Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts is “seriously the coolest place” as thousands descend on Witch City

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Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts is "seriously the coolest place" as thousands descend on Witch City

It’s the busiest day of the year in Salem, Massachusetts as visitors from around the world fly into the Witch City for Halloween.

Thousands of people dressed in full costumes descended on Essex and Washington streets on Friday before sunset. Some have even ventured from across the Atlantic, ready to take part in an American Halloween.

“Everyone just buys into it so much here and comes with the intention of buying into it. You don’t get into that many other places like in Manchester, where we’re from,” said Sarah Walmsley from England. Sarah and her friends were dressed up as the Sanderson sisters from “Hocus Pocus.”

Salem has already set a record for hosting more than 1 million visitors in the month of October, but officials expect another 100,000 on Friday. Hundreds of people could be seen arriving on the MBTA’s Commuter Rail, since parking is extremely limited.

“I love Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday, and this is seriously the coolest place that I’ve ever been to. We came last year, and I told them if you could take me back again, that would be really cool,” said Amanda Brown, who’s visiting from North Carolina and dressed as the Joker.

“It’s really great to see people walking around, seeing all the costumes and just enjoying Halloween,” said John Watson from Texas, who was dressed up as Chucky. “A little more Halloween-y than Houston, Texas.”

Police have doubled the number of officers on patrol for Friday night. They’ve also installed new roadblocks to keep cars and trucks off closed streets. The Mayor Dominick Pangallo said that public safety remains top of mind every Halloween. He said they will start planning for Halloween 2026 on Saturday.

How to get to Salem?

The easiest way to get to Salem is to take the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, which runs out of North Station in Boston.

For more information about taking the train to Salem, click here.

Government shutdown affecting Salem

The bathrooms inside the Salem Maritime National Historic Sites, including some Salem witch trials locations, are closed during the government shutdown. But the city isn’t letting it impact the festivities. About 100 portable restrooms and city-operated bathrooms will remain open to the public for Halloween.

Salem, Massachusetts is about 22 miles north of Boston.

WBZ-TV’s Aaron Parseghian contributed to this report.