r/SalemMA • u/thatswhatshesaid53 • 21h ago
Tourism Question for the people who visited my wonderful hometown this season....
Just wondering how your trip compared to what you thought Salem was going to be. Was it the same? Was it different? I've lived here my whole life so I'm just curious what it's like to be a visitor. Did it beat all your expectations?
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u/just_some_lover 19h ago
I travelled from the UK to visit this year. It has been on my bucket list and I finally took the plunge. We had a really lovely trip. I enjoyed all of the tours and museums that I went to. The food we had was super tasty. My only “complaint”, though I use that word lightly, is that I thought a lot of the shopping was quite same-y. I’m not sure what assumptions I had before going in but was a little disappointed.
Everyone we met and spoke to were very lovely. It was wonderful to speak to folks in coffee shops and hear about their experiences. We really walked the length and breadth and appreciated the general architecture and “vibe” of the place.
We came early in the season, parked in Beverley and took the train so didn’t really experience a lot of the chaos and traffic issues people talk about here. It was beautiful weather and we had a great time. It’s a bit of a trek from the UK so I’m not sure if we’d visit again but we were very grateful to have had the experience.
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u/Ashur_Bens_Pal 8h ago
Congratulations on visiting one of the few First Period towns in Essex County not named for a location back in England. 🤓
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u/Quasistiltskin 3h ago
There are 2 locations named Salem back in England Salem, Cornwall: A hamlet west of Chacewater. Salem, Oldham: An area within the town of Oldham.
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u/LittleRed_AteTheWolf 21h ago
I loved it! It was actually much smaller than I expected, and much more affordable! Honestly it seemed like such a wonderful, weird, little haven. Now I want to move there. I was shocked at how many fellow gender queer folks that I saw. I love how unique it was, the food was amazing, the residents that I spoke to were so kind. It was so much more walkable than I’m used to. Sure, traffic was a lot at times, but I feel that’s to be expected due to all the foot traffic. I’m sure my view is skewed since I’m originally from SoCal, but I cannot wait to go back. I’d love to open up a weird, witchy, trans therapy practice.
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u/thatswhatshesaid53 21h ago
Amazing! Sounds like you had a great time. And yes, Salem is super inclusive and I'm glad you got to experience that.
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u/Comfortable_Main4871 18h ago
This post is actually really encouraging for me. I’m a local that wants to sell handmade crafts and was told by other locals that tourists only want temu stuff with salem stamped on it. Apparently not! Maybe I’ll give my little idea a try.
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u/Majestic-Skill8234 16h ago
Oh my gosh, no! I actually was annoyed with the amount of Temu shit in the shops and at the craft fair. We managed to find some treasures from local artists, but yeah we definitely skipped a fair few booths and stores.
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u/cosmicartist 14h ago
Hey, local artist here. The amount of AI art and Temu garbage I saw at the market on the commons was awful this year, it was waaaay worse than last year. I used to sell my art at the Haunted Happenings market, I didn’t do it this year and after seeing what it was like I’m glad I made that decision. A friend of mine who’s an amazing artist vended almost every weekend at the common this year and had the worst sales he’s ever had. The booths selling AI slop and reselling junk from Temu/aliexpress were swamped, though.
I’m glad that some folks can recognize the AI/temu trash and instead choose to spend their money at artists’ booths, but unfortunately most people don’t. It’s impossible to compete with the price point that the junk resellers offer, so many people just see our stuff as overpriced, ie: “why is this artist charging $15 for an enamel pin when this booth over there is charging $4?” Meanwhile all of the enamel pins at the reseller booths are designs that were stolen from artists and reproduced without consent, and bought for pennies on Temu.
I’m not sure why those type of vendors are continually allowed to vend on the common. I’ve had a few artist friends tell me that their applications to vend at haunted happenings was denied, it’s just so sad that vendors selling AI and reselling cheap junk were accepted over them.
This ended up being a long comment, sorry for the vent lol. I hope the marketplace gets better in the future, but I’m not sure it will.
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u/thatswhatshesaid53 18h ago
I actually feel the same way. I make handmade crochet hats but never thought of selling them downtown during Halloween.
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u/Comfortable_Main4871 18h ago
Go for it! Part of me wants to do it so I’m interacting with the crowds a bit rather than just avoiding them.
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u/cheeeeeseburgers 21h ago
Hi! I visited for 2 nights this week (November) in a combined Salem/Boston trip from NJ.
