The short answer: Beverly gives you Salem’s October spirit without Salem’s October crowds. That’s the case Massachusetts native Carley Thornell made in Business Insider this month, after a three-day family stay at the Wylie Inn. Salem’s center is about three miles away, so you can still see the witch trial sites by day and come back to a quiet room by the ocean at night.
As featured in Business Insider: read Carley Thornell’s full story.
Why locals plan around Salem in October
Salem draws roughly a million visitors every October, according to the article, and the narrow streets and scarce parking show it. Thornell, who grew up in Massachusetts, says she usually avoids the city from September into early November. Her fix was simple: stay next door.
Beverly has the Halloween spirit, minus the line
Thornell came away calling Beverly “a must-visit destination in its own right.” A few of the places she highlighted:
- Halloween on the Hill at Long Hill. For most of October, the paths of this 114-acre Trustees estate glow with hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns, twinkling lights and cider.
- Cabot House. An 18th-century Georgian mansion and the first brick home built in Beverly, run by Historic Beverly.
- Downtown Beverly. Independent restaurants, family-owned boutiques and historic architecture, without the holiday crowds.
- The woods with a 1692 story. During the witch trials, families fled to the forest outside town, which is how it came to be called Witches’ Woods.
Where she stayed: the Wylie Inn
The family made the Wylie Inn their home base. The Inn sits on Endicott College’s seaside campus with direct beach access. Thornell noted that most late-October rates came in below what she’d paid in Salem, and that parking is free, so there’s no circling for a garage spot.
Where to eat
She recommends Flip the Bird for crispy chicken sandwiches and frappes, and Prides Crossing Confections, a family-owned candy shop inside a former train station, for Halloween treats.
Getting to Salem from the Wylie Inn
Beverly’s train stations have direct trains to Salem that take about five minutes, and the MBTA adds cars, departures and discounted fares in October. By car it’s about 15 minutes, longer in holiday traffic. For more on timing your visit, see our guide to Salem in October, without the three-hour line.
Plan your October escape. See rooms at the Wylie Inn, check current specials, or explore the North Shore.