Reviews of Salem Witch Museum (Museum)

kyle moody

Very cool way to learn about the history of Salem. Very informative and a nostalgic tour of why the town is so popular. It may be touristy but i think anyone visiting should attend. The narration gives off a spooky Vincent Price feel. Cool gift shop too.

Kaitlin McQueen

Went here two weeks ago with my boyfriend, & had a great time. The details and stories where fascinating. Loved the first part, the visuals were great! Then the second part was 1/2 self-lead which was nice to be able to focus on what interested you most. I don't think it's super child-friendly since it's pretty quiet the whole time, and if you can't hear the narrator then it's pretty frustrating.

Bob Plank

Not too expensive, informative presentation. Sat in a small auditorium for the first presentation around the history of the witch trials. Second half was about how perceptions of witches and witchcraft has changed through history. They had a well stocked gift shop with many trinkets and books.

Kaurus Kestal

Good info if youre looking for a primer on the trials and what a witch/witch hunt is. And what happend in salem. Its a 40 minuet tour so if youre looking for a bit morr in depth this may not be your thing

David Wagner

“More weightttttt... morrrre weightttt,” says a recorded voice, while lights shine your focus onto an action scene: a life size figurine of a convicted witch is being executed by weight compression. The best part of this museum might be the waiting room, witch you don’t have to pay to see.

Nancy Novak

It's good, but not a true museum, really a show and talk. Only about 1 hr. Not for little kids. Nice gift store.

G R

The witch museum consists of an audio presentation in a large room in which different dioramas with mannequins are briefly discussed to illustrate the story of the witches in Salem. The experience is expensive ($13 per ticket), takes up a lot of time (45-60 mins), and is SEVERELY OUTDATED. The audio recording used for the presentation sounds as if it were recorded in the 1950s. The speakers used to play the recording sound equally outdated as they rattle with static during playback. The mannequins and dioramas are uninteresting and seem very old. After the initial presentation with the mannequins, you are brought to the gift shop to wait for a second presentation in which a tour guide tells you about witches in pop culture. All of the information shared in this experience can be quickly read and found on Wikipedia and Google. This place is not worth the time or money. Please do not waste your time. STAY AWAY FROM THIS TOURIST TRAP. The witch museum truly needs to be brought up to date. To the witch museum management: update your business and stop taking advantage of working families and their precious vacation time.

Carla Kooij

We were not that impressed with this place although we were glad to get out of the heat. They led us inside a big room and flashed a light on different scenes or mannequins dressed to tell the story of the Salem witch days. We wished later we went to the witch dungeon building to see a live story.

Thalia Chand

Definitely a waste of time and $13 per adult. Super lame and unentertaining. Unenthusiastic staff were the first clue ....

Ana Laura Font Hernández

The story told is both amazing and scary so it is worth the trip. The display/production is a little outdated. The entire theater could use some revamping. The same with the gift shop and their offers.

Sarah Leonard

Should not be called a museum. Maybe one artifact. Very disappointing. Outside looks way cooler. Save your money. Loved Cry Innocent. Go see that instead.

john pasalich

A little underwhelming, it was a voice recording of the history if Salems witch trials. The "sets" we're kind of boring and lame, the whole experience seemed a little lack luster. I say all this and still give it 4 stars beacuse I dont know exactly what I wanted from it. The history audio was great and very informative. I guess in the end I exoected it to be something more.

Rosabella G

Very cute, a great place for kids around 7 and up, depends on what they can handle. It's only scary for a moment but very informative about what went on during the witch trials. Staff is very nice as well!

Madisyn Rostro

The museum was completely outdated. I went on a walking tour with someone who is a historian and I was told two completely different informations. Also, at this museum I was expecting at least some artifacts but instead they just had figures (dummies) and they were talking about the Salem Witch trails. Don’t waste your money here, walking tours are so much better. They did have a nice gift shop though.

Vivian Kimberlin

It wasnt very good. I have an emotional support dog and they wouldn't let me in. Not very cool.

Corey Adams

Cute little place. Very informative and kind of fun. I would probably reccomend against little children as it is listening more then looking or watching. But very very cool.

Kenneth Bonnet

I was very disappointed. The first part of the tour was just OK. It was a short presentation of what happened and why - but did not go into much depth. I wouldn't take children on the second part if you're a Christian. It tries to explain the "history" of witches and how wicca, or pagan witchcraft is a currently recognized religion. I try to keep an open mind about things but I don't think pagan witchcraft should be presented in a positive light. We went to the museum 30 years ago and I certainly had a much better opinion then, when the only focus was on the Salem witch trials and what happened and why it happened.

gregory linderme

Itwas OK expected. More than maniquans and a voiced dialogue.

