SALEM, MASS. (WHDH) - The City of Salem was once again packed on Halloween night as thousands of costumed visitors filled the streets Monday.
Revelers in creative costumes of all kinds filled the streets in what were forecasted to be record-breaking crowds, from skeletons and witches to silver screen regulars like Frankenstein’s monster and Beetlejuice.
Thousands of tourists returned to the city in force for the past month, after COVID either canceled or curtailed festivities for the last two years.
This Halloween marked a sort of paranormal normalcy for the area. With city officials reporting record crowds in the lead-up to the final week, this October saw an especially packed Salem, making getting around more of a trick than a treat.
“We’ve never seen it this crowded, ever,” said Steve Earougi, who comes to Salem every year. “Yeah, this is nuts. You can’t even walk down the street in most places.”
“We haven’t touched our car since we checked into the hotel – walking down the street, it’s shoulder-to-shoulder people, it’s insanity,” said Whitney Stedman.
Parking garages in downtown Salem often reached capacity before 11 a.m. — one of several reasons city officials urged visitors to take to the railway or ferry when coming into town.
Debbie Hoyas, visiting from New York, said she did not know what to expect coming to Salem for the first time. She said crazy crowds aside, the city now has her under its spell.
“I anticipated I would love it and I really love it,” Hoyas said. “Like, I want to come back every year for Halloween.”
All signs are pointing to a record-breaking October for the city. Heading into the final stretch, officials said Salem welcomed nearly 700,000 total guests as of Wednesday, Oct. 26: 9% more when compared to visitor totals over the same period of time last year.
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