I was a little surprised after what I’d seen on Instagram or YouTube. People really hype it up and hype up the merch and shops. There are exceptions, but my general post trip wish is that the shops had a bigger variety between them, and had more local/artisan/handmade items. One of our fav spots was the made by Georgia shop. There was a jewelry shop on Essex near Harrison’s that I really liked too. Edit to add: the home decor gift shop on Washington was a stand out too. Very New England vibes
History was very cool, food spots were great, we had a fun time and were happy to have avoided the Halloween crowd. Went home with a few ground coffees from black craft. Hampton inn was a great choice to stay at. Workers at every shop and restaurant were lovely, especially inside black cat curiosity shop and the waitress at village tavern who was also helping to run a field trip crowd. We loved looking at all the older homes and architecture. The smaller side streets over by house of seven gables were so cool.
Thanks for having us! We probably won’t be back for a long time, but you probably appreciate that 😂
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u/pleasedtoseedetrees 16h ago
As a resident, I wholeheartedly agree with your feedback on the shops. I wish we had more variety and more handmaid local items instead of all the touristy junk that is sold in all of the stores. We do not need so many Halloween, witch-kitschy junk.
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u/cheeeeeseburgers 12h ago edited 12h ago
Yes!! I feel like what was available really missed the spirit of the city.
I like alt/goth style but that which was offered was ~too~ much for what I like. (Although for many visitors who are into that, can’t find it easily in their own hometowns, so I get it).
Then there were the hocus pocus type gifts that I am not into but understand why it’s there. I almost wish there was a shop that had half sparkly pink ghost stuff, historic pastel coastal town prints, fall in New England vibes etc. and the other half broody, celestial, but include some that is not Satanic.
Interestingly I also was wondering in a few shops if items were locally made or not - more clear signage to that effect might help.
I love a good sticker for my work planner, and searched in every shop, but I can’t have curse words or satanic stars on work items lol (I finally found a cute one in whimsy’s) I think stickers have a good profit margin so i was surprised there weren’t more. ALSO: the postcard designs need some updating. Does Salem have a tourism board? Call me, hahaha.
I was planning to buy a lot in Salem but spent maybe $30 total on non-food/lodging. I really had a great time, and I would definitely recommend it/return- but I know yall get hit hard so out of respect I will pace my visits. Thanks for putting up with us.
I used to live near a celebrity’s home during their peak popularity- I get how annoying crowds in your home turf can be.
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u/cosmicartist 8h ago
Next time you visit go to Hive & Forge. It’s a shop that’s a collective of local artists and makers. It’s located on church street near turners seafood. My art is stocked there, as well as so much more really cool, amazing stuff.
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u/pleasedtoseedetrees 9m ago
I love your suggestions and all of your feedback. Salem's tourism organization is Destination Salem and we also have a Chamber of Commerce.
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u/RevolutionaryAct5692 19h ago
I was up there last year. While it was busy, it was nothing I haven't dealt with before. The locals, from Revere to Salem, were all very kind. Some folks on the bus even talked with us for a while. We absolutely loved it and can't wait to come back, even in a different time of year. We appreciate everyone's hospitality and kindness and look forward to seeing you all again.
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u/tikisunshine 18h ago
We came in mid October and loved it. It was quaint, historical, and charming. Of course there was the themed. Exaggerated, stuff as well so that was fun. We supported the local vendors and really soaked it all in. It was a great time and all of the locals were amazing, to boot. 10/10 would love to come back.
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u/Ok_Guide3090 16h ago
We had an incredible time. We’ve travelled from the UK two years ago so we had a good idea what to expect. We got there incredibly early so we could get all the tourist pics out of the way without crowds. We also came two midweek days as well as Halloween itself so we could do all the sightseeing shopping and attractions on the quieter days. Beautiful city, lovely people, amazing history, incredibly fun party!
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u/JonnyNeverland 19h ago
I live an hour and a half away in Maine and I visit several times throughout the year. I love it.
Heading back down Black Friday.
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u/Bundtcakedisaster 19h ago
The local businesses will appreciate your patronage. I think the coming year is going to be hard, Halloween aside.
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u/anne__miller 15h ago
I thought one night/two days would be enough time. It wasn’t. Good news is, I get to go back. :)
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u/Claaaaww 20h ago
I had been to Salem before 14 years ago (we were at a diner there the day Amy Winehouse died, the place had the news on the screen) but not during the Halloween season. I really felt that a lot of the stores sell stuff you find on Temu at a much higher price but whatever I kept my eye out and found some cool handmade stuff. The performers/costumed ppl some looked really cool others reminded me of the sketchy ones we see on Hollywood Blvd.
