Visiting Salem, Mass. in October feels like stepping into a cross between a history book and a Halloween carnival. Driving into the quaint town, your eyes are immediately drawn to the sheer force of crowds flooding the sidewalks. Cars line up bumper to bumper, and every turn reveals another wave of people bustling with excitement and anticipation. The town feels transformed, swept up in centuries-old mystique. Salem in October is undeniably larger than life — a place where history, spectacle and human fascination collide.
Visiting has always been a bucket list item for the two of us, so this term, with access to a car, we set out for Salem. In all honesty, this trip was fueled by our — or really, just Aditi’s love for “Hocus Pocus.” But other than that, we had no plan. After some Google searching, we found a free self-guided walking tour of Salem online and decided we would figure out the rest when we got there.
What we didn’t anticipate was how difficult it would be to find parking in Salem in October. After circling the historic streets for what feels like hours, we realized that when a rare spot does open up, it comes with a steep price tag. It’s not unusual to fork over $50 just to secure a space. If you’re lucky enough to spot one, you have to grab it without hesitation. Otherwise, it’s back to creeping through traffic in the hopes of a cheaper option.
Even after parking, you’re often left with a long walk to reach the main attractions — but in some ways, the effort to park heightens your sense of anticipation. When you’re finally out of the car, the walk into the heart of town is a beautiful reminder of New England’s charm. Crisp leaves crunch underfoot, the sun shines gently and there’s a light breeze in the air that carries the scent of fall. The gothic-style houses lining the streets are stunning, each classic and colorful home decked out for Halloween with cobwebs, skeletons and creative decorations that turn entire blocks into festive displays. Walking through the residential streets of Salem was one of the best parts of our day. Even looking past its Halloween decorations, it is a beautiful town.
When coupled with every other headache, however, you may just be better off visiting any random small town in New England. Once you reach the heart of Salem, the crowds are overwhelming, and the commercialization of the town detracts from its charm. Every little shop has a line snaking down the block, with wait times to enter easily stretching to 30 minutes or more.
When we entered the first local store we saw with a reasonably short line, we were honestly underwhelmed. It lacked the local, handcrafted quality we had been searching for. Our prior expectation of Salem was that the town — and everything in it — would have a sort of old-world charm. While that’s somewhat true, it’s overshadowed by the fact that walking through the center of town feels like an obstacle course. There’s hardly room to take a single step without weaving through groups, waiting for people to clear or inching forward with the crowd.
If you’re willing to fight your way through, however, there are some hidden gems among the chaos. Our first stop after making our way through Essex Street — the shopping neighborhood — was Kakawa Chocolate House, where we purchased four truffles to snack on. The truffles were smooth and sweet. Our favorites were the key lime pie and the champagne and berries.
Late in the afternoon, we finally stopped for lunch at a spot that was highly recommended on the internet: A&J King Bakery. Although their pastries were sold out for the day, we both ordered a grilled cheese and hot cider and settled at a cozy high-top table to wait for our food. The grilled cheeses, though simple, exceeded our expectations and were needed after a long, chaotic day. The caramel-flavored cider was one of the best drinks we had ever tasted.
After leaving lunch, we headed to Salem Common. The park was lined with dozens of artisan booths selling everything from candles shaped like desserts to knitwear. Although we didn’t make any purchases, we enjoyed a taste of local craftwork and a break from the crowds in central Salem.
Perhaps the best part of our trip was the opportunity to snap some cute fall photos. The historic charm of the city and the quietness of the surrounding neighborhoods made for perfect picture-taking opportunities. We took our time walking down each street, absorbing it all and also searching for the perfect photo spots.
As we discovered, Salem is certainly not the small-town Halloween destination we thought it was. The first few hours of our trip were colored by our stressful experiences with parking and crowds.
Our disappointment in Salem was partially rooted in the fact that Halloween has transformed as we have grown older. The spooky nights of our childhood are preserved by a deep sense of nostalgia, colored with pleasant memories of pouring candy out on the ground to trade and marching in costume parades at school. Everything was simpler back then — you dressed up as your favorite Disney princess and your Halloween plans were confined to the dimly-lit roads of your hometown. As you get older, though, the sweetness fades. Just as Salem was charming in our minds, only for us to find it a deeply commercialized town.
There’s good to be found in this transformation, though. Even as the rose-colored glasses of childhood fall away, and we find ourselves saddled with a more adult version of things, you can still have a good time — finding the fun in chaos. Stepping away from the masses of people on Essex Street and the tacky, themed shops, you can certainly find something to enjoy — a grilled cheese, a stroll through a beautiful neighborhood or maybe just some pessimism lifted by the company of a good friend.
