20+ Unique and Fun Places to Visit in Salem, Massachusetts in the Fall

It’s that time of year…October…Which means it’s spooky season! I absolutely love this time of year for everything about it, like cozy, fall vibes, fall foliage, fun activities, and so much more. Last year, my mom and I visited Salem, Massachusetts for the first time. We decided it would be a good idea to go in the summer when there weren’t many people, so we could get the lay of the land for when we decided to go in the fall some year. Well, that year was this year (2023)! My mom, sister, and I headed up to Massachusetts. Our entire trip encompassed five days, but two of those were travel. Join me as I take you through our 3-day itinerary for Salem and show you 20+ fun places to visit and eat in Salem, Massachusetts.

In the fall there is SO much to see, do, and eat in Salem! Honestly, there was a lot more to do on this trip than over the summer, but that makes sense because of Salem’s Haunted Happenings during this month. There are also a lot more people. While I didn’t feel claustrophobic, there was definitely an uptick from the amount that was there last August.

Thursday

Woodbury, CT

We began our trip by leaving our home state of Pennsylvania. Our trip was slated to take about 7 hours, so we knew stopping for food is a must. As a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, and knowing we’d be driving through Connecticut, I picked a spot in Woodbury, CT, which is an adorable little town located about 20 minutes outside of Waterbury. We stopped in at Dottie’s Diner. Even though the restaurant is newer (I believe it opened in 2006), it felt like stepping back in time. Not only was the restaurant super adorable, but it was also cash only (I’m a huge fan of that!). I had a ham and Swiss sandwich on steroids and it was delicious. Dottie’s is also known for its donuts, but you have to stop in early to get one because they run out really fast!

Danvers, Massachusetts

After filling our bellies, we proceeded to drive the final few hours to Danvers, MA, where our hotel was located. Throughout the weekend, the hotel progressively decorated more and more for Halloween and it was so fun to see new decorations each day.

Later that evening, we headed out to a restaurant my mom and I ate at last year called Maggie’s Farm. Their food and drinks are on point! You’ve gotta try the coconut martini. Be careful though, because it could knock your socks off!

Friday

Proctor’s Ledge and the “What If” Weather

Before we had left for Salem, I checked the weather every day, about a week prior to leaving. Salem is right off the coast, so the weather is very finnicky and can change at any moment. At the last minute, the weather turned and was pretty gross and rainy all day. We were somewhat bummed, but decided to make the most of it. To honor Salem’s history, we stopped at Proctor’s Ledge. If you’ve never been to Salem before, you may be surprised to learn that this is where the hangings took place. It’s in an assuming location surrounded by houses and behind a Walgreen’s. At the memorial, you’ll find flowers that passersby that to commemorate the tragedy that occurred.

Interestingly enough, I learned that many Salem residents consider the witch trials to be a blemish on the town’s past and have been horrified by it. This is one of the reasons you won’t find much at all tying the witch trials to the town of Salem. I also found that many locals are not a fan of the hundreds of thousands of visitors that traverse to Witch City each year in October. But growing up in a tourist area, I totally get it! Even so, that did not deter us from visiting during this time of year.

Hocus Pocus Filming Locations, Take 1

Since the weather was not pleasant during our first full day in Salem, Massachusetts, we decided it would be a great day to visit as many of the Hocus Pocus filming locations as possible. During this day, we knocked out four of the locations in one fell swoop.

Old Burial Hill Cemetery, Marblehead, MA

Our first stop after Proctor’s Ledge was Old Burial Hill Cemetery. If you’re a Hocus Pocus fanatic like my sister and I are, you’ll recognize it from the scene where Max runs into Ice (a.k.a. Ernie) and Jay. Not only was it cool to be in the location where they filmed my favorite Halloween movie, but it’s also absolutely beautiful. It sits right off the bay and at the top of the cemetery you can see the water. Not only that, but on our drive back, we got to see some amazing houses featuring incredible New England architecture. I only wish I had gotten pictures but I just wanted to take in the sites and enjoy them.

My suggestion when going to the cemetery is to be respectful! Yes, in the movie, the characters stand on the grave (pictured below), but this is NOT recommended. Do your best to stay on any known paths and absolutely do not walk on the graves.

Max and Dani’s house

After the cemetery, we drove over to Max and Dani’s house. In my mind, I had a picture of what it would be like based on the movie. Let me tell you, it’s so much smaller than I thought it would be! This is obviously a popular spot and I was happy to get a picture here. It’s basically located right next to the water and is actually less than half a mile from Pioneer Village, another filming location. When visiting, be respectful of the owners. They actually have a Private Property sign and I made sure to be respectful of where I was standing when taking pictures.

