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Ever since I first saw photos of Salem, MA, covered in epic Halloween decorations, I knew I had to visit it. Here in the UK, we don’t really celebrate Halloween in the way that the US does. And we definitely don’t celebrate it the way that Salem does!
For years it had remained on my travel bucket list, until finally, this year, I found myself in Boston. It was finally time to make a trip to Salem, and I couldn’t have been more excited. Salem is definitely worth adding to your Boston itinerary!
I had heard pretty mixed things about Salem, though. Some people raved about its epic historical attractions while others criticised its tacky witch-themed-everything, saying that it was a sellout.
Obviously, whenever I hear mixed opinions about a place, I want to check it out for myself even more! So, having now finally visited for myself, I’m here to spill the tea on whether or not Salem is actually worth visiting.
In this post, I’m going to go over all of the reasons you definitely need to visit Salem, MA, as well as a few reasons it might not be worth visiting for you. That way, you can decide for yourself whether or not to visit.
Let’s get started!
Reasons Salem is Worth Visiting
1. Easy to visit from Boston without a car
The U.S. is hardly known for being a destination that’s easy to visit without a car, but luckily if you’re taking a day trip to Salem from Boston, you definitely don’t need a car! Salem is very well-connected by public transport, and the centre is very compact and walkable.
If you’re looking for day trips from Boston without a car, then look no further – Salem is the most popular one by far, and getting here is super easy!
Got mobility issues, or just don’t want to walk? Also no problem – public buses run regularly around Salem so you can get from A to B by bus or on foot.
The first option to get to Salem from Boston is the ferry, which takes around 1 hour and costs around $25 each way. The most common way is to take the train from Boston’s North Station which takes around 30 minutes and costs $8 each way. The cheapest option, and the one I took, is the 455 bus. It departs from Wonderland station in Boston, takes around an hour, and costs just $1.70 each way.
2. Gorgeous Architecture
There’s no doubt about it – Salem’s streets in the McIntyre Historic district are absolutely stunning. This is the heart of Salem, and just walking around you’ll pass countless 18th and 19th-century buildings that look straight out of a historical novel.
Architecture enthusiasts will no doubt find that Salem is worth visiting just for its fascinating variety of historical buildings.
For the rest of us, although probably not a reason to visit on its own, Salem’s architecture provides the perfect scenic background to your Salem photos. It easily makes you feel like you’ve been transported back in time.
3. Salem takes Halloween seriously
Salem is almost definitely the most Halloween-obsessed place in the United States, so if you’re into Halloween you really can’t miss visiting Salem.
The town goes crazy with spooky decorations, special events and countless ghost tours during the spooky season, but even if you visit outside October it always feels like Halloween in Salem.
During October Salem runs “Haunted Happenings”, the largest celebration of Halloween in the world! Over half a million visitors descend on the city, often dressed in costumes, to explore its historic attractions, take photos with Salem’s decorations, and join the countless parties and parades that take place in October.
4. There’s SO. MUCH. History
Fellow history fans, get excited – Salem is one of the most historic destinations in the US! Regardless of all the Halloweeny attractions and stores in Salem, it has plenty of historic and educational attractions to keep you occupied and fascinated.
The first stop on any Salem itinerary should be the Witch House, otherwise known as the Jonathan Corwin House. This was the home of the judge who presided over the Salem Witch Trials. The interior of the house has been restored to look similar to how it did during the Witch Trials, and the guides inside the house can answer any question you have about the witch trials or the history of Salem.
Other unmissable historic attractions in Salem include the Ropes Mansion, the House of the Seven Gables (which also includes the childhood home of author Nathaniel Hawthorne), and the top-class Peabody Essex Museum – the oldest continuously operating museum in the U.S.
5. It’s great if you’re into ghost hunting
If you’re into ghost hunting, look no further – Salem is one of the most haunted hotspots in America! Whether you’re a hardcore ghoul hunter or just enjoy ghost tours as a fun experience, Salem won’t disappoint,
There are endless ghost tours on offer in Salem year-round, from tours combining history and ghosts to Salem witch ghost tours, to mystery and murder ghost tours that don’t even make reference to the witch trials.
