|
I want to spend Halloween in Salem, MA this year. I've been to Salem a few times and love the place, and I'm sure the energy on October 31st will be something! Has anyone been before? Or even better, does anyone live there? Somme first-hand accounts or tips would be cool. Someone told me once they managed to get into a private vampire party where everyone was spanking each other and drinking blood So that's a thing that happens. I'm looking at hotels and AirBnB and the best I've found so far is around $90 a night. Obviously they put the prices right up at that time of year, and it's in Marblehead, which I guess is a quick taxi ride away.
|
# ? Sep 3, 2014 13:37 |
|
|
# ? May 4, 2024 15:54 |
|
Don't go during Halloween. It's a nightmare to walk and park, there's a ton of tourists, pagans, dressed up witches, and pissing contests between who can be the louder dumber party, the dressed up witches at the Pagans for being satanists, or the Pagans for witches for disrespecting Wiccanism. If you must go, there's a T station that goes right to the city. I don't think it goes out very late, so you might have to come back before the blood borne pathogen spanking party takes place.
|
# ? Sep 14, 2014 20:54 |
|
Yeah this sounds about on par with going to Times Square on New Year's Eve. Just throw your own party.
|
# ? Sep 18, 2014 21:01 |
|
Thanks for the replies! I'm absolutely sure it's going to be super touristy and maybe kinda lame, but I'll have fun anyway. I'll be staying in Marblehead so really close and I won't need to drive in, I'm sure that would be a goddamn nightmare. If anyone's around let me know!
|
# ? Sep 29, 2014 09:02 |
|
I live in Salem, actually a few goons live here. What do you want to know?
|
# ? Oct 3, 2014 03:57 |
|
Deadite posted:I live in Salem, actually a few goons live here. What do you want to know? Anything really, recommendations for touristy things to do on Halloween, where to go out at night ffor drinking and eating, I'll be by myself you see.
|
# ? Oct 3, 2014 11:10 |
|
Which days will you be here? Depending on the days my recommendations may change. I will say stay away from Tavern in the Square, Village Tavern, and Rockafella's if you don't like drinking with frat boys. The Naumkeag Ordinary is great, so is the Ugly Mug Diner, though it is right on the main drag and will probably be packed. Red's is fine for breakfast but everyone knows about it so the line is usually at least a half hour long. A&J King is one of the best bakeries I've ever been to, they make great sandwiches too.
|
# ? Oct 3, 2014 11:22 |
|
Deadite posted:I live in Salem, actually a few goons live here. What do you want to know? I am not sure exactly what time of day we will be there, as we arrive in Boston at 8am and were considering doing a whale watching tour from Gloucester first.
|
# ? Oct 3, 2014 15:11 |
|
Salem's dirty little secret is that the witch trials mostly happened in Salem Village, which is now Danvers. Very little happened in Salem, and none of it happened near downtown. If you are looking for something historic you can tour the Rebecca Nurse homestead in Danvers, she was one of the victims of the trials. You can also go to the area where everyone was hung, but now it is just a park (with the spooky name of Gallows Hill Park). I like the Witch Museum next to the common. It is campy and has talking mannequins but it is also fun. It is popular and in a high traffic area so there will probably be a line. There is the Witch House at the corner of Essex and North, which isn't really related to the trials but it is a well preserved colonial home.
|
# ? Oct 3, 2014 15:28 |
|
The graveyard where a lot of the victims of the witch trials are buried was pretty cool, lots of old tombstones with skull and angel wings on them and stuff that are older than America. I think its the second oldest graveyard in America. Yep, Old Burying Yard. Right by the witch museum too. I found it a lot more interesting than the museum proper to be honest. Go around dusk for maximum creepiness, though it'll probably be packed given the time you're going so the mood will be lost. It was deserted the day I went in August and it was pretty cool to wander around and just read. So many baby and child tombstones OH yeah, the actual house of seven gables is located in Salem too, also within walking distance of the witch museum, if you're into Hawthorne.
|
# ? Oct 12, 2014 05:24 |
|
It's not witch trials related but the Peabody Essex Museum is really, really cool and very eclectic.
|
# ? Oct 22, 2014 15:27 |
|
|
# ? May 4, 2024 15:54 |
|
Halloween night in Salem is always packed to the point where you might have trouble turning around on the main drags. Don't expect to get into any bars, clubs or touristy things that night, especially since it lands on a Friday this year. Naumkeag Ordinary is great, Gulu Gulu Cafe and Jaho are nice for coffee and nibbles but are usually pretty crowded. Lots of people like Flying Saucer for pizza but IMO Amazing Pizza on Webb St. is so much better. I've spent plenty of time in Salem but really haven't found any outstanding places to eat and drink, there's a lot of hipster-y sandwich shops and fried seafood. Peabody Essex Museum is a great way to kill a day and the Calder exhibit is really worth a look. The Salem Witch Museum is mostly wax dioramas - it's a New England elementary school field trip staple but it's pretty cheesy. Same with Count Orlok's, it's a small wax museum with some autographs up on the walls. Check out the House of the 7 Gables, but wait until after Halloween - the tours are really cool but they turn it into a "haunted house" theater type of thing for the holiday.
|
# ? Oct 29, 2014 20:35 |