How to have a FOMO-free visit to Salem, MA

Pinterest is a wonderful social media platform, but is it giving you FOMO? Are you seeing images of Salem, MA and wanting to make sure you visit those same landmarks? Worried you’ll miss something big? FOMO means “fear of missing out” and today on the blog, we’re going to go over a FOMO-free visit to Salem!

In case you couldn’t tell, this post is a little silly. However, if you see pictures on social media and are worried about missing out on “must see” or “must do” items, this is for you. If you want to make sure that you have social media worthy pics, you should probably check out the following.

Snap a selfie with Samantha

The girl is always having her picture taken. Swing by the Samantha Stephens/Bewitched statue at the intersection of Essex and Washington to check it out.

Salem’s Black Hat Society and other Salem buskers

It’s hard to miss Borah yelling loudly on Essex street and generally harassing tourists. Or MrBones of Salem with his huge wings and skeleton mask. Sort of hard to walk past Steve the vampire pretending to be a statue and scaring people who don’t know better. Be sure you snap some pictures with Salem’s beloved buskers to show your friends how the witch city does Halloween!

Stay in Salem

It wouldn’t truly be “FOMO-free” without actually staying IN Salem. Sure, driving in or taking the train in is definitely an option, but to really get the experience, you should try to stay in the witch city if possible.

Wander by The Witch House

The Witch House is the only publicly accessible structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the witch trials. Your visit wouldn’t be complete without wandering inside of it or at least snapping a pic from the outside!

Salem’s most beloved treats

Goodnight Fatty. ‘Nuff said. Swing by when they’re slinging their delicious treats on weekends at their Carriage House location and grab yourself the best cookies you’ll ever have.

Breakfast at Red’s OR the Ugly Mug Diner

These two spots seem to be Salem’s most loved breakfast joints. I see the question asked in my Facebook group, on my social media, etc. and it always largely comes down to Red’s or the Ugly Mug. They both have delicious food, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard to make a bad decision here, but if I had to pick, I’d personally go with the Ugly Mug.

Go on a walking tour

A FOMO-free trip wouldn’t be complete without one. Salem offers many different tours, some scary, some focused on food, others more on history. You can check out some of your options here.

Visit during October or the fall

Everyone loves a fall visit to Salem, of course. If you’re able to make your trip happen during October and don’t mind the crowds then go for it! It’s the best time to come into the witch city, if you ask me!

Climb the staircase at the House of the Seven Gables

The tour at the Gables is one of my favorites and I’m always more than happy to recommend it to people. Swing over there, check out the gorgeous property and gift shop (<–one of my favorites!), climb the hidden staircase and more.

It’s just a bunch of Hocus Pocus

About a half a dozen spots around Salem were used as filming locations for the cult classic “Hocus Pocus” and they’re very popular spots to visit. It wouldn’t be a complete trip without at least checking out a few.

Tip: If you’d rather see them from the Salem Trolley, the regular route does take you by a handful of them.

How can you avoid FOMO?

That’s an easy one: plan ahead and book early. This goes 100000x over if you’re visiting in the fall.

What are your suggestions for a FOMO-free visit into the city? Feel free to comment below and enjoy!! <3