Goth travel guide to Salem, MA! Witch Museum tickets, Gothic witchcraft, Count Orlok nightmare gallery horror.
When I was in Salem MA, a child came up to me and yelled “Witchhh! Witchhh!” I took it as a compliment that she put me on trial (wearing Moi-meme-Moitie achieved the desired effect).
This September, I made a Goth pilgrimage to Salem, Massachusetts — the center of the 1692 century witch trials. As you’ll see, this little American town lives up to its notoriety as the ultimate Gothic destination.
The sign “Enter if you Dare” is apt. I have several friends who didn’t plan out their trip to Salem well, and ended up being disappointed (the shops and museums were closed, or they couldn’t get tickets or access to certain places).
Fear not — if you’re planning a trip to the witch capital, then this Goth travel blogger has got you covered. Here lies part 1 of my guide to getting the most out of a day trip to Salem MA, including how to plan transportation and see all the darkest, witchiest attractions.
† How to maximize Salem, in a nutshell †
– Come between spring-fall, but avoid the October tourist rush.
– Weekdays are less crowded, but make sure the places you want to see are open (some shut in winter, and Satanic Temple closes Mon-Tues).
– Arrive around 10am, when the museums and shops open.
– Go to the Witch Museum first, as ticket slots sell quickly. Then make your rounds of other attractions and stores before things close around 5-6pm.
– End with a visit to the Satanic Temple & Art Gallery, as it requires an Uber and closes at 7 or 8pm. (I’ll take you inside in Part 2 of this guide).
Let’s start with how to get to Salem. Unless you’re able to fly on a broom, most travellers come over from Boston — as this is the closest major city and airport.
Year-round, you can take the subway from Boston to Salem. Board the MBTA Commuter Rail (Rockport/Ipswich Line) from Boston’s North Station. In 30 minutes, you’ll be in Salem.
Boston Harbor Cruises also runs a Salem Ferry between mid-May and October 31. The boat sails from 1 Long Wharf, and the journey takes less than an hour.
My friend Lissette and I took the earliest Salem Ferry sailing. We enjoyed being out on the water, and taking in Boston’s famous waterfront and brick skyline from the deck.
Be sure to reserve Salem Ferry tickets in advance from their website, as time slots can sell out. Also keep in mind that the boat route only runs from spring-fall.
(We took the subway back, as we wanted to stay past the last ferry departure; take note that the last train departs around 11:30pm. You can make Salem a day trip like we did, or book a room overnight if you want to take your time and see more.)
The moment you arrive in Salem, you’ll feel as if you have arrived in witch heaven! The quaint New England town is filled with occult symbols and spooky stores, much like in the movie Hocus Pocus (which was filmed here).
I walked by a statue of Samantha, the witch from the 1960s TV show Bewitched, by Lappin Park. The popular series shot a few episodes in Salem, which got people intrigued about traveling here. (Photo by my friend Julie.)
From the 1960s onward, Salem has embraced its witch / Halloween reputation to the fullest. Today, travellers flock here to learn about the late 17th century witch trials, and take part in all things Gothic (as the posters around town hint).
Thankfully, Salem remains a small town with a historic, indie and subculture feel — it hasn’t turned into a “Disneyland for Witches.”
That being said, Salem gets extremely busy around Halloween. Tourists are blocked from the graveyard in October, and you may encounter long lineups everywhere. I recommend coming in late September (like I did): you’ll still get to experience the fall / Halloween feeling, without too many people around.
I’ve been waiting for this moment… Hail, Salem Witch Museum! This is the most popular museum in Salem, centering on the Witch Trials of 1692.
I did a “Puritan meets Harajuku Goth” look for this journey. The dress is a Moi-meme-Moitie rare Pleats from the early-mid 2000s; got it in Tokyo Japan, of course. I paired it with UK Tights, Edwardson Eyewear sunglasses, and Jeffrey Campbell platform ankle boots.
