Salem, also known as the Halloween Capital of America and Witch City, is rich in history, albeit a dark history. In the late 1600’s, 19 women were hanged, 1 man was tortured to death by pressing, and 5 died in prison as a result of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Sadly, all of them were innocent. It all started when a couple of girls became sick. Supposedly they were saying strange things that shocked their parents so of course this only meant one thing, they were witches! Obviously the illness (bewitchment) spread amongst the town. The two girls accused 3 women of being witches as well. Judges John Hathorne (Nathaniel Hawthorne’s great-great-grandfather and chief investigator of the trials) and Jonathan Corwin forced these women to confess they were witches. Most of the women executed either had a low social position or did not “act” like Puritans – divorced, had their own businesses and didn’t rely on men financially, drank publicly, and didn’t wear Puritan clothing. To make matters worst, economic, social, and religious problems had been brewing in the town for years, which led to everyone already being on edge. Accusations of witchcraft spread amongst the town, leading to the trials and executions. It wasn’t until someone accused the governor’s own wife of witchcraft that the arrests and trials were put to an end and everyone remaining in jail were freed.
One-Day Salem Itinerary:
Salem is the perfect day trip to take when visiting Boston (Click here to see my Boston Travel Guide), as it is located only 40 minutes away. Keep scrolling to see the perfect one-day Salem itinerary…
Haunted Happenings (Free) – If you’re visiting in October, put on a costume and partake in the largest Halloween celebration in the world. The Haunted Happenings Festival runs for the entire month of October, and has parades, street fairs, food vendors, ghost tours, haunted houses, and family film nights – Hocus Pocus is shown every year at the Salem Common. Check out this website for the Events Calendar.
The Witch House ($9)– This was Judge Jonathan Corwin’s house and the only structure you can visit in Salem with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials. Tickets are $9 and can only be purchased online on the day of visiting through October. Rumor has it that Corwin’s wife haunts the home to this day.
Salem Armory Bell (Free) – I noticed the Bell but wasn’t aware of its history until I listened to the Salem Tour Guide App. While it has no relevance to the Salem Witch Trials, it was built by Paul Revere and sold to a Salem reverend. Didn’t realize that Paul Revere was a silversmith until this trip.
Salem Regional Visitor Center (Free) – A popular place to start a tour of Salem. While it doesn’t offer much, you can get a brief history of the Witch Trials here and score a copy of the House of the Seven Gables for $6.
House of the Seven Gables ($12 or $20) – The setting of the popular Nathaniel Hawthorne book that bears the same name. You’ll need to purchase tickets online weeks in advance as this is one of the most popular Salem attractions. You can purchase a grounds pass for $12 (This is the one I opted for) which allows you to go into every building, including Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace, except for the actual House of the Seven Gables (mask still required regardless of vaccination status). To be able to go inside the Gables House will cost you $20.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace – The red house located next to the Seven Gables that was the birthplace of the famous writer. Nathaniel was born Nathaniel Hathorne but added the “w” in his last name because he was ashamed of his ancestors.
Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie – One of the oldest candy shops that’s located across the street from the Seven Gables. Buy the Black Jacks (Molasses sticks) and Black Jack chewing gum.
Samuel Pickman House (Free)– One of the oldest houses in Salem. Unrelated to the Salem Witch Trials but if you like haunted places, you’ll like this house. A young girl and her mother were both killed in the home by her father who had gone insane and claimed to have heard demonic voices. People have claimed to see a full-bodied silhouette of the young girl in the home’s second floor window.
Salem Witch Trials Memorial (Free) – Dedicated to the 20 victims of the Salem Witch Trials. There is a bench along the wall for each of the 20 victims, including their name, date of execution, and means of execution.
Old Burying Point (Also known as Charter Street Cemetery – Free) – The burial place of Judge John Hathorne, in addition to the Hathorne clan (If you’re wondering where Nathaniel Hawthorne is buried, it’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts). His tombstone is covered in plexiglass to make it easier to find. The cemetery is also the second oldest in the U.S. The cemetery is free but you have to sign up online at charterstreetcemetery.com to select a scheduled time if you’re visiting during October. I signed up at the cemetery and only had to wait 10 minutes.
Bewitched Sculpture (Free) – A statue of actress Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stevens from the TV show Bewitched. Fun fact, the show filmed several episodes in Salem in the 70’s due to a fire on their Hollywood film lot.