No matter which you choose, you’re going to have an amazing time – competition amongst ghost tour vendors is tough in Salem, so there’s no room for mediocre tours.
Click here to compare all Salem ghost tours and check reviews!
Reasons Salem Is Not Worth Visiting
6. The overcrowding at Halloween is next level
To be upfront here, I visited Salem in June, which is far from Salem’s peak season. I found it very peaceful and enjoyable to walk around. That said, I have heard from countless people on the internet, and a good friend who has visited Salem in October a couple of times, that the overcrowding here during the spooky season is almost unbearable.
This comes with a few caveats. I’ve heard that weekdays in October are pretty much fine. It sounds like it’s just weekends, and Halloween itself, that Salem gets absolutely swamped with visitors. It totally makes sense, and I bet despite the crowds the vibe across town is absolutely electric with excitement at this time of year.
However, if you hate crowds, queuing, and having to pre-book attractions, Salem probably isn’t worth visiting in October. Instead, I recommend visiting literally any other time of year.
Now that we’ve gone over the reasons that Salem is fabulous, it’s time to cover a few reasons why Salem might not be for you. We’re all different, and life would be boring if we all liked the same things! For this reason, although Salem is extremely popular, it won’t be worth visiting for everybody.
Here are some reasons why Salem may not be worth a visit.
7. Not all of the Witch Trials happened in Salem
I hope you’re sitting down, because what I have to say next might come as a bit of a shock. Not all of the Salem Witch trials took place in modern-day Salem.
I know – devastating!
The witch trials of 1962-1963 actually began in Salem Village, which is also where the witch hysteria began. Salem Village was renamed Danvers in 1757, and it’s actually around 5-miles away from modern Salem.
Although the bulk of the witch trials did take place in modern-day Salem, the first accusations that kick-started the hysteria took place in Danvers. For this reason, if you’re wanting to visit everything connected to the trials you can’t just see them all on a visit to Salem – you’ll have to head to Danvers too.
Danvers is home to the Salem Village Parsonage, where the hysteria first began, the Rebecca Nurse homestead – the former house of one of the executed villagers, and the Salem Witch Memorial.
For most visitors, this news won’t deter them from visiting Salem. However, it’s definitely worth being aware of and it may influence a few visitors to add Danvers to their Salem itinerary.
8. Some of the witchy attractions are tacky
There seemed to be two types of visitors in Salem – those who were there for the history, and those that wanted to visit for the more “fun” witchy attractions. If you fall into the former category, you’ll probably find quite a few of the attractions in Salem tacky, if not downright lacking in taste.
Attractions such as the Salem Witch Museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum seem to focus far more on flashy family fun than providing an educational experience.
The Salem Witch Village is full of wax figurines of witches and other plastic “witchy” souvenirs. Just like the other two attractions I mentioned, this is totally fine and fun if you’re after a more light-hearted Salem experience.
However, Salem’s obsession with witch-themed everything does kind of sit funny with me when I remember that the execution of innocent people for being “witches” happened here in real life.
Again, I enjoyed my visit to Salem overall so I’m absolutely not “coming for” anybody who loves the witchy-themed attractions at all. I’m not the fun police! I just wanted to flag that it could make some visitors feel a bit uncomfortable and therefore make them feel that Salem is not worth visiting.
So – Is Salem, MA Worth Visiting?
It might be clear by now, but I really enjoyed my time in Salem, Ma. For anybody interested in the history of the witch trials, witchy lore, or just a spooky day out from Boston, Salem is definitely worth visiting!
However, not everybody loves Salem and thinks it’s worth visiting. Hopefully this post has helped you consider the pros and cons of Salem so that you can decide for yourself whether or not you’d enjoy a visit here.
If you do decide to go, be sure to follow my one day in Salem itinerary and come back to let me know how your trip went!