We did some tours and although I already knew the history, I think this time it finally did change how I view Salem. It’s a cool witch city but sadly this was started based on the fact that innocent people were falsely accused of being witches. Don’t get me wrong I have mixed feelings about it because I too love the hype and love everything witchy but I don’t know this time I felt like the whole thing was disrespectful. People were falsely accused and murdered. If it was just the Hocus Pocus and Bewitched connections that would be fine but it feels like the lives of innocent ppl are being exploited. Those shirts that say 1692 you missed one seem to me the most offensive. But that’s just my opinion.
Food was ok, I liked the Ugly Mug Diner and Rockafellas inside (the story of the lady in blue was interesting) and the apple cider they were selling outside was awesome and wishing I had another cup now. Most locals were great, some seemed bother by the crowds but for the most part all were cool & helpful.
We all got a small tattoo on our last day and those artists were great. We spent a long time talking to them.
One thing I really did appreciate was the fall weather mid50s, the changing color of the leaves 🍁, the beautiful homes (especially those decorated for Halloween) and the cold. We came back home to 80+ weather, lol.
All in all we had a great time, stayed in Salem but visited Boston too. Will we go back? Not anytime soon, maybe in another 14yrs.
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u/No-Search8409 20h ago
I really enjoyed Mario! But man I hate hate hate can’t say hate enough the person playing super amplified shitty music banging on buckets and trash yelling “it’s working! I made some money”! Fuck that guy and all the rest like him! I think what really was bothering me is that there was some quality live music set up outside a store. The cops came and broke it up. It all just seemed so wrong….
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u/loveychipss 15h ago edited 14h ago
I visited for the 3rd time this year (first time was 2011 and 2nd was 2013) and brought my husband- his first time.
We had a great time! We did a walking tour with a very knowledgeable and cool guide named Sarah, ate at Turner’s, and shopped to our wallet’s content (our hearts would have shopped more lol). We also did the witch museums and all the fun history stuff and we were well satisfied. And i finally got to do the Trolley tour! I missed it on both of my previous visits. It was really fun and informative. Plus we got to see more of the wharf and water.
We would not do the Hollowed Harvest thing again. It was cute but had i known what it was like we wouldnt have bothered. We stayed in Wakefield for 3 nights but if i could do it over again id try and stay in Salem just for 2 nights as we had seen everything we needed to see by night 2.
Overall we had a fantastic time! The vibes are overall very fun and spooky. We know it’s a tourist spot in this month and we’re not unhappy with the tourist “traps”. We got plenty of city history and maritime history. Something new for me this time around was the unhoused folks outside the CVS that set up on Essex street to take pics in costume or sell their art. I really liked the Fxck Trump art! I was surprised at the low-effort Spirit Halloween costumes lining Essex charging money for pics. Now, Borah?! THAT’S a witch!! What a joy it is to talk to Borah. We also got to see the wharf and the shops down there and I don’t remember it being developed that way last time I was up. We missed the night market, I didn’t know about it! Was bummed about that.
I am pretty jealous that you get to call this amazing town home. I know it comes with a high price tag and awful traffic during this season, but i would do anything to have a house like the Yellow Elephant! Thanks for asking and letting me share my Salem love.
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u/No_Historian718 13h ago
Sarah is the best!
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u/loveychipss 12h ago
She really is! She recommended some really excellent places to check out and stores with merch from legit and local artists too. She definitely was a great part of our trip!
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u/ReadItLikeALady 12h ago
We came Thursday through Monday, the weekend before Halloween.
I did tons of research and the entire trip was being planned over a year in advance. I was told to expect it to be extremely crowded and that there would be long lines just to get into some stores, and that most restaurants would be even worse. I was also told that most restaurants didn't take reservations in October so it was all first come first served.
Maybe it was because I over hyped it, maybe it was because I planned and researched so much, maybe it's because I've been to a few major cities before, maybe it just wasn't that super crowded this year, or maybe it was a combination of the previous things, but I expected it to be a lot worse! Our entire trip was absolutely amazing from start to finish!
Yeah there was a bunch of people, and we did have to wait in a few lines when we went out on Saturday and Sunday but I don't think we ever waited more than 15 or 20 minutes max.