Phillips Elementary School + Salem Commons

After Max and Dani’s house, we drove to Salem Downtown Proper to head to Phillips Elementary School and Salem Commons. Since we were driving and it was rainy, I didn’t get a great picture of the school (which is now an apartment building), but thankfully I did the next day we went! (More pictures to follow)

Delicious lunch + treats

Last August when my mom and I visited Salem, we were both hungry and looking for a place to eat. We stumbled upon Bambolina, which is a pizza place. The best part is they have an authentic wood-fire oven from Italy. And let me tell you, the pizza is incredible! Even though when went right at lunchtime, it wasn’t full at all. The service is great and the food is just as good. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, they also specialize in ramen. It’s a fun and unique combo!

After lunch, we proceeded to traverse through the downtown Salem area. We found an adorable shop called Whimsy’s Sweet Life, so we stopped in, shopped around, and then sat down to some delicious ice cream. I opted for pumpkin and it did not disappoint.

Charter Street Cemetery

During our time walking around, we found ourselves at Charter Street Cemetery in downtown Salem, also known as Burying Point Cemetery. This is a must-see, as it’s one of the three oldest cemeteries in New England. It’s located directly across from the Peabody Essex Museum and is free to tour, but during the month of October, you must book a time slot to visit. We booked it when we got to the cemetery, five minutes before we wanted to tour it with no issues. The history of the cemetery is really interesting and notable figures like Giles Corey’s wife Mary can be found there. It’s important that you stay on the path and not stray out of respect; however, this can make it challenging for close-up photos.

Activities for anyone and any age

Downtown Salem, Part 1

Of course we had to make time to walk around downtown Salem. It was overly active with people, which was nice because it didn’t feel crowded. Salem has so many fun stores to go in like Wicked Good Books and Modern Millie. My favorite store ended up being Diel Marcus & Co. The first thing that makes this place so cool is that it’s located in the old First Bank of Salem and you can actually open up one of the vaults! The atmosphere is also really neat and fits with the items they sell: Teas, rare books, antique items, and other home goods.

Professor Spindlewink’s World of Wizardry

Our last stop in Salem, before heading back to the hotel for most of the evening, was Professor Spindlewink’s World of Wizardry. This is a new attraction that opened this year (2023) and when we looked at the reviews, they were overly positive. However, when we got to the attraction itself, we were pretty disappointed. We’ve done Magi-Quest and really enjoyed it and thought this would be similar. The website says the attraction is set up like an interactive museum. Unfortunately, it was more just like a museum. While the scenes were absolutely beautiful and well-done, it lacked interaction. I think the $15 price point was fair, but it’s definitely geared towards young children. If you go, you’ll only need about 15-20 minutes at most. I’m hoping this attraction will change and grow since it only just opened this year.

Gallows Hill Museum/Theater: Ghosts and Legends Trolley

Of the many exciting things we did during our trip to Salem, MA, the Gallows Hill Ghosts and Legends Trolley was a highlight close to the very top of our list. The venue itself is really fun and has a unique check-in booth. The trolley was right on time and SO entertaining. It’s hosted by Black Mary Widow, also known as BMW. She was absolutely hilarious and had us laughing the entire tour, which lasts about 45 minutes. We drove all over Salem and learned some interesting history as well. The tour was well worth the $30 ticket price.

Saturday

Downtown Salem, Part 2

With so much to do and see in downtown Salem again, we headed back late morning and thankfully grabbed a parking spot before the garage filled up. This day was a LOT busier than Friday was, which makes sense as many visitors come for the weekend. We spent more time in downtown Salem, and we were blessed with better weather on this day. In fact, it turned out to be a really nice day overall.

More shopping, characters galore, and a delicious lunch

We stopped in at more shops like the Kakawa Chocolate House and headed back to Diel Marcus & Co. While walking around downtown Salem, we experienced some fun characters such as the Woman in White, the Addams Family, Edward Scissorhands, and Jack Sparrow. Since it was during the Haunted Happenings Marketplace, we also saw some vendors and booth with some very interesting and unique items for sale. We started to get hungry, so as per the suggestion of BMW during our Gallows Hill Trolley Tour, we headed over to the Cheese Shop of Salem and ordered their Epic Grilled Cheese for lunch. Let me be honest when I tell you it was the best grilled cheese I have ever had! Incredibly gooey with hints of sharp and sweet cheeses. It definitely did not disappoint.

After eating, we just had to get a picture on the steps at the back of Old Town Hall, yet another filming location of Hocus Pocus. Don’t we look like we’re having a great time?! 🙂

Breeze Team + Salem Commons – Haunted Happenings Marketplace

After lunch we stumbled upon a really fun performance by the Breeze Team. They are a group of street performers who perform through comedy, music, and dance. They were so captivating and so much fun to watch! It was such a serendipitous event to come across during our time in Salem. If you catch them performing, definitely take some time to watch them.

Following the Breeze Team performance, we made our way to Salem Commons, where the bulk of the Haunted Happenings Marketplace happened. There were so many fun vendors to check out and I finally got my picture of our second-to-last Hocus Pocus filming location, the old Phillips Elementary School. My mom and I even bought something from Dyrick Schaefer, who is a local artist in Massachusetts. She bought a beautiful canvas print of the House of the Seven Gables and I bought a mug with a print of the Witch House. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take pictures, but you can see what his paintings look like on his website.

