Hocus Pocus Filming Locations in Salem, MA: A Self-Guided Tour
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Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
Hocus Pocus is one of those Halloween movies I have to watch every year. It gets me into the Halloween spirit every single time!
Since the movie has been part of my fall routine for as long as I can remember, visiting the real places I'd seen on screen so many times made exploring Salem even more fun.
Although Hocus Pocus takes place in Salem, the filming locations are a little more spread out than you might expect. Several are within walking distance of each other in downtown Salem, while others are farther away in residential areas, at Pioneer Village, and even in nearby Marblehead.
This self-guided Hocus Pocus filming locations tour covers seven places from the original 1993 movie, including Allison's house, Max and Dani's house, their school, Old Town Hall, Salem Common, Pioneer Village, and the cemetery where Max meets his new classmates.
I've also included which locations you can actually enter, how much time to allow, and the order I would visit them, so you aren't wasting half your day going back and forth across Salem.
Visiting Salem during spooky season? My complete guide to visiting Salem in October covers where to stay, where to park, what to do, where to eat, and what to expect during the city's busiest time of year.
At a Glance
Hocus Pocus Filming Locations Route
I've organized these filming locations in the order I recommend visiting them, starting with the walkable downtown Salem locations, then continuing to stops farther from the city center, and finishing at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead.
Salem Common → Phillips Elementary School → Old Town Hall → Ropes Mansion → Ocean Avenue → Pioneer Village → Old Burial Hill
Click here to open the Complete Hocus Pocus Filming Locations Route in Google Maps.
The first four locations are close enough that I recommend exploring them on foot rather than driving between each one. Once you finish at the Ropes Mansion, return to your car or use a rideshare for the remaining Salem locations and the final stop in Marblehead.
Important: Max and Dani's house is a private residence on Ocean Avenue. The route only directs you to the general street area. Please remain on public sidewalks and streets and be respectful of the residents and their neighbors.
How to Visit the Hocus Pocus Filming Locations
You don't need to drive from one location to the next all day. I would divide the tour into three parts.
Start in downtown Salem with Salem Common, Phillips Elementary School, Old Town Hall, and the Ropes Mansion. All four can easily fit into the same walking portion of your day.
Afterward, use a car or rideshare to visit Max and Dani's house and Pioneer Village, which are farther from the downtown cluster.
Finally, drive to nearby Marblehead for Old Burial Hill. This is the only filming location in this guide that isn't actually in Salem.
If you're visiting in October, give yourself more time than you think you'll need. Salem becomes extremely busy, parking becomes harder, and residential access restrictions may affect how close you can get to some locations.
1. Salem Common
Movie Location: Several outdoor scenes
Location: Salem Common, Salem, Massachusetts
Cost: Free
Time to Allow: About 15 to 30 minutes
Can You Visit?: Yes
View on Google Maps
Salem Common is one of the easiest Hocus Pocus filming locations to visit because you'll probably end up walking through it even if you aren't specifically looking for movie locations.
Several outdoor scenes from the movie were filmed around Salem Common, including scenes involving Max and Allison. The former Phillips Elementary School, which you'll recognize as the characters' school, also sits along the Common.
The Common itself is a large public green space surrounded by some of Salem's best-known historic buildings and attractions, making it an easy place to incorporate into a full day of exploring.
If you're visiting during October, you'll probably find something happening in or around the Common as part of Salem's Halloween season.
What I'd Recommend
Don't make a special trip across Salem just for the Common. Start here as part of your downtown walking route and immediately combine it with the next location.
2. Max and Allison's School: Former Phillips Elementary School
Movie Location: Jacob Bailey High School
Location: Along Salem Common
Cost: Free to view from outside
Time to Allow: About 10 to 15 minutes
Can You Go Inside?: No
View on Google Maps
Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
Right along Salem Common, you'll find the former Phillips Elementary School, which served as the exterior of Max and Allison's school in Hocus Pocus. You will probably recognize the distinctive exterior almost immediately. The building stopped operating as a school in 1992, right before Hocus Pocus was filmed. The interior is not open to the public as a movie attraction, but the exterior can easily be viewed from Salem Common.
What I'd Recommend
Visit this at the same time as Salem Common, since they're essentially one combined stop. If you want to compare the building to how it appeared in Hocus Pocus, save a movie screenshot on your phone before your visit so you can reference it while you're there.
