Many have this witchy town on their bucket list thanks to Hocus Pocus, and well....history. Something I was surprised to find is that many tourists flock to Salem year round to embrace Halloween, and its history.
The town of Salem is quite quaint and beautiful year round. Located on the water north of Boston, Salem is one of many gorgeous towns in the North Shore. If you are able, make sure to check out other towns like Gloucester, Rockport, and Manchester by the Sea (especially in the summer and fall).
Here are some of my favorites if you are exploring the town: (I by no means am an expert/local of this historic town, but it is a start) - scroll to the bottom for my ideal day in Salem (SIDE NOTE: I don't recommend tours around Salem solely because I am not a fan of them/too touristy...I'm sure there are some great ones though!)
Places to See: (I would recommend walking the streets to see the amazing homes)
Old Town Hall (I recently was the planner for a wedding here and learned that they actually only used the outside of the hall for the "Halloween party") -many tours meet here, all the streets around here are worth roaming for all the Halloween shops as well as good eats
Max's House from Hocus Pocus: 4 Ocean Ave in Salem (20 min walk/1.1 miles from Old Town Hall)
The Hawthorne Hotel - eat and drink here too
Places to Eat:
Life Alive (vegan/health conscious foods)
Place to Drink: (I don't drink beer so not the best to recommend it LOL)
Far From the Tree - highly recommend because well chai cider...need I say more?
MY IDEAL DATE DAY
Spend most of the day walking around the town.
If you have a car, get there early and park around the common. (free parking)
Grab a coffee/tea and roam the streets/take pictures.
Visit House of Seven Gables.
Hungry for lunch? See my favorites above. (I would choose tacos or Life Alive)
Visit The Witch House and do some shopping.
Do a cider tasting at Far From the Tree Brewery
Relax at the Hawthorne Hotel with cocktails by the fire.
Have dinner at Finz or stay at the hotel.
Dare go out after dark? =) the witches are out!