Date Of Visit: October 24, 2026
Location: Salem, MA (about 45 mins northeast of Boston, MA)
Summary: Day trip to Salem, MA, to experience the Halloween capital of New England.
What better way to spend an unseasonably warm day in October than to go to the Halloween mecca of New England; Salem, MA!? It was a picture perfect day to take photographs. And, as you will see in the photos, the foliage made the photos look even more appealing.
One of the first things on my itinerary was Dunk’ Donuts. But, not for the reasons you might think. For the past 2 years, the Dunkin’ Donuts in Salem, MA, has been decorated for the Halloween season. Both, the outside and inside of the donut and coffee shop has been decorated for the season.
The main pedestrian walkway and epicenter for most of the Halloween related events and shops is Essex St. You can have your photo taken with a variety of buskers and browse many of the shops along Essex St. I encountered a few of these buskers during my visit.
But, buskers weren’t the only people in costumes during my visit. Many of the tourists in Salem, were dressed for their visit! Generally, when I photograph people in costumes, I try to photograph people or other living things in unique costumes or with a different twist on a commonly worn costume.
Although Salem experienced record level visitors, with one left or right turn, you can avoid the crowds and even find some solitude. It’s amazing how taking just one turn off Essex St can not only give you some space from the crowds but you can also see some impressive homes and Halloween decorations.
This Halloween decor was a little off the beaten path. But, it was worth the walk!
Some of the best decorations were the simple yet elegant decorations, especially the door decor. I find some of the Halloween decor to be a little too in your face sometimes. Less is definitely more.
This house, known by a number of names such as the “Yellow Elephant House” bestowed on the house by followers of the home on social media (yes a house has followers) and “House of 1,000 pumpkins (you will soon see why), is one of the most photgraphed homes in Salem, especially during Halloween season.
I took photos of the house during the day time and at night to show the contrast. Since I had a long drive home, I stopped by three different times in the hopes the house would be lit up a little early. In fact, there were a group of us waiting for the lights to come on and one person messaged him the owner his Facebook page to find out when the lights would come on!
Of course, the best time to photograph the decorations are at night. This circus came to Salem. It’s a great display. But, it looks especially good at night!
There never would have been enough time for me to photograph all of the amazing homes and businesses lit up at night. But, I was able to photograph a few on the way to my car.
There are two historically notable roadways in Salem that I wanted to document; Hathorne St and Hawthorne Blvd.
You may already know that Nathaniel Hawthorne changed his name from his familial name of Nathaniel Hathorne to disassociate himself from his great-great grandfather, John Hathorne, who was instrumental in the charging and interrogation of the alleged witches in Salem, MA. But, did you know there is a street and a boulevard named after both men? Nathaniel changed the spelling of his last name in his mid 20s not only to distance himself from his family’s history but also because he was haunted by a curse he believed had been passed down to his family. He believed “blood may fairly be said to have left a stain upon him”. Yet, despite John Hathorne’s major role in the witch trials, a street with some historically relevant homes on it still bears his surname.
So, why didn’t Salem change the name of Hathorne St given the acts of John Hathorne? The street is not named in honor of John Hathorne, although he may be the most famous or notorious of the Hathorne family. Rather, it reflects the prominent, long standing footprint of the broader Hathorne family in Massachusetts history. For instance, John Hathorne’s father, Major William Hathorne, was an early, wealthy settler, military commander in King Philip’s War and a major landowner and political leader in the region. If not for him, the Hathorne’s presence and prominence may never have been a part of Salem history. Not all of the Hathorne’s left a stain on their family’s name like John did.
I think you can see why so many people visit Salem. Salem never disappoints during the Halloween season! I will close the post with a video of one of the more impressive decorations in Salem!
