From Witch City

Parking in Salem, MA Where to park, what it costs, and where you'll get towed

Updated October 2026 · By Zach, who lives here

Short answer: On an October weekend, take the train, or park free at 108 Jefferson Ave and walk about five minutes. There's no city shuttle this year. If you live here, open the Passport Parking app and make sure it knows you're a resident. Registered residents park free at the city's October weekend lots. And don't leave your car on a resident-only street without the permit. That's where people get towed.

I live here. Most parking advice for Salem is "don't drive," which doesn't help much when your car lives here too. So this guide puts neighbors first, then visitors. Every rate below has a source and a date. Where I couldn't confirm a number for 2026, I say so.

If you live here

Get Passport to recognize you

Salem pays for parking through the Passport Parking app. The resident rate isn't automatic: staff told the Transportation Commission in January that you have to be registered as a resident in the app to get it, and that it covers you in any zone as long as you and your car are registered to a Salem address. Add your plate, check for the resident rate, and if it's not there, email residentparking@salem.com or visit the Parking Office at 1 New Liberty Street, (978) 745-8120.

One thing that trips people up: "Beep Beep Salem" is Salem, Oregon. Wrong app.

The October resident permit

It's free and tied to your plate. If your car had one in 2025, it renewed automatically for 2026. If not, apply through the city's Passport Customer Portal at salemma.cmrpay.com and choose "October Resident." You'll need your license, proof of address and a registration at an eligible address. This year it runs September 15 to November 1.

Visitor permits are $10, one per residence, and they did not auto-renew. If you want one this year, buy it again.

Downtown residents with no on-street parking can rent a reserved October space at Museum Place for an extra fee.

Year-round permit streets

Some streets, mostly downtown, by the water and around Salem State, are resident-permit parking all year. The zones were redrawn in 2024, and a permit only works in your own zone. Ask the Parking Office for the current price.

How locals get through October

  • Do errands on a weekday, and on Highland Ave, where none of this applies.
  • If you're downtown, move your car Friday night before Halloween.
  • No street sweeping in October. Fall sweeping starts Monday, November 2, on the day after your trash day, 7am to 3pm, with posted tow zones. The city's lookup tool has your date.
  • The Salem Skipper is still running for now. In September the city got another $1 million from MassDOT to keep it going "for additional months." Rides are $2, or $1 for seniors, students and riders with disabilities.

Where you'll get towed

  • Resident-permit streets. From September 15 to November 1, resident-only rules apply Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7am and on weekends from noon to 7am. The fine is $75 now; $100 voted by the Transportation Commission, pending at the City Council. When locals answer parking questions in the visitor groups, "never park on a resident-only street" comes up in almost half of them.
  • Event tow zones. Parade and Halloween routes post tow-away times. On October 1, Front Street was a tow zone from 7am. Read the orange signs.
  • 108 Jefferson Ave on a weekday. Free on weekends, towed on weekdays.
  • Downtown on Halloween. Downtown streets close to all traffic by noon on Saturday, October 31. If your car is on one of them, move it Friday night.
  • 15-minute takeout spaces. Some downtown spaces are posted for 15-minute pickup only. They mean it.

If you're visiting

Take the train if you can

The commuter rail from North Station takes about 30 minutes. A one-way ticket is $8. On Saturdays and Sundays the $10 Weekend Pass covers unlimited rides on every line. The MBTA runs extra Salem trains every weekend in October, and bikes and scooters aren't allowed on Newburyport/Rockport trains through November 1. The full how-to is in Getting to Salem without a car.

If you have to drive, park before you reach downtown

  • Beverly MBTA garage, 10 Park St, Beverly. $4 on weekdays, $2 on weekends. Salem is one stop away, and every October weekend there's a $5 Beverly-to-Salem round-trip train ticket.
  • 108 Jefferson Ave, Salem. Free on Saturdays and Sundays in October and on Indigenous Peoples' Day. The city puts it about a 5-minute walk from downtown. Spaces are limited. It is closed to the public Monday through Friday, and the city says you will be towed. There is no shuttle from it this year.
  • MBTA Salem station garage, 252 Bridge St. 698 spaces. $5 on weekdays, $2 on weekends, paid through PayByPhone (location 4475). In 2025, Destination Salem's guide listed a $40 October-weekend visitor rate here; no 2026 October rate has been posted. It closes to cars on Halloween night (see the Halloween guide).