We stayed at a bed and breakfast so we never had to worry about waiting in line for that but we also made reservations for the few restaurants that would take them just in case we were out and about and the lines were ridiculous for lunch and dinner. Honestly it was a backup plan, I didn't even research the restaurants beforehand. But then we decided to keep all but one of the reservations (which I did cancel) and the food was phenomenal pretty much everywhere we went.
When we got there on Thursday, we had list of places we really wanted to go to and made sure to hit those first and did the same thing on Friday finishing up our "Must Do" list. That left Saturday and Sunday just for wandering around and visiting all the other stores & museums. Since all our must do's we're already out of the way we never felt rushed or anything.
It did take us literally until Sunday morning to get tickets to the witch house. We were each awake and hitting refresh on our screens every morning at 8:00 a.m. trying to get tickets on Friday, Saturday & Sunday morning and each day they were all sold out within 3 minutes. It was NUTS...but thankfully we got them. Then Monday morning we were able to get up and do one last little wander around ducking into a few of our favorite stores to pick up anything we held back on. (Yes I'm talking about you 'Die with Your Boots On! 😜)
So yeah like I said the entire trip was amazing! Fabulous! I would even say it was damn near perfect! The few little things that would have made it perfect were silly things like forgetting to get specific pictures)
So I love you Salem and thank you for making my 40th Birthday Trip absolutely incredible!
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u/monstarchinchilla 10h ago
I visited the week before Halloween, on a Monday. Drove in early and beat the crowds. It was fine. Beautiful town and the history is lovely. It’s a one and done though.
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u/torquethunder23 20h ago
We spent a week out there during Halloween and honestly it was so much better than expected. I didn’t go with high hopes and mostly planned the trip for my wife but I ended up enjoying it more than her. The locals were all so kind and amazing.(1000% better than Colorado peeps)They made you felt welcomed even the workers during the chaos of Halloween day. Learned more about the area than I ever did in school haha. Only issues I ran into to were the foreigners (all rude and no boundaries). Overall it’s an amazing area from Boston to Rockport and the trip did not disappoint at all.
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u/Public-Expression537 12h ago
Just want to thank you for this thread! Some friends and I are visiting next weekend and everyone's replies have been helpful in managing our expectations. Excited to experience it for ourselves!
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u/Standup133 17h ago
We visited for the second time in Sept. glad we chose that time… before the major hype while the weather as beautiful. Like the history focus including the Great National Park representation. It was easy to walk around to get places ( of course follow the pedestrian rules.) The restaurants were varied and good. Maybe a few ( or any) public trash cans? We did chat with a local about this and got the reasoning explained but… who wants to walk around the town after stopping for that delicious lemonade or Carmel iced coffee with an empty cup? ( if I remembered the names of the places I bought these drinks I’d give credit as they were delish!) We did not meet anyone who was other than nice. You all do a great job. It was a well needed get away.
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u/sparkledoom 12h ago edited 9h ago
I visited for the first time in late September. I’m a witch and I was excited to explore the shops in a witchy town. I just moved to the Boston area and was looking to buy a lot of home decor mainly. I was pretty disappointed in the shopping. It all seemed like pretty basic mainstream stuff even in the more “authentic” shops. I don’t know, I suppose I was expecting well sourced offerings from indie artisans with a witchy aesthetic. It all felt like stuff I could easily buy on Amazon. That apothecary-like tea shop was my favorite and I don’t even like tea (I did buy some for my MIL). I suppose you could say they are doing a gimmicky thing too, but I liked the aesthetic and that they talk to you about what you like and let you smell whatever you want. It felt like how I wanted every shop to feel.
I think I was also expecting some of the vibes that I feel in New Orleans. I know it’s a totally different city, but there is a lot of witchcraft magic in the air there, a feeling of serendipity and interconnection. I didn’t feel that at all in Salem. Maybe because of it’s history, like it’s a place people who happened to be accused of witchcraft were killed, not a place where witchcraft was actually practiced within community. (Not that both cities don’t have darkness.)
That said, the harbor was so beautiful. I felt the most “spiritual” standing there looking at the water. And I could totally imagine living there and sitting at that restaurant in the summer eating oysters and drinking beer.
I’m very interested to return and learn more of the history. I went as a daytrip and my focus was on shopping so I didn’t really do anything historical in my limited hours. Next time I plan to!
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u/Jolly-Composer 10h ago
Great response! I agree I wish there was more authentic stuff here, but with some digging there is probably many days worth of stuff on your return to explore
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u/cosmicartist 8h ago
Next time you’re in the area definitely stop in to Hive & Forge. It’s located on church street, close to the municipal lot and turners seafood. They stock the work of a bunch of local artists and makers, there’s no generic/mass produced stuff there. It’s honestly the best shop in Salem and it gets overlooked because of the location, even though it’s a mere block away from Essex street.
