Salem is a sweet town with a dark history, and one not to miss off your travel list…
If you’ve seen Hocus Pocus, you’ll probably recognise some of the homes in this post. Salem is the ultimate Halloween destination, with it’s film location call and it’s history, but is worth a visit any time in the year. Before you visit, have a read up on what went on in this town, and its history with witches. I’ll give you a brief guide as we go, but there’s so much more to it.
As soon as I knew we were holidaying in Boston, I instantly added a trip to Salem to my list. Visiting in November meant I had been binge watching Hocus Pocus on repeat, so it was fresh in my mind. Forget pumpkin picking, this is the ultimate Autumn activity. This guide is ideal if you only have an afternoon to spend in Salem, but a whole day to dedicate to it.
Getting to Salem
Getting from Boston to Salem is relatively easy, and you have the choice of train or bus. Train is the best way, and only takes 30 minutes. It’s also well-priced at around $3 – $9 per person. The bus takes a little longer at 1 hour, but is slightly cheaper.
If you’re lucky enough, like we were, to have a car to drive to Salem, you can modify your trip a little to add in some amazing coastal views, and a stop at a small, classic American seaside town. Read on for a bonus stop on the way.
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Visit the Hocus Pocus Houses
Number one on the list for me was seeing a few of the Hocus Pocus filming locations. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll instantly recognise some of the places and houses around the town. You’ll probably also quickly notice why they chose them – they’re all really characteristic. If you’re tight for time and can only see the ones in the centre, you’ll still have enough to awe at. Or, if you’ve got a little more time for a walk, you can see everyone’s favourite – Max and Dani’s house, which is a little bit further away.
Here’s a list of the houses and locations where you can find them:
- Ropes Mansion (Alison’s House) – 318 Essex Street
- Old Town Hall – 32 Derby Square
- Salem Common – North Washington Square
- Max and Dani’s House – 4 Ocean Avenue
Learn about the History in the Witch House of Salem (the Black House)
The Witch House of Salem is one of the last standing buildings in the town with direct links to the Witch Trials of Salem. It was owned by one of the judges involved in the trials, and has been transformed into a museum of day to day life in the 1690s, as well as the fear and trials of witches at that time. It’s got history of the witch trials themselves, and shows you more on life at the time. It’s got a slightly haunting feel to it, and a really cute gift shop at the end.
The Salem Witch Trials
You probably already know that there was a time in history with a hysteria about the fear of witches and their witchcraft. We’ve all heard the stories of witch hunts and tests to see whether or not a person was a witch, and the fear of them spread across Europe and America. In the town of Salem their hysteria lasted a short time, only between 1692 – 1693. But that was long enough to create a dark history in the town.
The story of Salem is tragic, supposedly starting when teenage girls accused other women of witchcraft – potentially due to a family feud. The reasons for believing they were performing witchcraft varied, from fits to beliefs. The youngest accused was just 4 years old, but luckily she was one of the fortunate ones, and was released.
In total 20 people (men and women) were executed, out of the more than 200 that were accused. It’s a grim, but important, history to note, and now the town has a simple and touching memorial to the victims.
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Pay your Respects at the Witch Trials Memorial
After learning the story of Salem, the Witch Trials Memorial is an important stop. It’s a simple, but touching, memorial to the 20 victims of the trials, including Giles Corey. His story is definitely worth a read before you go.
While you walk around the stones you can read their names, causes of death, and dates, and see the gifts left for each one by previous visitors. Most of them have flower tributes on them as a simple sign of respect.
Shop in the themed shops
Salem fully embraces its history, and there’s an abundance of shops that follow the theme. They’ve got witch shops, haunted shops, spooky shops – there’s even a wand shop for the Harry Potter fans among us. The best place to head to is Essex Street – there’s a lot of shops to choose from here. You can find some really pretty little postcards in the shops to remember your trip with.
Bonus for a Road Trip from Boston to Salem – Rockport, Massachusetts
If you’re driving from Boston, you can lengthen your route to see some really quaint Massachusetts towns, and some beautiful coastal views. We stopped in Rockport, which is 35 miles from Boston and 20 miles from Salem. Rockport is your traditional seaside town in America, and has heaps of interesting history to it. Did you know it was a ‘dry town’ (meaning alcohol free) from 1856, when almost 200 women walked through the town destroying any form of alcohol, and 2005. And even then you could only purchase alcohol in restaurants, it wasn’t available in shops until 2019.
When you arrive, head to Bearskin Neck. It used to be a stretch of fisherman huts and shanties, but over the years has been converted to quaint little shops, restaurants and art galleries. You can also stop for a coffee and piece of cake at the Bean and Leaf Cafe, and sit at a table overlooking one of the sea views of the town.
