier you go, the better. It was rather peaceful for the first hour or so I was there before the afternoon crowd hit.
- Don’t go during October
It wasn’t until after I booked my (nonrefundable) plane ticket that I found out that the best time to visit Salem isn’t October; it’s actually September. The weather is a lot nicer (though, the day I went the weather was gorgeous) and the crowd is virtually nonexistent, at least compared to what it’s like in October.
However, if your dream is to visit Salem during October, I wouldn’t let this stop you. But if not seeing Salem during October isn’t a dealbreaker for you, I would recommend trying a different month.
Even though I went to learn about the witch trials and get the full spooky season experience, I was taken aback by the beauty of Salem. It’s truly a place worth visiting all year round. Even though I loved getting to check off a bucket list item, I think when I go back to Salem, it’ll be during the off-season.
Bottom line, regardless of when you go, if you plan accordingly, Salem will be an amazing time.