If you are visiting Salem, Massachusetts, you are likely wanting to cram in as many of the best witch tours and attractions as humanly possible. I can’t say I blame you. Salem is filled with tons of museums, shops, history, and activities, all surrounding the witch trials of 1692. If you want to discover the best witch attractions in Salem, MA, keep scrolling!
Are All of the Witch Activities in Salem Worth It?
Okay, soooo I’m just going to be honest with you: some of the witch museums that I mention here are incredibly…cheesy. They have wax figurines, animatronics, and are just kind of silly looking. Obviously, I’m still including them in this post, because they are popular “witchy” attractions, not to mention relatively cheap! But I also like to be honest with my readers, and I want you to know what you’re signing up for.
As you read through this post, I will highlight which things I did and loved, and also which things you may want to skip out on. It’s also important to remember that due to having limited time, I did not get around to doing all of these activities – but of course, I’ll give you my honest opinions on the ones I did experience.
Click to learn how to take Halloween photos with smoke bombs
What Happened During The Salem Witch Trials?
In January 1692, 2 young girls living in Salem, Massachusetts began suffering fits, including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming. Upon investigation, they claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft.
After further investigation, a local doctor, William Griggs, diagnosed the girls with “bewitchment.” Soon after, other young girls in the community began to exhibit similar symptoms, and hysteria spread throughout Salem. Eventually, a total of 19 victims were convicted and hanged, and many more were accused.
By September, public consensus turned against the trials, and the court later annulled guilty verdicts granted against the witches and their families. The trials remain one of the most terrifying legacies in the United States and will forever haunt the city of Salem.
Source: www.history.com
October in Salem:
Check Out the Haunted Happenings Festival
Salem hosts its Haunted Happenings festival every year during October, which is basically one big month-long Halloween celebration. On weekends, they have a marketplace set up across from the Salem Witch Museum that has vendors with tents selling all different kinds of Halloween stuff. Throughout October, there is a parade, family friendly events, ghost tours, haunted houses, live music, and more.
The Best Witch Tours and Attractions in Salem, Massachusetts
1. Hocus Pocus Guided Walking Tour
Lets get the obvious one out of the way first, shall we? If you grew up in the 90s, chances are you were as obsessed with this movie as I was. All I ever wanted was to be Sarah Jessica Parker and ride around on a broomstick, singing to the children of Salem so I could steal their youth. (Jk, I just wanted their Halloween candy…but I DID want to be Sarah Jessica Parker.)
I did this tour with Get Your Guide and loved it. My magical senses tell me that you’d like to know more about this one, so I wrote an entire blog post dedicated to the experience. Click here to read my recap of the Hocus Pocus Walking Tour.
It’s important to note that this tour is only offered on the weekends, so plan your trip accordingly. Hotels in Salem book up fast, but I would have slept outside if it meant getting to stay til Saturday to do a Hocus Pocus tour. (That sounds dramatic, I know…but I would have done it. Maybe someone would have pitied me and let me stay in their haunted house…)
As you can imagine, this one books up fast, so sign up ASAP. Book the Hocus Pocus Walking Tour here.
2. Tour The Witch House
The Witch House was once the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, and is one of the only buildings you can visit in Salem that has direct ties to the witch trials. Of course, this means it is a popular attraction and sells out rather quickly. By time I got to Salem, I realized that I completely forgot to buy tickets in advance to tour the Witch House, and they were sold out on the day I went to visit. Sighhhhhh.
I talked to a couple people who really liked the Witch House, and another person who said she wasn’t overly impressed. All-in-all, I do wish I would have been able to tour this one, solely for the historic reasons. If nothing else, definitely visit and snap a photo in front of it. Visit the Witch House website here to book.
3. Visit One of The Cool Salem Witch Shops
Although there are a ton of shops in Salem and especially along Essex St, there are 3 that stood out to me as being particularly “witchy.”
Blackcraft Cult
Blackcraft Cult is the shop that went viral on TikTok for having a giant witch hanging from the ceiling. It’s built inside an old bank, and also has a coffee shop, appropriately named Blackcraft Café.
There’s also a haunted house inside Blackcraft called Blackcraft Haunt. Tickets can be purchased online or in the store. From Friday-Monday, they have actors in the haunted house, but during the week you are able to walk around in it without almost peeing your pants from fright.
As much as I wanted a souvenir from here due to how cool the shop was, the merchandise was a little too…gothic?…satanic?...for me to purchase. Nevertheless, I tell everyone to go in here for the aesthetic. They have a mirror that you can take gothic selfies in, along with a black chair setup for those who want the perfect witchy Instagram photo.