Brady Dickens

Informative, but definitely dated and kinda hoeke. It's a kinda one and done exhibit that I dont really have a need to re-visit

Cara Lombardo

Overall, a quirky experience and definitely worth doing. The actual presentation and guided tour were a bit shorter than I'd expected, but the information presented was fascinating. The presentation and exhibits were sort of cheesy - this is actually NOT a downside - and the first portion of the experience had a kind of fun and spooky vibe. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. Also, really good selection of books in the gift shop.

Meghan Van Alstine

Presentation is very dated and could use some modernization both visual and spoken. The representation of modern day Wiccans is grossly inaccurate of the general population of those that practice, however, the general principles expressed seem in line. All in all it isn't a bad museum just in need of some help to truly understand and properly express modern day witchcraft

Moe O

It was informative but smaller than I expected and most certainly points out our tendencies, as a species, to judge first and ask questions later, maybe. . .

Michele

If you've read books or learned about this at all you wont learn a lot more here. But the props are great.

Nic S

Very informative, wonderful place to visit. It top off a wonderful vacation.

S Smith

The staff members at the museum were very friendly but the presentations are extremely outdated and lack serious creativity. I would dare say that this is the same display and recorded presentation that has been used for the last 50 years. It is seriously time to improve the quality of the presentations and I for one would never recommend others to go there. I appreciated the history recap of the Salem Witch Trials but one could easily read that online in a matter of minutes. I was truly disappointed with the overall experience and would tell others to save their money and go enjoy something else instead. This is a tourist trap in every single sense of the word.

Ben Neustein

TOURIST TRAP Not a museum, it has a nice history lesson with manikins (NOT animatronics) in the AC. However, if you already know the general history of the Salem Witch trials you won't find any surprises or nuggets of gold here. It is difficult to see everything because its a large room where they pack in about 100 people for a 360 degree display. The "guided tour" after is another 2 manikins that have audio and that is it. Spend your time and money elsewhere unless you don't know anything about the Salem Witch trials.

Brooke Dilbone

If you enjoy wasting your money, then this is the place for you! I don't know what was more exciting, wasting my money on an overpriced admission ticket, spending majority of my time in the gift shop, or witnessing the capitalization of the salem witch trials. After studying the trials in school I thought it would be amazing to visit the town myself and see history in real life. The staff of the museum were polite during the whole process however that does not matter when the whole museum is a sham. It's an insult to even consider it a museum, nothing but theatrics. Before you even start the tour, you are asked to wait in the gift shop until the tour begins. Then you sit in a room with the wall lined with wax figures that light up and have voice overs. The story begins and right off the bat, it's nothing like what I've been studying in school. The whole story goes to explain that it's not the young girls who began the trials fault, but rather the townspeople for being afraid. It makes the townspeople out to be unintelligent for believing in God and being afraid of the Devil which is targeting the religion of many. A museum is supposed to relate facts and information to the public to inform them of the tragedies and historical events but I left there only feeling anger. In most museums you're allowed to take pictures of artifacts and such so you can disseminate information, however if you take a picture of anything here you will be in serious trouble. After sitting around for about 30-45 minutes watching the wax figures, they herd you into the gift shop once again. There you will wait for roughly 15 more minutes until they take you into part two of the museum which is where they explain witchcraft in today's world and spending the rest of the tour going into detail about how the witches of the salem trials should have been safeguarded and they were gentle creatures when the whole reason the trials are such a big deal today is because none of the men and women accused were actually involved in witchcraft but merely victims of either the young girls or mass hysteria. They try to convey importance of accepting Wicca but tore down Christianity earlier in the show which does not help the whole religious acceptance spiel they gave. The museum also tries to explain how it is possible to avoid having another witch trial by remaining calm at all times and not to give into the crowd. Once this "tour" is over they lead you into the gift shop once again. After this whole fiasco, I eventually found myself in the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and it was everything I had been looking for. You can pay respects to those who perished during the trial and also walk around in the outdoors for FREE. A volunteer sits outside of the Memorial and hands out folders of information about the trials and about each individual that is in the memorial. They do ask for tips because they are volunteers but they do not hound you for money. This is where you should take your money and pay respects to those who perished during the trials.

surreality87

The main part of the "tour" you sit and listen to a recording while the highlight wax figures. kind of cheesy but i guess they are trying to appeal to all ages. the second part was much more informative and I wish that was given more time. overall a good experience, just don't expect too much

Nataly Kochetov

If you like these witches stories .. No, it is history museum explaining the court and the reasons. You can also find out that Salem rally have the modern witches community..

Jasmine Del Rio

You enter what looks like a small auditorium with wax figurines, set up to look like the stages of the cross. It looks like it hasn't been updated since the 70s. After, they take you into another room and show you what witches looked like through the ages. This museum wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I thought there would be proper pictures of the past maybe remaining relics or artifacts; information about history. It was more a speech about being tolerant of all different facets of religion including Wicca.