Proctor’s Ledge (Free) – The execution site of the Salem Witch Trial’s victims. It was originally believed that the execution site was Gallows Hill until a few years ago when historians verified the correct location. It’s about a 20 minute walk from downtown Salem, on the outskirts of town. I actually passed it up at first; it’s hidden amongst a residential street and is now a memorial dedicated to the victims. Unfortunately the resting place of the victim’s bodies is not known. The victim’s families would typically illegally recover the bodies at night and bury the bodies in secret after a public execution. In addition to being executed, the victims weren’t allowed a proper burial.
Salem Haunted Sights:
Howard Street Cemetery – Prior to being a cemetery, it’s the site where Giles Corey was pressed to death. Local legend states that Corey placed a curse on the sheriffs as he was dying.
Hawthorne Hotel – Built on land belonging to one of the witch trial victims, Bridget Bishop, that once served as an apple orchard. Hotel guests have reported smelling apples in their rooms and lobby, with no fruit to be seen! Room 612 is said to be the most haunted spot in the hotel.
Bunghole Liquors– Salem isn’t just haunted by executed “witches.” Ghosts supposedly haunt this bar that served as a secret bar at night and a funeral home during the day during the Prohibition era. This is a must stop on the tour to have “spirits with Salem’s spirits.”
Joshua Ward House – Remember when I told you a couple of paragraphs ago that Giles Corey placed a curse on the sheriffs that executed him? Well, he also haunts one of the sheriffs’ house as well (supposedly). George Corwin, the sheriff that executed Corey, lived in the Joshua Ward House, that is now a hotel called The Merchant. And yes, George was related to Judge Jonathan Corwin, that was his uncle.
Hocus Pocus Film Locations in Salem:
Old Town Hall – The exterior of the building was used in the dance hall scene; it also sits on top of a network of hidden tunnels that people used to secretly visit brothels, move illegal goods and slaves, and smuggle pirated treasure.
Ropes Mansion & Garden (Self-guided tours are free on weekends) – The exterior of the Mansion was filmed for Allison’s Halloween party.
Phillips Elementary School building – The building’s exterior was filmed for the high school scenes.
Salem Common – Many of the movie’s outdoor scenes were filmed here. Also where Haunted Happenings shows the movie every year.
Pioneer Village ($5) – Where the movie’s opening scene was filmed, featuring Binx as a human.
Salem Map:
Transportation to Salem:
The first tip that a friend told me for visiting Salem was do NOT drive. The town is small and with hundreds of thousands of people visiting on an October weekend, a parking spot is extremely difficult to find. Instead, take the Commuter Rail train (mBTA) for $16 roundtrip. Trains depart the Boston North Station to Salem every hour on the Newburyport and Rockport lines. During October, there are additional trains to accommodate the crowds. It’s about a 35 minute train ride, and you can purchase the train tickets by downloading the mTicket app. You don’t have to purchase tickets for a particular time, as the tickets are good for a 2 month period.
Where to Eat in Salem:
First choices were to eat lunch at Rockafellas or the rooftop bar at The Hotel Salem but Rockafellas doesn’t have reservations and the line was extremely long, and it was too cold to eat on the rooftop so we luckily stumbled upon O’Neills Pub, where the Clam Chowder, onion rings, and Guinness combo is undefeated.
Tips for Visiting Salem:
- Take a self-guided tour instead of overpaying for a walking tour or taking a one hour trolley ride for $20. Download the Salem Witch Trials app for $6, which senses your location as you move, and when you approach one of the stops on the tour, the app will start playing (also works offline as well)
- If you don’t want to pay for the app, you can take a free self-guided tour on the Salem Heritage Trail. Just follow the yellow line on the side walk that starts at the Salem Regional Visitor Center that will take you to all of Salem’s historical sites.
- HIGHLY recommend arriving in Salem before 10am. Most Salem attractions open at 10am and by arriving early you can beat the crowds on the train and at some of the attractions that require you to wait.
- Don’t let an overcast, rainy day stop you from visiting! This added to the experience. Salem isn’t meant to be visited on a warm, sunny day.
- Skip the museums. I’ve heard they’re cheesy and a waste of money. But if you have to visit one museum, visit the Salem Witch Museum, which I’ve heard is decent. Admission is $16.50 for adults and tickets are only available to purchase online on the day of your visit during October.
