Salem council grants temporary extended hours for proposed Warren Occult Museum after heated hearing

The Salem City Council voted March 26 to allow the Warren Occult Museum at 259 Essex Street temporary extended operating hours on a 90‑day trial period tied to the museum’s certificate of occupancy.

The motion, carried by the council after extensive public comment and council questioning, permits the museum to operate Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. The council instructed that the 90‑day trial begin when the city issues a certificate of occupancy and scheduled an opportunity to revisit the hours at the first council meeting in September.

Why it matters: Neighbors and business owners framed the question as a tradeoff between year‑round economic activity and neighborhood quality of life. Supporters told the council the museum would create steady employment beyond the October tourist peak; opponents said late‑night exits and crowds would disturb residents of nearby Barton Square and Essex Street and exacerbate longstanding parking and trash problems.

Applicant and supporters: Elton Caste, who identified himself as the applicant for Haunted Warren Museum LLC, said he revised hours after earlier feedback and emphasized the operation is intended as a museum rather than a seasonal haunted‑house attraction. Caste told the council he and business partners would live in Salem while operating the site, that he had reworked the layout with an architect, and that he would time‑ticket visitors, hire off‑duty police or private security as needed and maintain a neighborhood contact line. "I'm here to listen and discuss and I hope that all the predetermined hatred against me and my friends ... can be set aside," Caste said during his remarks.

Thomas Basquez, general manager of Blackcraft Salem, told the council that a permanent museum could provide more consistent employment than the existing seasonal haunted attraction, and local owners including Kirsty Phillips (co‑owner, Blackcraft Salem) and Matthew Barbbrick said the museum could bring quieter, controlled nighttime activity compared with bar crowds.

Neighbors’ concerns: Dozens of nearby residents spoke against the extended hours. Paige Bessie and other Barton Square residents said the neighborhood already experiences heavy October crowds, trash and noise and that a year‑round late‑night attraction would worsen quality‑of‑life problems."We already have a parking problem in Salem," said Bessie, describing past towing and late‑night disturbances. Several neighbors asked the council to limit hours to traditional museum times or to hold the applicant to a short proven trial before granting long‑term relief.

Council response and compromise: Councilors debated a range of options, including a trial period tied to certificate of occupancy, limits on throughput, and enforcement mechanisms (time‑ticketing, security staffing, and controlled exits). An amendment to give longer weeknight hours with a 90‑day trial failed on a roll call. Councilor Smith’s motion to provisionally extend hours with a 90‑day trial (to be reviewed in September) ultimately carried; the council recorded that the trial would begin when the city issues the certificate of occupancy, and the council reserved the right to revisit the hours after review.

What the council did not decide: The vote does not change zoning or permit the use beyond the limited hours the council approved; the council also signaled that additional permits (building, fire) remain to be cleared before operations can begin. The council did not adopt a precise enforcement checklist in the motion; neighbors asked for clearer, enforceable commitments on queuing, sanitation and on‑site crowd management.

Next steps: The applicant must complete building and fire inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy; the 90‑day trial begins at that time. The council will review the results at its earliest meeting in September and decide whether to alter or extend the hours.

The hearing produced a sustained neighborhood-versus-tourism debate that councilors said would inform future decisions about downtown late‑night operations. Council President Merkel closed the meeting after completing several other agenda items.