Salem Ghost Tour — 13 Haunted Stops, Self-Guided

The witch trials were just the beginning. Walk Salem's 13 most haunted locations. Self-guided, 3 stops free.

Nineteen people hanged. One man pressed to death under stones. Salem's 1692 witch trials produced America's most infamous mass execution, and the ground has never recovered. Bridget Bishop was the first to die on Gallows Hill, June 10, 1692. Judge Jonathan Corwin interrogated the accused inside the Salem Witch House — a home he'd owned since 1675 — pressing confessions from women and children, including four-year-old Dorothy Good. Judge John Hathorne, the merciless hanging judge, lies buried in Old Burying Point Cemetery alongside headstones dating to 1637. The Joshua Ward House stands on Sheriff George Corwin's foundations, where seized property and broken families defined an era. Walk all 13 free, self-guided stops through the most haunted city in America.

Tour Stops

  1. 1. Old Burying Point Cemetery 51 Charter Street

    The headstones lean like crooked teeth, some dating to 1637—older than the witch trials themselves. Judge John Hathorne is buried here, the hanging ju...

  2. 2. Hawthorne Hotel Hawthorne Hotel, 18, Washington Square West

    The Hawthorne Hotel opened in 1925 on the former site of Franklin Hall, where sea captains once gathered. Room 612 is the most active: guests report w...

  3. 3. The Joshua Ward House 148 Washington Street

    This elegant Federal mansion stands on the foundations of Sheriff George Corwin's home. Corwin was the man who did the dirty work during the witch tri...

  4. 4. Ropes Mansion Ropes Mansion, 318, Essex Street

    Judge Nathaniel Ropes bought this Georgian mansion in 1768. He was appointed to the Superior Court in 1772, but his loyalist sympathies made him a tar...

  5. 5. Salem Maritime Historic Site 160 Derby Street

    The Custom House has stood at Salem's waterfront since 1819, watching ships arrive from China, India, and the Caribbean. But before the grand building...

  6. 6. The House of the Seven Gables 115 Derby Street

    Captain John Turner built this mansion in 1668 using profits from the slave trade. Three generations of Turners lived here before the family fortune c...

  7. 7. Pickering House 18 Broad Street

    This saltbox house has stood since 1651, making it America's oldest continuously inhabited home—ten generations of Pickerings have lived here. But the...

  8. 8. The Salem Athenaeum 337 Essex Street

    Founded in 1810, the Athenaeum is one of America's oldest membership libraries. Nathaniel Hawthorne researched witch trial documents here in the 1840s...

  9. 9. The Old Town Hall 32 Derby Square

    Before this became a bookstore, it was Salem's seat of government from 1816 to 1837. But the haunting predates even that. This site once held a tavern...

  10. 10. The Assembly House 138 Federal Street

    Built in 1782 by Salem's merchant elite, the Assembly House hosted lavish balls where ship captains and their wives danced to forget the horror of the...

Frequently Asked Questions

How many haunted stops are on the Salem ghost tour?

The Salem ghost tour includes 13 documented haunted locations covering 116 years of documented history.

Is the Salem ghost tour free?

The first 3 stops are completely free — no account required. To unlock all 13 stops, a History Nearby premium subscription is $4.99/month or $49.99/year.

Do I need a guide for the Salem ghost tour?

No. This is a self-guided walking tour. Each stop includes the address, a map pin, and the full haunting story. Walk at your own pace, start anytime, and take any route you like.

How long does the Salem ghost tour take?

Plan for approximately 2.5 hours. This accounts for walking between stops and reading each haunting story. You can also split it across multiple evenings.

What is the most haunted location in Salem?

The most visited stop on our Salem tour is Old Burying Point Cemetery at 51 Charter Street.

Sources & Further Reading

3 stops free in Salem. No guide, no schedule — walk at your own pace after dark.

Last updated February 22, 2026. Researched by the History Nearby editorial team.

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