Things to do in Salem

Meet your tour guide and venture through 8-12 different sites around the city, each one spookier than the last, starting with the historical Salem Old Town Hall. Continue down the eerie streets to explore the Old Burying Point Cemetery, a preserved burial ground that was established in 1637 where some prominent pilgrims and town officials were buried. This haunted tour takes you to different sites and reveals their true stories so that you can feel connected to the history that took place there. Experiencing these stories while at the sites where they occurred is a truly unique experience that can’t be recreated by simply reading about their history.  During your tour, find out how Salem became the center for all haunted happenings. The phenomenon is partially explained by Salem’s rich history and the fact that many of its oldest structures and sites are preserved today, including the famed Witch House.  Salem’s commitment to preserving this history has made it a perfect spot for spirits to linger and for visitors to experience a connection with the past.

Get an introduction to the history of Salem and discover local ghost stories on a guided 1.5-hour walking tour. Visit at least one cemetery and several buildings known for paranormal activity. Listen to dark tales of accidental death and murder. Hear about a man who was murdered for his treasure by his heirs and a woman who died in a fire and continues to haunt the home. Learn about the various unexplained sightings in some of the older structures in the city. Your tour will end in the downtown area, where your guide will direct you to wherever you'd like to visit next.

The Boston All-Inclusive Pass by Go City provides you access to over 40 of the area’s top activities, attractions, and tours for a single low price. Enjoy planning your own itinerary while saving up to 45% compared to the cost of individual attraction tickets. Choose a 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7-day pass and visit as many attractions as you like during that time. Take a Trolley Tour, visit the New England Aquarium, or explore the Museum of Science. These and many other options are included in the cost of your Boston All-Inclusive Pass. A free digital guide helps you decide what to do, where to go, and how to get there. Below, "(R)" means that reservations are required. Included attractions with your Boston All-Inclusive Pass: TOURS AND ACTIVITIES • Historic Sightseeing Cruise (Seasonal - April to October) • CityView Hop-On Hop-Off Boston Trolley Sightseeing Tour: 2-Day Ticket (Seasonal - April to November) • Fenway Park Tour • Swan Boats of Boston (Seasonal - April to September) • The Harvard Tour • Boston Movile Mile Walking Tour (Seasonal - April to October) (R) • Boston Bike Rental • Battle Green Tour • Hyannisport Harbor Cruise (Seasonal - May to October) • Cape Cod Canal Cruise (Seasonal - May to October) • Liberty Ride (Seasonal - April to October) • Boch Center Wang Theatre Tours MUSEUMS AND PLACES OF INTEREST • New England Aquarium • Old State House Museum & Old South Meeting House Combo Ticket • USS Constitution Museum • Museum of Science • Paul Revere House • Museum of Fine Arts • Salem Witch Museum (R) • Boston Children's Museum (R) • Harvard Museum of Natural History (R) • JFK Presidential Library and Museum • Plimoth Patuxet plus Mayflower II or Grist Mill Combo (Seasonal - April to November) • LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston • Franklin Park Zoo • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum • Peabody Essex Museum • Institute of Contemporary Art • House of the Seven Gables • Buckman Tavern • Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology (R) • Otis House Museum • Concord Museum • Old Sturbridge Village • John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum (Seasonal - April to September)

Meet near the cobblestone streets and brick-lined center of town on Essex Street. Follow your licensed and experienced historical guide through the Axelrod Garden Walkway toward the Witch Trials Memorial. Hear about the lead up to the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria that engulfed the town in 1692. Through the memorial and into the Old Burial Point Cemetery your guide will continue to explain the surprisingly relevant stories of those accused and those that accused them. Continue on to several other locations with strong ties to the witchcraft hysteria such as the witch dungeon site, and others.

Find out how the strict Puritan town of Salem became the witchcraft capital of the world and get a behind-the-scenes look at today's tourism industry on a guided walking tour of the Witch City. Meet your guide outside the Old Town Hall and begin your history-packed walking tour of Salem. Together you'll visit 9 historic locations, including the Salem Athenaeum and Old Burying Point Cemetery, unlocking a new chapter of Salem's past at each stop. Uncover shocking secrets like the connection between author Nathaniel Hawthorne and infamous witch trials judge John Hathorne, or the fact that most of the accusations, executions, and alleged witchcraft actually occurred in Danvers, not Salem. Walk away from your tour with a full picture of Salem's history and plenty of memorable moments to share with family and friends back home.

