Planning a Salem day trip from Boston?
Salem, also known as The Witch City, is a coastal town in Massachusetts best known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
Over the centuries, the legacy of the Witch Trials has been reshaped. The fear, hysteria, and speculation of the Witch Trials have been transformed into witchcraft, mystery and the supernatural. Today, Salem embraces it’s history and cultural image and has become one of the top Halloween destinations in the United States, welcoming over a million visitors during the month of October.
However, Salem is more than witchcraft and Halloween. First settled by English colonists in 1626, the town went on to develop a rich maritime trading history. Salem is also the birthplace of American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose novel the House of the Seven Gables was inspired by a building still standing in the town today.
1692 Witch Trials Overview
The Salem Witch Trials began in the winter of 1692, when two young girls began acting strangely. A physician found no physical ailment and concluded they were “under an evil hand“.
As news spreads, more girls began showing similar symptoms, eventually numbering twelve “afflicted” girls.
Accusations soon followed. Four of the girls accused three local women: Sarah Good, a poor pregnant woman, Sarah Osbourne, who had stopped attending church, and Tituba, an enslaved woman.
Tituba confessed to practising witchcraft, claiming Good and Osbourne forced her. She was held in custody but was eventually released. Good gave birth in prison, her baby died, and she was convicted and hanged shortly after.
These three women were only the beginning. Accusations multiplied, and others like Tituba, made false confessions to save themselves.
The Puritans placed emphasis on confession and repentance, instead of fully investigating claims. They accepted all kinds of evidence, including spectral evidence, where the girls were supposedly touched by invisible spirits. One woman was told she would be hanged if she did not confess and freed if she did.
To complicate matters further, many of the jurors were relatives of accusers and those who dared to speak out came under suspicion. It was only when the wife of the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was accused the trials were finally suspended.
By that time, 200 people had been accused, 30 were found guilty and 19 were executed.
The Salem Witch Trials remain a powerful warning about the dangers of groupthink, fear, and scapegoating.
Salem in Popular Culture
Over the years, the tragedy of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials has evolved into a pop-culture phenomenon. Growing up in the early 2000s, I was first introduced to Salem through some of my favourite movies and TV shows.
The 1993 cult-classic Hocus Pocus was not only set in Salem but filmed here too. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy play the Sanderson sisters, three fictional witches from 1692 Salem, who are resurrected 300 years later and wreak havoc on the modern-day town. A list of Hocus Pocus filming locations can be found later in this post.
The 1996 TV show, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, was another fixture of my childhood. Sabrina had a talking cat named Salem, and there was even an episode of the show where Sabrina goes on a class trip to re-enact the Salem Witch Trials.
Bonnie Bennet, the witch from the Vampire Diaries, a staple of my university years was stated to be a descendant of the Salem witches.
Lastly, my all time favourite, Charmed. The Halliwell sisters’ ancestor Melinda Warren was burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials.
There are so many references to Salem in other popular media, most notably the TV show Bewitched. However, these are just a few of the ones that shaped my childhood and teenage years, and heavily influenced my desire to visit Salem.
How to Take a Salem Day Trip
Train (Faster, Cheaper & More Frequent)
- Departure: Boston North Station, 135 Causeway St, Boston, MA
- Arrival: Salem Station, 252 Bridge St, Salem, MA
- Line: Newburyport/Rockport Line
- Journey Time: 35-minutes (5-stops)
- Frequency: every 30-minutes throughout the day (hourly later in the evening)
- Cost: 8 USD one-way, 16 USD round-trip
Tickets can be purchased on the MBTA app or at North Station. Once you arrive in Salem, it’s a short 5-minute walk to the town centre.
Ferry (Seasonal, Slower, & More Expensive)
- Departure: Boston – 1 Long Wharf, Boston MA
- Arrival: Salem – 10 Blaney Street, Salem, MA
- Season: 22 May to 1 Nov 2026
- Journey Time: approximately 50-minutes.
- Frequency: 4-5 times daily.
- Cost: 42 USD one-way, round-trip 62 USD
Tickets can be purchased online on the City Cruises website.
Car
The drive to Salem is around 45-60 minutes depending on traffic. Parking can be expensive and difficult to find when visiting in high season. It is not recommended to drive to Salem if visiting in October.
Things to Do on a Salem Day Trip
The Witch House at Salem
Location: 310 1/2 Essex St, Salem, MA
Opening Hours: 15 Apr – 15 Nov – daily, 10:00 – 17:00 (last entry 16:45)
Opening Hours (Winter): 16 Nov – 14 Apr, Thu-Sun, 12:00 – 16:00 (last entry 15:45) Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Federally Recognised Holidays.