Goth alert: Get to the Salem Witch Museum early, ideally around opening time (10am). The tickets are first come first serve, and can’t be booked in advance. Since the passes are sold by 30-minute time slots, you might have to wait until a later hour to get inside. (We arrived around 11am and were lucky, as we got the next immediate entry).
If you need to kill time before the doors open, go next door to Salem Witch Museum’s gift shop. There’s an enormous selection of witch-themed books, jewelry, homewares and other memorabilia.
(My next article will focus on all the Gothic boutiques you must visit, so stay tuned for a full Salem shopping guide.)
My Alex Streeter Ouroboros ring fits in with the shop’s selection of witch brooms and magic spells.
I was tickled to see a “Ride with Pride” t-shirt with a rainbow broomstick trail. As you’d expect, we ran into many fellow Goth and alternative travellers in this dark destination.
Our group was ushered inside, and the riveting presentation began. All around the room, life-sized sets lit up, and a narrator told the story of the 1692 Salem Witchcraft Trials in dramatic voices.
Photos aren’t allowed, so imagine… Satan, with red horns and glowing eyes! Did the “evil hand of the Devil” cause the “embittered women” to accuse hundreds of witchcraft, resulting in 30 courtroom death sentences?
I learned how a slave’s fortune-telling games led to weird behaviors and hysteria among a group of young women. Between 1692-3, hundreds (mainly outsiders such as older single women) were accused of “entering a pact with Satan.” By the end of the Salem witch trials, 20 were executed as witches, mostly by hanging.
After, a guide took us to an exhibit on the evolving perspective of witches over the years: from pagan healing women, to green-faced crones on broomsticks (influenced by the Wizard of Oz).
The Salem Witch Museum was both entertaining and enlightening — I was fascinated by the tales of witch hunts throughout the ages. I was also glad I went here first, to learn about the town’s terrifying history before sightseeing further.
Since I was in a morbid mood, it made sense to stand among the tombstones of The Old Burying Point Cemetery. Also known as Charter Street Cemetery, this is one of the oldest graveyards in America (established 1637).
It’s right by the Salem Witch Trials Memorial: a simple granite monument with an open book etched with court transcripts, and benches carved with the victim’s names.
Many of the 17th century headstones were decorated with winged skulls — how pirate-Goth. Known as death’s heads or Soul Effigies, these represent the spirit flying to the afterlife.
(I have many more photos of these Gothic-looking Puritan tombstones in my article about Boston’s Granary Burying Grounds.)
This year, Salem’s historic burial place was closed to visitors between late Sept and early Nov. October is peak season for Salem tourism, and they wanted to prevent damage to the centuries-old tombs. Keep the closure dates in mind, if you want to tread carefully among the dead.
Lissette and I had until 5-6pm to see Salem’s other museums and boutiques (as they generally close at this time, with the exception of the Satanic Temple / Art Gallery).
I recommend browsing Destination Salem’s site, as they give a great run-down of all the restaurants, shows, tours, shops and attractions in Salem.
I personally wanted to focus on all things Goth and Witch, so I didn’t see some of the other highly-rated places, like the Peabody Essex art museum or House of Seven Gables (the mansion at the center of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel).
Some of Salem’s witch-related attractions seemed to be on the cheesy side, and I preferred to learn about the culture / history than to get scared at a haunted house (there are several here).
That’s why I stopped by the Salem Witch Village. A local man took us through a pathway of tableaus, which explored the legends, myths and truths about witches and their craft.
Rather than sensationalizing witches, the Village Museum taught us about the symbols and rituals of Wicca. Our guide talked about the many meanings of the pentacle (an upright five-pointed star in a circle). It’s a symbol of the elements and divine feminine, and a magical talisman that summons energies.
The tour delved deeper into the Salem Witch Trials. We saw a mannequin being pressed to death by giant rocks! This was Giles Corey, a man accused of being a warlock. Because he refused to plead guilty or not guilty, he was pressed over the course of three days. When asked what he wanted, Giles — his eyes bulging from the heavy boulders on his chest — defiantly told them to add “More weight!”
