08/29/2024
Yesterday, I shared 13 tips from a local on visiting Salem. These tips sparked a lot of conversation among both locals and potential visitors. With that in mind, I’d like to share 13 more tips for being respectful when visiting Salem. Often, we focus on the most outrageous behavior, but in reality, most visitors just want to experience the city, respect the residents, and absorb the history. So, here are 13 tips for doing just that:
1. You are not “the descendants of the witches they didn’t burn.” As my kids would say... that’s some SERIOUS cringe. First, they weren’t witches—they were terrorized Puritan women and men who were tragic victims of hysteria. Second, they weren’t burned; they were hanged next to what is today a Walgreens drive-through. And third…just don’t.
2. Most Salemites feel protective of the victims of the trials. Anyone who has lived here for more than a couple of years knows their names, their stories, and feels their tragedy. This may seem strange since this city throws a big Halloween party and calls itself the “Witch City,” but for most of us, there’s a clear separation between the human tragedy that happened in 1692 and the roundabout history that brought us to Hocus Pocus and Bewitched. Mind you, this is still controversial here in Salem, with some residents wishing the city would shed the “Witch City” label altogether. But one thing all residents can agree on is that the victims of 1692 are not your punchline. Jokes about hanging or burning are in very poor taste. Go ahead and have your fun with Winifred and Samantha, but please leave your jokes about Bridget Bishop and Giles Corey out of it.
3. The “I Got Stoned In Salem” shirt is in poor taste. Yes, some shops sell it, but we all judge you when we see you wearing it.
4. I know many tourists love those felt floppy witch hats... but just lean into it and go with the full traditional hat. It objectively looks much cooler. I said what I said.
5. You should absolutely enjoy our three historic cemeteries; they are incredible. However, you should not touch the stones or tombs, or—sit on them. These were real people who lived, loved, and died. Their tombs are not a place to rest your legs, change your baby’s diaper, or enjoy fried dough. Please be respectful.
6. Don’t walk three abreast on the sidewalk.
7. If you wouldn’t want someone to do it to your house, don’t do it to ours. Imagine someone sitting on your steps, plucking flowers from your garden, or looking into your windows. We are a dense city, and many of us live near historic sites, but these are still our homes. Please be mindful.
8. If you don’t have anything nice to say on Yelp, don’t say anything at all. Our local businesses work incredibly hard in October. Yes, they may run out of things, waits will be long, they will be super busy, and they may be understaffed—give them some grace.
9. Read the historic signage. The number of boyfriends I’ve seen confidently tell their girlfriends that the Ward House was the House of the Seven Gables is too high. And if all else fails, you could just... count the gables. Haha.
10. Don’t walk in the street.
11. The “Hocus Pocus House” is not a tourist attraction. It’s in a residential neighborhood and people live there. Over the last decade or so, some tourists have gotten bolder, knocking on the door, sitting on the porch, crowding around the home, and looking in windows. Please show respect. During October, the street itself is closed to non-resident vehicles, and there are many other things you can do and see that are less disruptive to residents.
12. The City of Salem expands resident-only parking dramatically in October. This year, we will also be using license plate readers to more quickly catch, ticket, and tow violators. Do not park on residential side streets; your car will not be there when you get back. Speaking of parking, there are days in October when we see 100,000+ visitors. There is no possible way to park even a tiny fraction of those vehicles. Plan other ways to get into Salem—you will thank yourself.
13. Enjoy yourself! As I mentioned yesterday, it can be frustrating to live in Salem in October, but deep down, we all just want you to love this city the way we love it. Soak up the history, be kind to our retail workers, servers, and small business owners, tip generously, and have the best time!
