I visited Salem and toured a haunted Airbnb, got a psychic reading, and met a practicing witch. It was perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit — see what it was like.

Every year in October, thousands of tourists flock to Salem, Massachusetts, to revel in the one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the world. Visitors can enjoy parades, historic attractions, psychic readings, and local vendor fairs.

Tourism is a major source of income for Salem and its businesses. For years, annual tourism spending in Salem has hovered around $100 million.

Source: The Salem News

I decided to visit Salem to see the “Haunted Happenings” extravaganza for myself and figure out what draws so many tourists to the New England city every fall.

After driving around for 20 minutes to find parking, my first stop was the Witch City Mall. The building is located smack in the middle of prime tourist real estate, with thousands of people swarming the surrounding city streets.

The mall was filled with places to eat, businesses to shop at, and psychic readings to sign up for.

After the mall, I popped into the local apothecary, called Artemisia Botanicals. The owner, Teri Kalgren, first opened the shop in 1997.

You can read more about local businesses in Salem here. 

Kalgren said that over the past 25 years of business, the biggest change she’s seen in Salem’s tourism is people becoming more open and interested in the city’s witches and witchcraft.

While walking about, I stumbled upon multiple groups on walking tours around the city.

Read more about what it’s like to work as a tour guide in Salem here. 

A long line was cued up for the trolley car tours around Salem.

There were also quite a few signs advertising haunted attractions for visitors to walk through.

The tours take visitors to historically significant locations that have to do with the Salem Witch Trails. During the trials, which happened between 1692 and 1693, people were accused of practising witchcraft and sometimes were executed because of it.

The Salem Witch Museum is a popular tourist attraction and an educational resource for those wishing to learn more about the trials.

A statue that pays tribute to the founder of Salem, Roger Conant, is located near the museum.

In the fall, the Salem Commons are transformed into a place for local vendors to set up tents and sell their wares.

Witch hats and garb were some of the most popular items being sold.

There were also artists selling their paintings and drawings to passersby. Twin brothers Ryan and Matt Murray said they set up their tent on the Commons every weekend while also running a brick-and-mortar tattoo shop in town.

While walking around Salem, I realized that long lines are commonplace at many storefronts in downtown.

People lined up for a variety of food options, including fluffy pink cotton candy …

… fried dough …

… and hot dogs with all the toppings.

Many homes in downtown Salem had “private residence” signs to keep tourists from trespassing.

However, many locals seemed to still want to participate in the festivities.

Houses were outfitted with spooky decorations for people walking by.

Almost everywhere I went, a Skeleton decoration wasn’t far away.

They were even propped up in store windows …

… and climbing up porches.

Once I had wandered around the neighborhood, I made a stop at the Henry Derby House, located just a few minutes from downtown Salem.

See inside the Henry Derby House here.

The house was built in 1838 by Henry Derby, who worked as a tailor in town. It’s now owned by Phil Marchand, who runs it as an Airbnb.

Read how Phil Marchand runs a haunted Airbnb here.

Marchand said the house is specifically popular during October due rumors that it is haunted by ghosts.

Read more about the haunted reputation of the Henry Derby House here.

I didn’t want to stay too long to find out if there was indeed a ghost haunting the house, so I headed back downtown to explore the “Haunted Happenings Marketplace.”

Along the blocked off street were many street performers. Tourists gathered in groups around them to goggle and toss cash in their tip jars.

A drag queen sang a song for a large audience while collecting tips.

While exploring the downtown, I saw many visitors dressed up in costumes — along with their dogs!

This fluffy white dog dressed as a pumpkin seemed to be enjoying Salem more than its owner.

Everywhere I looked, there were people wearing witch hats. Some were pink …

… while others were completely black …

… some visitors wore small ones …

… and others opted for large ones.

Before leaving Salem, I was determined to have my tarot cards read by a psychic. I signed up for a 15-minute slot, but had to wait 45 minutes before it was my turn.

Bailey Merlin, who has been reading tarot cards professionally for three years, gave me insight on my career, love life, and health.

On my way back to the car, I stopped to look at the many street performers dressed as scary Halloween characters.

People lined up to take photos with the characters for free, although tips were gladly accepted.

The Salem Slashers were particularly popular for a photo op.

I stopped to take one before leaving.

While I could have done without the large crowds and tourist traps, I did enjoy meeting the local vendors and having my tarot cards read.

Overall, Salem truly was what I had imagined and more — and it got me in the fall spirit just in time for Halloween.