We also learned about the ancient pagan festival of Samhain, which takes place in October and influenced Halloween. I was thrilled by the tales of Jack O’ Lantern, a miserly man who tricked the Devil. Later, the horned one got his revenge and cursed Jack to roam the Earth until the apocalypse, with only an ember inside a turnip to light his way. (These carved turnips turned into Jack-o-lantern pumpkins lit by candlelight!)
Salem’s a small and walkable town, so Lissette and I were able to easily see multiple historic sites by foot in a single day.
I struck an ominous pose in front of The Witch House. Isn’t this dark and pointy-roofed home a Gothic dream? Built in the mid-17th century, this was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, who presided over the witch trials of 1692.
The Witch House is located at 310 Essex Street, and it’s a stunning example of New England architecture in the 17th century. I’ve been to many allegedly haunted houses, but in this case, the truth is scarier than sorcery. Swayed by witch-hunt hysteria, Judge Corwin’s court sent 20 wrongly-accused victims to the gallows, while others died in jail.
Inside, you can see relics of the diabolical trials. There were documents about witchcraft and demonic possessions, and examples of “witchcake.” This not-so-delicious cake was baked with the urine of possibly possessed girls, and fed to the household dog. Somehow, this could reveal whether the ladies were dabbling in black magic.
The upper levels gave me a peek of how limited life was for these Puritan women. The weaving wheel and wood cradle look like something out of a dark fairy tale…
Some theorize that the women “acted out” in response to their oppressive religious/patriarchal environment, leading to the witch-scares and executions.
The Witch House is open daily from mid-March through November. It’s great to go inside if you’re interested in the daily life and artifacts of the witch-hunting days. However, if you’re short on cash, you can just take photos outside.
(Side note: there’s a dark electronic music genre called witch house that emerged about a decade ago. Perhaps this could be my album cover.)
We wrapped up our museum escapades at Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery. Salem MA has a movie monsters permanent exhibition, and it’s a classic horror film buff’s dream (or nightmare).
This town isn’t just about witches –– Salem has grown into a hotbed for all things horror and Halloween especially in October, when the annual Haunted Happenings take place.
Outside Count Orlok’s lair, I ran into these old-school monsters… and gave Frankenstein’s creature a tip in order to get strangled! (As my friend John S. would say, “I’d buy that for a dollar.”)
This private gallery is named after the Draculean baddie in the 1922 classic horror, Nosferatu. Photography isn’t allowed inside Count Orlok’s museum, so here are snaps from the gift store outside.
The admission fee is well worth it for the life-sized monsters and killers you’ll encounter inside. The Nightmare Gallery isn’t your typical cheesy wax museum. Made of resin, silicone and other life-like materials, these horror legends are impressively made and dramatically lit, with eerie music in the background of each room.
This mannequin insists, “Hi, I am NOT Slappy.” He’s been mistaken one too many times for Slappy the Dummy, from R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps books.
I appreciated the mix of old and new creatures inside Count Orlok’s. The tour begins with replicas of silent and black-and-white movie stars, dressed as their horror alter egos. Hello Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster, and Bela Lugosi as Dracula.
The human-sized creatures includes cult characters from The Shining, Halloween, Carrie, Friday the 13, Night of the Living Dead, and Trick ‘r Treat. (Can you recognize the masks above?)
You’ll also see rare photos of the actors, and actual set pieces or props. I was wowed to see the real upside-down head with crab legs, from John Carpenter’s The Thing!
If the terrifying characters above stir your heart, then Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery is a must-see.
We packed so much into a single day-trip to Salem… this is only part 1 of my coverage! In the next piece, I’ll take you inside the most fabulous Goth, vampire and witch-themed indie boutiques. (As you’d guess, Salem is a Gothic shopping paradise, with stores like Die With Your Boots On.)
At any time of the year, you’ll find dark and monstrous events in Salem. I’ll gladly go back any time to experience more of this Goth destination.
The last train from Salem to Boston departs around 11:30 pm, so if you’re staying late, keep an eye on the clock.