The Black Veil
The Black Veil is a little further down the street from Blackcraft Cult, towards the Witch House. It has a lot of shirts, knickknacks, and a really, really cool chandelier with twigs weaved throughout.
Similar to Blackcraft, The Black Veil also has a mirror that you are able to take an artsy, gothic selfie in.
Pro Tip: The tripod I’m holding comes with me everywhere and is perfect for taking your own photos out and about!
Coven
Coven is further away from Blackcraft and The Black Veil, but is definitely worth checking out. It’s located close to the water and also to The Witchery, which I talk about later in this post.
If I had to purchase clothing from any one of the 3 shops I’ve mentioned, it would be this one. Some of their clothes were too gothic for me, but not all. In the front section, they had a lot of black dresses and black hats, along with candles and jewelry. .And of course, you can’t ignore Sanderson Sisters in the back of the store…
4. Walk Through Charter Street Cemetery…
Charter Street Cemetery – aka Old Burying Point Cemetery – is a historic cemetery located right beside the Salem Witch Trials memorial. The tombstones date back to the 1600s, and in fact, some of them are so old that the markings are completely worn off.
- Fun fact: This cemetery is where Judge John Hathorne is buried. He was one of the main judges who presided over the witch trials, and was also the great-great-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote House of the Seven Gables.
To enter, you have to either go on their website or scan a QR code to sign up for a time slot. The good news is, admission is completely free!
I thought this cemetery was really cool to walk around in. It was wild seeing the gravestones that date that far back and just imagining what Salem must have been like, even aside from the witch hysteria.
5. …And Then, See The Salem Witch Trials Memorial
At first glance, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial doesn’t look like much. It is located on Liberty Street right next to Charter St. Cemetery and is composed of four foot-high granite walls with granite benches. Written on each bench is the name, means of execution, and execution date of the Salem Witch Trial victims.
It’s important to note the victims aren’t actually buried here – this is solely just a memorial. As you walk around, you’ll see things like flowers, jewelry, and other memorabilia items placed on the stones.
6. Salem Witch Village (+ Salem Wax Museum)
Salem Witch Village and the Salem Wax Museum are located across the street from each other in what’s known as “The Haunted Neighborhood.” Along with these 2 attractions, this is an area with haunted houses, Pagan/Wiccan gift shops, walking tours, and more.
Salem Witch Village hosts a 15 minute guided tour from an actual practicing witch that teaches you about the myths vs. reality of ancient and modern-day witchcraft. The Wax Museum tells the story of Salem’s Witch and Maritime History.
I did not visit either one of these places, so I can’t speak to how cool or un-cool they are. However, I walked around this area a couple times, and it seemed to attract a lot of visitors. For more info, check out the Witch Village/Wax Museum website here.
7. The Salem Witch Museum
The Salem Witch Museum focuses on the history of the trials and involves 2 different presentations. The first one takes visitors back to 1692 and explores the events leading up to the witch trials. This is where the (cheesy) wax figurines and life-size stage sets come into play. The second one explores what it means to be a “witch” and also goes into how the image of witches evolved over time.
Before you get too invested, I should probably mention that the Salem Witch Museum was once rated as the #2 WORST tourist attraction in the world. Yes, you read that correctly. Not worst in Salem…or in Massachusetts…or even the United States. Worst in the WORLD…
Damn.
Luckily, the city of Salem seems to take this one in stride, and some people are even kind of self-deprecatingly proud of this random fact. Sooo yeah…Imma leave this one up to you. The bad reviews come mainly from this attraction needing some major updates. I didn’t tour the Witch Museum, although I did feel like I had to do at least one cheesy historical reenactment (I picked The Witch Dungeon, which I talk about next).
If you do decide to tour the Witch Museum, tickets for an adult are currently $17.50 and can be bought on the website.
8. The Witch Dungeon Museum
Along with the Salem Witch Museum, the Witch Dungeon Museum is another spot that some consider slightly cringey. While the Witch Museum focused on the history of the trials, the Witch Dungeon focuses on what an actual trial was like, and how the witches were held captive and killed. It features a live re-enactment of the Salem witch trials, followed by a tour of the dungeon.
In terms of “cheesy witch museums,” The Witch Dungeon features live actors and actresses, so it depends on whether you prefer live, dramatic action or wax figurines and voiceovers that you would get in the Salem Witch Museum. From the reviews, people either loved this one or hated it. A lot of people said the theatrics were great; others said it needs a full remodel.
At the time of this post, a ticket for an adult is $13.00, and you can even save $8.00 if you purchase a combo ticket. (Tickets are bought onsite, not online.)
