The Fascinating Story Behind Where 'Hocus Pocus' Was Filmed (2025)

Hocus Pocus fans, have we got a treat for you. On September 30, your favorite Disney Halloween movie is releasing a sequel on Disney+. While we still have a ways to go before seeing it (not to mention meticulously planning our favorite Halloween activities and costumes), we should talk about the 1993 classic Halloween film that started it all.

If you don’t remember what Hocus Pocus is about, let us take you on a brief trip down memory lane. The movie centers on three witches, Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson (portrayed by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy), who somehow come back to life on Halloween night three centuries after their semi-gruesome deaths in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts. As soon as they are alive once more, the Sanderson sisters feel it’s time to stay immortal — even if it means they take a life in the process.

Considering all the locations the story takes place and how amazing the cinematography is, it’s easy to think that Max, Dani, Allison and Binx’s world would be filmed on various studio lots in Los Angeles, California. Yes, parts of the movie were shot there. But it turns out, director Kenny Ortega also took a different route by heading to the exact New England location where the story is set. If you’re interested in taking a mini-tour through where Hocus Pocus was filmed 29 years ago, then you’ve come to the right spooky place.

Salem in the 1600s

Real location: Pioneer Village, 310 West Avenue in Salem, MA

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At the very beginning of Hocus Pocus, viewers are transported back in time to the era of the Salem witch trials. To portray life in the 17th century, filmmakers chose to shoot in Salem's Pioneer Village. The museum was built in 1930 and is meant to mimic the colonial architecture — thatched roof cottages, wigwams, and more – of the 1600s.

Plan Your Visit to Pioneer Village

Max and Dani Dennison's house

Real location: 4 Ocean Avenue in Salem, MA

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The famous house where Allison and Max foolishly opened the Sanderson Sisters' spell book is an actual private residence. According to Zillow, the home was built in 1870 and is estimated to be worth over $520,000 today. While the home remains closed to the public, Boston.com reports that the current owners are actually very nice about tourists stopping to take photos.

Plan Your Visit to Max and Dani's House

Max and Allison's school

Real location: Phillips Elementary School, 56. South Washington Square in Salem, MA

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One year before Max, Dani, and Binx captured the Sanderson Sisters inside the red-brick building, Phillips Elementary stopped functioning as a school. The vacancy made it especially convenient for Hocus Pocus filmmakers to dress up the building as a high school for a few shots.

Now, the building is an apartment complex. Even though it's not currently open to the public, you can definitely snap a selfie with it while walking down South Washington Square.

Plan Your Trip to Phillips Elementary School

Allison's house

Real location: Ropes Mansion, 318 Essex Street in Salem, MA

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Located in the heart of the McIntyre Historic District, the Ropes Mansion, which is featured as Allison's house, is one of Salem's most iconic buildings. The home is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for housing Nathaniel Ropes, a famous merchant and attorney in the 1700s. Out back, the mansion boasts a gorgeous garden and greenhouse that is also welcome to visitors.

Plan Your Visit to Ropes Mansion

The town Halloween party

Real location: Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square in Salem, MA

The place where Winifred belted out the iconic tune "I Put a Spell on You" is called Old Town Hall. In real life, it's home to the Salem Museum. While the museum is open every day from 12 to 5 p.m. ET, the space will occasionally be used for performances of the interactive play Cry Innocent, which is based on the Salem witch trials.

Plan Your Visit to Old Town Hall

The town cemetery

Real location: Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, MA

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Fans may remember how Max initially stumbles upon bullies while walking home through the town cemetery. Turns out, they were filmed in Marblehead, Massachusetts in an area called Old Burial Hill. Established in the mid-17th century, it actually became well known for being the resting place of an estimated 600 soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. Makes sense that this is where the Sanderson sisters would want to come back to!

Plan Your Visit to Old Burial Hill

Check out our top Halloween flick picks:

Terrifying Halloween Movies on Netflix

Halloween Movies for Kids

Best Vampire Movies to Watch for Halloween

Best Witch Movies to Watch This Halloween

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Adrianna Freedman

Editorial Assistant

As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.

The Fascinating Story Behind Where 'Hocus Pocus' Was Filmed (2025)

FAQs

The Fascinating Story Behind Where 'Hocus Pocus' Was Filmed? ›

The town cemetery

What is the true story behind the Hocus Pocus? ›

CNN reported that the Sanderson sisters are fictional characters. There were not three sisters named Winifred, Sarah and Mary who were executed for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. However, even though they might be fictional, CNN said that there were really three sisters who were accused of witchcraft.

