City Hall

IMPORTANT This location is City Hall, the government center of Salem, MA. This is a gray stone building in a Greek Revival style with the words City Hall written on the building. Many other visitors have post reviews about a different place, Town Hall, to this location. That is a red brick building with the words Town Hall on the building. I do not know how so many people are confusing the two locations when they look nothing alike and even have their names on the building. But if you are visiting Salem, please make sure you know whether you are going to City Hall or Town Hall.

I have no particular reason for knowing this place better than anyone else reading or writing these reviews. First, as a statement of fact, this is a building. It features exterior stairs that make for a great place to write stuff at midnight while enjoying the free wifi. There is an ADA-proper entrance around the back go down the alley to the left. If you're in emergency need of menstrual products, as of May 2023, there is a well-stocked dispenser in the accessible bathroom on the second floor. Second, it's a building built in 1836 after the federal government oopsied its revenue projetions and decided public works projects were just the thing to throw free money at boy were they right. The initial building was 100% federally funded and didn't cost taxpayers a dime. It's also the second oldest operationally sustained municipal building in the country,, with City Hall in Manhattan having it beat by a couple decades. After a while, City Hall was expanded massively I think 50-someodd years later. If you stand in the first floor hallway and walk half the length of the building and look up, you can see one of the original exterior windows still preserved and now as functionally useful as all them tunnels nobody's allowed to talk about. There are also distinct differences in the basement, where the original 1836 basement is much more dated than the one built a half-century later FYI, you won't be getting into the basement. Third, if you see the custodial staff, be very, very, very nice to them. They all commune after hours with ghosts and stuff to keep the Sanderson sisters at bay I told you, there's no going into the basement. Ghostbusters installed a vault down there in 1994 to help aid the then-Disney-besieged city, but the documentary to follow was cancelled because of the year's MLB strike. Some also say this is what led to the Samantha statue showing up, after they did that thing with the crossing of the beams or whatever to give Elizabeth Montgomery the ol' Han Solo freezeroo. Point is, you do NOT want to be on the wrong side of the kind of energy that protects the custodial staff here. There /is/ a ley line running under the building, after all. Fourth, sneaking around offices and eating everyone's lunch is generally frowned upon generally, and some will act particularly unkind to folks who do this see the purchasing department; they hate having to procure another lunch without warning. The "corner office" is a reference to the office in the corner. Sometimes custodians will ask you which corner, and if you don't answer correctly, they feed you to the Sanderson sisters. The tacks collector is responsible for posting meeting notices on the meeting notice bulletin board on the first floor, where they post meeting notices using tacks. This guy has a monopoly on that job, and it isn't fair if you really consider it. If you see anyone who looks like a newspaper reporter, disable their device's wifi and give a hearty cackle. The ghosts in the basement really like that. And if there is ANYTHING you remember after getting this far into this review, it's that the custodians are pretty great and worth an awkward thumbs up if that's your jam. If anybody tells you anything connecting this building to the Witch Trials, tell them their tour is bad and ask for a refund.

NEVER AGAIN!! Touring historic sections of Salem with my girlfriend today 5-1-23. NO BATHROOMS AVAILABLE!! ALL public bathrooms are shut down. Restaurants have code locks on doors for customers only. Even construction portolets have lock.on them OR someone has deficated all over interior, and oh, by the way, taken all the TP. If you go to the bathroom, pass Salem MA by!!!

A stunning building that has served multiple uses in Salem's history. Most known for its appearance in Hocus Pocus and on German television. The building now houses a small museum and serves as a backdrop for many of Salem's festivals.

I have never been more disappointed in a City - We traveled from Utah to Boston for a 6 day vacation- we have loved every minute of our visit until our last day!!! We rented a car and drove to Salem…. It was a complete 100% disappointment- I felt like I was at a Goth Festival- But even more disturbing than the lack of good family activity- We had couldn’t find a restroom in downtown Salem! We walked the entire Redline and finally found one in the Witch city mall. It was unmarked and had a homeless person sleeping on the floor of the men’s restroom. Hey!!!! If you like Satanic shops and Goth and dark spirits this is your town! But In my humble opinion, the city forefathers would be rolling over in their graves if they saw the museum’s and shops in this city!!!! F-

As a salem local I frequently share the road with the Salem trolley and rarely have issues. Today however, the woman driving the trolley with plate number 11AAW at 145pm observed me trying to back out of my driveway..looked at me...then moved up blocking me into the wrong lane of traffic..because that 5 ft was more important to her then people's safety. Perhaps she would benefit from a discussion about community relations.

I really love this city. People are very friendly, helpful and assist you in everything right away. Parking is a bit tuff but other than that, excellent.

Had a wonderful farmers market on Thursday that opens at 3pm sharp. No early sales. Bought some wonderful bread and they had fresh lobster at a cheap price. Lots of fresh vegetables also.

Wishing all the amazing Constituents of Salem a Happy and Prosperous Saint Patrick's Day. Sincerely yours, Committee to Elect Melissa Faulkner for Councilor At Large

A classic space in downtown Salem that is usually open for special events dances, parties, etc but also does a regularly business in farmers markets, flea markets and other great activities.