Seeing the Hocus Pocus filming locations is a must-do activity if you are visiting Salem, Massachusetts. The iconic movie, which aired in 1993, has become a cultural phenomenon, even for those who aren’t completely obsessed with Halloween. I booked my Hocus Pocus walking tour with Get Your Guide and it ended up being one of my favorite things I did in Salem. In this blog post, I’ll put a spell on you…I mean, I’ll show you all the iconic places I got to see on my tour!
- Pro Tip: As you probably guessed, this tour is very popular and likely to sell out. Click this link to book the Hocus Pocus Walking Tour with Get Your Guide now!
Each October, it seems like the Sanderson Sisters are everywhere you look: mugs, t-shirts, memes…I’ve even gone to coffee shops and seen entire drink menus named after them. Before our “on-demand” world existed, I can remember being a kid and getting so excited when I turned on the TV and saw that Disney channel was airing this movie at 7pm later. Needless to say, my 11 year-old self was just as excited as my 30-something year-old self as I was going on this tour! Jump to the Hocus Pocus filming locations.
Is Going on a Guided Hocus Pocus Tour Worth It?
Of course, it’s possible to map out the addresses of these places shown and visit them on your own, without a tour guide. While you can certainly do this, I would recommend booking a tour for this activity, simply because you find out so much history about the movie and about Salem.
Even if you’re not a history buff, there are little things that your guide will tell you that are just too cool to not learn about. Our guide walked us through all 5 notable filming locations, but also stopped along the way multiple times to point out other really cool, haunted, historic facts about the city. We walked through one of the most beautiful streets in America, saw the most haunted building in Salem, and even spotted a gravestone with a hand pointing down towards…well, you know where…
So, yes. You need to book a tour!
- Shout-out to my tour guide, Violet…you were phenomenal!
Hocus Pocus Fun Facts
I love going on tours like this because of all the behind-the-scenes stuff I get to learn. Below are some cool things I learned during my Hocus Pocus tour:
- David Kirschner, a film producer, got the idea for Hocus Pocus from a bedtime story he told his kids. Every night, he added more and more on until he decided, “hey, this would make a bomb Halloween movie.” He pitched the idea to Disney, and the rest is history!
- The movie originally aired in July of 1993 and flopped at the box office! Nobody really wanted to watch a Halloween movie in July, and I mean…can you blame them? It wasn’t until the 2000’s that Hocus Pocus really started becoming popular.
- The movie was filmed partially in Salem and partially in Hollywood, California. A lot of the places mentioned here in Salem were used for the exterior shots, but the interior scenes were shot in Hollywood.
- Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Sarah Sanderson, is actually related to 3 of the people who were accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials! Historians told her that had they been convicted and hanged, she would not be alive today.
What’s Included the Hocus Pocus Walking Tour
This tour takes visitors through 5 different filming locations from Disney’s 1993 film “Hocus Pocus.” Your ticket includes a tour guide, candy, swag bags, and even movie trivia. If you were an 80s or 90s baby, it’s your time to shine. Not that the younger generations wouldn’t know the trivia, but we have likely seen this film at least million times, so I’m betting on us…
Things to Know Before You Book Your Tour
- This tour is a strenuous walk that covers roughly 3 miles. It may not be suitable for those with mobility issues or that are in poor health.
- The tour is an outdoor activity only and does not enter any buildings.
- This tour is only done on weekends, so plan your trip accordingly. This is because Pioneer Village, where the opening movie scenes are filmed, is NOT open on weekdays.
- Pioneer Village will also close if there is inclement weather. The rest of the tour operates rain or shine.
- The tour is mostly stroller-accessible, with the exception of a few brick and cobblestone areas due to the historic nature of the city.
- Bathrooms are NOT available until you reach Pioneer Village.
Meeting Points for the Hocus Pocus Tour
- The meeting point for my tour was at the basketball court on 98 S Washington Square, Salem, MA. Remember to check your app, as the meeting point is more apt to potentially change with time. This is near where they usually hold the “Haunted Happenings” festival.
- My tour ended at Pioneer Village, which is roughly 2 miles from where it started.
From here, you can either Uber or ride the Salem Skipper back to downtown. If you choose the Salem Skipper, you will have to download an app and will potentially have longer to wait…but on the bright side, it’s only $2! (I chose to Uber though, because it was only $14.)
5 Filming Locations on the Hocus Pocus Walking Tour
Our tour took us through 5 main filming spots in Hocus Pocus. Along the way, we stopped and admired other historically significant buildings and places.
First Stop: Phillips Elementary School
Scene Filmed: Max & Allison’s school
Address: 56 South Washington Square
Walking Distance: Starting point
The first filming location you’ll see is Phillips Elementary School, aka Max and Allison’s school. This is essentially right across the park from your meeting place. If you get there early, you’ll likely be able to snap a few shots with nobody in the photo.
We learned that this was a legit school up until 1991 when it closed down. Is it a coincidence…or magic…that they started filming Hocus Pocus in 1992? Regardless, this made for the perfect setup.
Don’t forget about the scenes where they locked the witches inside the school! The exterior of Phillips Elementary was used for those scenes as well.
Second Stop: Old Town Hall, Salem
Scene Filmed: Arriving to the town Halloween party, where Bette Midler famously sings I Put A Spell On You
Address: 161 Essex St.
