My ancient, nocturnal benefactor tasked me with inspecting human representations of dark creatures to ensure mortal pop culture was maintaining appropriate reverence for the underworld. Naturally, I ventured into the International Monster Museum inside the Witch City Mall in Salem. The admission price is remarkably low for the quality of the experience. Upon entry, you are handed an electric lantern to navigate the pitch-black halls, which sets a brilliantly eerie mood right away. The detail on the models is outstanding. From classic cinematic beasts to folklore entities from around the globe, the set design and pneumatic motion-sensor animatronics pull you right into the nightmare. Expect plenty of well-timed startles lurking in the dark corners as you explore. We highly recommend this spot over Count Orlock's Nightmare Gallery. Not only are the sets and overall walk-through significantly more engaging, but you are also allowed (and encouraged!) to take as many pictures and videos as you want, whereas other spots strictly forbid photo taking. While conducting my field evaluation, I paused in front of a particularly majestic, life-sized vampire display. Wanting to send proof back to my employer, I struck a dramatic pose beside it for a photo. Suddenly, a motion-sensor jump scare triggered, sending a blast of pneumatic air and a loud screech directly into my face. I instinctively let out an unholy, high-pitched shriek, threw my issued lantern into the air, and dropped flat onto the floor in a panic. The museum staff was delightful, though I had to spend ten minutes explaining to my centuries-old boss why the "scouting photo" he requested was just a blurry, low-light shot of my boots and a floating lantern. For the low price tag, incredible detailed craft, and endless photo opportunities, this is an absolute must-visit in Salem! read more

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What a fun walkthrough! The creatures are detailed. Love the lore posted with each one. A few jump scares to catch you off guard. Fun time for sure. read more

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The displays they have are amazing! The museum is small but there's a lot to see and read. We also did the haunted house that was by far the best thing we could do here! They are animatronics but are great! My best friend yelled at the top of her lungs and she doesn't scare easily. read more

If you're a fan of the strange, spooky, or creepy this International Monster Museum is a must visit! The moment you step in, you're greeted by the cool staff dressed in costumes. As soon as you walk in there is a collection of cool props that really bring the world of monsters to life. From detailed sculptures to eerie set pieces, each display shows a lot of creativity & attention to detail. What makes this museum especially unique is its focus on mythical monsters. It's not just your standard horror fare here, you get to learn about creatures from folklore, legends, & myths from all over the world. The exhibits are both entertaining & educational, giving you fun facts alongside the spine-tingling visuals & well-timed scares. Overall, it was a really enjoyable,fun experience!The museum strikes a nice balance between fun & informative, and you can tell a lot of care went into curating the displays. Whether you're a longtime monster fan or just curious, it's a spot that will leave you intrigued & maybe a little spooked in the best way! read more

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The International Monster Museum is a quick trip through the shadows--small enough to finish before your coffee cools, but packed with some genuinely impressive monsters. The statues and animatronics are top‑notch, and the Rob Zombie cameo feels like a contractual obligation at this point, which I appreciated. The lanterns they hand out are a clever touch--nothing says "good luck" like arming visitors with a flickering light and sending them into the dark. Price? Twenty‑five dollars for me and my kid. For what amounts to a ten‑minute stroll with monsters glaring at you, it's ambitious. Fifteen would have been respectable. Then again, this is Salem--you're not really paying for value, you're paying for the privilege of being scared near witch‑themed gift shops. The highlight? Watching my daughter come unglued. She jumped, screamed, and latched onto me like a cat dangling over a bathtub. It may have shaved a few years off her trust in humanity, but that kind of formative trauma is what memories are made of. Honestly, if you're a parent, it's the best entertainment bargain in town. Staff were great, merch was abundant, and the place never overstays its welcome. Short, eerie, and just unsettling enough to justify the price--especially if you bring a child to sacrifice to the monsters. read more