Admission: Adults – 12 USD, Seniors – 10 USD, Children – 8 USD, Children under 6 – free
The Witch House is one of only a few buildings in Salem with direct links to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. It was the home of Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin, who purchased the house in 1675 and lived there for over 40 years.
The Witch House offers an insight into 17th century colonial life and the hysteria surrounding the Witch Trials.
Salem Witch Museum
Location: 19 1/2 Washington Square North, Salem, MA
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (year round), 10:00 – 19:00 (Jul & Aug), extended hours (Oct), Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and in Jan for several weeks.
Admission: Adults – 19 USD, Seniors (62 +) – 17.50 USD, Children (6-14) – 16 USD
The Salem Witch Museum is dedicated to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. The first part of the museum examines the historical side of the Witch Trials, whilst the second part looks at the the evolution of witches over time.
Outside of the museum is a statue of Roger Conant, the founder of Salem, and unrelated to the Salem Witch Trials.
Salem Witch Trials Memorial
Location: 24 Liberty St, Salem, MA
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is a garden dedicated to the memory of the 20 people executed during the 1692 Witch Trials. Stone benches are engraved with the names of each person in a way to humanise the victims of mass hysteria.
Bewitched Statue
Location: 237 – 245 Essex St, Salem, MA
This bronze statue of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played the main character Samantha Stephens in the 1960s TV show Bewitched was unveiled in 2005. It is a nod to the town’s historical association with witchcraft. Several episodes of Bewitched were filmed in Salem in 1970, which helped to boost local tourism.
Old Burying Point Cemetery
Location: 51 Charter St, Salem, MA
Opening Times: daily 10:00 – 17:00
Old Burying Point Cemetery, also known as Charter Street Cemetery, is the oldest cemetery in Salem, dating back to 1637. There are several notable people buried here including Richard More, the only passenger on the Mayflower with a documented grave, and Simon Bradstreet, one of the founders and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
John Hathorne, one of the leading Witch Trials judges is also buried here. The famous Salem-born author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a direct descendant of Hathorne.
The House of the Seven Gables
Location: 115 Derby St, Salem, MA
Opening Times: daily, 10:00 – 16:00, closed 1 Jan – 13 Feb 2026.
Admission: Adult – 25 USD, 65+ – 20 USD, Children (5-12) – 17 USD, Children under 5 – Free (includes 45 min tour of the Gables, self-guided visit in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace, self-guided visit in Counting House, access to museum store in Retire Beckett house, audio tour of garden, grounds and waterfront.
Admission (Grounds Pass): 12 USD (includes everything except Gables tour).
The House of the Seven Gables is best known for inspiring the 1851 novel of the same name by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The house is a 17th century colonial mansion built in 1668, and is one of the oldest surviving wooden houses in New England. It was restored the early 20th century and opened as a museum in 1910.
Peabody Essex Museum
Location: 161 Essex St, Salem, MA
Opening Times: Thu – Mon, 10:00 – 17:00, Closed Tues & Wed
Admission: Adult – 25 USD, Seniors (65+) – 23 USD, Students – 15 USD, Youth (under 16) – Free
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) is an Art and History museum, first established in 1799, making it one of the oldest continuously operating museums in America. The museum houses one of the major collections of Asian art in the US.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Location: Across Salem.
Opening Times: Check NPS website for up to date information.
Admission: Free
Salem Maritime National Historic Site is the first National Historic Site in the US, established in 1938. It consists of 12 historic structures along the Salem waterfront, including the downtown visitor’s centre (currently closed). It focuses on Salem’s maritime past in trading in the 18th and 19th centuries. Notable points of interest include, the historic Derby wharf, Narbonne House, a preserved 17th century home, and Custom House, where ships were registered and taxed.
Walking Tours in Salem
Walking tours are a great way to see the town and learn about it’s history on a Salem day trip.
Witch City Walking Tours has a 2-hour History & Hauntings of Salem tour which covers 400 years of Salem’s history, supernatural stories and the 1692 Witch Trials. The Mysteries & Murders of Salem tour offers a darker historical perspective of Salem with true crime stories.
Bewitched Tours offer a similar tour covering 400 years of Salem history, legend and pop culture.
Hocus Pocus Filming Location
A Salem day trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting some of the filming locations from the 1993 cult-classic, Hocus Pocus. Several scenes were filmed throughout the town and can be visited independently or with a guided tour.
Unfortunately the 2022 sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, whilst set in Salem, was filmed in Rhode Island. However, the Witch House makes a brief appearance in a flashback scene.
Phillips Elementary School
Location: S Washington Square, Salem, MA
Scenes Filmed: Max & Allison’s School
Phillips Elementary School was used as the high school attended by Max and Allison, or as Winifred described it in the movie, ” a prison for children“.