I did the Witch Dungeon and actually liked it more than I thought I would. It got a little corny with the actors, but I really enjoyed getting to go downstairs and see the re-creation of the dungeons. Although they aren’t the exact dungeons used in 1692 (one of the banks in town insisted on building their new building right over the old dungeons…womp womp), historians in Salem went in and took exact measurements so the size of the dungeons you see in this tour are the exact replicas of the ones that housed prisoners many years ago.
9. Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery & Monster Museum
Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery is a horror film museum dedicated to everyone’s favorite cinematic monsters. It includes life-sized wax sculptures of horror movie monsters, movie props, and masks of various horror actors and directors.
I can’t even lie – I toured this museum and loved it. I was literally mind-blown by how real and creepy everything looked.
As you’re walking along, there are information cards next to each sculpture that tells you some background info about each movie and character as you’re walking through. This was helpful to me, since a lot of the movies that were featured I had heard of but haven’t seen.
At the time of this post, an adult ticket is $15 and a child ticket is $8. You are even able to “Lift The Coffin Lid” for $68 and get a special tour down below the museum with never-before-seen sculptures, rare occult items, and a champagne toast in an old bank vault.
- Pro Tip: You are NOT allowed to take photos inside.
10. Take a (Haunted) Guided Walking Tour
Get Your Guide has a bunch of guided walking tours that would be really cool to do around Salem. Some of the best tours are walking tours that combine hauntings and history. You can learn about ghosts, witches, warlocks, and endless (creepy) facts about Salem. Check out some of the options from Get Your Guide below.
11. See the Bewitched Statue
The Bewitched Statue is one of the most famous statues in Salem and is located in Lappin Park, near where Essex St. and Washington St. cross. The statue depicts Samantha, the nose-twitching witch from the 1960s TV Land show, Bewitched. If you are anything younger than a millennial and are reading this, you likely have no idea what I’m talking about. It’s fine. Snap a picture with her anyway, then go show your grandparents.
- Fun Fact: Samantha’s statue is placed where Judge John Hathorne’s house used to be. Ironic that someone who sentenced so many people to death for witchcraft now has a giant witch statue in his front lawn…
- (Another) Fun Fact: Bewitched was originally filmed in California, until season 7 when a fire destroyed the film set. The directors decided to film the first 8 episodes of the season in Salem while the set was being repaired. The show is credited with being one of the things that catapulted Salem into tourist stardom, hence the reason the Samantha statue was erected.
12. Do a Witch Photoshoot at Witch Pix
View the Witch Pix Website here
Witch Pix has been around since 2003 and is one of the top award-winning attractions in Salem. Before you get too excited, I have to disappoint you and say that if you saw my post about the witchy photos with the smoke bombs, these were NOT done at Witch Pix. But don’t let that deter you. I talked to multiple people who said they got photos done here and loved it. If you don’t believe me, Witch Pix has 4.9 stars and over 1,000 reviews on Google…and a thousand people can’t be wrong. 😉
Witch Pix is located on Essex St. in the Witch City Mall, to the right of this photo.
The photos done here are very costume-y, creative, and fun. If you’re going to Salem with a couple friends or large group and want something unique to remember your trip, I can only imagine getting photos at Witch Pix would be 10/10. You are able to dress up as a witch, pirate, or settler and choose between different background settings. Autumn 1692? Salem Shipyard? It’s your world, and I’m just living in it…and here to give you suggestions, of course.
- Pro Tip: I know people who have had bachelorette parties in Salem and have gotten photos done here. I totally love this, and I think you could get WILDLY creative. Burn photos of your exes, curse your past lovers, and get it all on camera…
13. Get Creative at The Witchery
The Witchery is an art studio in Salem with classes that let you make your own broomstick, bind your own book, or make your own spell jar. You know I’m a writer, so I chose the spellbook…I mean, the book. In addition to these things, they have various other activities that they host throughout the week.
This was my favorite activity I did all week in Salem, aside from the Hocus Pocus walking tour. We were able to choose our own leather, learn how to bind the book, and then create a design on the outside.
As you can see, I got a little trigger-happy with my design. What originally started out as birds flying up through the bottom left corner of my cover turned into, well, I don’t know what. It all looked differently in my head, and when it came out on paper I just couldn’t stop. I didn’t really anticipate having a cloud of dots on my book, but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover….
Isn’t it fun there?? I live about an hour away from Salem in NH. Hope you enjoyed your trip!!
I LOVED it!! It was so much fun! If I ever go back we’ll have to meet up! 😀