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I visited Salem, Massachusetts, two weeks ago for a family vacation. My brother’s wedding was the main reason for the trip, but we had a couple of extra days to explore and go on an adventure. For that time, our destination of choice was the historic and famously haunted town of Salem.

We all woke up and got ready at 4 a.m. because we were told that traffic there is outrageous during the Halloween season. From where we were staying, we were about an hour away from Salem, so we arrived around 5 a.m. to find the streets completely empty. No stores or restaurants were open except for one, so we figured we might as well eat since everyone was hungry from the early start.

The restaurant we found was called Red’s Sandwich Shop. After breakfast, the bill came to about $200, which was baffling, considering the food wasn’t great. I honestly wouldn’t recommend it.

After eating, everything in town was still closed, so we made our way to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. The twenty people who were executed during the trials for the accusation of practicing witchcraft are honored there. One of them was actually a relative of mine — Susannah Martin. She was accused several times of abuse and of trying to recruit Joseph and Jarvis Ring into witchcraft.

As I walked through the memorial, I noticed something fascinating: every single stone had a tiny black crow figurine resting on it. It added an eerie, beautiful touch to the quiet morning.

After exploring the memorial, my family and I went to the Ropes Mansion, which is where the town started to wake up, and more visitors arrived. Behind the mansion was a stunning garden, lush and full of life — even in fall. The grass was bright green, the flowers were still blooming, and the air smelled fresh and earthy. We couldn’t enter the house itself, but the garden was open to the public for photos and admiring. My sister and I took a few pictures before continuing our walk through Salem.

We passed several historic houses — the House of the Seven Gables, the Gardner-Pingree House, the Pickering House, and the Witch House. None of them were open to go inside that early, but they were all beautiful to see up close.

After sightseeing, we headed toward Liberty Street. It was closed to cars because there were several attractions where people could walk around freely. My dad loves all things scary — but I do not. Everyone who knows me knows I’m easily frightened. Still, when my dad suggested going into a haunted house called Frankenstein’s Castle, my sister and I agreed to go with him so he wouldn’t have to go alone.

When we entered the “castle,” I started feeling nervous right away. It was really just a dark hallway filled with flashing lights and creepy sounds. There were only one or two live actors, but that was more than enough to scare me. The whole time, my sister and I made my dad lead the way. I clung to his shirt from behind while my sister held onto my arm.

The experience was terrifying yet hilarious because my sister was screaming nonstop from start to finish. Toward the end, I saw a staircase and felt so relieved — the screaming (hers and mine) was giving me a headache. But just as we reached the stairs, I heard the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw.

Without thinking, I pushed my dad aside and bolted for the exit, leaving both him and my sister behind. When they finally caught up, we were all doubled over laughing. It was terrifying, hilarious, and completely unforgettable—an experience that perfectly summed up Salem itself: spooky, historic, and full of life.