I did the tour. I don't recommend to buy a ticket without a tour. You can go through the grounds…read morepretty quickly. I visited from the West Coast and wanted to visit and learn something historical. I never read the book on this and most of my knowledge about MA is from the required Scarlett Letter book every kid has to read. Our tour guide brought the story to life! I loved seeing the different interpretations of time and families who lived at this house.

My mom and I toured the House of the Seven Gables when we spent a day in Salem a week or so ago,…read moreand it was one of the highlights of our time in Salem. The house dates back to 1668, when it was built for a wealthy sea captain and merchant. It remained in that family for three generations before it was bought by another family. The house is mostly famous for being the setting and subject of a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was a second cousin of Susannah Ingersoll, who lived in the home for years. In 1908, the home was purchased again, this time by a woman who made it her life's mission to restore the house, protect it for posterity, and to turn into a museum that could be visited by tourists to Salem. The home was renovated many times (by different owners of the house) - it didn't even always have seven gables, but that's a part of its interesting story! We learned all of the above and more from our tour guide on a guided tour of the house. Our tour guide was great - friendly, informative, and interesting! After our tour, we explored Nathaniel Hawthorne's birthplace home, which was moved to the grounds of the House of Seven Gables to avoid demolition. It was a great way to learn a little more about Hawthorne. There was also a gift shop, where my mom and I both bought copies of The House of the Seven Gables, stamped so we always remember where we bought it. Our tour was interesting, and the house is striking and fascinating. It's well worth a visit if you're exploring Salem.

One of my very favorite museums, the PEM is so much more than just art; it is rich with history,…read moreculture, and storytelling. Salem was once a center of global trade and wealth; ship captains brought rare treasures and curiosities back from their voyages to the East India Marine Society, a precursor to the PEM. The modern PEM maintains this tradition of curiosity. Instead of just hanging famous paintings on a wall, the museum curates its galleries as capsules of interconnected history and events. The curators do an excellent job of creating cohesive exhibits that seamlessly follow the narrative of a specific time, place, or concept. This approach gives the individual pieces so much more meaning and context. On top of this, they consistently rotate galleries with special exhibits, so there is always something new to explore. Some of the big highlights: The Salem Witch Trials exhibit features authentic objects and firsthand accounts from the tragedy. Meanwhile, Salem Stories highlights the city's broader historical significance. Anila Quayyum Agha's amazing giant cubic hanging lantern projects an intricate light pattern across an entire room. Explore the newly redone East India Marine Hall, which displays some of the earliest objects collected by Salem sea captains. Finally, don't miss the Yin Yu Tang house - an entire, 200-year-old Qing Dynasty home transported from China and meticulously rebuilt inside the museum.

A lovely museum with the right volume and diversity of things and experiences! I loved how there…read morewas art, artifacts, furniture, and small bits of information you could walk away with. The trouble with museums is that the amount of information can be overwhelming, that you skip over the signs because there are too many. There are plenty of items to look at here, but it didn't feel too overwhelming to get a feel within a few hours. Make sure to book your tickets online to get a time for the Chinese house. I've never walked in something so old. It was interesting to see the construction and walk through it.

If you like history then this is for you. Its not what you expect. It has figures that has a…read morestoryline from when the trials happened. It gives you an overview and goes in depth of what happened. It makes you more knowledgeable about what really happened back in the day. It was a terrible thing that happened but its nice to get the overview again. The figures are old but its pretty cool to experience it through the lighting and old British man speaking.

This was...not a good museum. It's essentially two rooms/exhibits. One is the main auditorium,…read morewhere they do a "show" featuring an extremely dated voiceover lighting up dioramas on the walls. The other is a small, underwhelming hallway with a handful of rare books in it and, confusingly, what seems to be a diorama of...wiccans? Like, just two regular contemporary humans, standing in the woods. There were also quite a lot of inaccuracies in the voiceover, especially when it comes to Tituba. I had thought they'd be corrected after by the guides, but it seems like this place is less interested in historical accuracy and more in macabre vibes. Pretty sure they get all their custom by having a building that looks cool from the outside.

