Salem Witch Trials, Ghosts and History Walking Tour
Description
Walk Salem's most haunted streets and uncover the fascinating true story of the 1692 witch trials — told the way only a lifelong local of old Salem can tell it. Named one of the best Salem walking tours by TripAdvisor in the Top 10 Salem Walking Tours of 2026. Enjoy Hocus Pocus stops, thrilling ghost stories - then be surprised along the way by Salem's lesser known history, and the question nobody thinks to ask: Why are there no Sheriffs in Salem anymore? Enter Salem's stunning McIntire District with Revolutionary War, maritime, and pirate tales woven throughout. This is a historical tour enriched with some beloved ghost stories. Dining, shopping and exploring recommendations on request. Perfect for families, couples, day trips from Boston, solo travelers, haunted history tours, friends, bachelorette parties, bridal parties, and curious kids. This tour is guided in English only. Our meeting point: East India Fountain, 158 Essex St, Salem MA 01970. About 2 hrs. Outdoors only, no entry.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The East India Fountain. This will be our meeting point! Get to know your guide, enjoy an introduction to Salem. Why is Salem known for Witch Trials? Why does the East India Fountain look so unique? What is the significance of the giant building you'll be standing in front of? This is an outdoor only stop.
What kind of people were accused of witchcraft? What was done with them? How is Saint Peter's Church tied into the Witch Trials? What happened on nearby property and why do so many people get chills and strange photos here? This is an outdoor only stop.
Did you know Salem looked very different in 1692? We will traverse a large piece of property with special Witchcraft Trial history. Today, many believe it to be haunted by an executed victim. You'll also hear a few other surprising chapters of Salem's history here...this is an outdoor only stop.
The famous Hocus Pocus stop! We discuss the movie's filming and the true history of the building. The founding of Salem and those here before the Puritans are also explored. This is an outdoor only stop.
So much history in one stop! This site is tied to the Witch Trials as well as our rich Maritime history. It's also famous for one of the most famous hauntings in Salem. This is an outdoor only stop.
A very iconic stop, great for photos! How are Salem's Witch Trials connected to the classic Bewitched TV show? What sensitive legacy does the statue have today? This is an outdoor only stop
The Witch House is the only thing left standing in modern Salem with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials! What happened here? Further explore how everything went so wrong in 1692
Marvel at Salem's historic residential neighborhood, both spooky and breathtaking!
Stroll down Historic Essex St and learn it's history - is it haunted? How old are the buildings in Salem? Better understand where the Witchcraft Trial sites are. Hear about Puritans, Pirates, Patriots and more! What is the hidden secret about Central Street? This is an outdoor only stop.
Enjoy a sumptuous mansion from Salem's maritime era and another Hocus Pocus filming stop! Who lived here? What happened to them? And why do people get strange photos in the beautiful historic garden?
The Old Burying Point. Famous as one of the oldest maintained burial sites in the country. The final resting place of several people involved in the Salem Witch trials and other significant chapters of history. What ghosts are famous for walking the grounds? This is an outdoor only stop.
How do we honor the victims of the Salem Witchcraft Trials? What is the symbolism built into it's design? This is an outside memorial, access is free and depends on the amount of people utilizing the memorial (such as October crowds).
This federalist era hall has a captivating and amusing history!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- MOBILITY DEVICES: Many people take this tour with their own mobility scooters or wheelchairs, BUT PLEASE, keep in mind, we are an old historic city so the terrain is going to be uneven sometimes. Use your own discretion. We are very happy to have people with their own mobility devices on our tour! We will always accommodate you the best we can but visitors assume all responsibility and Witch City Walkabout will not be held liable. We do not provide mobility devices - Guests who need one should bring their own.
