A performer in a sleek black costume with shimmering details wields flaming batons during a captivating nighttime show in Salem, Massachusetts.

Fire Performer Showcases Precision and Elegance

The Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, features gothic-style stone walls, arched windows, and a large entrance decorated with holiday wreaths.

Entrance to the Salem Witch Museum with Gothic Architecture

A gated alley in Salem decorated with spider webs and a humorous sign that reads "NO TRESPASSING: WE'RE TIRED OF HIDING THE BODIES," adding a spooky and playful vibe to the scene.

A Gated Salem Alley with Halloween Decor

Wicked Good Books and Silly Bunny Toys in Salem

Borah, the vibrant green-faced witch with flowing red hair, stands beside a sign advertising her book signing at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Borah Excitedly Promotes Her Book Signing Event

The Salem Athenaeum in Salem, Massachusetts, showing the entrance with stone steps, white columns, and a brick exterior surrounded by autumn foliage.

Salem Athenaeum Entrance with Brick Exterior and Autumn Leaves

The Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, with its Gothic architecture highlighted against a clear blue sky, partially obscured by the bare branches of a large tree. A white tent in the foreground adds a modern contrast to the historic building.

Gothic Elegance of the Salem Witch Museum Framed by a Towering Tree

A pregnant woman in a black dress and wide-brimmed hat cradles her belly while standing in the Ropes Mansion Garden in Salem, Massachusetts, surrounded by blooming flowers and greenery.

Radiant Expecting Mother in Ropes Mansion Garden

A dramatic red-domed ceiling featuring a witch sculpture on a broomstick in the mystical interior of Blackcraft, located in Salem, Massachusetts.

Enchanting red-domed ceiling with a flying witch sculpture at Blackcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

A display of various Halloween-themed candies at Ye Olde Pepper Companie in Salem, Massachusetts. The table is filled with colorful wrapped candies, pumpkin-shaped treats, and jars of sweets. A witch hat decoration with orange braids is also part of the display.

Halloween Candy Display at Ye Olde Pepper Companie

The Old Burying Point Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts, with historic gravestones surrounded by fallen leaves, bare trees, and a quiet, reflective atmosphere.

Peaceful Autumn Scene at the Old Burying Point Cemetery in Salem

A close-up view of the hanging sign for Ye Olde Pepper Companie in Salem, Massachusetts. The black and gold sign reads "Ye Olde Pepper Companie CANDIES - America's Oldest Candy Companie Since 1806." The building's yellow siding and black-and-white striped awning are visible, with a street and pedestrians in the background on a cloudy day.

Ye Olde Pepper Companie Sign in Salem, Massachusetts

A quirky lounge setting featuring a red vintage sofa, a skeleton seated in an antique chair, and lush green drapes framing a glowing Salem Witch Board Museum emblem. The space is accented with eclectic decor, including framed artwork, a Victorian-style lamp, and a patterned rug.

Cozy Paranormal Lounge at the Salem Witch Board Museum

An engraved stone at a Salem memorial commemorating Sarah Osburn, Bridget Bishop, and Roger Toothaker, victims of the Salem witch trials in 1692.

Memorializing the Tragic Losses of the Salem Witch Trials

A striking sculpture of a witch on a broomstick suspended under a glowing red dome at Blackcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, with dramatic gothic architecture adding to the eerie atmosphere.

A Dramatic Witch’s Flight Under the Crimson Dome at Blackcraft, Salem

The Salem Athenaeum in Salem, Massachusetts, featuring a historic brick exterior, white columns, and stone steps leading to the entrance.

Salem Athenaeum Grand Brick Building with White Columns and Stone Steps

A fire performer spins a flaming staff with confidence and elegance at the Frozen Fire Festival in Salem, Massachusetts, captivating the crowd with her skill and focus.

Graceful Fire Spinner In Salem Ma

The Ropes Mansion in Salem, Massachusetts, behind a garden filled with blooming white flowers and greenery, with autumn trees and sunlight in the background.

Ropes Mansion Garden in Autumn Sunshine

A scary clown in colorful, tattered clothes holding a giant mallet walks along the brick streets of Salem, Massachusetts, adding a spooky and theatrical vibe to the scene.

Creepy Carnival Clown Strolling on Salem’s Streets

The Old Town Hall in Salem, Massachusetts, a two-story red brick building with arched windows and green double doors, bathed in golden sunlight with holiday wreaths on the doors.

Historic Old Town Hall in Salem

Visitor Tips Archives - Haunted Adventures

Back to Salem Q&A

Visitor Tips

Helpful advice for anyone planning a trip to Salem. From avoiding crowds and finding parking to local food spots and hidden gems, these Q&As share real tips from experience to make your visit smoother and more fun.

What are the best museums to visit in Salem?

There’s actually a lot of good museums in Salem, and they all have their own feel to them. If it’s your first time, you gotta start with the Salem Witch Museum. It’s the one everyone goes to. They do this big storytelling act with lighting and old figures that walk you through what happened during…

A moody view of the Salem Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts, with dark wooden architecture framed by trees and a cloudy sky, evoking its deep historical significance.

There is actually a bunch of places where you can learn about the Salem Witch Trials, and they’re all pretty close together, so you can walk to most of them. The most popular one is the Salem Witch Museum. It’s kind of old school but still worth checking out. If you go during October I…

Yeah, there definitely is. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a good time in Salem. We’ve gone plenty of times where we didn’t really plan to spend much, and still had a great trip. Just walking around the town is half the fun. There’s so much to see, the old…

A man in a flannel stands at the entrance of the Ropes Mansion in Salem, Massachusetts. The historic white colonial house, known for its role in "Hocus Pocus," is framed by a white gate and fall foliage.

There are honestly so many. Salem’s one of those towns where every corner looks like a photo waiting to happen. My camera roll is full every time I go. No joke between my wife and I, last visit we took over 3,000 photos. The big one everyone takes pictures at is Ropes Mansion, especially in…

A view of Central Street in Salem, Massachusetts, lined with brick buildings and lampposts. The wet pavement reflects the soft glow of the evening light.

Super walkable. Like honestly, you don’t even need a car once you’re there. Every time we go, we just park once and walk everywhere the whole trip. The town’s not that big, and everything you want to see is pretty close together. You can walk from the Witch Museum to the Witch House to Essex…

The Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts, seen through a natural frame of overhanging tree branches, surrounded by autumnal trees and busy streets.

Yeah, it actually is! We’ve been there a few times when it wasn’t October, and honestly, I kinda love it just as much, just in a different way. It’s quieter, less crowded, and you actually get to take your time exploring without waiting in lines or bumping into people every two seconds. During the off…

How to ger to Salem with the Salem Ferry from Boston to Salem Massachusetts

We’ve done this trip a bunch of times now, and honestly, it’s super easy no matter how you go. If you’re driving, it’s only about a 40 minute ride from Boston, but that totally depends on traffic. Around Halloween, it can take way longer, especially once you hit downtown Salem. Parking can be a nightmare…

A detailed Pennywise cosplay in Salem, featuring the iconic clown holding red balloons and wearing a blood-stained ruffled costume on a brick street backdrop.

We’ve been going to Salem almost every year since October 2020, and honestly, I’d say you really only need about two nights and three days to see it all. For us, we usually get there early on October 30th around 7am and leave late on November 1st. That seems to be the perfect amount of…