While October only comes around once a year, there is lots to see and do in Salem year-round! See which October activities are still taking place whenever you decide to visit, and start planning your next trip to Salem today with the recommendations included in this post.
Museums & Attractions
The Witchery‘s broommaking kits are available to order online. Pick them up or have one delivered and follow their online tutorials and craft your own brooms at home or in your Salem hotel room. Learn more at thewitcherysalem.com.
Psychic readings are available year-round in Salem! If you find yourself missing October psychic fairs at Omen and Crow Haven Corner, you can still book a reading with their psychics whenever you plan your visit. Salem’s newest Witch shop, Pentagram, is offering readings with Leanne Marrama and Timothy Reagan, and if you aren’t ready to travel quite yet HausWitch has you covered with their online psychic portal.
Salem Arts Association has exhibitions throughout the year, and a gallery space and shop that supports Salem local art scene. Find current exhibitions at salemarts.org.
Salem Halloween Museum is a 3-D experience covering the history of Halloween with some fun local artifacts from Halloweens past that is open year-round. Plan your visit at salemhalloweenmuseum.com.
“The Salem Witch Trials 1692” at the Peabody Essex Museum is the first exhibit of its kind featuring original documents and artifacts related to the Witch Trials. It was extremely popular in October and sold out quickly due to capacity limits on the gallery it’s in, however the exhibit is up until April 2021 so we recommend planning a visit to the museum now that the October crowds have thinned out. Learn more at pem.org.
Witch Pix lets you dress up and channel your inner witch with premium costume photo shoots all year long. They’re open February 13 as part of Salem’s So Sweet, and will reopen with regular hours in March. Learn more and plan your visit at witchpix.com.
Walking Tours
- Bewitched After Dark Walking Tours: Reopens in March, bewitchedafterdark.com.
- Black Cat Tours: Reopens in April, blackcattours.com.
- Haunted Footsteps: Open weekends November-March, daily beginning in April, hauntedfootsteps.com.
- Salem Night Tour: Open year-round with tours nightly at 8 pm, salemghosttours.com.
- Salem Trolley: Reopens in April, salemtrolley.com.
- Salem Witch Walk: Open weekends year-round, daily in season, witchwalk.com.
- Sinister Stories of Salem: Reopens in April, sinisterstoriesofsalem.com.
- Witch City Walking Tours: Open year-round, witchcitywalkingtours.com.
Restaurants
Far from the Tree Cider expanded their patio with a new tent and is serving hot mulled cider along with their rotating tap selection all month long. Visit the taproom on your November visit or order cans to pick up at farfromthetreecider.com.
Warm up during the winter months in Salem with ramen soup from Kokeshi (currently served out of Bambolina) or Koto, or opt for a bowl of clam chowder from Brodie’s Seaport on Derby Street, or Finz or Sea Level on Pickering Wharf.
If your visit falls in the summer, head to the Lobster Shanty‘s outdoor patio or head up to The Roof at the top of the Hotel Salem for cocktails with expansive views of downtown.
Melt has seasonal ice cream flavors on their menu and reopens for their season in February. You won’t see fall specialties like pumpkin until later in the year, but you’re sure to find something just as sweet as pumpkin. Find all of Melt’s rotating flavors at meltsalem.com.
Shops
Black Veil Shoppe of Drear & Wonder brings spooky season vibes to every month of the year with their collection of “beautifully grim” art pieces, clothing, jewelry, candles and peculiar gifts. Add some additional candles from Witch City Wicks, all locally made in Salem, and you’ll be enjoying October vibes at home all year long.
Of course, what’s October in Salem without stopping at a few Witch shops? Many have online stores and all are open year-round, so whenever you plan your next visit to Salem, be sure to stop at:
- Artemisia Botanicals
- Crow Haven Corner
- Enchanted
- HausWitch Home + Healing
- Hex: Old World Witchery
- Omen: Psychic Parlor & Witchcraft Emporium
- Pentagram
- The Cauldron Black
- Coven’s Cottage
Don’t leave town without picking up a Salem souvenir- Find tee’s, sweatshirts, hats, and more at Coon’s Card & Gift Shop, Trolley Depot, or District Trading, or find other uniquely Salem gifts at Vampfangs, Emporium 32, or Hive & Forge.
Accommodations
To extend your visit to Salem, consider an overnight stay! All of Salem’s hotels, inns, and B&Bs are in walking distance to our museums and attractions, shops, and restaurants.
The Hampton Inn is the newest hotel in Salem, offering Hilton accommodations plus complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi, an indoor fitness center, and heated pool right downtown.
To stay by closer to the water, consider the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites with onsite dining at the Regatta Pub and within an easy walk to the shops and restaurants on Pickering Wharf.
Or for something more historic, book a stay at the Hawthorne Hotel by Salem Common and the Salem Witch Museum, and dine by the fireplace in the hotel’s cozy tavern.
Find a complete list of places to stay in Salem at salem.org/stay.
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