7 'Hocus Pocus' Filming Locations You * HAVE * To See in Real Life
There are some films that are so good or bring such a nostalgic vibe that you can’t help but want to transport yourself into them. One of those movies—and one of the most iconic Halloween movies to watch during spooky season—is Hocus Pocus. While we don’t want to be hexed or have the life drained out of us by sinister sister witches, Hocus Pocus has such a great autumn atmosphere in its depiction of Salem, Massachusetts, the town it takes place in. And that desire to transport into movies is only intensified by the fact that Salem is a real place—and a real witchy place at that.
Of course, Salem, MA is mostly known as this witchy, Halloween-oriented place because of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. But that, of course, played a big part in why Hocus Pocus takes place there and plays into the Sanderson Sisters’s story. And while interior shots of Hocus Pocus were filmed in California like any movie, there are a handful of real-life Hocus Pocus locations you can visit today. We have you covered with tips and tricks on how to visit these Salem spots, where they are and if you can get a peek inside.
Related: 50 Best Hocus Pocus Quotes to Get You Ready for Halloween
The Hocus Pocus House (AKA Max and Dani’s House)
4 Ocean Ave. Salem, MA
Alani Vargas
Probably the most well-known place in Hocus Pocus that you can visit in real life is the Hocus Pocus house, AKA Max and Dani’s house. In the movie, the house obviously plays a large role as the new place that Max is “forced” to live in. Max’s room and its attached lighthouse-esque tower are also prominent near the end when he and Allison open Book and accidentally call the Sanderson Sisters right to them.
Today, you can visit the Hocus Pocus house, but you can only look at it. It’s still someone’s permanent residence and there are No Trespassing signs to discourage you from stepping too close. However, it’s at the end of a picturesque street that overlooks Salem Harbor and makes for great selfies. Plus, the house really hasn’t been touched by renovations on the exterior at all, so it still looks just how it did in the 1993 film. It’s a calm and quiet residential street so, again, make sure to be respectful when passing by for your photos.
Philips Elementary School on Salem Common
Off the southeast corner of Salem Common
Alani Vargas
Even though Philips School, in Hocus Pocus, is a high school that Max and Allison attend, it actually was an elementary school in 1992 when this was filmed. However, today the school Max got rejected outside of is no longer a school and not accessible to the public similar to Max and Dani’s house. The top of the outside still says “Philips School,” but they’re apartments now.
You can visit the school by going to the southeast corner of Salem Common, a big public park in Salem, MA. There aren’t any signs, but if you enter Salem Common on the southwest entrance and walk east, you’ll find the red-brick building. You can stand outside and pretend to hear Winifred Sanderson call it a prison for children or say, “Hello, I want my book. Bonjour, je veux mon livre.”
The Ropes Mansion (AKA Allison's House)
318 Essex Street Salem, MA
Devon Sherer
While the name “The Ropes Mansion” doesn’t ring many bells for Hocus Pocus fans, it’s the official name of Allison’s house. Or, should we say, mansion. Dani and Max accidentally stumble on Allison’s house while trick-or-treating, hoping to score some excellent goodies because it’s such a big, rich mansion. They, of course, run into Allison and she offers to take Max and Dani to the Sanderson Sister’s house and the rest is witchy history.
The Ropes Mansion was built around 1727, owned by three generations of the Ropes family and is now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum (it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places). You can tour The Ropes Mansion on the weekends and is included with general admission to the Peabody Essex Museum (you just have to make sure to add it to your visit when checking out online). The garden of the mansion, though, is free and open to the public.
Old Town Hall
161 Essex Street Salem, MA
One of the most well-known scenes in Hocus Pocus is the Halloween party scene that takes place in Old Town Hall. You know the one, where Winifred Sanderson and her sisters perform “I Put a Spell On You” and hex everyone there to dance till they die. While the interior of this scene wasn’t shot in Salem, MA, Old Town Hall does exist and the outside still looks like it did in 1993 (and in the movie).
This is another building open to the public and houses the Salem Museum along with other events throughout the year. You can learn more about Salem’s Old Town Hall here.
Pioneer Village
310 West Ave. Salem, MA
While there isn’t a Sanderson Sisters museum, like in the movie, you can visit Pioneer Village in Salem for a look into what late-1600s Salem looked and felt like. Pioneer Village was built in 1930 to resemble colonial Salem (and to celebrate the town’s 300th anniversary). When it comes to its role in Hocus Pocus, Pioneer Village was the setting for Thackery Binx’s house in the opening scene.
Pioneer Village is in Salem’s Forest River Park and is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from June through October, so make sure to book wisely if you want to visit this living history museum.
Related: 26 Best Witch Movies of All Time
Salem Common
N Washington Square Salem, MA
A lot of the exterior shots in Salem are done near Salem Common, the big public park we mentioned earlier. Again, the place where Allison gives Max his number back after school on Halloween happens within the gates of Salem Common.
Old Burial Hill Cemetery
Orne Street, Marblehead, MA
Located outside of Salem in Marblehead, MA is Old Burial Hill, one of the oldest cemeteries in New England and is the final resting place for 600 Revolutionary War soldiers (though they're not really marked). This is the cemetery where Max gets his shoes stolen from him from bullies Jay and Ernie Ice.
Next up, if you're heading to Salem, MA anytime soon, make sure to do these 24 things while in Salem (whether during Halloween or not!).
