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Salem Wax Museum

1.9 (59 reviews)

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Rebecca Nurse's wax/mannequin children exhume her blanket/body to give her a proper burial.
Anna M.

This is a tiny wax museum focused on the history of a small city. Do go into it expecting cheesiness and somewhat low quality wax figurines. (But do you necessarily want "better" wax figurines? They won't be any less creepy!) The history is simple but basically correct, and what struck me was the very effective background music as I looked at the scenes. You could find a worse way to spend 10-20 minutes and you may well have the place to yourself in the off-season. Most likely you'll want to grab a pass bundling this place with one or some other museums/events.

Lojeen H.

If you want a voodoo doll purchase one here. I visited most of the witch stores in Salem and none had a real voodoo doll except for this store. The staff of girls who work there are crazy. They talk out loud about their boyfriend problems and they talk badly about their coworkers. I've never seen so much envy between employees. It's a great little store except for the background noise of the employees bad mouthing each other. They need to play a bit of pagan/folk/witch music in the store. It will create the Salem black magic ambience most people expect in Salem. This store has so much potential because of its location to the cemetery out back. Who is the owner? If you walk outside towards the back of the store you'll come upon the cemetery that dates back to the 1600s and there you'll find one of the original Mayflower passengers.

Burger B.

My family and I have a ritual. We visit the cool, old cemetery outside and then, hyperactively bring our cameras into the wax museum. The wax statues definitely have a creepy quality about them. Their faces look bulbous and overly dramatic. In short, it's a great place to snap photos of yourself while contorting your own face into the most horrific of expressions.. wax statues in the background of said photos, naturally. The museum is a one-room attraction. If you're looking to kill time, stop in. Once you leave the room filled with wax people, you descend down a flight of stairs to an activity area. The activity area is good for kids. They supply black newsprint-quality paper and black crayons. Kids can do a rubbing of old tombstones to bring home--a neat (free) little souvenir. There's a generic build-a-bear station in the far corner, a wooden pirate cutout that's great for photos, and a rendering of an old wooden jail cell. My niece and I climbed in there and shut the door. There are no lights in there--it's creepy as hell! There's also a gift shop just beyond the activity area with the predictable Salem t-shirts and assorted souvenirs.

Jamie E.

Very cool. Small, but awesome to read about all the history. The historic graveyard out back was so touching. All of the wax scenes were depicting specific times during all of the witch trials/things that were happening. It was cool to see. Definitely only need to go once, plus you're allowed to take pictures, so no reason to go twice. X's and O's! J

Loading casks of rum. A historical scene of Salem.
Kenneth Z.

Yeah, it was pretty lame. It's very small, and some of the wax figures were missing hands. But I dunno, I don't really regret going. I kind of liked some of the wax scenes. There is a kids play area downstairs; "grave rubbings" are free; everything else costs extra. You can get a wax mold of your hands for $9, but the process is really slow and you have to wait a long time for it. I guess my advice is: avoid it if you don't like wax museums, or if you are trying to decide between this and another, more authentically historical attraction. Consider it if you have children or otherwise enjoy wax museums.

I see a face in the background. How creepy! The ghost of the pressed to death Giles Corey, maybe?
Miss C.

The first wax museum I've ever attended and I am going to give it a thumbs down. Though being one with interest in the paranormal, I did post a photo or 2 that looked like activity. Hey, I believe in it :) I sincerely dislike that such a beautiful and historical place has turned into such a tourist trap.

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8 months ago

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5 months ago

Overly priced, low quality, outdated, haunted houses suck, management always unavailable, should be fired.

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6 years ago

If you wanna waste your money, go here! Even if you can get in for free it's not worth it. Takes less than 5 minutes and is so stupid.

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9 years ago

Don't waste your money. A very small room with only a few wax figures and poorly organized scenes.

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Review Highlights - Salem Wax Museum

Rest in peace to all of the innocent victims of the Salem witch trials.

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Salem Witch Museum - Displays in the second exhibit.

Salem Witch Museum

2.5(818 reviews)
0.2 mi

When in Salem, you have to do something bewitching so I came to this museum to learn about the…read moreSalem Witch Trials. It's housed in a historic church and is quite pretty outside. We got tickets through the GoCity card, and had to make our reservations for a time slot slot the day before. We arrived and checked in, got our sticker, and then waited at a second area to enter the museum when it was our turn. First part of the "tour" was a presentation of the history of the trials with creepy looking mannequins on display. I recommend you sit on the stools in the center of the room for best viewing as you have to rotate around left on your seat to see each display as they are presented. It's actually quite informative but the presentation of it was kind of cheesy to be honest. After that is over, you are taken to the back end of the museum where there are exhibits about how witches are presented in movies (ie the witches of Oz), and defining witch hunting then and now. There's a gift shop for all things witchy at the end.

