Salem council continues hearing on Haunted Warren Museum’s request for 2 a.m. hours after residents raise noise, safety concerns

Council President Merkel opened a public hearing March 12 on a petition from Haunted Warren Museum LLC seeking to operate an indoor, ticketed guided attraction at 259 Essex Street seven days a week with hours from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and a final entry time of 11:59 p.m.

Attorney Brian Gman, representing the applicant, and owner Elton Casty described a controlled operational model: tickets sold in advance for timed entries, no on‑site ticket sales, no food or alcohol, no outdoor queuing, security at the entrance and exit and stage management so small groups (as few as eight late‑night guests) move through the museum rather than exiting en masse. Gman said that after 11 p.m. groups would be intentionally smaller and staggered to reduce impacts on surrounding streets.

"This later window is designed intentionally to be slower, quieter and more controlled," Elton Casty said, adding that extended hours enable two full‑time shifts and make the business economically viable. He offered to accept restrictions such as prohibiting food trucks and working with nearby lodging and property owners to manage parking and guest behavior.

Opponents, many of them residents of Barton Square who live directly behind the site, urged the council to deny or limit the permit. Marina Mcinn, who identified herself as an owner at 13 Barton Square, said previous seasonal activity had left trash on her property and that late‑night noise, screaming and amplified sound from attractions would harm a largely residential block. "We are the only residential building in Barton Square and there was trash all over our property," Mcinn said.

Other neighbors raised similar concerns: recurrent sanitation complaints linked to earlier operations, reports of drug and alcohol use on corners near the lot, noise amplified by brick building canyons, and worries that patrons leaving at 2 a.m. would start car engines and talk loudly near bedrooms. "Extending hours until 2 a.m. would push this noise well into the middle of the night," said Melissa Wick, an owner at Nine Barton Square.

Councillors questioned whether shortening closing time to midnight or 11 p.m. would make the enterprise unviable. Casty and his counsel said the business’ economics rely on later, higher‑priced ticket windows and that earlier closing could undercut the operation. Several councillors, including Counsellor Flynn, said their priority is residents’ quality of life and urged the applicant to consider earlier closing times or enforceable mitigation measures.

After extended council discussion about enforcement, restroom and parking plans, and the applicant’s Connecticut experience operating a related site, Counsellor Smith moved to continue the public hearing to the council’s next regular meeting on March 26 to allow time for further resident input and proposed conditions. The motion carried.

What happens next: the public hearing was continued to March 26. The council asked the applicant to return with clearer, written mitigation commitments on hours, crowd flow, restroom and trash management, and parking plans for late‑night patrons. The council also directed staff to collect additional resident comments prior to the continued hearing.

Representative quote: "We are not going to have a food truck, and I understand the concerns — I'm happy to sign a commitment to that," Elton Casty said when pressed on prior problematic concessions at the site.

Ending: The council left the public record open until the March 26 meeting and requested written proposals for enforceable conditions in time for that session.