Salem, Massachusetts, is most known for its ties to the infamous Salem Witch Trials. However, this historical port town offers more than spooky lore. Read below for my list of must-sees in Salem.
Downtown Salem
The Essex Street Pedestrian Mall is the epicenter of bustling downtown Salem. Most of the museums, restaurants, and shops are a short walk from Essex Street. This cobblestone and brick road is blocked off to cars and provides ample room for walking.
The twelve “Ladies of Salem” are ship figureheads posted around downtown Salem. Local artists wanted to highlight Salem’s port culture and move away from the stereotypical “witch trials” tourism.
Nearby Eateries
- The Juicery – New England smoothies, juices, and bowls.
- Kakawa Chocolate House – Mesoamerican inspired chocolate shop.
- Boston Burger Company – Gourmet burgers and artistic milkshakes.
What to Do
- Emporium 32 – Antique and curio shop.
- Peabody Essex Museum – Large museum with art, history, fashion, and architecture exhibits.
- The Salem Witch Trials Memorial site, located at 24 Liberty St., is dedicated to the 20 victims of the witch trials. Each bench lists the victim’s name, how they died, and the date they died.
Historical Sites of Old Salem
For the history buffs and architecture lovers, I suggest purchasing tickets for an in-person guided walking tour:
Brick by Brick: Salem’s Hidden Architectural Stories
This tour offers exclusive insight into sites from Salem’s five centuries of history, including the Gardner-Pingree House, and John Ward House.
If you’d prefer to explore the city alone, add these historic sites to your itinerary:
The Ropes Mansion | Set of Hocus Pocus
Built in 1727, the Ropes Mansion is an iconic stop on your Salem bucketlist. This historic Georgian-style home has survived an angry mob, smallpox, tuberculosis, and three tragic fires.
The Peabody Essex Museum offers a self-guided tour around the mansion’s 15 rooms for $15 per person (prices subject to change). The gardens are open to the public for free. Notably, the mansion appeared in Disney’s Hocus Pocus, when Max attends a Halloween party at Allison’s house.
The Ropes Mansion (right) courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum.
Salem Public Library
The Salem Public Library has operated since 1889.
The building was originally home to Captain John Bertram, a successful shipowner and merchant. According to his biography, Capt. Bertram was a benevolent man despite experiencing several tragedies. His widow and daughters donated the house in his memory in 1887. Read more here.
Pioneer Village | Set of Hocus Pocus
The Pioneer Village is a living history museum of 1630 Salem.
The opening scene of the movie Hocus Pocus was filmed here. The village served as the home of Thackery Binx before he was cursed by the Sanderson sisters. You can buy tickets to tour the village here.
Old Burial Hill Cemetery | Set of Hocus Pocus
The Hocus Pocus cemetery scenes were actually filmed in nearby Marblehead, MA, at Old Burial Hill. This graveyard was established in 1648.
You can find several unmarked 17th century and Revolutionary War era graves throughout the cemetery.
The Marblehead peninsula is an equally stunning Northeastern coastal town. While visiting Old Burial Hill, I would highly suggest strolling downtown.
I hope you embrace this opportunity to experience the rich history of the Northeast.
Let’s get back to our roots!
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