Salem's Oldest Cemetery Is Capping Visitors

SALEM, MA — The amount of people allowed inside the Charter Street Cemetery will be limited this weekend through Halloween, per police order.

No more than 100 people will be allowed in at any one time from Friday, Oct. 27-Tues., Oct. 31. This is being done "in recognition of the City’s efforts to undertake historic preservation work in the cemetery over the past two years and in the year ahead."

You will only be able to enter the cemetery Charter Street gate. The gate at the Witch Trials Memorial on Liberty Street will be for exiting only.

The cemetery will be closed from sunset until 10 a.m.

Salem also year initiated a project to preserve and restore endangered historic headstones and tombs. A $600,000 preservation and restoration project was then launched.

The Burying Point includes the graves of Salem witch trial judges. It was established well over 350 years ago.

The following regulations have been offered as a reminder:

1. Entry after sunset is prohibited.
2. Grave rubbing is prohibited.
3. Sitting, climbing, or standing on headstones, fences, and tombs is prohibited.
4. Open flames of any kind are prohibited.
5. Please be respectful of the space: remain on paths only and do not place trash or food on tombs, headstones, or on the ground.
6. Theft of objects from the cemetery and vandalism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.