Salem Draws Record 1.6 Million October Visitors

Halloween and the city's 400th anniversary helped push October 2026 visitation up 11.9% over the prior year.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Seasonal Events

Photograph of a row of brick and clapboard colonial-era buildings on a cobblestone street in autumn, with orange and red maple trees overhead. — Salem drew 1,592,896 visitors in October 2026, an 11.9% increase over the prior year, with Halloween night alone attracting 195,827 people, according to Placer.ai data. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Salem drew 1,592,896 visitors in October 2026, an 11.9% increase over October 2025, according to visitor data collected by Placer.ai and announced by Destination Salem. Halloween itself attracted 195,827 visitors on October 31, up 38.9% from 141,024 in 2025.

Why it matters

The surge reflects the city's 400th anniversary celebration and its enduring draw as a Halloween travel destination. The numbers point to strong demand for seasonal tourism in the city.

Placer.ai visitor data shows the combined September and October 2026 period drew 2,160,177 visitors, up 9.3% over 2025. The data does not break out spending or lodging figures for the period.

The players

Destination Salem

Destination Salem is the city's official tourism organization, which promotes Salem as a visitor destination and announced the October visitor figures.

Placer.ai

Placer.ai is a location analytics company that uses anonymized mobile device data to estimate foot traffic at venues and destinations.

Salem Police Department

The Salem Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency that oversees public safety in the city, including during its Halloween celebrations.

The details

Five Saturdays in October 2026 and Halloween falling on a Saturday contributed to the visitor totals. Salem Police reported no arrests on Halloween night, though officers took four people into protective custody during October celebrations.

October 2025: baseline year for the October visitor comparison.
October 2026: record October visitor count during the 400th anniversary year.
October 31, 2026: Halloween attracted 195,827 visitors.
2022 to 2026: Halloween visitor numbers grew 93.7% over five years.

Seasonal Tourism Trajectory

Salem's Halloween visitor count has grown 93.7% since 2022, according to Placer.ai data cited by Destination Salem, showing sustained growth in the city's seasonal tourism well before its 2026 anniversary. The October 2026 surge extends that multi-year climb rather than starting a new pattern.

Travelers planning a Salem visit in future Octobers can expect a busier Halloween season, with visitor numbers having climbed from 141,024 in 2025 to 195,827 in 2026. Booking lodging and transit early is practical given the sustained demand shown in the figures.

The takeaway

The October 2026 numbers show that Salem's Halloween appeal has grown substantially over the past five years, not just in its anniversary year. Visitors planning future trips should expect continued high demand during the fall season.