Salem Day Trip From Boston: History, Witches, and the Perfect Day

Mention Salem, Massachusetts and most people picture one thing: the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. That dark history draws thousands of visitors every year, and it is what puts a Salem day trip from Boston on so many travel lists in the first place.

But here is what surprised us. Our Salem day trip from Boston was so much more than its witches. This is a walkable seaport packed with centuries of maritime history, one of the country’s great art museums in the Peabody Essex, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of the Seven Gables, pop culture attractions like Hocus Pocus and Bewitched filming locations, and Chestnut Street, often called one of the most beautiful streets in America. There is even a lobster roll featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that is worth the trip on its own.

The best part is how easy Salem is to reach. You can get there from Boston in about 30 to 60 minutes by train, ferry, or car, which makes it one of the most rewarding days you can add to a New England trip. Here is exactly how we spent our day, and how you can see the best of Salem without feeling rushed.

Planning the Perfect Salem Day Trip From Boston

A Salem day trip from Boston is appealing because it really is an easy day trip, and you have three good options to get there. The simplest is the train. The MBTA commuter rail’s Rockport line runs from Boston’s North Station to Salem in about 30 minutes, and a standard ticket costs around $8. The Salem station is a short walk from downtown, so you can leave the car behind entirely.

If you would rather make Salem day trip from Boston fun, take the ferry. The seasonal Salem Ferry, run by Boston Harbor City Cruises, sails from Boston’s Long Wharf to Salem’s Blaney Street wharf in under an hour, with skyline and harbor views the whole way. It runs from late May through the end of October, so it is a warm-weather option only.

Driving is the third choice, and it is what we did. Salem is about 16 miles north of Boston, roughly a 30 to 45 minute drive depending on traffic. Once you arrive, head straight for one of the downtown parking garages, which we found easy to use and very affordable compared to Boston rates. One heads-up: in October, parking and tickets fill up fast, so arrive early or take the train.

A Quick History of Salem Beyond the Witch Trials

Long before 1692, Salem was one of the most important seaports in America. Through the late 1700s and early 1800s, Salem ships sailed to the far corners of the globe, and the city’s merchants grew wealthy trading in pepper, tea, silk, and other goods from Asia and the East Indies. For a time, Salem was one of the richest cities per capita in the young United States.

That fortune left a mark you can still see today. It built the grand Federal-style mansions that line Chestnut Street, funded the collections that became the Peabody Essex Museum, and shaped the working waterfront now preserved as the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, the first national historic site in the country.

Salem’s literary legacy runs just as deep. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne was born here in 1804, worked at the Salem Custom House on the waterfront, and set his classic novel The House of the Seven Gables in a real mansion you can still tour.

So while the witch trials are what put Salem on the map for most visitors, the city’s seafaring and literary history are every bit as rich. Keep that in mind as you plan, because some of Salem’s best stops have nothing to do with witches at all.

Start With the Salem Trolley Tour

If you only have a day, start with the Salem Trolley. It is the fastest way to get your bearings and to see how much of the city sits beyond the witch attractions.

The narrated ride covers about eight miles and runs roughly an hour, looping past the highlights so you can decide where to spend your time on foot afterward. Along the way you will pass the Charter Street Burial Ground, the House of the Seven Gables, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Salem Witch Museum, the historic waterfront, and Chestnut Street, widely considered one of the most beautiful streets in America.

We found it the perfect orientation. The guide fills the loop with stories about Salem’s maritime past and architecture, not just the trials, which fits right in with the “more than witches” theme of the day. You hop on at the National Park Service Visitor Center, so it is easy to fold in first thing.

Salem Trolley Pricing

Adults $25, seniors 60 and over $24, children 6 to 14 $15, and kids 5 and under ride free when accompanied by an adult. The tour runs about one hour, starts and ends at the National Park Service Visitor Center, with the first tour at 10 AM and the last at 4 PM. It operates seasonally, roughly April 1 through November 1.

The Salem Witch Trials: Memorials, Cemeteries, and Museums

For most visitors, this is the heart of a Salem trip. The hysteria of 1692 swept up dozens of innocent people and left a wound the city has never forgotten. Today Salem preserves several places to learn what happened and pay your respects, and each one tells the story a little differently. Here is how the main stops compare, so you can pick the ones that match your interests.

