"It's all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus"
Is it though? When I was growing up, I first learned about Salem MA and the witch trials from watching the movie Hocus Pocus. My whole life changed at that moment. I was obsessed with everything fall and Halloween. I fell in love with all things unknown, and the mysteriousness of fall. If you're like me, then Salem has to be on your bucket list.
Where we stayed
We stayed at an Airbnb in Swampscott. It was about 15 minutes away from the town of Salem and was located right on the coast.
What to do...
Salem is a magical and charming town. It's full of historic houses, bars, restaurants, and shopping. A lot of places have a witchy theme, so it gives you all the Halloween feels. We went on a 90 minute walking tour our first night with Hocus Pocus Tours. I highly recommend this tour. The tour guides were amazing and they explain to you what really happened during the Salem witch trials. You also get to walk to some of the locations where Hocus Pocus was filmed. It's a really great and insightful tour that opens your eyes to the history of Salem. If you do plan on booking this tour, book ahead because tickets sell out fast.
Take a visit to the Salem Witch Memorial. The memorial is hauntingly beautiful. The center has locust trees, which are possibly the type of tree that was used for the hangings. There are 20 stone benches to represent the victims with their names engraved, along with how they were executed. Next to the memorial is one of the oldest cemeteries in Salem where two of the trial judges were laid to rest. Bridget Bishop was the first person executed in the trials. She lived a more flamboyant lifestyle and dressed differently than the other women. She was accused more of witch craft than any other person in the trials.
Take a stroll through some of the oldest cemeteries in America.
Enjoy some craft hard cider made from local apples at Far From the Tree Hard Cider.
Have a cup of "witches brew" tea from Jolie Tea.
Some of our favorite restaurants were: Ugly Mug Diner, Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Howling Wolf Taqueria and Flying Saucer Pizza company. There's so many great restaurants to chose from.
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Visit locations where Hocus Pocus was filmed!
Visit the house that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's book: The House of Seven Gables.
Visit some witchery and vampire shops.
Drive through the Berkshires and take in the New England country side. This is a 2h 30min drive from Salem and worth it! Especially if you're visiting in the fall.
Take a Day trip to Boston and eat lunch at Cheers.
Salem was on my bucket list for while and I'm so happy I went in the fall. You can find so many things to do around this area and I hope to come back one day. Did you know that Hocus Pocus 2 is officially being made?? I'm so excited! If you've been to Salem, tell me what you love in the comments! Do you want to go, or have plans of going? Tell me that too! Be sure to look up reviews of things before doing them. It really saved us a lot of time and money because there's a lot of overpriced, cheesy tourist stuff in this area.
If you love Hocus Pocus here's a list addresses of the filming locations you can visit!
Pioneer villiage- this location is where the opening scene was filmed.
310 West Ave.
Salem, MA
The Ropes Mansion- Allison's House
318 Essex Street
Salem, MA
Town Hall- Halloween party
161 Essesx Street
Salem, MA
Max and Dani's house (this is private property) We took a photo from across the street
4 Ocean Ave
Salem, MA
Old Burial Hill cemetery
Marblehead, MA 01945
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