Best museum in Salem! John really knows his stuff! We stop in every time we're in town.read more

John was so knowledgeable! He discovered me and my friends were from Baltimore, Maryland and had SO…read moreMANY FACTS about how it related. That guy deserves a raise. Very small but cute museum. Lots of boards to look at. Oh and don't forget to take a picture with the skeleton :)

It's a very interesting museum to go through. They show you're quite a bit about the trials then…read moreyou're going into the prisons where they actually kept the prisoners. Wait till you see the room. They found this jail by accident many years ago. It has its own interesting history give it a try you're gonna like it.

Dated experience but very informative about the times of the witch trials. The place needs to…read moreinvest in an update, look like it hasn't changed for over 40 years.

The witch house is not what some might believe based on the title. It is a maintained 17th century…read morehome once owned by Judge Jonathan Corwin. It was originally believed to have ties with the witch trials occurring directly in the home, but that was not verified, the most would be possible accusations being presented of the alleged. It is a self guided walk through of the home. The tickets go on sale at 8am each morning online. They sell out extremely fast. The cost was a bit hefty at $80.00 for 2 kids and 2 adults, but it was interesting to see the inside of a preserved 17th century home. They have a QR code on the door for ticket purchases.

I really enjoyed the self-guided tour and learning about the original witch and the house's…read morehistory. I loved that so much of the home was preserved, including the original floors and some furniture it really brought the history to life! The price is a bit high, but overall, I enjoyed the experience!

An unexpected surprise! While not a particular fan of the horror genre there were so many nicely…read morecollated objects, models, masks and wax works of recognizable characters, from early Bram Stoker, Christopher Lee, all the at upto contemporary figures like the demagorgon of Stranger things fame. No pics allowed which somehow made it more enjoyable.

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery was on my list of places to check out while visiting Salem last…read moreweek. It is located on Essex Street and they have you wait in line outside of the museum. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for kids (ages 6-12). You can either buy your tickets while waiting in line using a QR code or at the counter once you go inside. They do not allow photos or recording while walking through the gallery - the staff even states that they are watching on the surveillance cameras for anyone pulling out their phones. We enjoyed walking through each section and reading about each horror character and the fun facts about the movies or TV shows they were from. I really liked that the characters actually looked like the people and not some knock-off wax museum. Some of my favorites were the wall of actor face molds and the slasher room. I also like that you can walk through each room and area at your own pace and I never once felt rushed by the other people or staff. They have a small gift shop with t-shirts and other items you can buy. You are allowed to take photos inside of the gift shop. This is a must if you are a horror fan!

Super fun store! Had a great time and bought lots of awesome stuff!! Pictured, mugs, keychains,…read morewhich hats! So fun!

This was one of the coolest stores around. I recommend checking this place out. I was mesmerized…read more Inside is like being inside a twisted dream. It was dark and beautiful. This store has the most interesting decorations. It was an awesome find. This shop is larger than it looks. Inside, I saw stones, toys, home decorations, and cool stuff to buy. The people who work here were fun to talk to. They explained things to me. I didn't want to leave the store.

We had such a great tour with Sebastian, he was funny and very knowledgeable not just on hocus…read morepocus but also on Salem history which was amazing! Definitely recommend

This tour is as amazing! We learned so much about the movie, actors and locations! It is a 3.1 mile…read morewalk so be prepared. Thanks Topher!

I came to Gallows Hill Theatre to watch Guilty! A Salem Witch Trial. When I visited in October…read more2024, the show cost around $24. The show was hilarious and amusing! Huge props to the two actors (the judge and...the judge's helper?) for staying in character. I will warn you no one is safe from audience participation, but it is really funny. While it was a lighthearted take on the Salem Witch Trials, it was informative in terms of how ridiculous the trials were during the real Salem Witch Trials. I'd highly recommend watching if you have the time!

Gallows Hill, what can I say? I've been coming to Salem for over 20 years and have been visiting…read morethis place since it opened! The show has evolved over time and gets better and better. We wouldn't miss it.