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

Tucked beside the Old Burying Point on Liberty Street, this is Salem’s most moving witch trials site, and it is free. Built in 1992 for the 300th anniversary, it was the city’s first public memorial to the victims. Twenty granite benches, one for each person executed, cantilever from a low stone wall, each engraved with a name, means of execution, and date. The victims’ own words, taken from court transcripts, are carved into the threshold and cut off mid-sentence, a quiet symbol of lives ended too soon. It takes only a few minutes to walk through, but it is the stop that stays with you.

Old Burying Point (Charter Street Cemetery)

Right next door is the Old Burying Point, also called the Charter Street Cemetery. Dating to 1637, it is the oldest cemetery in Salem and one of the oldest in the country. Among the weathered slate headstones you will find Judge John Hathorne, one of the witch trial magistrates, along with a Mayflower passenger and Captain John Turner, who built the House of the Seven Gables.

Salem Witch Museum

The Salem Witch Museum is the big, iconic one, set in a Gothic, church-like building on Washington Square. Instead of artifacts, it tells the story of 1692 through a dramatic stage presentation with life-size figures and narration, followed by a guided look at how the idea of the “witch” has changed over time. It is the best overview for first-time visitors and a solid choice if you only pick one.

Witch Museum Pricing

Adult admission is $19.00, seniors 62 and over pay $17.50, and children ages 6 to 14 pay $16.00. Hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, with closures the first two weeks of January plus Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving.

The Witch House (Jonathan Corwin House)

If you want the real thing, visit the Witch House. It is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the 1692 trials, the former home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, one of the magistrates who heard the cases. Touring its dark, low-ceilinged rooms gives you a genuine sense of 17th-century Salem that the staged attractions cannot match.

Witch Dungeon Museum vs. Witch History Museum

These two get mixed up constantly, so here is the difference. The Witch Dungeon Museum, on Lynde Street, opens with a live re-enactment of a 1692 trial performed from actual court transcripts, then leads you down through a replica dungeon to feel the conditions the accused endured. The Witch History Museum, on Essex Street, takes a quieter approach, using narrated dioramas to walk through the events and the folklore around witchcraft. Pick the Dungeon for drama, the History Museum for a calmer, exhibit-style visit.

Nathaniel Hawthorne and the House of the Seven Gables

No name is tied to Salem quite like Nathaniel Hawthorne. The author of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables was born here in 1804, and the city shaped nearly everything he wrote.

Here is the detail that links him straight back to the witch trials. Hawthorne was a descendant of John Hathorne, one of the judges who sentenced the accused in 1692, and unlike some of his peers, Hathorne never repented. Ashamed of that legacy, the author is widely believed to have added the “w” to the family name to set himself apart. The shadow of Salem’s past followed him through his fiction for the rest of his life.

Hawthorne knew the working city too, not just its dark history. He spent years employed at the Salem Custom House on the waterfront, an experience he wove into the opening of The Scarlet Letter.

His most Salem work, of course, is The House of the Seven Gables. The novel was inspired by a real 1668 mansion on Derby Street that still stands today. You can tour the house, find its famous hidden staircase, and visit Hawthorne’s own birthplace, which was moved to the same grounds for preservation.

Even if you do not make it inside the house, you can pay your respects downtown. The bronze Nathaniel Hawthorne statue has stood on Hawthorne Boulevard since 1925. Sculpted by Bela Lyon Pratt, it shows the writer late in life, seated on a rock and gazing toward the sea, said to be one of his favorite things to do in Salem. It is an easy stop and a great photo.

The Peabody Essex Museum

If witches and paranormal are not your thing, consider a stop off at the oldest continuously operated museums in the country, the Peabody Essex Museum. Located just a few steps away from where you might pick up the trolley tour at 161 Essex Street in Salem, the PEM as its called offers a world-class selection of maritime art which ties in nicely with the history of Salem as a port town. Their exhibits on Asian art are also highly rated, as is their display of over a dozen historic structures featured on their campus.

Standard adult admission is $25, with discounts for seniors and students. Children 16 and younger are free. The Peabody Essex Museum is open Thursday through Monday 10am to 5pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bewitched Statue

If the Peabody Essex Museum is too highbrow for you, then consider some pop culture opportunities. The TV show Bewitched debuted in 1964, and was the story of Samantha Stevens and her husband Darren. Your standard sitcom, only Samantha was a witch.

