Destination Salem Opens New Info Center In Time For Halloween Rush

SALEM, MA — The new Destination Salem information center opened this past week just in time for perhaps the city's busiest tourist weekend ever.

Visitation was already up more than 80 percent over 2021 counts heading into a warm and sunny weekend that just may have been an all-timer. Salem officials sent out word early Saturday afternoon that all municipal parking lots — including the Salem commuter rail lot and three satellite lots with more than 800 spaces — were full with many downtown streets closed to traffic.

Taking the commuter rail from one of the stations outside of the city was promoted as the only legitimate route to seeing all the spooky sites downtown.

(Also on Patch: Salem Halloween: What To Know If You Are Making The Witch City Trip)

With another stretch of sunny and seasonable weather expected heading into next weekend, the crowds will continue to flood the Witch City. But the Destination Salem information center will be open to help from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Destination Salem has served as the city's official office of tourism and cultural affairs since 1998.

"We are looking forward to this new role for the organization,” Destination Salem Executive Director Kate Fox said. "There is so much to do in Salem year-round, and we want to help visitors get the most out of their visit."

The information center will include brochures, maps and event schedules with information specialists on hand to help.

There are also new public bathrooms open year-round adjacent to the information center.

While the center is fully functional during the Halloween onslaught in the holiday's unofficial hometown, a more formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for when things calm down just a bit on Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)