Salem, Massachusetts‘s paranormal history is based primarily over the infamous 1692 witch trials, where 19 people were hanged for witchcraft and 1 was pressed and stoned to death. This historical event has led to widespread paranormal claims and a popular modern tourism industry centered on the occult, numerous ghost sightings, and virtually every location there with some paranormal story or legend associated with them. Sites like Jonathan Corwin House (aka Witch House), Wicked Good Bookstore, Samuel Pickman House, Salem Inn, Proctor’s Ledge, Old Burying Point Cemetery, Joshua Ward House, House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne Hotel, and Gallow’s Hill Museum/Theatre are very popular with avid paranormal enthusiasts.
Witch House is the lone remaining building there with direct ties to Salem’s darkest hour. Judge Jonathan Corwin once lived there, hence being named after him. In an interesting twist, no witches ever actually lived in the house.
Wicked Good Bookstore is a 200-year-old establishment on Essex Street in the heart of Salem. Despite just being a seemingly normal retail business, the store has always given off creepy vibes for paranormal investigators. They often sense an eerie presence, witness shadow figures, and feel like they’re grabbed by unseen hands around their necks in the basement.
Samuel Pickman House was originally built in the 1600s, and this domicile has always been well-known for its many reports of a ghostly face being seen in one of the windows as well as a sinister, negative energy.
Salem Inn is merely a quaint hotel just off the main thoroughfare that’s has a rich paranormal history and is a very popular spot to visit on ghost tours.
Proctor’s Ledge‘s claim to fame is that it was the actual site of where many of those suspected to be witches were executed by hanging in 1692. Unsurprisingly, the area still remains a place of lingering spiritual energy to this day.
Old Burying Point Cemetery is a rather large graveyard surrounded by trees and buildings in a grassy plot not far from the site of the hangings. The point is a place of frequent spectral activity and the final resting place of many souls involved in the region’s darkest period.
Joshua Ward House, in the center of town near the old City Hall, was built on the former site of Sheriff George Corwin’s house. This building with many exterior windows is said to be haunted by the spirits of those who he once interrogated and imprisoned.
House Of Seven Gables is one of the city’s most well-known locations and is tied closely to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fictional novel of the same name, in which a real-world curse was set by Matthew Maule, a man falsely accused of witchcraft and executed so that Colonel Pyncheon could build a house on his land. The building gets its name from its unusual architecture. Now a museum, the house is said to be haunted by several spirits.
Hawthorne Hotel, still in operation today, has been the epicenter of numerous paranormal legends for over a century, with ghost stories associated with its many guests and events.
Gallow’s Hill Museum/Theatre is a popular attraction to visitors and locals alike that offers its own guided, interactive experience using special effects, smoke, mirrors, and hired screamers to re-enact the true story of the Salem Witch Trials and New England’s haunted history.