Salem is fun to walk around at night. Lots of lively cafes and bars, and the Salem Witch Museum glows red with the fires of hell.
Hail Witches! Thanks to Destination Salem for supporting our trip here. Their website and visitor center (a short walk from the train station) are excellent resources for planning your journey.
PS, speaking of horror: my episode of The Purge TV show airs Dec 17 on USA Network and Amazon! Next, I’ll take you behind-the-scenes of my television shoot and set experience in New Orleans.
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Mexico City’s hippest boutique hotel: Mumedi design museum! Day of the Dead skulls, art exhibits, celebrations.
Hooray for Day of the Dead in Mexico City!
I couldn’t resist striking a disco pose in front of this massive neon skull that appears to be chomping down on me. (This rainbow display was the Celebrando la Eternidad at Bosque de Chapultepec.)
What a pleasure to finally visit CDMX — and during the most Gothic time of the year, when the dead have returned and every public space is filled with smiling skeletons.
As I predicted, La Ciudad de México was my type of urban destination. I got my fill of Dia de los Muertos, and uncovered vibrant pockets of alternative art and spooky culture.
Buckle up for a visual onslaught of Mexican skeletons, along with my inspiring stay at the Mumedi Mexican Museum of Design!
(Quite a few local children admired my Rocket Dog platform sandals. You can find these and more of their funky shoes below:)
I’ve stayed in a lot of artistic hotels over the years, but Mumedi’s interiors made my jaw drop. This photo speaks for itself: my room’s soaring design includes exposed brick walls, wood beams and a dramatic circular mirror.
The building is more than 400 years old, and Mumedi preserves its skeleton. However, the architects added impressive high-tech touches such as blinds that shift with the touch of a button, and a hidden ceiling fan whose wings emerge from the light!
Design Hotel Mumedi is a secret spot within the historic city center. The museum is only steps from Mexico City’s huge Zocalo square, and visitors pass through every day. Yet very few realize that there’s a hip hotel right up the stairs!
Mumedi has six rooms available for guests, and each is decorated differently. I loved the contrast between the centuries-old walls and contemporary furnishings, and whimsical touches such as a silver ducky on the bed.
In recent decades, Mexico City has become known for its modern architecture (I’ll show you some of the coolest structures in an upcoming post).
For a design-lover like myself, Mumedi boutique hotel lets you feel as if you’re living in your fantasy home. That free-standing bathtub is goals…
Mumedi, or Museo Mexicano del Diseño, is a renown multidisciplinary space focused on design and creativity. Locals come to see the latest exhibits, and enjoy the modern cafe and restaurant (I’ll show you the delicious meals at the end of this article).
As a hotel guest, I loved having insider access to the museum. Most visitors have no clue that there’s a courtyard in the upper floors, or a row of skull posters visible only to those staying overnight.
Even if you don’t book a room here, you should pop by Mumedi for the free public displays. I was enthralled by the glass cases filled with quirky textiles, photos, typography, and other design projects.
Mumedi is especially fond of playful pop culture. They recently had a photo exhibition featuring B Duck, the cute Asian avian. (Remember when I found the massive yellow ducky floating in Hong Kong’s harbor?)
One of the coolest stores I visited in Mexico City was right here, at MumediShop. The concept store is bursting with design objects from around the world, at a variety of price points.
Acting as an incubator, MumediShop puts a strong focus on young, local handmade works — like these quirky wallets above. On the upper levels, I flipped through books about fashion, photo, art and architecture.
For a nominal fee, you can enter Mumedi’s spacious gallery to see the current exhibition (and access is free to guests staying at the hotel). I was thrilled to catch “To Death With A Smile,” a collection of posters revolving around Day of the Dead themes.
The windows displayed gorgeous jewelry by Mexican artisans. The sugar skull earrings and necklaces were exquisitely made, and very tempting…
Mumedi put out a call for entries to artists around the world, and more than 5000 submitted poster designs that riffed on the theme of death. It was eye-opening to see the wide variety of interpretations in the 300 finalists. These ranged from a pointillist skull made out of ticking clocks, to a cartoon skeleton musing “Whose day am I going to ruin?”
