Salem, According to Two Sisters (Not the Sandersons)
Our personal guide to visiting Salem, Massachusetts in the fall — the places we return to, the things we never skip, and a few lessons from years of wandering Salem together.
When I was little, my big sister Karen was my hero.
I wanted to be just like her. I thought the sun rose and set with her. She was my protector, my built-in best friend and, looking back now, probably the reason I love holidays as much as I do.
The magic of Christmas. The excitement of Easter egg hunts. The traditions and anticipation that made ordinary days suddenly feel extraordinary. When I think about the childhood holiday memories I hold closest to my heart, somehow my big sister is woven into almost every one of them.
And that is especially true of Halloween.
The costumes. The candy. The spookiness. The history. That unmistakable feeling when the air gets a little cooler and suddenly October feels like it has arrived.
I love all of it.
And I know a lot of that love came directly from Karen.
Although, to be fair, part of me still thinks she may actually be a witch.
Not a Sanderson. At least, as far as I know.
Which brings us, naturally, to Salem, Massachusetts.
A Little Salem Magic Comes to 1200 Beacon
Karen and I travel to Salem together every year.
At this point, we have our places. Our traditions. Our favorites. The stops one of us insists on making and the places the other knows we're going to end up at whether we planned to or not.
Salem has become one of those places that is so intertwined with our relationship that it's hard for me to separate the destination from the memories we've made there.
I love the history. I love the old buildings and cobblestone streets. I love the shops, the food, the people-watching and, yes, every wonderfully spooky thing about visiting Salem in the fall.
But mostly, I love Salem because I love who I get to experience it with.
So when a VIP guest from our management company, Pyramid Global Hospitality, told us that she and her mother would be staying at The Arcadian and planned to visit Salem while they were here — but weren't quite sure where they should go — I may have gotten a little too excited.
Okay…I squealed.
Because suddenly I had an opportunity to combine several of my favorite things: gifting people, Halloween, Salem, hospitality and being creative.
I could have put together the typical hotel welcome amenity. A couple of bottled waters. Some snacks. Maybe a Salem brochure or a map.
But that's just not how we roll at The Arcadian.
We live for the little details. We love learning why someone is traveling and finding a way to make their stay feel like it was created specifically for them.
And, personally, I really love a good gift.
So this one got a little out of hand.
In the best possible way.
Our Salem-inspired welcome waiting for two very special guests at The Arcadian Hotel in Brookline.
There were treats. There were Salem goodies. There was plenty of spooky-season fun.
But the best part of the entire amenity isn't something you can really see in the photos.
It was the Post-it notes.
Our Personal Salem Travel Guide: Pink, Purple & Green
Instead of simply handing our guests a list of things to do in Salem, I decided to give them something a little more personal.
I created a guide.
Then I called Karen.
Because there was absolutely no chance I was creating a guide to Salem without consulting the woman largely responsible for my obsession with the place in the first place.
And that's when the Post-its came out.
Pink: Meaghan Says, “Go.”
Pink Post-its were mine.
These are the Meaghan picks — the places I love, the things I think are worth doing in Salem, the little discoveries I want other people to know about and the stops I would tell a friend not to miss.
- The Witchery 86 Wharf St, Salem, MA 01970
- The Salem Witch Trials Memorial 24 Liberty St, Salem, MA 01970
- Ropes Mansion and Garden 318 Essex Street Salem, MA
Purple: Karen Says, “Definitely Go.”
Purple belonged to Karen.
These are the big-sister-approved picks. And considering she's the woman who started this whole Halloween obsession in the first place, I would take these seriously.
- Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery Monster Museum 217 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970
- Black Cat Curiosity Shoppe 234 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970
- Salem Haunted Happenings Marketplace Multiple Locations -visit website for more details
Green: If You Have Time...
And then there was green.
These are the places we like and absolutely think are worth knowing about, but perhaps not at the expense of one of the pink-or-purple you-really-should-do-this stops.
If you've got an extra hour, an extra day or simply refuse to go home yet, start here.
- Salem Witch Museum 19 1/2 N Washington Square, Salem, MA 01970
- Hawthorne Hotel 18 Washington Square W, Salem, MA 01970
- Chambers of TerrorChambers of Terror 59 Wharf St, Salem, MA 01970
By the time I was finished, what started as a hotel welcome amenity had become something closer to a semi-guided tour of the spookiest, sweetest town in Massachusetts.
And now we're sharing it with you.
Consider this the unofficial, slightly opinionated, sister-approved version of a Salem, Massachusetts travel guide.
No rankings. No exhaustive list of every attraction in town. And definitely no pretending Karen and I agree on everything.
Just Salem, according to two sisters.
You know.
Not the Sandersons.
Visiting Salem in the Fall: A Few Sisterly Words of Advice
There is one thing Karen and I will absolutely agree on: Salem in the fall is an experience.
It can also be busy.
Really busy.
Our advice? Don't try to do everything.
Pick the things you're most excited about. Give yourself time to wander. Pop into the shop that catches your eye. Stop for something delicious. Read the historical markers. Look at the architecture. Let yourself get a little lost.
Some of my favorite memories in Salem aren't necessarily attached to an attraction.
They're attached to being there; to the vibe, the spirit that comes with being there.
Walking around with my sister. Laughing. Shopping. Discovering something we hadn't seen the year before. Repeating traditions we've somehow accumulated along the way.
A good Salem day doesn't need to be measured by how many things you crossed off a list. A good Salem day can be measured by how you feel when you're there — and when you've left it behind but the memories remain.
Sometimes the best Salem itinerary is simply having a few really good Post-it notes to point you in the right direction and then letting the history, the spookiness and the vibes take you on your way through Salem.
Our Favorite Kind of Salem Tradition: The Places We Keep Coming Back To
Maybe that's why Salem has never gotten old for us.
The town changes. A new shop opens. We find something we somehow missed the year before. We swear we're definitely going to try something different this time and then inevitably find ourselves walking toward one of our old favorites.
But that's what traditions are, really, right?
They're the things we choose to come back to. They're the things that become a part of who we are.
I started loving Halloween because my big sister made it magical for me. All these years later, I get to walk around Salem beside her and experience a little bit of that same magic again.
And now, serendipitously, a small piece of one of our traditions has found its way back to 1200 Beacon Street — first through a mother and daughter who needed a few recommendations, and now through anyone reading this who might be planning a Salem adventure of their own.
So take the pink Post-its.
Take the purple ones.
Squeeze in a few greens if you've got the time.
Wander. Eat something good. Learn a little history. Buy something you absolutely don't need. Embrace the spooky. Honor the history. And don't worry too much about checking everything off the list.
Because years from now, you probably won't remember how many Salem attractions you managed to fit into one day.
You'll remember who was walking beside you.
I know I do.
Stay spooky.
— Meaghan
With recommendations enthusiastically endorsed, occasionally debated, and most definitely influenced by my big sister, Karen.
Neither of us is a Sanderson.
(Probably.)