Featured image: Pickering Wharf in Salem. Image source: Destination Salem.

Pickering Wharf brings together a remarkable amount of Salem in one waterfront neighborhood: artists and makers, witch shops, seafood restaurants, a yarn shop, a haunted attraction, harbor cruises and places to stop for something sweet. Along Wharf Street, the adjoining Derby Street storefronts and the Congress Street docks, there are plenty of reasons to build a waterfront visit into an October day in Salem.

At the Haunted Happenings Marketplace, we want visitors to spend time with the local businesses that help make this city worth exploring. Creative Collective produces the Marketplace, and several of our members call Pickering Wharf home. We’re giving those members a little extra attention here, alongside the neighboring businesses that make a walk around the wharf a day of its own.

Member features are identified below. These businesses set their own hours and booking requirements; inclusion in this guide does not mean they are Marketplace vendors. We do our best to include a wide range of local businesses, but this guide is only a starting point. Salem has many more wonderful options to discover, and we encourage you to keep exploring.

Make something and meet Salem’s creative community

The Witchery and its neighboring creative spaces

Creative Collective member · 86 Wharf Street

A handmade broom or a journal you bound yourself carries a different kind of memory home. The Witchery offers artisan-guided broom-making and leather bookbinding workshops, with choices of materials and embellishments that make each project personal. Check the workshop’s age requirements and reserve before building your day around a session.

The Witchery’s related spaces give visitors two more ways to spend time on the wharf. Craft Witch, at 102 Wharf Street, offers self-guided projects such as spell jars, altar brooms and tarot boxes. Tarot Cove, at 61 Wharf Street, is its reading room and gathering space for readings, lessons and community events. Each has its own offerings and booking details.

Circle of Stitches

Creative Collective member · 78 Wharf Street

Circle of Stitches combines a yarn shop with a witchy boutique, bringing fiber arts and Salem’s magical side into the same space. Browse yarn for a new project, explore the shop’s other goods or check its knitting and crochet classes. For visitors who make things, this is a chance to bring home the beginning of a project and keep a little of the trip going after the bags are unpacked.

Salem Arts Association

Creative Collective member · 88 Wharf Street

Salem Arts Association gives local and regional artists a place to share their work through exhibitions and a gallery shop. The volunteer-driven nonprofit’s current home is right on Pickering Wharf, where visitors can browse original art, photography, crafts, jewelry and gifts. Gallery admission is free. Take time with the work: buying from the shop is one practical way to support the people making art in this community.

Shop for something with a little personality

Coven Dark Boutique

Creative Collective member · 63B Wharf Street

Coven brings dark and alternative fashion to the wharf, with clothing, makeup, jewelry, accessories and gifts. It’s a useful stop for anyone building a Salem outfit or looking for something that belongs in their everyday wardrobe long after October. Leave room to browse the details; a smaller accessory can be just as much a find as a whole new look.

Timeless Life Treasures by Kae Louise

Creative Collective member · 68 Wharf Street

Timeless Life Treasures offers fine, fashion and estate jewelry, handmade giftware and Salem keepsakes. It’s a place to look for a personal gift or a piece that marks the visit. Give yourself time to ask about the selection and find something with meaning for the person who will wear it.

Keep exploring the neighboring shops, too. Their different specialties are part of what makes this district work:

• SalemArt, 57 Wharf Street, stocks fine-art and craft supplies, including paint, drawing materials and papers. Artists can replenish a favorite material or find a reason to try something new.
• The Cauldron Black, 65 Wharf Street, carries occult goods, books, art and home decor, with consultations and classes available through its own schedule.
• House of Boo, 75 Wharf Street, celebrates Halloween and horror culture through gifts, collectibles, bags, plush toys and decor.
• The Ossuary, 77 Wharf Street, brings gothic fashion, corsetry, gowns, occasion wear and gifts to the waterfront. It is the sister store of Creative Collective member Die With Your Boots On.
• Partridge in a Bear Tree, 82 Wharf Street, is a stop for holiday decor, candles, souvenirs and gifts, including Halloween, Christmas and nautical finds.
• Enchanted, 98 Wharf Street, is Laurie Cabot’s home store, with handcrafted goods by Laurie and Penny Cabot, herbs, oils, candles, crystals, jewelry and tarot decks. Consult the shop for its reading offerings.
• The Wicked Wardrobe, 201 Derby Street, on the district’s Derby Street edge, offers alternative and vintage consignment alongside locally made jewelry, art and accessories.

Add a scare or book time with an artist

Chambers of Terror

Creative Collective member · Wharf Street

Chambers of Terror brings a haunted-house experience to the wharf, with ghost-story and walking-tour offerings also listed on its website. This is a stop to plan around your group’s appetite for scares. Review the current tickets, meeting instructions and suitability information before booking, rather than assuming every experience runs on the same schedule.

The waterfront also includes working tattoo studios. HEMLOCK, at 96 Wharf Street, operates by appointment; contact the individual artist to arrange a visit. Salem Ink, at 201 Derby Street, offers custom tattoo work and an art-gallery setting. Review artist portfolios and arrange a consultation when possible; walk-in availability can change.

Make time for a meal and a treat

POPPED! Gourmet Popcorn

Creative Collective member · 84 Wharf Street

POPPED! is a family-owned popcorn, ice cream and candy shop where the popcorn is made in small batches in-house. In our 2026 member interview, Matthew Mattera shared how he and Sarah bring their different strengths to the business, with Sarah developing the popcorn flavors. The shop celebrates ten years in 2026. Pick up a snack for the walk, an ice cream or a bag to bring home to someone who couldn’t make the trip.

