Go: A self-guided walking tour of Salem, Massachusetts
My mom’s birthday always falls right around Easter and Mother’s Day, so we usually celebrate the “season” by planning a mother-daughter trip - complete with a literary twist, of course!
Last year (back when traveling was a thing), we decided to do a mini road trip in New England for a week. We flew into Boston and the plan was to drive through tiny towns until we got to Camden, Maine where we were staying.
I only made one request: we HAD to stop in Salem, Massachusetts on the way.
I’ve always been drawn to all things witchy. Halloween is my favorite holiday, I was obsessed with Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ in school, I’ve been known to cleanse a space by burning sage and charging the odd crystal, plus I know every word to the 1993 classic ‘Hocus Pocus’. SO you better believe that when I found out I was gonna get one whole day in Salem, Massachusetts, I was gonna make the absolute most of it!
A thing you should know about me: I don’t usually like “guided tours”. I feel like they take up a big chunk of time and often they linger on subjects I don’t care about. That said, if you’re really looking to dive into the history of Salem (goodness knows there’s LOTS of it!) then you can explore one of the many paid guided tours available.
This guide is what I would do (and did!) with one perfect day in Salem, MA. It’s designed to be a self-guided walking tour so you can pick and choose what sounds best to you!
I arranged the below pictures in geographical order, meaning, you would start the walking tour with the first picture at the Salem Library, then follow the sites in order as you walk. Salem is not a huge town by any means- you can very easily walk the whole thing in a day. These are my recommendations for the best places to go that aren’t “tacky tourist-y” but still give you a great dose of witchy history and fun.
Simply click on each picture see the full size image, then hover your house over the image to read the caption & see my full recommendations! I’ve also included an interactive Google Map of Salem, MA at the end of this post with each of my favorite places pinned so you can find your way using GPS. Modern sorcery, I know.
Self-Guided Walking Tour: 1 Day in Salem, MA
How to view the gallery…
Click on each image to view full screen.
Hover your mouse over the image to read the full caption.
Use the > arrow on the screen or on your keyboard to navigate to the next slide.
Stop 1: Salem Public Library - Park near the Salem Library. It’s not right in the center of town so it allows you to weave your way through the streets and sites, working from the outside, in. Definitely go inside if you have time! 370 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970.
Stop 2: Ropes Mansion (aka Allison’s house from ‘Hocus Pocus’) - This Georgian Colonial Mansion is open to the public if you wanna see inside, but honestly I just took some outside pictures & re-enacted the scene between Dani & Max where they agree to go to the Sanderson Museum… 318 Essex Street.
Stop 3: The Witch House - The Jonathan Corwin House known as The Witch House, was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of 1692. 310 Essex Street.
Stop 4: Shop at HausWitch Home & Healing - If you’re looking for classy witchy wares, this is the place for you! This little boutique is clean & bright with shelves of cleansing sage bundles, pretty crystals, plus beautiful jewelry & decor! I bought the coolest crystal ring and amazing-smelling homemade candle here. 144 Washington St, Salem, MA 01970.
Stop 5: Brunch at The Ugly Mug Diner - Fill your energy tank at this hilarious and quirky old school diner with amazingly delicious breakfast & brunch foods served all day! I highly recommend the “Eggs Benedict Cumberbatch”. 122 Washington Street.
Stop 6: The Bewitched Statue - Right down the block from the Ugly Mug Diner, you’ll see a bronze sculpture that pays homage to the classic 1960’s TV series “Bewitched”. The 7th season of the show was filmed in Salem and many say it saved the town after decades of economic troubles. Lappin Park, corner of Washington & Essex.
Stop 7: Wicked Good Books - You absolutely cannot leave Salem without visiting the best little local bookstore, Wicked Good Books! As expected, they have all kinds of staff favorites that cover the history of Salem, and all things witchy and spooky! They’ve also got great gifts. Support local bookstores! 215 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970 www.wickedgoodbookstore.com.
Stop 8: Old Town Hall (Hocus Pocus filming location) - I say ikka-bye-come-on-baby-up-and-die! Don’t miss the Old Town Hall in Salem where the Sanderson sisters performed their legendary rendition of “I Put a Spell on You”! 32 Derby Square.
Stop 9: Burying Point - The Old Burying Point Cemetery, also known as the Charter Street Cemetery, is the oldest cemetery in Salem, and among the oldest in the United States. Several notable historical figures are buried at Old Burying Point. Among them are author Nathaniel Hawthorne, Massachusetts Governor and Revolutionary War figure John Brooks, Revolutionary War heroine Sarah Bradlee Fulton, and Judge John Hathorne, one of the most influential and hated judges of the Salem Witch Trials. The cemetery is thought to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. 51 Charter Street.
Stop 10: The Salem Witch Trial Memorial - By far the most moving stop of the entire day. The memorial to the 19 killed innocents of the Salem Witch Trials takes the form of a semi-circle of quiet, contemplative stone benches, with each of the victims’ names carved into the stone walls. Read more about this incredible tribute here to enhance your visit to the site. 24 Liberty Street.
Stop 11: Salem Witch Village - If you feel the need to lighten up a bit after the somber experience of the Witch Trial Memorial, walk over to “Witch Village”; an admittedly kitschy but nonetheless quite fun ‘witchy’ experience. 282 Derby Street.
Stop 12: House of the Seven Gables - Built by Sea Captain turned wealthy merchant John Turner in 1668, and most recently restored in 1910, the House of the Seven Gables is now a museum open to the public that depicts what life was like in the Georgian period. It’s worth a visit even if you don’t pay for the full tour, though! 115 Derby Street.
Stop 13: Salem Witch Museum - Not for the faint of heart…The Salem Witch Museum features life-size stage sets, exhibits & tours exploring the 1692 Salem witch trials, plus a look at witchcraft today. 19 1/2 N Washington Square.
Stop 14: Salem Common - Founded in the 17th century, this village green with monuments was once used for militia training. It also served as another filming location in Hocus Pocus when Allison gives Max her “number”.
Where to Eat: Turner’s Seafood - If you’re looking for a nice place to eat, Turner’s Seafood is famous for it’s delicious fare and its beautiful historic setting. 43 Church St, Salem, MA 01970 www.turners-seafood.com.
If there’s time; Howard Street Cemetery - One of the most haunted graveyards in America… & Max & Dani’s House from Hocus Pocus - See the house that served as the exterior shot for Max & Dani’s house in the 1993 Halloween classic, ‘Hocus Pocus’. A MUST for fans of the film, but you do have to drive there as it’s not right in the town center. 4 Ocean Ave, Salem, MA 01970
A ‘Read Watch Go’ Interactive Google Map of Salem, MA
Use the embedded Google Map below to see and explore all the places listed in this blog post using fancy GPS!
Click the box in the upper lefthand corner to expand the menu of listed places
Click the share icon in the upper right to share as a link or send the map to your personal device
Click the box icon in the upper right to expand the map to full screen
Click on any of the orange pins to see the saved locations
Use the + / - in the bottom left to zoom in or out
Pairs with READ: “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane”
This delightful, debut novel by Katherine Howe is the PERFECT witchy read for your trip to Salem. It debuted at #2 on the NYT Hardcover Bestseller list and is one of my personal favorites…
From Goodreads:
A spellbinding, beautifully written novel that moves between contemporary times and one of the most fascinating and disturbing periods in American history--the Salem witch trials.
Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane.
As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.
Written with astonishing conviction and grace, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the witch trials of the 1690s and a modern woman's story of mystery, intrigue, and revelation.
Also see Howe’s follow up novel, “The Daughters of Temperace Hobbs”