Our legendary October Performances have been gracing the halls of our historic homes for over two decades. Over this time, our staff, cast, and crew have been delighted to share Hawthorne’s stories with generations of visitors. We will not offer these programs in 2021 and will take the year to assess whether to offer them again in future years. The decision not to offer these unique programs that, over the course of two decades visitors and cast have grown to love, was very difficult. Our work with Anne Lucas and each of you will be a lasting legacy at our historic site and within Salem’s Haunted Happenings programming.
A variety of factors helped to inform our decision. As October in Salem has grown, so has the quantity and quality of programming that is available for all ages on weekend nights. We have seen more and more organizations and businesses offer visitors a chance to experience many facets of Salem’s history through theatrical programming. These other programs compete with ours not just for attendance, but also for labor, and have made it increasingly difficult to secure cast and crew.
For our visitors: tickets will be available in early summer and we look forward to welcoming you back for our last shows.
For our cast and crew over the years: we would like to show our gratitude with a cast and crew reunion on October 8, 2020. Please save-the-date! We’d love to raise a glass with you and give you a chance to preview the 2020 performances. If you’d like to be considered for a role in the final season, please email Anne Lucas (AML27@comcast.net). It would be wonderful to bring some of our legendary characters back! We will have strong publicity and outreach about the potential retirement of the performances, encouraging visitors to take what may be the last opportunity to savor our history in this unique way.