As Halloween approaches, people from all over visit Salem, Massachusetts, for its famous lore. It is best known for the tragic events of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, but people also come to see the real filming locations for the 1993 Hocus Pocus film. My mom and I were part of the many tourists crowding Salem over the weekend of fall break, and I can confidently say that the trip was worth it. I only went from late morning Saturday to Sunday afternoon, and I still managed to see most of the spots, so here’s my itinerary for a quick escape to Salem.
Day 1:
Late morning:
We arrived in Salem by Uber around 10:30 and began by seeing some of the Hocus Pocus houses and historical buildings. First, we stopped at the Rope’s Mansion and took some pictures in front. Before you leave, you need to walk around the garden in the back of the house to see the beautiful flowers and scenery. Next, walk by the First Church, and right next to it is The Witch House. There are small crowds in front of most of the houses trying to get pictures, so you’ll need to be patient if you want one of yourself in front of them. A little farther walk will bring you to the Witch Dungeon Museum, which has a pillory photo-op in front that we, of course, had to take pictures at. Then, we just walked down Essex Street to see the town, shops, performers, and the iconic Bewitched Statue.
Afternoon:
If you want to eat at some of the more popular food spots, expect long lines and wait times. For lunch, my mom and I wanted to go to Red’s Sandwich Shop but had to change our plans due to the long wait. We ended up at Odd Meter Coffee Company, where we still waited some time. This cozy café in downtown Salem still served up great drinks and food. Their pumpkin chai latte was delicious, as well as the chicken Caesar wrap and sweet potato fries.
After a much-needed break, get back into exploring Salem by going to the iconic Halloween-themed Dunkin’ to see its eerie, carnival-inspired décor and get limited-edition Salem merchandise. Then, take a stroll to the Old Town Hall and look at all of the vendors around it. You should also stroll down some of the streets around Salem to see locals go all out on their Halloween decorations. I loved looking at each house on our way to the Salem Common, where there were more vendors selling food, clothes, and other souvenir items.
We continued walking outside of the main town to see Max and Allison’s school from Hocus Pocus and then further to the House of Seven Gables. We went in the gift shop and found more souvenirs to commemorate our trip.
Transition back into the main Salem town with a sweet treat after walking a long way back from the previous spots. My mom and I stopped at Goodnight Fatty’s, a cult-favorite dessert shop, to get their award-winning cookies. They have three different flavors available each week, and we got two: pumpkin coffee cake and midnight caramel brownie, which were both delicious! We saw John Ward’s house after and then took Salem’s version of a taxi, Salem Skipper, to see Max and Dani’s house that is about a half hour away from main Salem.
Evening:
Ending off the day, we walked through the town again to see it all lit up, looking even more spooky. You should take a stroll back down Essex Street and then to the Salem Common to see the Halloween decorations and lights in the dark. We also saw the Salem Witch Museum next to the park, with its windows glowing red for a haunting appearance. Before your first day in Salem ends, visit a few more stores you missed because the lines are shorter at night.
Day 2:
Morning:
We began our day Sunday at 7:30 in the morning. It’s much quieter at this hour, so we stopped by a few of the houses and landmarks to get less crowded pictures on our way to breakfast. The Ugly Mug Diner is a local favorite spot that serves hot drinks with their classic mismatched “ugly mugs.” We got in line around 7:45 am, which was already quite long-fifteen minutes before the restaurant even opened. We got seated around 8:10 am and got our food and drinks shortly after. You should definitely add this breakfast spot to your trip because the meal, service, and overall experience were amazing!
After breakfast, get in line at the beloved Blackcraft Coffee before it starts to get too long. I waited in the store-only line, which wasn’t nearly as long as the coffee shop line that was already wrapped around the building well before the place opened. We got into the store pretty quickly and had to take pictures in the photo booth and some photo-ops. Don’t forget to grab some more souvenirs in the store, like the iconic cauldron cup or their signature coffee beans.
Afternoon:
To end the trip, get tickets to the Salem Witch Museum to hear the story of the witch trials and learn about the history of witches. We booked our tickets the night before a little after 10:00 pm, which is when they open up, but the options were already limited because they’re sold so quickly. It cost $19.00 each, and the whole experience lasted about 1 hour. It is a non-traditional, sit-down-style museum, which was a fun way to witness the history. There is also a gift shop after you exit the second exhibit of the tour to buy more souvenirs, most of which are authentic Salem Witch Museum pieces.
Before leaving, walk through the streets to see some of the historic architecture and famous spots one last time.
This itinerary fits mostly all of Salem’s local treasures, movie locations, and historical landmarks in just a short trip. If you’re planning a quick stop to the “Witch City,” use my experience as your guide to seeing as much as you can in a short weekend getaway.