Add These 6 ‘Hocus Pocus’ Filming Locations to Your Salem, MA Itinerary (2025)

Planning a trip to Salem, Massachusetts, in the near future? Add a few detours to your itinerary and check out some of the filming locations of the Halloween classic, “Hocus Pocus”.

Here are the Hocus Pocus filming locations we visited:

  • Salem village in the 1600s – Pioneer Village, 98 West Ave.
  • Max and Dani’s house – 4 Ocean Ave.
  • Town Hall – 32 Derby Square
  • Allison’s house – 318 Essex St.
  • Salem Common – North Washington Square
  • Cemetery scenes – Old Burial Hill, Marblehead, MA

We’ve listed the filming locations above in the order in which we recommend visiting them (based on their proximity to one another).

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

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We stopped in Salem on our 3,700-mile East Coast road trip in October 2021 and arrived just in time for Haunted Happenings – the city’s annual Halloween festivities.

The leaves hadn’t turned yet when we arrived on Oct. 5, so I recommend pushing your visit back a week or two if you want to see the fall foliage.

A word of caution: If you’re visiting Salem in October, book everything well in advance, because the city gets busy (and expensive) during peak tourist season. If you’re curious where we stayed, we booked the perfect Airbnb, which was only about a 15-minute walk to downtown.

The whole city is quite walkable, so as long as you book convenient accommodations, you’ll be in good shape to get around.

Salem Village in the 1600s

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It’s a bit of a trek to walk here from downtown, so you may consider driving or taking an Uber if you’re on a time crunch or don’t want to make the 1-hour round-trip walk.

Pioneer Village, America’s “first living history museum”, is where the scenes from the beginning of the movie were filmed. We see a flyover of an old Salem town as the opening credits roll. In one of the small houses is Thackery Binx, who wakes up to find his sister, Emily, missing.

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Max and Dani’s House

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Less than a 10-minute walk from Pioneer Village is the iconic Hocus Pocus house, located at 4 Ocean Ave. It’s currently private property, so be respectful as you visit and take pictures. If you drove to Pioneer Village, you might consider just walking to the Hocus Pocus house to avoid creating a bottleneck with your vehicle.

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Town Hall

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The adult Halloween party in Hocus Pocus was filmed on the second floor of the Old Town Hall in Salem.

Perhaps one of the most quotable lines from the movie (“I put a spell on you”) comes from the song which Bette Midler recorded and lip syncs with fellow Sanderson Sisters, Sarah and Mary, at the Halloween party.

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Allison’s House

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Allison’s house, known in real life as The Ropes Mansion, is considered the most haunted house in Salem. When we went on a ghost tour of Salem at night, our tour guide shared with us the below picture that was previously captured by someone on his tour.

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The photo is of Abigail Ropes, the most common ghost who “haunts” the home. She was the granddaughter of Judge Nathaniel Ropes, and was known for her long, blond, wavy hair.

She met her fate in the 1800s when her dress caught fire and she went up in flames after standing too close to the fireplace in her second-floor bedroom — hence why she appears to be glowing when her apparition is seen.

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Salem Common

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Many scenes from Hocus Pocus were filmed at Salem Common, just outside Jacob Bailey High School(Philips Elementary School IRL) on Washington Square.

The Common lights up at night for Halloween, creating the perfect spooky and sparkly setting for a photo shoot.

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The city also frequently does showings of Hocus Pocus on the Common throughout the month of October! Stop by for a show at night or take an afternoon stroll on the Common and visit the nearby Salem Witch Museum (well worth the time and money).

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Cemetery Scenes

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The daytime graveyard scenes were filmed at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, a 15-minute drive from Salem. The cemetery was established in 1638 and is one of the oldest graveyards in New England.

In the movie, Max rides his bike through the cemetery and is met by bullies Jay and Ernie (aka Ice) who steal Max’s new cross trainers.

The name “Old Burial Hill” may sound familiar, as we see a shot in the movie of a big iron gate with Old Burial Hill written on it, but internet speculation suggests that those nighttime shots were filmed on a set. (Plus, we didn’t see any evidence of the gate.)

Besides getting a photo of the headstones featured in the movie, it’s worth wandering around the cemetery for a little while. You’ll find many notable graves, including Wilmot Redd’s, one of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials, and John Glover’s, a Revolutionary War general.

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Don’t forget to browse the shops downtown, where you can find plenty of Hocus Pocus merchandise. Grab a coffee at Odd Meter, or an apple cider float at Melt, and enjoy!

Add These 6 ‘Hocus Pocus’ Filming Locations to Your Salem, MA Itinerary (2025)

FAQs

Add These 6 ‘Hocus Pocus’ Filming Locations to Your Salem, MA Itinerary? ›

When it comes to the first movie, some of the production took place on location in Salem, Massachusetts while other scenes were shot at studios in California. As for Hocus Pocus 2, a lot of the filming was done in Rhode Island, where sets were built and streets were made to mimic those in Salem.