Downtown garages

GarageAddressUsual rateOctober weekends
Museum Place1 New Liberty St$1.25/hr (2025) 2025: $20 for 2 hours or less, $50 for more. 2026 not posted
South Harbor10 Congress St$0.75/hr weekdays, $1.50/hr weekends (2025) 2025: $20 for 2 hours or less, $50 for more. 2026 not posted

Both fill early on October weekends. They're closest to the action, which is also why they're hard to leave. On parade night this year, October 1, South Harbor didn't let anyone out until about 9:30pm.

City lots

LotAddressMost of the yearOctober weekends, 8am to 6pm
Washington Street lot (by Starbucks)201 Washington St $1/hr, 4-hour max. Residents $0.50/hr$7/hr. Free for residents registered in Passport
Klop Alley / Front Street lot44 and 48 Lafayette St $1/hr, 4-hour max. Residents $0.50/hr$7/hr. Free for residents registered in Passport
Church Street lots72 Church St, 15 Federal St $1.50/hr, residents $1/hr (2025)2025: $40 for visitors, free for residents. 2026 not posted
Crombie Street lot283-287 Essex St $1/hr, residents $0.50/hr (2025)2025: $40 for visitors. 2026 not posted
O'Keefe lot225 Canal St October weekends onlyRate not posted

The Washington Street and Klop Alley/Front Street lots take the Passport app only. The Washington Street lot keeps six 30-minute meters near Starbucks. Those two lots' October rates are as voted; check the kiosk or app for the posted rate.

October weekend street meters, 8am to 6pm: Federal Street from St. Peter Street to just before the courthouses is $7 an hour, free for residents, Passport only. North Street and the Green Trail spaces are $5 an hour. Canal and Margin streets are $1 an hour.

Weekend street closures

Every weekend through November 1, Essex Street from Hawthorne Boulevard to New Liberty Street has no through traffic and no on-street parking from 9am to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and from noon on Fridays. Essex Street from Barton Square to Washington Street is behind hard barricades from Friday at noon through Sunday at midnight.

Getting picked up

Rideshare pickups on October weekends happen at set spots: the Old Salem Jail lot cul-de-sac at 161 Bridge St, the south side of the Green Trail, 55-79 Margin St in front of Lifebridge, and North Street in the spaces facing North Street (Zone 697, off Franklin Street). Walk to one before you open the app.

Get the Thursday email

One short note from Salem every Thursday: what's on, the one thing worth leaving the house for, and practical stuff like this. Free.

Quick answers

What parking app does Salem, MA use?
Passport Parking. City garages, most lots and many meters take it, and some downtown lots are Passport only. The MBTA garage at the train station uses PayByPhone instead.
Is there free parking in Salem in October?
Yes: 108 Jefferson Ave is free on October Saturdays and Sundays and on Indigenous Peoples' Day. It's about a 5-minute walk to downtown, and there's no shuttle this year. Salem residents registered in Passport also park free at the city's October weekend lots.
Is there a parking shuttle in Salem this year?
No. The city says there is no city shuttle service in 2026.
How much do Salem garages cost on October weekends?
Last October, Museum Place and South Harbor charged $20 for two hours or less and $50 for longer on weekends. The city hasn't posted 2026 garage rates, so check the sign.
Where should I park for Halloween in Salem?
Outside downtown. Park in Beverly and take the train one stop, or take the train from Boston. Downtown streets close to all traffic by noon on Saturday, October 31, and the MBTA garage closes to cars in the evening. More in Halloween 2026 in Salem.
What's the fine for parking in a resident-only spot?
$75 now; $100 voted by the Transportation Commission, pending at the City Council. Either way, it's not worth it.
How do I get a Salem October resident parking permit?
Apply free through the city's Passport Customer Portal (salemma.cmrpay.com, "October Resident") with your license, proof of address and registration. 2025 permits renewed automatically.

More for this month: what's on this week, this weekend in Salem, Salem in October, and Halloween night, 2026.

Something wrong or out of date? Tell me on the contact page. I read every one, and this page gets updated.

Sources

Every rate, rule and date on this page comes from these pages, checked October 20, 2026. Updated October 2026.