Salem, Massachusetts officials say that over 1 million people have already visited before Halloween
By Logan Hall
Click here for updates on this story
SALEM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The streets of Salem were packed with witches, goblins, and ghosts this weekend as visitors from around the country flocked to the city for the final weekend before Halloween.
The historic city has seen record crowd sizes so far this year.
“It’s just fun to walk around and see so many people getting into the Halloween spirit as well,” said visitor Mira Lopez.
From elaborate costumes to haunted tours and themed pop-ups, nearly every corner of downtown Salem was alive with Halloween energy.
“People are coming here and they’re already excited to be interacting with someone and get fun photo opportunities, so everyone’s been an absolute delight, mostly large families,” one street performer said.
Despite chilly temperatures, crowds have not let up because visiting Salem in October is an annual tradition for many.
“The fun, outgoing craziness of Salem and the Halloween spirit coming about before the holiday,” said Jen Cook, who comes to the city every year with her friends.
The CEO of Essex Heritage, Annie Harris, said the busy season has been a major boost for Salem businesses, though it also presents challenges for city services.
“Certainly, hotels, restaurants, a lot of businesses do very well,” Harris said. “It’s a bit of a challenge for the city, police, fire, EMT, all that but basically it’s good for business.”
Harris said this has been the busiest Halloween season to date, with steady streams of tourists visiting all month long.
City officials estimate that more than one million people have visited Salem this Halloween season, which is a record turnout that residents say has been felt on every street.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.