3. Old Town Hall: The Halloween Party Location
Movie Location: Exterior of the Halloween party
Location: Derby Square, downtown Salem
Cost: Free to view from outside
Time to Allow: About 10 to 20 minutes
Can You Go Inside?: Sometimes, depending on the current programming
Official Site | View on Google Maps
Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
Old Town Hall is one of the easiest Hocus Pocus locations to find because it sits right in the middle of downtown Salem. You'll recognize it as the location associated with the Halloween party where the Sanderson Sisters perform "I Put a Spell on You." Only the exterior of Old Town Hall appears in the film. The interior Halloween party scenes were filmed at a different location.
Old Town Hall was built in the early 1800s and is one of Salem's historic downtown landmarks. Today, the building is still used for events and public programming, so whether you can go inside will depend on what's happening during your visit.
What I'd Recommend
Don't build your day around whether Old Town Hall is open. The recognizable Hocus Pocus view is outside, so even if you can't enter the building, you can still see the filming location.
4. Ropes Mansion: Allison's House
Movie Location: Allison's house
Address: 318 Essex Street, Salem
Cost: Garden free, interior tours ticketed when available
Time to Allow: About 20 to 45 minutes
Can You Go Inside?: Seasonally with a timed ticket
Plan Your Visit | View on Google Maps
Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
The Ropes Mansion is probably one of my favorite Hocus Pocus locations in Salem because even without its movie connection, it's a beautiful historic property. In the movie, the exterior of the Ropes Mansion becomes Allison's home. Max and Dani arrive here while trick-or-treating and discover that Allison lives inside this enormous house. Only the exterior of the Ropes Mansion was used as Allison's home. The movie's interior scenes were filmed elsewhere.
The actual house was built in the 1700s and is now part of the Peabody Essex Museum's collection of historic properties. Interior visits are offered seasonally and require timed tickets, while the garden behind the mansion is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk.
If you're visiting around Halloween, this stop becomes even more fun. The Peabody Essex Museum decorates the exterior in the style of Allison's house from the movie during part of the Halloween season.
What I'd Recommend
Absolutely walk around the garden instead of taking one photograph of the front of the mansion and leaving. If touring the interior interests you, check the Peabody Essex Museum's current schedule before your trip, as access is seasonal and timed reservations may sell out. If you're only here for Hocus Pocus, though, remember that the interior doesn't look like Allison's movie house, since it wasn't used for those interior scenes.
5. Max and Dani's House
Movie Location: The Dennison family home
Location: Ocean Avenue, Salem
Cost: Free to view from the public street
Time to Allow: About 10 minutes
Can You Go Inside?: No, this is a private residence
Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
This is definitely one of the most recognizable houses from Hocus Pocus. Max and Dani's home appears throughout the movie, and standing across the street from it makes you feel like you should see Max sitting in that upstairs tower bedroom at any moment.
But there's something very important to remember here:
This is someone's home.
It is not a movie set, museum, or tourist attraction.
Max and Dani's house is located in a residential neighborhood and is not accessible to the public. Please stay on the public street or sidewalk, do not walk onto the property or use the driveway, and be respectful of the people who live here and their neighbors.
During busy October periods, access to residential streets in this area may also be restricted, so be prepared to park farther away and walk if necessary.
What I'd Recommend
Take a quick photograph from across the street and move along. You don't need 30 minutes here, and you definitely don't need to walk onto the property to recreate a movie scene. I also wouldn't treat this location like the public attractions in this guide by encouraging people to park directly outside the house.
6. Pioneer Village: Salem Village
Movie Location: Opening scenes set in 1693
Location: Forest River Park, Salem
Cost: Admission required when open
Time to Allow: About 45 minutes to 1 hour
Can You Go Inside?: Yes, when the village is open
Plan Your Visit | View on Google Maps
Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
Pioneer Village is where the beginning of Hocus Pocus comes to life. The movie's opening scenes, when Thackery Binx is still human and searches for his sister Emily, were filmed here.
Pioneer Village was created in 1930 and is considered America's first living history museum. Its buildings and landscape were designed to evoke what life in the Salem area may have looked like centuries ago, making it a fitting location for the movie's historical opening scenes. Unlike several locations on this list, this one requires a little planning.
Pioneer Village operates seasonally, rather than functioning like a park. You can enter whenever you want. Current schedules, admission prices, weather-related closures, and photography policies can change, so I recommend checking the official website before adding it to your itinerary.
What I'd Recommend
Don't assume Pioneer Village will be open simply because you're visiting Salem. Check its schedule before your trip and plan your day around its operating hours if going inside is important to you.
This is one of the filming locations where I think spending a little more time is worthwhile, because you can actually explore the environment used in the movie rather than just viewing a building from the street.
