Salem, Mass., has monetized its tragic past by marketing itself as a destination for all things witchy. In October, every weekend is Halloween.
SALEM, Mass. — Driving into Witch City, U.S.A., you can’t help but notice the people in costumes pouring out of the train station. Many wear pointy hats. Some wear all black. Others carry brooms or cosplay in head-to-toe “Hocus Pocus” outfits. Over the past two years especially, fall tourism in Salem has grown so rapidly that every weekend in October feels like Halloween.
Known for its infamous 17th-century witch trials, Salem is now synonymous with witchy kitsch. In the process, the U.S. obsession with spooky season has overshadowed the tragic history in this coastal New England city. Although Salem’s transformation into a fall destination has been lucrative, it has also created conflict for locals who can’t access basic services.When I arrived in Salem one morning earlier this month, it seemed like the scariest part of my visit would be the hunt for parking.
Inside Black Cat, customers are greeted by shelves advertising seemingly exotic “curiosities,” including Indigenous Guatemalan “worry dolls” , Tibetan-inspired prayer beads made from “yeti bone” and “mythical meat” jerky allegedly made from chupacabra, basilisk and gremlin . According to Baker, people need to understand the more nuanced facts of Salem’s history and how it affects the ethics of tourism there.
There’s “always a dichotomy and tension between what we would call cultural tourism that embraces our history and much of the historic properties in Salem, versus nowadays Haunted Happenings and a big push for Halloween things,” said Lindeman, of Historic Salem.Elizabeth Montgomery, all dressed up in her “Bewitched” outfit as Samantha, has looked over visitors to a crowded Salem square since 2005.
Many of the most popular tours in the city are “Hocus Pocus” location tours or ghost tours that cater to the Halloween crowds. Daniel Fury, who manages the tour side of the Black Cat operation, believes that these tours can be a positive force as long as they remain connected to the real history of Salem and the surrounding areas. “The more we dig into history, the more people want to know, … especially if it’s different from the misinformation they’ve heard for years,” he said.
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