Witch City Walking Tour – Murders and Mysteries

We headed back to the hotel and got some much-needed rest (I amassed almost 13,000 steps by the end of the day!) before heading out to our Murders and Mysteries walking tour led by Samantha from Witch City Walking Tours. During our tour, we had a wonderful time. Our tour guide was informative and entertaining and has some interesting pictures to show us. The stories were spooky and fascinating and we learned a lot about the darker side of Salem, MA. My mom and I were so impressed with our tour from this company last year that we knew we wanted to book through them again, and I am so glad we did.

Sunday

Breakfast – The Depot Diner, Beverly, MA

By Sunday, I’ll be honest, we started to wear down a little and were also tired of hotel breakfast food, so we headed to The Depot Diner in Beverly, MA, about a 15-minute drive from our hotel. My mom and I ate here last year for breakfast (twice!) and fell in love. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. The restaurant was also packed so we knew that was a good sign. And The Depot Diner did not disappoint! I had scrumptious pumpkin pancakes and I highly recommend you get them if you go in the fall. The best part is they have delicious coffee. 😊

Pioneer Village + Waterfront

Later in the day we drove over to Salem’s Pioneer Village. This was our final Hocus Pocus filming location that we visited, and if you’re a fan of the movie, you know this is where the opening scene was filmed. The $5 entrance fee was very reasonable because there wasn’t much to the village itself. While I’m not 100% certain, it appears to double as a summer camp through the local YMCA. There were benches, picnic tables, raised garden beds, and a first aid hut, all of which did not appear to fit with Pioneer Village.

The village was quaint and it was fun to see the various buildings adorned with fall decorations. There was even a boy scout troop selling baked goods and local apple cider. Of course, the trip wouldn’t be complete without a picture in front of Thackery Binx’s cottage from the movie! My mom and I then made the short trek to the waterfront because she wanted to see the ocean, and it was beautiful.

Late lunch – The Tides, Nahant, MA

By the time we finished at Pioneer Village we were pretty hungry. However, Salem was even more packed than the previous day! I was feeling run down from the start of a sinus infection and my mom wanted seafood, so we found a restaurant about 25 minutes outside of Salem. Our drive to The Tides in Nahant, MA was beautiful. We saw some very Cape Cod-esque homes and drove through a beautiful beach town. During lunch, we had a great view of the water at the restaurant and the food was delicious.

Halloween on the Hill, Beverly, MA

Our final item on our Salem, MA agenda was an activity in Beverly, MA called Halloween on the Hill. Trust me when I tell you I’m so glad we waited to do this last because it quickly shot up to the top of my list! We had a blast at Halloween on the Hill. The event was located on Long Hill, which is a beautiful 114-acre property fit with a brick house, gardens, and more.

During Halloween season, the property is turned into a walking tour featured over 1,000 jack-o-lanterns, hundreds of mums, and many other fall and Halloween decorations. There are displays set to music and lights, and halfway through, there is an adorable refreshments tent. We opted to buy apple cider and an apple cider donut and they did not disappoint! After a long day, we head back to get some rest before heading home.

Monday

Unfortunately, on Monday, I was sick the entire ride home, complete with aches, chills, and a fever. Because of being sick, I also unfortunately didn’t get any pictures of Leo’s, our lunch spot we ate at in Southbury, CT. However, I probably had one of the best Caesar salads of my life at Leo’s. The building and décor were also adorable and I’m bummed I didn’t get any pictures. I’ll definitely be sure to next time!

Tips for visiting Salem, Massachusetts

1. Book as much ahead as you possibly can. This includes restaurants and activities. Things get booked up really fast, so plan ahead as best as possible.

2. Be prepared for heavy traffic in and out of Salem. This little town amasses hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, so be prepared for heavy car and foot traffic. If you’re visiting downtown, plan to go early and stay as late as possible.

3. Take cash with you. This is a general recommendation because I do this on every trip. Even with the heavy use of plastic cards, many people still use cash. You never know when you’re going to need it. In fact, the first restaurant we ate at was cash only. I’d recommend taking at least $60-$100 to have on hand.

4. Plan for at least three or four days. Salem isn’t just a day trip. I mean you could make it a day trip, but if you can, plan for at least three or four days, and try to make at least one of those a weekend day. There is so much going on and you’ll want to do it all.

5. Be respectful of the locals and their way of life. Just like I’ve heard that the locals don’t like to celebrate the Salem witch trials, I’ve heard they also don’t like this time of year. I actually heard that verbalized a few times throughout our trip. When tourists visit, they don’t always think of others. Even so, please, please be respectful of the people who live in Salem. I speak from someone who grew up in one of the most touristy towns in America (right outside of Hershey, PA) and can tell you tourists are annoying. Don’t be one of those annoying tourists!

Overall, it was such a fun trip and I’m so glad we decided to go in the fall. There truly is nothing like New England or Salem in the fall, and if you don’t live there or haven’t visited in the fall, I would highly recommend doing so.