Where was Hocus Pocus filming location? ›

When it comes to the first movie, some of the production took place on location in Salem, Massachusetts while other scenes were shot at studios in California. As for Hocus Pocus 2, a lot of the filming was done in Rhode Island, where sets were built and streets were made to mimic those in Salem.

Was any of Hocus Pocus 2 filmed in Salem ma? ›

Hocus Pocus 2 -Official Trailer (Disney+)

While the story takes us back to Salem, Massachusetts, the movie was actually filmed at locations across Rhode Island.

Where is the Sanderson Sisters Cottage located? ›

Visitors. The Sanderson Sisters' Cottage is a cottage that is the home of the witchy trio known as the Sanderson Sisters, which is located within the forests of Salem, Massachusetts.

Were the Sanderson sisters real? ›

These iconic singing sisters are witches from Salem in the movie franchise. Are they fictional or historical characters? The answer is more complicated than you might think. CNN reported that the Sanderson sisters are fictional characters.

Where does Hocus Pocus 2 take place? ›

Plot. In 1653 Salem, Massachusetts, Reverend Traske banishes 16-year-old Winifred Sanderson after she 'defied church authority' by refusing to marry John Pritchett. Rather than be away from her sisters, Mary and Sarah, Winnie takes them to a nearby forest.

Is the Hocus Pocus house still standing? ›

Today, you can visit the Hocus Pocus house, but you can only look at it. It's still someone's permanent residence and there are No Trespassing signs to discourage you from stepping too close. However, it's at the end of a picturesque street that overlooks Salem Harbor and makes for great selfies.

Where was the cemetery scene from Hocus Pocus filmed? ›

Old Burial Hill / Cemetery

The day-time cemetery scenes showing Max interacting with his new, not-so-welcoming classmates actually were not filmed in Salem at all. This footage was shot in nearby Marblehead at Old Burial Hill, one of the oldest graveyards in New England.

What is the black cat's name on Hocus Pocus? ›

Thackery Binx is one of the tritagonists in Hocus Pocus. He was transformed into an immortal black cat in the beginning of the film. During it, he finds himself growing attached to Dani Dennison.

Is the Sanderson Witch Museum real? ›

In reality this building is not a house at all, but a museum. The Ropes Mansion is open to the public and also has a large garden at the back of the building that the public can explore. The Salem Witch House is only a few buildings away too!

Can you visit the Sanderson house in Salem? ›

Max and Dani's House

Yes, you can see the real-life location where the Sanderson Sisters were resurrected—if you dare! This private residence located at 4 Ocean Ave in Salem dates all the way back to 1870. Visitors probably shouldn't go knocking, but you can take a stroll by the house and admire its iconic exterior.

Where is Max's house in Hocus Pocus? ›

Max And Dani Dennison's House - Ocean Avenue, Salem, MA

Much like The Myers' house in Halloween and or Stu's house where Ghostface did a slew of slashing in Scream, Max and Dani Dennison's white, seaside, Salem home topped with a widow's walk in Hocus Pocus is a memorable horror movie house.

Can you stay at the Hocus Pocus house? ›

'Hocus Pocus' fans can now stay in the Sanderson Sisters' cottage A pair of guests will have the chance to stay in the Sanderson Sisters' cottage. They'll also get to visit haunted sites in Salem, view a special screening of 'Hocus Pocus 2' and try witchcraft.

Are the Sanderson sisters evil? ›

For their evil activities, Winifred and her sisters were sentenced to death by the Salem townsfolk in 1693, and later resurrected by Max Dennison in 1993. Upon her return, she and her sisters aspired to consume the life forces from children in order to achieve eternal youth and immortality.

Do people live in the Hocus Pocus house? ›

This is a privately owned residence, and yes some lucky family resides in this infamous house used for filming in Hocus Pocus. Rumor has it the residents are cool with tourists taking pictures outside the house, but obviously be courteous of their privacy and property if you decide to visit.

What type of witch are the Sanderson sisters? ›

The sisters possessed an in-depth knowledge of the arts of necromancy, alchemy, and other schools of black magic, which they used to remain young. Upon catching them in the act of stealing the life force of young children, angry villagers burned the Sanderson Sisters in a school furnace.

What town in Rhode Island was Hocus Pocus filmed? ›

Washington Square in Newport, Rhode Island

Early on in the film, viewers can see Newport's Washington Square, which includes the Old Colony House, a Georgian-style historical landmark that was completed in 1741.

Where did they film the cemetery scene in Hocus Pocus? ›

Old Burial Hill / Cemetery

This footage was shot in nearby Marblehead at Old Burial Hill, one of the oldest graveyards in New England.

Is the Sanderson Witch museum real? ›

In reality this building is not a house at all, but a museum. The Ropes Mansion is open to the public and also has a large garden at the back of the building that the public can explore. The Salem Witch House is only a few buildings away too!

Did Hocus Pocus film at Plymouth Plantation? ›

Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Plymouth, MA

In the opening scene of Hocus Pocus, as the camera flies over what is supposed to be the colonial Puritan settlement in Salem where Thackery and Emily Binx live, what you're actually seeing is Plimoth Patuxet Museums, a living history museum in Plymouth, Mass.

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