- HEALTH RESTRICTIONS: Participating in this tour requires being able to physically complete a route of about 2 miles over the course of around 2 hours (on foot OR with your own mobility device) done at a walking pace with standing pauses of approximately one to several minutes at each tour stop. Most stops don't have seating available; guests will either stand or remain seated in their mobility devices (if they have brought their own) during tour stops. To keep the tour engaging and on schedule for the whole group, we're not able to slow the pace significantly or add extra rest stops along the way. We do not provide mobility devices — guests who need one should bring their own. Please keep in mind, while many people successfully take this tour with mobility devices and enjoy themselves, we are an old, historic city, so the terrain is going to be uneven sometimes. Use your own discretion. We are very happy to have people with mobility devices on our tour! We will always accommodate you the best we can but visitors assume all responsibility and Witch City Walkabout will not be held liable.
- Tours run Rain or Shine! Prepare for all weather! Salem, MA can have quickly changing weather.
- This tour covers about 2 miles in around 2 hours time.
- Wear comfortable shoes, we walk 2 miles on uneven terrain, bricks, cobblestone etc.
- This tour does not have bathroom breaks, be sure to use a bathroom before the beginning of the tour.
- Tours start on time, plan for traffic if driving into Salem. Plan to secure parking/transportation/arrival to the tour early enough to be able to find our starting point at 158 Essex St, Salem MA (The East India Fountain) before the tour begins.
Reviews(68)
Very enthusiastic. Great storytelling with lots of history. Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Would highly recommend this tour. Very informative.
Walking tour with lots of history and interesting tidbits. April was a wonderful tour guide. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would do it again.
Fantastic tour. We had a great experience with the guide and learned a lot. Would certainly suggest.
Thank you Liz! We love giving fantastic experiences of Salem and we're happy to hear you learned a lot from our tour. Thank you for your recommendation. Hope to see you in Salem again sometime.
Our guide was full of updated information and knew the history of the area very well. She was personable and answered all our questions.
Thank you! We love giving tours that help you enjoy your time in Salem as much as possible. We're glad you found our guide friendly, she shared all the knowledge and history you were looking for and she was able to answer your questions. Thank you for this excellent review! Come back to Salem soon.
It was an educational tour. There was a lot of good information that she presented well. April was very entertaining.
Thank you Jennifer! We take pride in presenting true Salem history while keeping it fun. We're glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for this wonderful review!
We loved our tour. April was so knowledgeable and engaging. We learned a lot in that 2 hours. A perfect mix of history and ghost stories. I look forward to being able to further explore some of the places she showed us.
Thank you Misty! We're glad you got so much out of our Salem tour. We try hard to give it a lot of value by showing you sights you may not have found on your own, providing lesser known information about Salem's famous stops, and giving lots of options for things to do with the rest of your time here. Thank you so much for walking our tour and this great review. We hope to see you back in Salem soon!
April was funny, knowledgable, engaging and helpful. She offered to give suggestions as to what to do for the rest of our stay. If you want to learn Salem history with a bit of humor, I highly recommend it.
Thank you Stacey! We believe humor makes history more fun. Our guides also work hard to make sure your visit in Salem is excellent, so we will always provide you with recommendations of things to do on request. Thank you for choosing our tour, we hope to see you in Salem again!.
April was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the history of Salem! She was an amazing host and I could not recommend her more.
Thank you! We're glad you were so pleased with your guide and the tour! We hope to see you back in Salem sometime.
We really enjoyed this tour and left feeling like we had learned so much about Salem's history! We appreciated that it focused on the area's history, with just a sprinkle of ghost and Hocus Pocus stories, and was led by a local.
Thank you Abigail. We're glad you got so much out of our Salem tour! Our guides make sure you get a great blend of history, ghost stories, Hocus Pocus, spooky pop culture and beautiful scenery. Thank you for booking with us and thank you for this recommendation!
The tour was very interesting and well done. April was a very engaging and knowledgeable host, who is a local person with a long family history in the area. She took us to many sites and gave us a fuller picture of Salem’s amazing history. She answered all of our questions and made it fun. I went with my ten year old grandchild who really enjoyed all of the stories the way April told them.
Thank you Karen! We take pride in the fact that we are founded and run by life long locals of the old Salem historic region, many of whom are descended from Puritans. Our guides love answering questions and showing people the real Salem, which is a much richer story than many realize. Our walking tour is very family friendly, we're so glad your 10 year old grandchild loved it! We appreciate you choosing our walking tour and your recommendation here.