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This was a fun, spooky (not scary for me) spot filled with creepy animatronics, detailed monster props, and creatures from legends around the world. You get a lantern and walk through dimly lit halls, which makes it feel immersive and thrilling. It's a small museum, it took us about 15 min to walk through. it's perfect if you like horror, (like my sister) and want photo permitted entertainment (also my sister) Definitely not a historical or scientific museum but fun and spooky. read more

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I will preface this review that the ticket agent did say it's up to the parents discretion to know what is appropriate for their family, but this was not a good fit for an 8 year old. We speed-walked out of there so fast. I suggest 13+. read more

This museum was an awesome experience. All of the different monsters were very interesting. My wife and I really liked this place. I loved the lantern we were given to walk through with. Nice touch. Picture taking is allowed and encouraged. I approve. read more

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The International Monster Museum in Salem delivers some solid jump scares and a good collection of creepy animatronics featuring all kinds of monsters and horror creatures. The setup is entertaining and definitely has moments that will catch you off guard, especially if you're easily startled. The museum itself is on the smaller side, but the pricing is reasonable enough for what you get. One odd touch was being handed a lighted lantern to carry through the exhibit -- not entirely sure of the purpose beyond adding atmosphere. If you scare easily, be prepared, because some of the jump scares are surprisingly effective. Overall, not a bad quick horror attraction to check out while in Salem. read more

Fun place to walk through and great, detailed displays. It's not huge so don't expect to spend a lot of time, but glad we visited and saw some cool things and a few scares. read more

AMAZING!! No parking during October. Bathrooms in the mall. Oh my gosh the owner was incredible. We got little lanterns we loved that. The actual tour was great. My twin has special needs and freaks out at little things sometimes but she really enjoyed this and so did we!!! The monsters were so cool. They taper when you go in so it's pretty nice to wander through yourself with your group. We literally had a blast. All of our best experience in Salem. Second only to the chocolate shop (love letter confections) that we as chocolate lovers will place above all else. But the owner chatter with us after and was so so so nice we left saying we wish tickets were more expensive if it would go to him because we enjoyed it so so so much. He says he's opening one up near Miami. Which is by where I live so I'm so excited. You should go!! Really small kids may be scared. But it was so so so fun for most others. My special needs sister was not freaked out she actually said it was her favorite. Like right amount of macabre but not scary to be truly enjoyable. Also love that we got lanterns like that was a big highlight. If you go here you HAVE TO DO THIS!! Honestly best money we spent. This, the walking tour and the chocolate shop was the best. You can buy dual tickets for the haunted house (animatronic-not real people and no crazy jump scares). We did the dual but the monster house was the best. Very very best I can't wait until it's in Miami read more

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This is a very fun Experience ! At the time we came, it is $15 each person. My boyfriend and I came for my birthday. It was so much fun! They give you lanterns when you purchase or enter the attraction, that you can use throughout the walk. *** WARNING *** This is not just a museum, there are mechanical monsters that pop out at you. No real humans. BUT. It is technically a museum, you learn a lot about the monsters in the world. I thought this was really cool, but honestly we spent $30 for two people.. I can't really justify the price for this lol. Maybe $10 each would be a more fair price. Had a good time regardless! read more

when thinking of the word museum one does not usually associate it with jumpscares but this is exactly what you get, there are several animatronics in the museum which are programmed to jump at you or move rapidly when you approach. I am a wuss I'll be the first to admit that I am the world's biggest wuss but I love horror and monsters and so the jumpscares really ruined this place for me, on top of this the exhibits that WERE labeled clearly had minimal research put into them as they tried to smash together several bits of lore, also slender man is in there for some reason read more

I wish for people that want to visit from out of state, that they had a valid phone number and email. Email does not work, phone number does not work, Website states 2025 and has a link to buy tickets, but they are not available. Google says they are open , yelp says they are open, but no way of getting a hold of them. Kind of hard to plan around a day without knowing if they are open for business. I know some businesses are seasonal, so didn't want to just show up and not know what day they may or may not be there that day read more

