The Witch City is open, and it’s no ghost town, either
SALEM — Please, for the love of Samantha Stevens, do not visit Salem in October! Sure, it’s a hoot to roam the streets with folks dressed like vampires and Voldemort at this open-air costume party. But Merlin’s Beard! There sure are a lot of them. The city’s month-long Haunted Happenings event is the largest celebration of Halloween in the world, as the crush of costumed hordes attests.
Who are we kidding? Of course, you’ll go. But at least consider a summer visit. This seaport city is plenty lively right now. The attractions, museums, and shops are open, and you’ll still see some freaky fashion.
Visitor-tracking software reveals that more than twice as many people visit Salem in October compared to July. Visitation numbers to Salem’s downtown were 1.4 million for the month of October 2022 compared to 659,800 unique visitors in July 2022, according to Placer.ai software used by Destination Salem. What’s more, summer visitors tend to spend more time than the October crowd, suggesting a more leisurely pace. In the summer, “visitors can take their time strolling down our cobblestone streets, perusing our shops, and taking in our waterfront vistas,” says Stacia Cooper, interim director of Destination Salem (www.salem.org).
So, if you’re a slow-travel type, summer in Salem will suit you. While the Vampire Ball, the Salem Witches’ Magic Circle, and other Haunted Happenings won’t be going on, the city’s museums and witchy, pirate-y attractions will be open. You can even get a psychic reading; businesses including Crow Haven Corner, Stardust, Omen, Pentagram, and Maison Vampyre all have readers available in summertime. Plus, harbor cruises and summer music series are on. The Roof at The Hotel Salem, a popular rooftop bar, is far more inviting when temperatures soar, and a ride on the Salem Ferry (www.salemferry.com) from Boston (running from late May through October) is far more pleasant when it’s 70 degrees instead of, say, 40. If you drive instead of taking the ferry, you’ll discover actual parking spaces (including $5 for all-day parking at the municipal lot at 297 Bridge St.) Good luck with that in October.
Convinced yet? To go all Magic 8-Ball on you, “signs point to yes.” Here are some fun (and fairly new) things to put on your Salem-in-summertime itinerary.
Food and drink, Witch City-style
Even if it isn’t October, you’ll probably need a reservation if you’re going someplace fancier than a fast-food joint. The table of the moment, for dinner and Sunday brunch, is Ledger Restaurant & Bar (www.ledgersalem.com), set within the old Salem Savings Bank on Washington Street. With outdoor and indoor dining, Ledger offers sophisticated New England fare that is consistently ranked among the best in the Northeast.
When the weather’s fine, The Roof at The Hotel Salem (www.larkhotels.com/hotels/the-hotel-salem) is the perfect place to be. Located on the thirdfloor rooftop of this 44-room hotel in the heart of the action, The Roof offers banquettes and bistro tables overlooking the city (and peeks at Salem Harbor if you look closely), enhanced by summer-y cocktails, tacos, burrito bowls, and quesadillas. A sangria ($12) and a lobster quesadilla ($24) with your besties — it doesn’t get much better than that!
Well, actually, it does, if you pop over for dessert at Goodnight Fatty (www.goodnightfatty.com), open only on weekends. The Fatties in question are super ooey-gooey cookies. Three flavors are available, singly ($4) or in a flight of three cookies (one of each flavor; choices vary) for 10 bucks. These hockey puck-size treats are loaded with goodies, like caramel corn, Fruity Pebbles, and sour gummies. Eat at one of the outdoor tables and watch people line up — even in summer — for the venerable Salem Witch Museum.
If your idea of indulgence is a vintage cocktail — say, a Lemon Drop or Boston Sour, make your way to a locally-owned newcomer (2021), All Souls Lounge (www.allsoulssalem.com). There are a couple of outdoor tables facing Derby Street; inside, there’s a jukebox and a neighborhood bar vibe. The menu features grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches, corn dogs, vegan hot dogs, and soft pretzels.
Barely a year old, Lulu’s Bakery and Pantry (www.lulusbakeryandpantry.com) is winning fans with seasonal quiches, soup, and sandwich combos (we’re betting nobody else in town makes Texas Frito pie) and luscious baked goods. Grab a coffee and an M&M cookie bar and wander down to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/sama) to enjoy treats with a view.
Spells, candles, and other must-haves
Salem’s Essex Street pedestrian mall and the surrounding area offers an array of unique specialty shops. Pop inside Pamplemousse (www.pmousse .com), on Essex Street, for gourmet foods, wine, kitchenware, and accoutrements — everything to fulfill your Martha Stewart fantasies. Discover a candle that casts a romantic spell, or photograph your aura, at HausWitch Home + Healing (www.hauswitchstore.com), where the stock reflects Salem’s spiritual side. But our favorite place to shop in Salem is the gift shop at the Peabody Essex Museum (www.pem.org; museum admission $20). You don’t have to pay admission to the museum to enter the two museum shops (although the museum is wonderful); behold a beautifully curated selection of books, animal plushies, jewelry, glassware, socks packaged like sushi, and gorgeously embroidered jackets. And, just down the street, there’s a pop-up store, offering similar goods at up to 60 percent off.
Arts and aarrrghs!
Sorry about that — we’re feeling the spirit here in Salem. The PEM, mentioned above, is no secret — but what you may not know is, they offer special exhibits aplenty. Going on now through Dec. 31, As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic examines the myriad experiences of Black life through the lenses of community, identity, and power. The exhibition makes its US debut at PEM and features more than 100 works by Black artists from Canada, the Caribbean, Great Britain, the United States, and South America, as well as throughout the African continent.
If it’s been a while since you last hung out in the Witch City, surprise! Forty street artists from around the world have added 90 large-scale murals to The Point, a multi-block downtown neighborhood. The open-air mural project, called the Punto Urban Art Museum (https://puntourbanartmuseum.org), is well worth a look; Peabody Street is a good place to start. Also look for artists at work along Artist’s Row (www.artistsrowsalem.com) on New Derby Street, where you can also purchase their work and chat about the process. Another locale that celebrates the arts in Salem is Gulu-Gulu Café (www.gulugulucafe.com), set just a few steps from the “Bewitched” statue. Musical performances, drag brunches, and open mic nights are among the events on tap here. The menu of artisan sandwiches (one is called “Shiitake Happens”) makes this one a slam-dunk. Spend some time at these local haunts and you’ll realize that there’s so much more to the city than those infamous events of 1692.
Of course, if you do want to do something wildly touristy (and who doesn’t?), there’s a new kid on the block — or should we say, on the plank: Real Pirates of Salem (www.realpiratessalem.com; $17.50). This immersive attraction tells the story of the so-called Prince of Pirates, “Black Sam” Bellamy, who captured the slave ship Whydah in the early 1700s, along with more than 50 other ships. You’ll meet the crew and see actual artifacts — coins, jewelry, and weapons — recovered from the bottom of the sea and learn about preservation efforts.
For more ideas, including historical attractions and the Salem Heritage Trail, pop into the Destination Salem Visitor Information Center at 245 Derby St.; www.salem.org.