Ensure a hassle-free trip with a Boston Explorer Pass that is accessible straight from your mobile phone (also available to print) and is valid for 60 days (starting with your first visit). Choose 2, 3, 4, or 5 activities and save time and money compared to paying individual admission prices. Marvel at the wonders of the sea with a visit to the New England Aquarium, explore the city aboard a hop-on-hop-off trolley or choose a Boston sunset cruise. Simply browse your digital guide for where to go next, show your pass to be scanned at the entrance or ticket office, and you're in. Choose any 2, 3, 4, or 5 attractions or tours from the following: Tours and Cruises • Historic Sightseeing Cruise (April to October) • CityView Hop-On Hop-Off Boston Trolley Sightseeing Tour: 1-Day Ticket (April to November) • Boston Sunset Cruise (May to September) • Fenway Park Tour • Boston Bike Rental • Boch Center Wang Theatre Tours • The Harvard Tour Museums and Places of Interest • New England Aquarium • Old State House Museum & Old South Meeting House Combo Ticket • Museum of Science • Harvard Museum of Natural History • Boston Children's Museum • LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston • Museum of Fine Arts • Salem Witch Museum • USS Constitution Museum • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum • JFK Presidential Library and Museum • Franklin Park Zoo • Peabody Essex Museum • Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology Attractions and tours are subject to change. Check the digital guide included in your confirmation voucher for the full list of inclusions, opening times, and reservation instructions.

Explore this history of the infamous 1692 Salem Witchcraft Trials on a 1.5-hour walking tour of the city. Listen to tales of the fear, political turmoil, and family rivalries all help fuel the hysteria that pitted neighbor against neighbor and family members against each other. Starting from the local partner's office, visit the jails where suspected witches were held, the court house, and homes of the judges and accused. Discover how two girls having fits transformed into a frantic quest to expel the Devil, leading to the deaths of 25 innocent people. 

Immerse yourself in the dark and somber history of the Salem Witch Trials on this walking tour. See the most important historical locations in the city. Learn about the trials' main players such as John Proctor and Bridget Bishop. Discover the most tragic aspects of the witch trials, including the humiliating examinations that women who were suspected to be witches endured. Meet your guide at the Salem Five Bank and begin your journey into the tragic history of the trials. Learn more about topics such as the possession of children and animals, curses, and black magic. Make your way to the Witch House and head towards the 18th-century Merchant Hotel. Wander through the country's oldest cemetery, Burying Point Cemetery, and pay your respects at the Witch Trials Memorial.

Join a spooky self-guided tour that will help you to explore Salem's past and learn about the events that took place there. Explore some of the town's most notable landmarks and places connected to the famous witch trials. Along the way, there are plenty of optional detours available for those looking for a little more. The experience begins at the Salem Armory. From there, walk to the 1692 Memorial, where the victims of the witch panic are memorialized. Get to know many of the key figures who found themselves swept up by the plague of fear and paid the ultimate price. Next, you’ll see the Old Burying Point, where many of the trials’ victims and aggressors were laid to rest. Listen to the tragically heroic tale of Giles Corey as you walk through the gravestones, a man who refused to bow to the nightmare overtaking his town and was immortalized in The Crucible. After that, you’ll pass by some of Salem’s spookiest architecture, including the Joshua Ward House and the Old Town Hall. You’ll also hear of the secret tunnels which run beneath some of these buildings, many of which still exist to this day. Continue on past the old jailhouse, where innocent people were subjected to cruelty so terrible that some suggest their spirits never really left. You'll hear about Hollywood’s many forays into Salem, including hits like Hocus Pocus and Bewitched. Pass by the Witch Museum on your way back and hear about how all the madness finally came to an end. The final stop brings you to the Salem Common, where the tour wraps up with some things you probably didn’t know about the aftermath of the trials.

Join this family-friendly walking tour and explore Salem’s haunted houses, cemeteries, and victims of the Witch Trials. Visit locations where spirits are tied to famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Enjoy a stop at one of Salem's haunted cemeteries, Old Burying Point Cemetery, which is considered by many as the most haunted place in Salem. Throughout your tour, visit many other haunted locations, including a few featured on TV Shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. Learn more about the city's history and famous residents from your local guide.