A really cool and spooky experience. The museum takes about 20 minutes and was lots of fun for the whole family. The self guided tour includes a lantern for each person, which adds a nice touch and spooky vibe when walking through the dimly lit corridor. The museums features classic monsters, such as vampires and werewolves, but also lesser knowns such as the Mothman, Jersey Devil, and Chupacabra. All exhibits also include a short write up about the creature. The staff was very friendly and allowed pictures and videos throughout. Note: If you purchase the Haunted House (Essex Street) and Monster Museum together you get a small discount! read more

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Oh I did not like this one bit. The museum is separate from the haunted house but alas this also has jump scares. For $15 bucks a person you're in and out in less than 5 minutes because there's too much happening to really enjoy and read all the plaques. It is nothing like a museum, it's definitely not for kids who scare easily as things do pop out, and it's very very dark. I feel there's a lot of potential for this spot and if they removed the animatronics it would be a more enjoyable experience to learn about your favorite type of monsters. read more

This was such a fun and different museum. I enjoyed it and it is something different to do in Salem. I would not recommend it for people with smaller kids. Just FYI, you get tickets at the museum. Their phone number and email does not work and their website is out of date. read more

This was a fun exhibit and the price isn't bad. It was worth visiting . It isn't very long though so take your time and enjoy. read more

Have you ever walked through a with a lantern? Well here you do. I had the best time. Every turn was even crazier and freakier than the next. Jump scares and creepy things around every turn made this museum better and better. there are things to read on the walls. I'm a big chicken but I loved it. If you love the creepy and getting scared, check this Place. My question is do you dare go in alone? read more

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THIS IS A HAUNTED HOUSE, NOT A MUSEUM This place gets three stars because I think the place itself is well done, but how they represent themselves on their website (also in our case the person at the front desk who sent us in) is dishonest. This is not a museum. It is a haunted house. Do not go expecting to leisurely walk through and learn about movie monsters and mythical creatures in a somewhat creepy setting. This is a full blown, dark alley, blind cornered, jump scare-filled haunted house with realistic life-size wax and animatronic figures. And about those jump scares. I brought my two boys 10 and 9. The person behind the counter who took our money and gave us lanterns assured us that there were NO JUMP SCARES until the very end when there was one small one. I believed her. My kids believed her. That was a straight up lie. There were hardcore jump scares from the very beginning and all throughout. If you want to have a haunted house, have a haunted house. But then don't lie about what it is in your ads and through your staff. Had I known this was a haunted house, I would not have brought my kids to it. They offer a discounted kids price but no indication anywhere that this place is likely not suitable for really young kids. read more

Unfortunately the day I went (May 21, 2024) it wasn't open. checked throughout the day but it never opened. Checked online and hours showed 11 am to 6 pm. There was nothing posted about being closed that day. Spoke with several employees of other stores who said the hours have been sporadic lately. I'm disappointed I never got to see this but plan on trying again in September. read more

I'm very disappointed with this place and the service here. Before even considering the attraction, I asked the person working at the desk if there were any jump scares or anything like that. She said no, telling us that there were animatronics but NO jump scares. Not even 10 feet inside there is a narrow hallway you walk through where 4 werewolf animatronics quickly emerge from the wall (obviously very startling). I was on the verge of having a panic attack and we turned around right away and didn't even get our money back. I'm not upset at the fact that this was a scare attraction- live and let live. I wouldn't have gone in if I knew it was ahead of time. I'm just upset that we were lied to about it. If you're into movie monsters or cryptozoology but haunted houses aren't your thing, you're much better off with Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery, which is down the street from the plaza this place is in. I've been there several times and nothing moves, and the employees actually seem to enjoy their job and talking to people interested in the attraction. read more

It's not really five star , more like 3.5-4, but I have to offset the ridiculous 1 star. It's fun because it is dark and you carry a lantern. The characters are very good quality. The animatronics pop out at the right time. The werewolf room is creepy even when you expect it. A tad short but worth the money. read more

What a great time the family had!!! Did not disappoint. The kids loved the Frankenstein the most!!! If you're looking for something to do check this place out! read more