Where was Hocus Pocus actually filmed? ›

Most of the 1993 cult classic was filmed on location in Salem, Mass., and you can even visit many of the historic sites today. While it's a treat to watch all year long, Halloween is the perfect time to revisit Hocus Pocus, the subtly spooky tale of three 1600s Salem witches who respawn in the modern world.

What is a fun fact about Hocus Pocus? ›

Why is the Black Cat in Hocus Pocus Named Binx? Binx was named after Inks, an actual black cat David Kirschner, producer and co-writer of Hocus Pocus, had as a kid. The plot of the movie was born out of a bedtime story that Kirschner told his two young daughters in the 1980s.

What is the origin of the Hocus Pocus movie? ›

Hocus Pocus started life as a script by Mick Garris, that was bought by Walt Disney Pictures in 1984. The film's working title was Disney's Halloween House; it was much darker and scarier, and its protagonists were all 12-year-olds.

What is the backstory of the Sanderson sisters? ›

They're a trio of witch sisters who were the most powerful coven that ever lived, thanks to Winifred's book of spells. In the first film, they were accidentally revived by Max Dennison in modern-day Salem and attempt to become immortal by consuming the life force of children using their Life Potion.

What is Hocus Pocus inspired by? ›

The inspiration for "Hocus Pocus" came from the bedtime story producer and cowriter David Kirschner would tell his kids. "Halloween is a huge deal in our home, and it has been since our daughters were little," Kirschner told Yahoo in 2015. "It speaks to me in a way that becomes so emotional for me and always has."

Are Binx and Salem the same cat? ›

Sabrina The Teenage Witch's Salem Uses The Same Animatronic Cat As Hocus Pocus' Binx. The teen fantasy comedy Sabrina the Teenage Witch reused the Hocus Pocus animatronic cat for Salem Saberhagen (via WhatCulture), who acted as Sabrina's familiar despite being a sassy warlock trapped in the body of a cat.

Is the Sanderson house real? ›

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 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.

Why did people hate Hocus Pocus 2? ›

Conveniently overlooking that the Sanderson Sisters actually exploded at the end of the first film, it ignores that fact and brings them back for the exact same story. But without the humour or the thrills. Or characters that we even care for. It's just bland and doesn't evoke any sense of nostalgia or fun.

Is there anything inappropriate in Hocus Pocus? ›

Hocus Pocus has some nudity and sexual activity. For example: Sarah sits on a bus driver's lap while he flirts with her. Sarah kisses, dances or flirts with many men.

Is Hocus Pocus 3 a real thing? ›

Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in the works, with the Sanderson Sisters potentially returning for a new adventure. The new movie is being created with "full idealism," according to screenwriter Jen D'Angelo. "We're still in the story phase; we're still working on it," she told EW in October 2023.

Is Hocus Pocus based on a real story? ›

Although Hocus Pocus is a fantasy, the film has ties to real-life Salem, including a leading actress who's related to an accused witch! So leave your laid-back, California, tie-dyed point of view at the door because we're delving into the world of Hocus Pocus and how it relates to Salem, then and now.

Why is Hocus Pocus so iconic? ›

The cast is legendary.

Like we mentioned above, Midler, Najimy and Parker are iconic as the Sanderson sisters. They all have such great chemistry that you immediately believe they've been sisters for 300 years. Each of the sisters has such tightly defined personalities, which makes every scene so much fun.

Why did Winifred turn to stone? ›

Max drinks the potion that witch Winnie intended for Dani, so Winnie tries to suck Max's life force instead. Max manages to knock Winnie off her broom and onto the ground. Since Winnie is standing on hallow ground, she turns to stone.

Are the Sanderson sisters real in 1693? ›

While the three sisters were portrayed as truly magical individuals with a craving for children's souls to keep themselves young, their characters were based on real women, who were innocent people, murdered for being supposed witches. The Salem Witch Trials began in the spring of 1692.

What happens in the original Hocus Pocus? ›

A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.

What is the story behind Billy in Hocus Pocus? ›

In the original film, Billy Butcherson was Winifred Sanderson's (Bette Midler) old boyfriend who cheated on her with her youngest sister Sarah. When Winifred found out about Billy's betrayal, she poisoned him and sewed his mouth with a dull needle so that he may never tell her secrets. Billy Butcherson died in 1693.

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