This is where Max, Allison and Dani lured the Sanderson Sisters into the school’s pottery kiln in an attempt to get rid of them for good.
Salem Common
Location: N Washington Square, Salem, MA
Scenes Filmed: Backdrop for the School.
In front of Phillips Elementary School is Salem Common, which was used for scene with Max and Allison. In the movie, Allison hands Max a piece of paper, when he opens it he realises she has given him back his phone number that he had handed to her earlier in class.
Rope’s Mansion
Location: 318 Essex St, Salem, MA
Scenes Filmed: Allison’s House
The exterior of Rope’s Mansion was used in Hocus Pocus as Allison’s house. In the movie Max takes Dani trick-or-treating, they are in awe of this big house and enter, only to realise it’s the home of Allison who is holding a Halloween party.
Rope’s Mansion and Garden is part of the Peabody Essex Museum and is open seasonally for self-guided tours.
Salem Old Town Hall
Location: 32 Derby Square, Salem, MA
Scenes Filmed: Location of the Halloween party the parents attend.
Salem Old Town Hall is the location of the Halloween party that the parents attend. In the movie, Max, Allison and Dani race to the Town Hall to warn their parents about the witches. It is during this scene that Better Midler does her iconic performance of “I Put a Spell on You”.
4 Ocean Ave
Location: 4 Ocean Ave, Salem, MA
Scenes Filmed: Max & Dani’s House
Max and Dani’s house is located at 4 Ocean Ave, around a 25-30 minute walk from the centre of Salem.
The house is featured in multiple scenes throughout the movie, most notably when Max and Allison open the stolen book which alerts the witches to it’s location. You can also see the iconic tower where Max’s bedroom is located.
The property is a residential property, so make sure to be respectful when visiting.
Salem Pioneer Village
Location: 38 West Ave, Salem, MA
Scenes Filmed: Opening Credits
Salem Pioneer Village is located less than a 10-minute walk from Max and Dani’s House at 4 Ocean Ave.
It is featured in the opening scenes of Hocus Pocus where we meet Thackery Binx in 1692 Salem.
Salem Pioneer Village is a living history museum. It is a recreation of a 17th century village offering a glimpse into colonial life. The village is open seasonally on weekends only, admission and opening times can be checked on the Pioneer Village Salem website.
Old Burial Hill
Location: Marblehead, MA
Scenes Filmed: Daytime Cemetery Scenes
Old Burial Hill cemetery is located outside of Salem in Marblehead, a 15-minute drive from downtown. It was used for daytime cemetery scenes. In the movie, Max is riding through the cemetery when he is stopped by the bullies who steal his shoes.
When to take a Salem Day Trip?
- October – busy, crowded, most atmospheric, attractions need booking in advance.
- Winter – least busy, shorter opening hours, some attractions are closed, very cold.
- Spring & Summer – good weather, balance of crowds.
Visiting Salem in October
October is the busiest time to visit Salem with thousands of people visiting everyday. Many roads are closed off and parking is extremely limited. It is not recommended to drive Salem during this time, if you do be sure to leave plenty of extra time.
Several attractions, such as The Witch House, The House of the Seven Gables and The Witch Museum require tickets to be purchased in advance. Make sure to check their websites for instructions on how to purchase tickets in October.
The Haunted Happenings Festival is held throughout October, be sure to check the website for events.
I visited on Halloween, with the right amount of preparation you can have an amazing and atmospheric day.
Recommended Salem Day Trip Itinerary
- Take the 09:30 ferry from Boston to Salem (take the train in the off-season).
- Visit some of the Hocus Pocus filming locations including Phillips Elementary, Salem Common and the Old Town Hall.
- Visit the Witch House at Salem, the Salem Witch Museum, or The House of the Seven Gables.
- Wander down Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, grab something to eat and look in the shops.
- Do the History & Hauntings of Salem walking tour with Witch City Walking Tours at 12:30.
- For Hocus Pocus fans, walk to 4 Ocean Ave to see Max and Dani’s house, then the Salem Pioneer Village.
- Alternatively, you could visit another attraction in Salem town centre.
- Get the 16:00 or 19:00 ferry back to Boston (take the train in the off-season).
Final Thoughts on Salem Day Trip
Salem is one of the top Halloween destinations in the USA, welcoming over a million visitors each October. However, a Salem day trip is a great choice regardless of the season.
The town doesn’t forget the historical side of the Witch Trials, preserving the history in places such as the Witch House, and memorialising its victims, at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial.
At the same time, Salem fully embraces all things witchy, mythical and supernatural. The town and its history have inspired countless works of fiction, most famously Hocus Pocus.
Salem is a truly unique destination and well worth a visit. Take the time to learn about the 1692 Witch Trials, but don’t overlook its rich colonial and maritime history as well.
Have fun on your Salem day trip.