Walking Distance: 10-12 minutes
Old Town Hall is a building you will likely walk past at least a dozen times while exploring Essex St. It is located in Derby Square and is rumored to be haunted (I mean, what ISN’T haunted in this town?!).
One of my favorite scenes in Hocus Pocus is when Bette Midler sings “I Put a Spell On You” and curses the town citizens to dance until they die. Not a bad way to go out, IMO. Sadly, the interior music scenes were not filmed inside Old Town Hall, but the exterior scenes that set the stage for the Halloween party were shot here.
The Merchant *Not a Filming Location*
After walking by Old Town Hall, we got to marvel at The Merchant, a 3-star hotel that is known as *the* most haunted building in Salem.
Even though this tree was in my aesthetic, you get the idea. It’s old, it’s brick, it’s colonial-ish, and it’s the perfect ghostly hotel.
Third Stop: Ropes Mansion and Gardens
Scene Filmed: Allison’s house (exterior)
Address: 318 Essex St.
Walking Distance: 10 minutes
The Ropes Mansion was used to portray the exterior of Allison’s house. Most people remember the scene when Max shows up at Allison’s Halloween party. Although this house is now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum, the gardens in the back of the property are free to visit and open to the public. We had the opportunity to walk through them during the tour, and they are beautiful.
- Pro Tip: If you plan on touring the Peabody Essex Museum, you are able to go inside the Ropes Mansion for an extra $5 on certain weekends! The mansion is open seasonally on weekends for self-guided tours, and timed reservations are required. Click here to plan your tour.
The Ropes Mansion was acquired by Judge Nathaniel Ropes in 1768, and is also one of the most haunted buildings in Salem! It’s said that Judge Ropes’s daughter Abigail’s ghost haunts the building after she died from burning to death by catching her dress on fire.
Chestnut Street *Not a Filming Location*
On our way to the next stop, we walked through a little bit of Chestnut Street, once named in the top 25 most beautiful streets in America. Once you enter, it’s not hard to see why. This street is adorned with aesthetically designed homes, gorgeous landscaping, and old New England charm.
On many homes, there is a sign that says who the home was built for, the year it was built, and the owner’s occupation. I was told that certain people had the occupation of “Single Woman” listed on their home, and had I stumbled upon one, that would’ve been the photo featured on this website 😉.
- Fun Fact: Having “single woman” on your home essentially meant that you were a woman who owned land…and, probably also a bad b*tch.
Broad Street Cemetery *Not a Filming Location*
After Chestnut Street, we got to walk through Broad Street Cemetery. This is the 2nd oldest cemetery in Salem, and where Judge Jonathan Corwin – a judge in the Salem witch trials – and his nephew George Corwin – a high sheriff – are buried.
The cemetery scenes in the movie were not filmed here; they were filmed in Old Burial Hill Cemetery in Marblehead, Massachusetts. But regardless, this cemetery was super old and really cool to see. (And besides, can you even have a witch tour without walking through a cemetery?…)
- Fun Fact: Across the street from Broad Street cemetery is the Pickering House, the oldest house in Salem.
One of the creepiest parts of this cemetery is this grave that sits towards the road on the left side. On the side of the tombstone is the word “DOOR”, along with a hand pointing down towards hell. I’m not sure what Mr. Marston did, but it sounds to me like he didn’t have a lot of friends around here…
Fourth Stop: 4 Ocean Ave
Scene Filmed: Max and Dani’s house (exterior)
Address: 4 Ocean Ave.
Walking Distance: 10 minutes from Broad Street Cemetery
The walk from the cemetery to Max and Dani’s house is the furthest you’ll walk during this tour without stopping. Once you get here, the view is absolutely beautiful. Max and Dani’s house sits right beside the ocean, so you are able to get a beautiful view of the water while checking out this iconic home.
Fifth Stop: Pioneer Village
Scene Filmed: The opening scenes of the film with Thackery Binx
Address: 310 West Ave.
Walking Distance: 5 minutes from Max and Dani’s house
No one can forget the beginning scenes of Hocus Pocus, where we barely meet Binx as a human before a spell turns him into a cat. These scenes were shot in Pioneer Village, and once you get here, you’ll see why it was the perfect filming location.
Pioneer Village is America’s first living history museum and was built in 1930. It was designed to mimic what Salem looked like in 1630, about 60 years before the witch trials took place. Keep in mind, it’s only open on weekends and if the weather is cooperating. I met many people during my time in Salem who were disappointed to learn this after arriving (see why it’s important to book a tour?!).
Can You Visit the Sanderson Sisters’ Cottage?
As you read through this post, you may have noticed that the cottage where the Sanderson Sisters live in the film is not mentioned. I have tried to look up where to find this, and I get very conflicting results. Some things I have read say it was filmed in the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in the nearby town of Danvers, Massachusetts, but this is believed to be untrue. If you Google this house and look at the details, it doesn’t look like the cottage that was in the film.
In 2022, the Sanderson Sisters’ cottage was re-created as an AirBNB and auctioned off to 2 lucky guests to spend All Hallows Eve in, but this was not the “OG” cottage of the film. TBH, I have no idea where the actual cottage is that was used in the film, and neither does anyone else that I ask. I can only imagine that these scenes were filmed in Hollywood, but still. Seems rather…spooky….
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.