(I’ll share more from Mumedi at the end of this post, including a peek at their creative menu. Already, I think you can see why I chose to stay at this stylish boutique hotel!)
Let’s wander outside to hunt for more skulls. Mumedi is steps from the Plaza del Zócalo, the enormous main square of Mexico City. This has been an important gathering spot for residents since the days of the Aztec.
Safety note: be aware of pickpockets, and use zippered bags that you keep close to your body. There are plenty of police officers on these streets, so there’s no cause for concern — but always be aware of your surroundings, wherever you travel.
Day of the Dead has its roots in various indigenous rituals across Mexico. This current capital was once called Tenochtitlan, and ruled by the Aztec. Locals believed in Mictecacihuatl, a fearsome goddess of death and the underworld that they appeased through offerings of food and objects.
Quite fittingly, Zocalo continued to honor the dead with an “Altar of Altars” exhibition. The square was decorated with four gigantic “ofrenda,” each representing a different regional or cultural style (the Maya, the Yaqui, Huasteca, and Michoacán).
Now that I’ve experienced Dia de los Muertos in Merida with Borderline Projects, I’m keen to see how other parts of Mexico put their own spin on the sugar skull parades.
Unlike the horror of Halloween, Mexico’s Day of the Dead is a cheery and colorful occasion. The sugar skulls are painted in rainbow hues, and they’re always grinning widely.
This happy skeleton is accompanied by a bouncing undead dog much like Scraps in The Corpse Bride movie. (Appropriately for Mexico, it appears to be a chihuahua!)
The mega-altars were temporarily erected to celebrate Day of the Dead. However, at all times of the year, Mexico City’s Zocalo has public art installations or performances.
You can also walk to nearby historic sights like the National Palace, Cathedral, Palace of the Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes), and Templo Mayor ruins, which I’ll show you in an upcoming story.
If you’re in Mexico City on November 2, you can join 800,000 people and see one of the world’s largest Day of the Dead parades. The ghostly costumes and floats will make you feel as if you’re crossed over into the realm of the dead, much like in the movie Coco.
I arrived right after these celebrations, when Centro Historico was getting ready for the Festival de Las Flores. In pre-Hispanic times, locals would make floral offerings to Xiuhtecuhtli (Lord of Flowers) to encourage bountiful crops.
In front of Templo Mayor, I was tickled to see a modern version of a tzompantli. During the Aztec era, the bloody heads of sacrificial victims were mounted onto a rack like this.
I enjoyed strolling around the historic center of Mexico City and admiring elegant buildings from past centuries. One of my favorites was the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico — you’ve got to pop in to see the Art Nouveau architecture.
Look who’s peering over the balcony: La Catrina! The “elegant skeleton” was first drawn by Mexican caricaturist José Guadalupe Posada, who poked fun at the wealthy by drawing therm as vain bags of bones. Today, La Catrina Calavera is an icon of Day of the Dead.
Look up and take in the beauty of the Art Nouveau design, which includes a Louis XV chandelier, wrought iron elevators, and Tiffany stained glass windows and ceilings from the workshop of Jacques Graber.
No wonder the lady skeleton in a feathered hat and gown feels at home here. The Dia de los Muertos altar in the lobby matched perfectly with the 19th century aristocrat atmosphere.
Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico brought out smiling paper mache skeletons to illustrate these seasonal rituals. The altar was stacked with enticing ofrenda like pan de muerto (bread of the dead, with bone shaped decor on top), tamales, sugar skulls, and orange marigold flowers.
Mexicans tend to put up photos of their ancestors, and surround them with their favorite things. While strolling around, I came across an altar honoring Bruce Lee! I wonder if they included the Hong Kong martial artist’s favorite food, beef in oyster sauce.
