Menu

Getting Here

MassPoetryFestival2023photosbyCreativeCollective-7183

Getting to Salem

Please keep in mind that many hotels are booked up for wedding season and the start of summer tourism! If you prefer a hotel room, please reach out to local hotels as soon as possible. There are also hotels available in surrounding towns (such as Danvers, Beverly, and Peabody). Please be aware if you are staying outside of Salem that Saturday traffic in Salem can be significant and parking spaces are limited. We recommend planning to arrive an hour or so before the start of the event you plan on attending, especially if your event is at peak afternoon times. You can find more information about Salem Garages at the links above. Parking around the Salem Common is free if you arrive in town early enough.

Airport: Boston Logan International Airport is the closest large airport to Salem. Logan is about 45 mins to an hour away from downtown by public transportation (shuttle, subway and commuter rail), and 30-45 mins by car depending on traffic. Salem is also accessible by public transportation from TF Green Airport in RI (1-3 hours by transit, 1.5-2 hours by car). Beverly Airport nearby is accessible via taxi or rideshare. 

Car/Ground: https://www.salem.org/travel-info/directions/

Public transportation: 

Transportations on the Massachusetts North Shore include MBTA commuter rail and bus service. Closer to Boston there is also a subway option (The T). In addition, Ferry service connects Boston to Salem. The ferry station in Boston is near the T’s Aquarium stop on the blue line, and docks a short walking distance from most Festival events. 

In Salem, options for getting around include rideshare, MBTA buses, Bluebikes, and the Salem Skipper, a low-priced local rideshare option. 

For more information public transportation, please visit Destination Salem’s website: https://www.salem.org/transportation/

Or the MBTA: https://www.mbta.com/

Parking: It can be difficult to park in Salem, we highly recommend using public transportation if that is an option. For more information on parking in Salem, including the location of city lots and garages, please visit: https://www.salem.org/travel-info/parking/

Please be aware if you are staying outside of Salem that Saturday traffic in Salem can be significant and parking spaces are limited. We recommend planning to arrive an hour or so before the start of the event you plan on attending, especially if your event is at peak afternoon times. You can find more information about Salem Garages at the links above. Parking around the Salem Common is free if you arrive in town early enough.

Where to Stay 

Salem State has graciously opened up their dorm rooms for the Festival! 

They are offering single rooms in dorm suites at a nightly rate of $60; linens are provided with an additional one-time payment of $25.

Please book your room by doing all three of the following in this order:

1) First, please e-mail John Silveria, Associate Dean, at [email protected] to let him know of your intentions to book for X-number of nights, along with the linen fee, to attend the 2025 Massachusetts Poetry Festival. Also, you may direct any inquiries specifically pertaining to your accommodations or booking to John.

2) Use the credit card payment link below and enter the total cost for the number of nights that you are booking (i.e. 1 night is $60, 2 nights is $120, 3 nights is $180, and so forth) and add in the $25 one-time linen fee to that nightly total. For example, if you plan on booking 2 nights, your total would be $145 (2 nights at $120 + $25 for linens): https://secure.touchnet.com/C21326_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=4&SINGLESTORE=true

3) After clicking “checkout” be sure to list “2025 Massachusetts Poetry Festival” in the field requesting the Conference event name, before moving forward to complete the transaction.

Other Accommodations in Salem 

Please keep in mind that many hotels are booked up for wedding season and the start of summer tourism! If you prefer a hotel room, please reach out to local hotels as soon as possible. There are also hotels available in surrounding towns (such as Danvers, Beverly, and Peabody).

https://www.salem.org/places-to-stay

Where to Eat

Follow these links for lists of local bars and restaurants: 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60954-Salem_Massachusetts.html (button)

Explore Salem

Emergency Numbers

  • Emergency: 911
  • Salem Police: 978-744-1212
  • Salem Fire Emergency: 978-744-1234