Bunghole Liquors

The name of this liquor store is certainly quite unusual and is sure to instill a few giggles and laughs along with memories of the cartoon Beavis and Butt-Head on MTV during the 1990s. Outside the store, t-shirts and other merchandise with puns and innuendos are on display, indicating the owners are fully aware of the cheeky and colorful name of their establishment and take it in with pride. However, despite the funny name, Bunghole Liquors in Salem has a rather unusual and dark history.

In 1920, Prohibition came into effect within the United States, and at the time Bunghole Liquors was a funeral home. The proprietors decided to begin serving alcohol in the basement right alongside the recently deceased, and frequent visitors to the parlor began referring to the location as "The Bunghole" in reference to the small hole on the side of barrels and casks to remove their contents. Numerous accounts exist of people becoming inebriated only feet away from corpses, and the bodies of the dead being disturbed by the ruckus and shenanigans was apparently not uncommon.

Due to the resounding success of the illicit speakeasy when Prohibition was lifted in 1933, the funeral home was closed down and a full-time liquor store opened in its stead. Although the bodies of the dead have long been removed, the souls and spirits of those who once rested there apparently have not. According to employees and customers, ghostly black cats, an apparition of a mysterious woman, and glowing orbs have been seen within the store and basement and, allegedly, caught by store security cameras.

Perhaps the former clients and customers are visiting again for one last drink, and if you'd like to enjoy some spirits alongside the spirits of the dead in one of America's spookiest cities, then Bunghole Liquors in Salem is there for you.