As Halloween approaches, many people, including residents across Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, are planning a trip to Salem. Millions of tourists visit this “Witch City” every year, especially during the months of September and October.
However, the excitement of spending a day in this historic and popular U.S. city often turns into a quest for a parking space — with the entire city encompassing just eight square miles.
Salem’s Mayor Dominick Pangallo is urging everyone to take public transportation to access the city's attractions this Halloween season.
“You are just going to be spending more time in your car trying to find parking, than you’re going to get to enjoy our great city,”Pangallo said.
Due to the ongoing government shutdown, many national parks, museums and historic sights are closed across the country. In Salem, where there are numerous historic sights, the city came together and found a way to keep its Downtown Visitor Information Center open.
“So we were able to work with a coalition of community organizations like Destination Marketing, Creative Collective and a number of our local businesses, who all donated to provide the funds necessary to get that visitor center back open again to the public seven days a week," he said.
Public safety remains one of the most important priorities for the city of Salem. Measures like road closures and additional police and traffic enforcement personnel have been implemented throughout the month of October to safely welcome tens of thousands visitors on weekends and even weekdays, Pangallo said..
Salem is not only known for its witch trials, festive and spooky decor and as the sight of the 1993 cult-classic film "Hocus Pocus." It is also the birthplace of the National Guard and historically was one of the largest seaports in the United States.
While there are endless parties, niche shops and restaurants and people in costumes walking the streets of the city — especially this upcoming weekend — Pangallo asks visitors to “remember that Salem is not a theme park, but a place where people live and go about their daily lives."