​If you've seen photos of Salem, you've seen this building. The massive, gothic, red-brick church…read moreexterior is easily the most iconic photo op in the city. Inside, however, the vibe is a bit of a time capsule. It feels like a mix between a theater and a history classroom--very "vintage 1970s" but in a way that feels like a Salem rite of passage. ​ ​The museum is divided into two parts: ​The Main Show: You sit in a large, darkened room while life-sized dioramas light up around the perimeter to a narrated soundtrack. It tells the story of the 1692 trials with a lot of drama. It's definitely "campy" and a bit dated, but it's a solid, digestible overview of the history. ​The Guided Exhibit: After the show, a staff member leads you through a second area that explains the evolving image of "the witch" through time. This part felt much more modern and actually touched on some interesting social themes like scapegoating. ​Duration: Plan for about 1 hour total. ​Booking: This is the most important tip--book your tickets online in advance! Especially in the shoulder seasons or October, they sell out hours (or days) ahead. Don't expect to just walk up to the door and get in. ​Price: At around $19, it's a bit pricier than the smaller museums, but it's the "big one" that most people feel they have to check off their list.

Photos
Salem Witch Museum - Wax figure show

Wax figure show

Salem Witch Museum - Outside the museum.

Outside the museum.

Salem Witch Museum - Witch trials display

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Witch trials display

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery - Amazing wax displays!!

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery

4.2(181 reviews)
0.2 mi

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!

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Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery - Horror Masks

Horror Masks

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery
Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery - Entrance

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Entrance

Hocus Pocus Tours - Town Hall

Hocus Pocus Tours

4.9(204 reviews)
0.1 mi

I found Hocus Pocus Tours while seeking things to do in Salem on Yelp and TripAdvisor. Fellow…read moreYelpers' rave reviews did not disappoint! In messaging Hocus Pocus Tours with a couple questions about the tour and travel to and from Salem, the owner Susan replied immediately and suggested that I call her. This led to a one hour phone conversation where Susan was so gracious with her time, knowledge, and suggestions, not just about how to make the most of the tour, but how to appreciate a day in Salem. I can see why those who had the opportunity to take the in-person tour with Susan really enjoyed it. Covid changed the business model and Hocus Pocus now offers a self-guided tour by purchasing one of two tour apps. I opted for the $19.99 grand tour and it was well worth it. It has 37 points of interest. The app is user friendly and well designed. It provides a map of all stops, tracks where you are, and guides you to the next stop that you select on the tour. When you get to your stop, you can confirm you're at the right spot by comparing a photo of the site with what you see. Then you click on a 2-3 minute audio recording that provides a great snapshot of the significance of the site. As Susan had pointed out to me, there is much more to Salem than the historic witchcraft trials. It includes author Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, America's oldest candy company, and other interesting sites. Of everything I visited, I experienced a very deep emotional connection with the 1692 Witchcraft Memorial with 20 stones dedicated to each of the victims of the witchcraft trial. The tour includes brief descriptions of some of the victims including those written about in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. If you plan to visit Salem, I highly recommend this tour. All sites can be visited on the outside and some on the inside at no charge. Some sites, such as The House of Seven Gables, charge separate admission fees. If you want to travel to Salem and don't have a car, the ferry from Boston offers a nice, scenic, and entertaining 50 minute ride. The commuter trains run more frequently and can come in handy if the ferry schedule coming or going doesn't meet your needs. There are plenty of good places to dine at to break up the tour. We had lunch at FINZ and really enjoyed it (I'll post separately about that).

This was legit SO much fun! The name Hocus Pocus kinda throws you off because you may be thinking…read moreabout the movie, but this tour really is amazing. Start off with the tour guides, extremely friendly and beyond knowledgeable. They really know their history for Salem. The tour itself was a few hours and you walk to all of the sites in Salem with historical significance. There is so much to learn from Salem. So much history and heartbreak. It really is eye opening to hear the stories oof the witch trials and how the witch trials began and who all was wrongly persecuted. The tour guides were so nice and explained everything with such great details. This tour was definitely the highlight of our trip in Salem. I highly highly recommend Hocus Pocus Tours, I learned so much regarding Salem, the witch trials, the history behind the two, and a little bit of Hocus Pocus and Bewitched. So much fun!

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Hocus Pocus Tours - Bix's House

Bix's House

Hocus Pocus Tours - Allison's House

Allison's House

Hocus Pocus Tours - Max's House

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Max's House

Salem Wax Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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