Visiting Salem From Boston in October 2026: Halloween in the Witch City During the 400th Anniversary of Salem, Massachusetts

Getting to Salem from Boston is easy without a car. The Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line runs from North Station to Salem in about 30 minutes, and on weekends you can ride unlimited for just $10 with the <a href="https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/10-commuter-rail-weekends-and-holidays--92">$10 Commuter Rail Weekends</a> pass. For a more scenic trip, the <a href="https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/salem-high-speed-ferry-to-from-boston">Salem Ferry</a> leaves from Long Wharf next to the New England Aquarium and docks at Blaney Street in about 50 minutes, running through October 31. October weekends sell out, so book ahead. Salem goes all in every October, and this year the city is also marking 400 years since its founding in 1626. Downtown fills with costumed crowds, street performers, psychic fairs, and walking tours, and Essex Street's pedestrian mall is packed with shops, bars, and restaurants from morning until late. Stop by the Witch House, home of trials judge Jonathan Corwin and the only building in Salem with direct ties to the 1692 witch trials, then head to the Ropes Mansion, the Hocus Pocus filming location that looks especially eerie lit up at night. The Salem Witch Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the House of the Seven Gables round out the must-sees. It's all part of <a href="https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/salem-haunted-happenings-2026-grand-parade-kicks-off-a-month-of-halloween-in-the-witch-city">Haunted Happenings,</a> the citywide Halloween celebration that started in 1982 and now draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each October. This is its 44th year, and it kicks off with the Grand Parade on Thursday, October 1 at 6:30pm, starting at Shetland Park with an "Old-School Halloween" theme. The Haunted Happenings Marketplace runs weekends at Salem Common, Derby Square, and Charlotte Forten Park, and the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade takes over Derby Wharf on Saturday, October 10.

Salem, MA

Mimi Nguyen

Sean O’Connor

Charlotte Wilson

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Visiting Salem From Boston in October 2026: Halloween in the Witch City During the 400th Anniversary of Salem, Massachusetts

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