Salem predicts record number of visitors this October

SALEM - Salem is laying out the plans to welcome the surge of visitors who will hit the city between now and Halloween. Salem's mayor and police chief are predicting a record number of visitors this year.

They say while Halloween may be about six weeks away, it may be smart to start planning your trip now. On the average weekend day last year, the Witch City saw between 65,000 and 100,000 tourists.

Visitors urged to take public transportation

There are only about 4,000 public parking spots and officials are urging everyone to take a train, bus, or ferry to visit.

During October weekends, the 150-passenger ferry that travels between Salem and Long Wharf in Boston will be replaced with 600-passenger ferries. For those on the South Shore, there will be a second ferry from Hingham to Salem.

Keolis will also run extra commuter rail trains between North Station and Salem.

New parking enforcement in the city

If you are driving, the city warns there will be parking enforcement.

"New this year we will be conducting parking enforcement with automated license plate readers," said Mayor Dominick Pangallo. "So, if you park illegally, including parking on a resident-only street, you're almost certainly going to get a ticket and possibly a tow as well. So don't risk it and ruin your visit."

Police say you can also expect to see extra drunk driving patrols in the city.

The Destination Salem app provides real-time information about when attractions sell out, garages are full and when roads close.