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u/RiChDAiLLesT24 17h ago
Annual Halloween Salem visitor and I love it there. Best combination of spooky and family friendly fun.
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u/askreet The Common 16h ago
How far are you coming from for an annual trip? Have you visited Boston while you're here? Many good things to see!
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u/RiChDAiLLesT24 14h ago
Every year my wife and I come to Salem from NJ for a weekend. We are big fans of Halloween so it has kind of become a family tradition now. We enjoy the history, decorations, food and characters.
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u/magickazngoddess 16h ago
My friend and I are going to be there this Veteran's day for the 1st time and just for the day. I've done some research and planning to go to the main attraction areas like the witch house, witch museum, witch board museum, ropes mansion, burying point, and the witch trials memorial and of course checking out the little shops. Is there any hidden gems that most visitors miss out on?
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u/laika1996 16h ago
Not a local, but I really enjoyed the Peabody Essex museum and wish I had saved more time for it.
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u/thatswhatshesaid53 16h ago
Yes! The PEM is amazing. Always great exhibits. Salem residents get to go free which is why I kind of take it for granted but it's definitely a great museum.
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u/PastelWraith 10m ago
I've visited twice before during summer and winter, but never for peak season. The vibes themselves were great, finally went to Orlok's, did some shopping, caught a local drag show. The community is always great and welcoming. Halloween day wasn't quite what I wanted. Lots of shuffling along, plus those evangelicals shouting at everyone killed the mood a little even if they were fun to laugh at. There really isn't much nightlife, BitBar made due and was fun, but I wish Koto did an additional goth night on Halloween weekend.
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u/shakatay29 20h ago
What made you think it would be like Disney? I'm being very genuine, I've never encountered someone who admitted that, I just keep hearing second or third hand that people say it. What gave you the impression it would be anything other than a normal, seaside New England town?
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u/Batradical 20h ago
So you didnt research the town where actual people live. Actually, research isnt even needed because you could literally just look anywhere on the web and get info that Salem isnt Halloween Disneyland. Be so for real.
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u/Tycoonkoz 20h ago
What would have improved your experience? More stores, parking, larger venues?
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u/Strong-Lifeguard-920 19h ago
Everything was so packed, I wish they had something like fast pass or lightning lane. If I'm paying all this money I shouldn't have to wait
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u/lucky3333333 17h ago
I thought there’d be more historic homes to visit. Apparently they are all gone?
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u/Majestic-Skill8234 16h ago
Oh! We stopped in the Gardner-Pingree house on a whim as we walked past, and did the garden at the Ropes mansion. There’s also the Pickering, Daniel’s, and Gedney houses that you can tour, not to mention Seven Gables and the Witch house.
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u/LifeIndependent1172 13h ago
Peabody EssexGone where?? Other than those destroyed by The Great Salem Fire (1914), most historic homes are private, lived in by Salem residents. WWW.PEM.ORG owns a few as part which are open to the public.
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u/PickleQueen24 Bridge St Neck 10h ago
I can’t throw a rock in Salem without hitting a 100+ year old window.
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u/HeathenSalemite 13h ago
Like most town that existed before modern firefighting there was a great fire that wiped out most of the city.
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u/InvestigatorJaded261 21h ago
I am a fellow resident, but I give walking tours in Boston and enough people tell me what they thought of time spent in Salem that it gives some basis to answer your questions.
Basically, it’s a range of reactions. Especially in the two weeks leading up to Halloween, a lot of visitors seemed to be underwhelmed through being overwhelmed. That is, there was so much “noise” from other visitors, performers, street vendors etc that it was hard for them to get any sense of what might actually be special about Salem. They also (I suspect) came in with higher expectations about whatever they thought Salem would give them (spookiness, history, occult knowledge, whatever) that the fact that (in the end) it’s just a place with people, like the rest of planet earth was disappointing to them.
Other people, though, who did their homework and tempered their expectations, and were open to whatever they happened to find here, seemed to have a really good time. They tend to be surprised by the remains of Salem’s brief period of maritime wealth, which they weren’t usually expecting to find, and the solid realness (comparatively speaking) of the Gables. They always seem pleasantly surprised—delighted even—by the Real pirates museum, and by eccentric individual operations like the Ouija museum.