Then, I escaped the congestion of CDMX by taking a 30 minute Uber ride to Coyoacán, a calm borough filled with greenery and residences. Once an Aztec village known as the “place of coyotes,” this is now a peaceful historical area with plenty of parks and plazas for unwinding.
I’m wearing Bayer platform sandals by Rocketdog and a bucket hat by Lack of Color.
One of Coyoacan’s best-known attractions is the Frida Kahlo museum, aka the Blue House. The Mexican artist was born and died in her family home, which now houses some of her most important works. (There was a huge line-up for the Museo Frida Kahlo, so we decided to skip it.)
We took our time to browse Coyoacan’s many handicraft and food markets. I was drawn to these calavera de azúcar, or handmade sugar skulls decorated with vibrant colors.
These sweets represent those who have departed — small skulls for children, and larger ones for adults. During dia de los muertos, their spirits return to enjoy the offerings on the altar.
Even in pre-Columbian times, people incorporated imagery of skulls and skeletons in their art. (I’ll show you these symbols at the Anthropology Museum later on.)
Today, you can find skull-themed everything in Mexico City. Skull earrings, skeleton decor, spooky shirts… It’s a Goth shopping dream.
Perhaps you can pick up a hand-painted Catrina or sugar skull as a keepsake.
At this time of year in Mexico, you’ll feel like there is no separation between the living and dead. These skeletons look quite content as hat models.
These leather jackets with Mexican textiles, fringe and sugar skulls on the back… yes.
I found a “Feliz Navidarks” Christmas shirt from a store called Cuidado con el Perro. Couldn’t resist this funny Santa Skeleton top.
My “sugar skull hunt” culminated with the ultimate find: this towering, lit-up calavera for Celebrando La Eternidad. It guards Bosque de Chapultepec, one of city’s largest parks and an important eco space. This lush public area was once also a retreat for Aztec rulers.
In the weeks surrounding Day of the Dead, the Bosque has a number of events to celebrate eternity. These including light projections on the lake, and ancient dances by performers in skull facepaint.
I think the psychedelic skull is ready to have a disco party! His jaws are framed by humongous orange marigolds, or Cempasuchil flowers of the dead.
Every evening, I was glad to return to my home base at Mumedi. I felt re-energized at their chic restaurant, with its friendly staff and walls covered in quirky posters.
I looked forward to a leisurely breakfast every morning at Mumedi’s cafe and restaurant. You could choose from a Continental or Mexican set — I especially loved the plantain enchilada with red sauce, and chicken or egg chilaquiles with green sauce. Each platter came with fresh fruit, juice, coffee (they have almond milk), and a black bean dip with tortilla.
Mumedi serves creative lunch and dinner dishes as well, and is open late. Their “food design” is cleverly presented yet full of traditional flavor, with fresh and healthy ingredients.
Case in point: the marrow and beef tacos on blue tortillas, a green mole steak, and “avocado” pannecotta (the seed is actually made of cocoa!)
Mumedi’s To Death With a Smile exhibit is showing until January 31, and I hope you get a chance to see it. It’s fascinating how artists from all over approach death in serious, comedic, and meaningful ways. (You can check Mumedi’s calendar of events for upcoming shows.)
And don’t forget that there’s a hidden gem upstairs — Mumedi’s dreamy design hotel. If you’re traveling with a group of friends, you could book this suite with two bedrooms and a spacious lounge area.
Shout-out to the fantastic staff, who were always eager to help and left delicious baked snacks and chocolates by my pillow every night.
Gracias Mumedi for the inspiring stay — my Mexico City trip wouldn’t have been so wonderful otherwise.
Pass it along: Mumedi’s museum / shop / cafe / hotel are a must-see in CDMX. (Photos by me and Julie Hunter of Flash Fiction Kitchen.)
Have you ever seen so many skeletons in one destination? Well, there are more to come… I have Day of the Dead stories galore to share with you, from my Yucatan travels with Borderline Projects x Morbid Anatomy!
If you missed my first Dia de los Muertos post, see it here — I danced with the dead in a Merida cemetery, and encountered the supernatural…
LA CARMINA