Finz Seafood and Grill

Creative Collective member · 86 Wharf Street

Finz pairs harbor views with seafood, a raw bar and sushi. It’s a reason to give lunch or dinner its own place in the itinerary instead of squeezing it between everything else. Browse the current menu, check reservations and let the waterfront be part of the meal. Outdoor dining is seasonal, so confirm seating options directly.

Sea Level Oyster Bar

Creative Collective member · 94 Wharf Street

Sea Level Oyster Bar looks out over Salem Harbor from two floors, with a seafood and raw-bar menu that also includes pizzas and sandwiches. That range makes it worth a look when a group wants different things. Check the current menu and reservations before heading over, and ask about seasonal patio seating if that is part of your plan.

There are several more ways to fit food and drink into the walk:

• Amazing Pizza, 62 Wharf Street, serves artisan thin-crust pizzas, Italian dishes and sandwiches, with dine-in and takeout options.
• Longboards Restaurant and Bar, 76 Wharf Street, offers casual waterfront dining, lobster rolls and its signature flatbread pizzas. The restaurant also lists shuffleboard, darts and arcade games.
• Jaho Coffee Roaster and Bakery, 197 Derby Street, is the Salem-founded company’s Pickering Wharf location. Make it a coffee stop as you enter or leave the neighborhood.
• Brodie’s Seaport, 215 Derby Street, offers seafood, burgers, sandwiches and pizza along the wharf’s Derby Street edge. Check its own calendar for music and other programming.

Looking for plant-based options elsewhere in your Salem day? Our guide to vegan food, treats and desserts includes additional stops and the ordering details worth checking.

Stay on the waterfront or stop at the hotel restaurant

Salem Waterfront Hotel and Suites

Creative Collective member · 225 Derby Street

Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites puts overnight visitors on Pickering Wharf, close to the district’s shops and restaurants. Rooms and suites, an indoor pool and the waterfront location make it an option to consider when a day trip feels too short. Check directly for availability and the details of the room or package you’re booking.

The hotel’s Mainstay Social is also a dining destination, with New England favorites, American bistro dishes, seafood and a full bar. Its patio adds another outdoor option when available. If you remember the name Regatta Pub, Mainstay Social is the current restaurant name to look for.

Make a night of it at Wicked Night on the Wharf

Visiting on Saturday, October 24, 2026? Save room in your plans for Wicked Night on the Wharf: UNTAMED at Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites, with Creative Collective member Harrington Events. This year’s haunted-jungle theme brings music, dancing, immersive entertainment and a costume contest hosted by Billy Costa to the waterfront. Explore the shops and restaurants during the day, then return in costume for an evening on the wharf.

The party takes place at 225 Derby Street and is a ticketed event for ages 21 and older, with general admission and VIP options. See ticket options for Wicked Night on the Wharf.

See the neighborhood from the harbor

Mahi Cruises offers harbor outings and private events from Pickering Wharf, with sightseeing, sunset and seasonal themed options. Its ticket booth is at 23 Congress Street; use the instructions for your specific sailing to confirm check-in and boarding. Cruise schedules vary with the season, so book the experience that actually fits your visit.

Slow Wake Society offers captain-led private charters on quiet electric boats for groups of up to six. Boats depart from the Congress Street Dock at 23 Congress Street. It’s another way to build time on the water into the day; check current availability and trip details directly.

For readers arriving by boat, Pickering Wharf Marina, whose physical address is 68 Wharf Street, offers dockage near the shops and restaurants, including lunch and dinner docking options. Check the marina’s current docking instructions and availability before you go.

A few adjoining waterfront stops

The edge of a neighborhood is an invitation to keep walking. These stops adjoin the wharf, with their locations noted so you can plan the route:

• Waite & Peirce Park Store, 193 Derby Street, sits beside the national park’s Derby Wharf area. Browse maritime-themed goods, books, historical reproductions and gifts.
• Bunghole Liquors, 204 Derby Street, is across Derby Street, with beer, wine, spirits and branded souvenirs. Alcohol purchases are for adults 21 and older.
• Antique Table Asado, 26 Congress Street, is an adjoining Congress Street dining option with tapas, pastas, steaks and Latin American dishes.

Build a waterfront visit into your Salem day

Choose a workshop, a gallery or a shop you really want time for, then leave room around it. Pickering Wharf lends itself to a day that can change as you go: a new knitting project, a piece of local art, lunch with a harbor view or a boat trip booked in advance. A few purchases spread across the neighborhood can introduce you to very different parts of Salem’s creative community.

Before you leave, check each business’s current hours and reservations, along with the City of Salem’s October transportation and parking guidance. Use our October events calendar and Marketplace visitor FAQ to connect the waterfront with the rest of your visit.

Come for the harbor, and make time for the people working around it. Stop in, ask about what they make, and bring a little of their Salem home with you.

Marketplace credits

The Haunted Happenings Marketplace is produced by Creative Collective.
Designs by Bats In The Belfry Crafts
Festival Partner: Salem Night Tour
Title Sponsors: Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry & Salem Wax / Haunted Neighborhood, with Trolley Depot
Overall Sponsor: Prime Group Shetland Park

“Haunted Happenings” is a name owned by BPM Productions, Inc. and used by Creative Collective with permission.