7. Old Burial Hill: The Cemetery Scene in Marblehead
Movie Location: Cemetery where Max encounters his classmates
Location: Orne Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts
Cost: Free
Time to Allow: About 20 to 45 minutes
Can You Visit?: Yes
View on Google Maps
Image Source: Disney “Hocus Pocus” 1993
For the final stop, you'll need to leave Salem. Early in Hocus Pocus, Max rides his bike through a cemetery and encounters a group of classmates who eventually give him the nickname "Hollywood." Those scenes weren't filmed in Salem. They were filmed at Old Burial Hill in nearby Marblehead, one of New England's historic cemeteries.
This is also one of the prettiest locations on the tour. The cemetery sits above the surrounding neighborhood and has beautiful views toward the water. Take some time to respectfully walk through the cemetery and look at the historic headstones.
And don't make the mistake of going to the wrong cemetery. Old Burial Hill in Marblehead is not the same place as Salem's Old Burying Point, also known as Charter Street Cemetery. The Hocus Pocus cemetery scenes were filmed in Marblehead.
What I'd Recommend
Save this location for the end of your tour. Since you're already leaving downtown Salem and getting into a car for the farther filming locations, it makes much more sense to continue to Marblehead than to go there in the middle of your Salem sightseeing.
Also, remember that this is an actual historic cemetery. Be respectful of the graves and other visitors while taking photographs.
The Best Route for Visiting the Hocus Pocus Filming Locations
If I were planning this tour again, I would not visit the locations in random order. Start your day in downtown Salem.
Begin at Salem Common and see the former Phillips Elementary School at the same time. From there, walk toward Old Town Hall in Derby Square and continue through downtown toward the Ropes Mansion on Essex Street. That gives you four filming locations without needing your car.
Once you've finished exploring downtown, return to your car or use a rideshare and head toward the southern part of Salem.
Make your quick stop near Max and Dani's house, remembering to remain on public property, and then continue to Pioneer Village if it is open during your visit.
Finally, drive to Old Burial Hill in Marblehead.
I would allow at least half a day for the entire route if you're mainly stopping for photographs. If you want to explore Pioneer Village, tour the Ropes Mansion, spend more time around Salem, or you're visiting during a busy October weekend, give yourself most of the day.
Visiting the Hocus Pocus Filming Locations in October
October is obviously one of the most fun times to do this tour. Salem goes all in on Halloween, the fall atmosphere fits the movie perfectly, and the Ropes Mansion may even be decorated to resemble Allison's house.
But October also requires more planning. Hotels book up early, streets get crowded, parking becomes harder to find, and some residential roads may have access restrictions. I wouldn't plan this route as if you were visiting Salem on a random, quiet weekday in another month. Give yourself extra time for walking and traffic, make any timed reservations in advance, and check current operating information for places like Pioneer Village and the Ropes Mansion shortly before your trip.
Planning an October trip? My guide to visiting Salem in October goes into much more detail about parking, where to stay, what to do, and how to prepare for Salem's busiest season.
Do You Need a Tour to Visit the Hocus Pocus Filming Locations?
No. If your main goal is simply to see the locations, they're fairly easy to visit independently once you know where they are. That's one of the reasons I like doing this as a self-guided tour. You can spend extra time at the places you're most interested in, combine the filming locations with other Salem attractions, and skip anything that doesn't appeal to you.
The one thing I wouldn't do is expect to walk between all seven locations. The downtown locations work very well for a walking tour, but Pioneer Village, the Ocean Avenue area, and especially Old Burial Hill are much easier to reach by car or rideshare.
Are the Hocus Pocus Filming Locations Worth Visiting?
If you love Hocus Pocus, absolutely. None of these stops requires you to dedicate an entire vacation to movie locations, and several are places you're likely to pass while exploring Salem anyway.
What makes it fun is recognizing something you've watched on screen for years, only to realize you're standing in the exact same place. For me, that's what made exploring these locations so entertaining.
Some are almost exactly how you'd expect them to look, while others are a reminder of just how much movie magic happens between filming and the finished scene. And once you've finished your Hocus Pocus tour, there's still plenty more of Salem to explore.
Whether you're visiting in October or at a quieter time of year, I hope this guide helps you find all seven filming locations without spending the day unnecessarily driving back and forth across Massachusetts.
Which Hocus Pocus filming location would you be most excited to see?
Make the PTO count. See you out there.
Want to visit the real Hocus Pocus filming locations? Follow this self-guided tour through Salem and nearby Marblehead to see Allison's house, Max and Dani's house, their school, Old Town Hall, Pioneer Village, Old Burial Hill, and more.