Visiting Salem in the Fall

During our last fall break we headed to New England to enjoy the crisp fall air and check off all of our fall bucket list items – one of which included visiting Salem in the fall! There’s something extra magical about visiting Salem in the fall. One thing to note if you plan on going during the fall is that it gets very crowded beginning October 1st.

So if you can get there before the crowds begin in October then that is ideal! We stayed in Salem the end of September during a weekday (also better than the weekend). But we also headed back on Oct. 1 and noticed a huge difference with the amount of people that were in town. The locals also recommended for future trips coming the end of September vs. anytime in October if you aren’t a fan of the crowds.

One thing we found that was a huge bonus when traveling with kiddos was the portable bathrooms that are available in town during their busy fall season. This is helpful when you are out exploring for the day and need to stop for a bathroom break! We also ended up parking in the available parking structure since parking is very hard to find if you aren’t staying at one of the hotels in town. Because we stayed 1 night at the Hawthorne Hotel that is walking distance to everything. We then headed up the cape so on our quick day trip back to Salem we used the parking structure and it worked out great!

Just try to get to Salem before dinner time and you should be able to get a parking spot in the garage – fingers crossed! With Hocus Pocus 2 coming out this week it’s the perfect time to schedule/plan a visit to Salem in the fall! But planning ahead is key! Make sure you check the local museums for times and whether or not you can purchase or have to purchase tickets in advance. There are a few that require you to do so! I’ve linked several websites/resources for you at the end of the post.

Here’s a few of the places that are must see/must do’s! The full round-up of everything we did.

*pictures are my own & took via my iPhone.

Where we stayed in Salem:

Hawthorne Hotel: Historic, beautiful and haunted! By far the coolest hotel experience. It’s walking distance to everything and has a restaurant and cute tavern. I added a few more details about our experience with a photo below of the floor we stayed on (6th floor) and the beautiful design details of the hallway outside of our room. A ton of celebrities and famous people have stayed at the Hawthorne. They also filmed the show Bewitched at the hotel.

We did randomly get to stay on one of the most haunted floors (the 6th floor) of the hotel and we definitely had a ghost experience that I shared on my IG stories last year. We would definitely stay there again (my youngest daughter not so much – ha!) and highly recommend it for the entire Salem experience!

Toured all of the Salem locations from the movie Hocus Pocus:

Max Dennison House: Make sure you are respectful when driving by as people do live in this famous house!
Phillips School: Right down the street from the Hawthorne Hotel.
Salem Commons: Beautiful park – featured in Hocus Pocus, there is a playground at the end of the park, it’s a large park and so pretty to walk around during the day or in the evening. During the fall they string orange cafe lights in the park.
Allison’s House: Which is actually the Ropes Mansion. The Ropes Mansion is a historical landmark and you can tour the inside of the house on the weekends. It’s absolutely beautiful and filled with history. I loved all of the design details. If you don’t get to tour the inside make sure you take the free tour of the gorgeous gardens, they are truly gorgeous!
Salem Town Hall: You can walk right by it and looks extra special in the evening/night.

Max’s House, Salem Commons & Salem Town Hall

Salem Museums/Notable Landmarks We Toured:

Peabody Essex Museum (last year they had the coolest witch exhibit that we toured)
McIntire Historic District (Ropes Mansion + Gardens)
Salem Witch Museum: Historical Witch Trial Re-enactment.
Witch House: A must do! Walk in and you instantly feel like you have walked back in time. This is the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and the only home you can visit in Salem that is directly tied to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
Halloween Museum: Fun, whimsical and entertaining if you love Halloween.
House of Seven Gables: One of my most favorite historical landmarks. The architecture, design and beauty is absolutely incredible and so inspiring.
Old Burying Point/Charter Street Cemetery: Salem’s oldest cemetery.
Witch Trials Memorial: Memorial to the 20 victims of the witch trials of 1692. Super moving and something to visit – note the apples, coins and flowers left at the granite benches.

House of Seven Gables, Witch Trials Memorial & Witch House

Where we Ate: Salem Restaurants/Dining

Bella Verona: A must if you love Italian food (I mean who doesn’t?). Their food is absolutely incredible, service is excellent and ambiance is perfection! It’s also kid friendly and there are plenty of tables outside if you don’t want to eat inside.
Goodnight Fatty: By far the coolest cookie/desert experience we’ve encountered. You have to go and try their cookies with a big glass of milk (don’t worry they even have non-dairy options). They are amazing!! Cookie flavors change according to season and depending on when you go.
Flying Saucer Pizza Company: Best pizza with such a fun atmosphere! Super kid friendly as well! Love their fresh and local ingredients.

My favorite dish I order at Bella Verona is their Linguini alle Delicie del Mare – it’s to die for!

Flying Saucer Pizza Company, Goodnight Fatty Cookies

Salem Shopping/Stores to Check Out:

Wynott’s Wands is so magical. The girls were able to pick out their own magical wand and we all think we spotted a scene from the new Hocus Pocus movie preview that was filmed at the store. You have to go in to experience how cute and special this store truly is!
Wicked Good Books is the cutest book store that you can get easily lost in!

I hope our top picks for visiting Salem in the fall are helpful! I highly recommend sneaking away for a weekend or during your fall break to check out Salem during the fall. It’s so beautiful, historical, magical and instantly gets you in the mood for Halloween! There’s something so special about visiting Salem in the fall and we can’t wait to go back! Let me know if you visit and if you check out our recommended must see/do’s!

Check out my other travel posts by heading here and Salem tourist resources below!

Happy Travels,