In 1970, wildfires were disrupting TV show production in Southern California so the producers of the Bewitched took their show on the road. Eight episodes of the beloved sitcom were filmed at locations around Salem.

You can take a Bewitched Walking Tour around Salem, which features stops at the Old Town Hall, the Old Witch Jail, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, and a special statue erected in honor of the show and its star Elizabeth Montgomery. The Bewitched Statue Salem is a six foot statue of Montgomery that was donated to the city of Salem by TV Land in honor the the 40th anniversary of the hit TV show. And even if you don’t do the formal tour, be sure to stop by and get your photo next to this iconic marker.

Hocus Pocus Filming Locations Salem

The city of Salem has its fair share of movie credits too. As you would expect, many of them continue on with the witchy theme. The list of movies shot in Salem is long, but at the top of the list no doubt is the original Hocus Pocus.

To be honest, this is not one of our favorite movies. Don’t hate on us, but we tend to make fun of this movie, even though it has turned into a beloved Halloween classic film. Hocus Pocus was filmed in Salem in late 1992 and early 1993, and features many of the historic locations around town.

If you’re a fan of the original Hocus Pocus movie, you’ll want to check out one of the Hocus Pocus movie tours offered around town. While you can find the locations on your own, you can also experience them along with some insider storytelling with other fans. It is worth noting, their are two Hocus Pocus movies, but only the original was filmed in Salem.

Among the locations you can easily find around town include the shots of the town set in 1693 in the beginning of the film. Those were captured at the Pioneer Village. Allison’s house, better known as the Ropes Mansion which is located at 318 Essex Street along with the Salem Common and Old Town Hall are among the locations featured. You can find a complete list of filming locations here.

Shopping in Downtown Salem

Had enough of witchcraft but still looking for things to do in Salem, Ma? Consider some retail therapy. Salem has a quaint downtown pedestrian only area. The brick walkways in downtown are lined with many local shops. Many of them are themed with the mystical and witchy storyline that the city embraces, but you will also find artists and artisans to help you find the perfect keepsake to remember your visit.

For a specific stop, head to Pickering Wharf, a waterfront cluster of shops and restaurants that folds naturally into a walk along the harbor. A few blocks away, Artists Row is a short pedestrian lane of working studios and craft vendors, ideal for that one-of-a-kind keepsake from a local maker.

Do not leave without stopping at Ye Olde Pepper Companie on Derby Street. It is America’s oldest continuously operating candy company, making confections since 1806. Its two signatures are the lemon or peppermint Salem Gibralter and the molasses Black Jack, still made from the original recipes. A fun detail for history buffs: the Gibralter even earns a mention in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, and the shop sits just down Derby Street from the Gables itself.

Where to Eat: Lunch at The Lobster Shanty

On our New England adventure, we were focusing in on a quest to find the best lobster roll possible. In Salem, we found the Lobster Shanty as a part of our search.

The Lobster Shanty has been featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives back in 2010. And while that was 16 years ago, their quality and reputation has sustained itself over those years and is a recommended stop on your Salem visit. While it is more than a shanty, the Lobster Shanty is a casual bar atmosphere that delivers a big taste.

The local favorite was featured in Guy Fieri’s Triple D episode called “Wings, Dogs and Claws,” as well as on an episode of Man vs. Food. The Lobster Shanty Salem is conveniently located in Derby Square and features more than just those lobster rolls we devoured. You can find burgers, hot dogs and other basic dive bar comfort foods on the menu.

They take the winter off at the Lobster Shanty. They are seasonal, open typically from around April 1 to January 15 each year. They open at noon each day, though on the day we were there for lunch they didn’t start serving people until about 12:15pm. Lobster Shanty does not take reservations.

When to Visit: Salem in October vs. the Rest of the Year

As you would expect, the busy season in Salem is the month of October. That might be appealing for you, and if so enjoy. Our recommendation would be to find another time to go. You can still enjoy all the witchy fun without the crowds that all come in to celebrate Halloween.

New England weather can be harsh, so you should consider avoiding the winter for your Salem getaway. If you are going in the early part of the year, keep in mind that some of the shops and restaurants are season and likely won’t be open.

When planning a Salem day trip from Boston, consider going to Salem in the spring or fall shoulder season to skip the crowds. Avoiding Salem in October, you will find your favorite tours, more space at the restaurants, and a cheaper rate if you are staying in town at one of the hotels.

Tips for Your Salem Day Trip