Salem Ghost Walk, 1h 20m

Join a 1 hour 20 minute ghost walk through Salem. Listen to ghost stories and accounts of dark history as you make your way through the streets of Salem.

Overview

This is a 1 hour 20 minute evening walking tour through downtown Salem, built around the city's documented haunted locations. You meet at Remember Salem, 127 Essex Street, and follow a licensed local guide along lamplit streets while the guide tells stories of witchcraft, murder and the spirits said to linger in Salem's historic homes and graveyards. The tone mixes history with ghost lore, and the guide works unscripted rather than reading from a fixed script.

The route passes a string of real sites tied to the 17th-century Witch Trials and Salem's darker past, including the Witch Trials Memorial, Charter Street Cemetery, Old Town Hall, the Old Salem Jail Lot and the Gardner Pingree House. Admission is free at every stop, so nothing on the route costs extra. The walk is deliberately leisurely, and the listing describes it as easy paced for comfort.

It suits visitors who want history and atmosphere in one walk. Several reviewers praise the guides' knowledge and storytelling. Go in expecting storytelling rather than a haunted house.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Check in at Remember SalemMeet at 127 Essex Street, Remember Salem gifts. Arrive 30 minutes early in October, or 15 minutes early from November through September.
2. Salem Armory Visitor ParkThe tour begins with a 15 minute pass by the Salem Armory Regional Visitor Park.
3. Salem Witch Trials MemorialA 10 minute stop at the memorial to the victims of the Witch Trials. One reviewer suggests also visiting it in daylight, since the tour only passes it at night.
4. Charter Street CemeteryA 5 minute stop at the cemetery.
5. Old Town Hall and Essex StreetA 10 minute pass by Salem Old Town Hall on the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall.
6. Turner's Seafood at Lyceum HallA 5 minute stop at this building, one of the downtown locations on the route.
7. 10 Federal StreetA 5 minute stop before the group continues toward the jail lot.
8. Old Salem Jail LotA 10 minute stop at the site of the old Salem jail.
9. Saint Peter's and Gardner Pingree HouseA 5 minute stop at Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, then 5 minutes at the Gardner Pingree House. The tour ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical details shape how this tour goes, and most of them come straight from the listing and from reviewers who have taken it.

• Arrive early. Check in opens 30 minutes before the tour in October and 15 minutes before from November through September. Tours leave exactly on time, and guests who miss check in forfeit the booking without refund. There are no catch-up options or transfers to later slots.
• Pace and fitness. The listing calls it a leisurely, easy paced walk. One reviewer noted there is quite a bit of walking, so wear comfortable shoes. Guests using wheelchairs or mobility equipment must provide their own, and the tour is not wheelchair accessible.
• Group size. The tour allows a maximum of 40 travellers. One reviewer estimated a Saturday evening group at more than 30 people and found it hard to stay together between stops. October in Salem is busy, so plan accordingly.
• History over scares. One reviewer wished the tour were spookier, since the stories lean toward history. Expect an engaging history walk with ghost stories rather than a fright experience.
• Night timing. The tour runs at night, and one reviewer recommended also visiting the Witch Trials Memorial during the day, since the tour only passes it after dark. Plan any daytime sightseeing separately if you want to see the memorial up close.
• Getting there. The meeting point at 127 Essex Street is near public transportation. October is busy in Salem, so allow extra travel time and confirm everyone in your party has a ticket before arrival, since extra tickets cannot be purchased at check in.

Common issues. The biggest complaint in reviews is group size. One reviewer estimated a busy evening group at more than 30 people and said moving between locations became difficult and the group spread out. The strict check in policy is the other risk: tours depart exactly on time, and late arrivals lose the booking without refund, with no option to join a group already on the route. The tour is also not wheelchair accessible, though pushchairs and service animals are allowed.

Common Questions