Madison Molloy

Pretty cool museum! You can only go through it in tours at certain times and it’s very history-centered. I probably wouldn’t recommend it for kids because it may be a little boring. There isn’t very much to look at but you get to hear a lot of interesting information. Staff was really friendly and it wasn’t too crowded!

ellen comstock

Lots of information I had not heard before. Really interesting.

Brett Owen

Underwhelmed. We thought it was going to be an active play but it was wax figures and a sound system. You learn more on the trolly or a walking tour.

Glenn Garbagecan

A great place, a museum that ACTUALLY DOESN'T TRASH WITCHES and explains the real history behind the murders of the witch trials, and the psychology behind societal scapegoating. Lovely place. Bought a mug and a tumbler from the gift shop. The tour guide was VERY VERY sweet.

Katie Stuempfle

This museum gives a thorough history of the Witch trials. You sit in the middle of the room and lights shine on different scenes around you. After the story is over you get a guided tour around a very small museum of general witch history including Hollywood depiction. I did not love this museum for multiple reasons. The first being that the scenes in the first room place a big emphasis on the men involved in the witch trials and their experiences. This struck me as odd given that most of the people accused were women. Their stories were muddled and hidden among the men's. Secondly, the museum was a little unnecessary. In the end they try to compare the issue of scapegoating during the witch trials to the AIDs epidemic and Terrorism. This comparison is valid but was executed terribly. If this issue had been introduced early and often it would have been better.

Aj Fitch

It was a joy and a delight. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the show runs every hour and while the group was fairly large there was still plenty of space to sit or move seats if needed. Definitely recommend, and definitely will be back.

Megan Orser

Incredibly outdated and corny. The presentation sounds and looks like it hasn't been updated in years (or at all). If you're interested in learning about the Salem witch trials, you're better off reading the Wikipedia article. I urge you to skip this tourist trap.

Knud Hermansen

Fun quirky museum. Beautiful old church building. Two part guided tour with admission. The first part is a series of dioramas the light up and talk through the events of 1692 in the main santuary part of the building. My 5-year-old got a little scared at parts. I liked the 360 effect of following the story around the room. The 2nd part was the history of how we perceive witches through history. This part was guided by a person with a few talking dioramas along the way.

Mason Phillips

So interesting to learn about the history in this town. The building itself is so interesting to see. And the staff gives a pretty great deliverance on what all happened in Salem, and they talk through the different interpretations of witchcraft. I only gave it 4 stars because I guess I would have seen some more historical items, which is probably at a different museum.

Daniel & Donna Glembot

Interesting museum. Very small and somewhat informative. I thought it was to expensive.

James Goodrum

13$ per person for the tour is a bit steep. The information itself isn't anything you couldn't get from the Wikipedia page. We were expecting to see things from the time period like you would think a museum would have. Saying museum is more of a trick to get people to come in.

John Zalewski

Two stars since my wife liked it and didn't know much about the witch trials. Otherwise this is a hard pass, overpriced tourist trap. The exhibit is non-animated talking figures. 60 minutes would be better spent on Wikipedia.

Autumn Howe

Of all the museums we visited in Massachusetts this was my least favorite. First there was a demonstration thing that told the story of the witch trials. The content was interesting but it lit up different scenes all around an old church sanctuary. Were we sat we had to move several times in order to see everything. Then once we were done there was a small walking museum to see. It was guided, but our group was so big that it was uncomfortable to cozy up around the guide. I thought It would have been better to let the group read what they wanted and send us out. I was also disturbed that a witch trial museum had almost a political agenda toward the end of the walking museum. Maybe it was to prove the climate of the time and how to prevent it in the future, but they missed the mark.

Emile Brandon

Very fun but finding the right seat in the theater is hard since the whole show happens around you. I wish they would update it just a tiny bit. Also the fact that it stays semi-lit makes parts like the demon like creature kind of difficult to see. Overall for the price it's worth checking out. Salem is a beautiful little town.

Lisa Samuels

For those who know nothing about the Salem witch trials, possibly a 4 star. Certainly a well oiled machine of large dioramas with recorded voices and life size mannequins in historical dress. A kind of wax museum with nice docents.

richard spires

Commercialized attraction, minimal amounts of history and a stop at a replica of a ship that closed 2 minutes after we arrived. The guide was knowledgeable and pleasant but there really isn't much to see. The tour covers the lunch period but offers nothing in food or beverage and no opportunity to get anything on your own. I would recommend people get their own transportation and tour at their own pace in the historic areas. I'd skip the museum unless someone wants to see a diorama with narrative and a commercial gift shop.

Bradyn Lystrup

Decently fun place. It's fairly dark win lighting and nature just to be aware if you're bringing children. It is in need of some updates but still a good time if you're in Salem and never been. I think overall the experience was good and entertaining for about an hour.

Kelly Gettings

The was a very unique tour, done in 2 parts. Definitely something to experience. You need to stop and buy your tickets before your tour. They have various times, but the early ones sell out quick! Keep that in mind. The gift shop has everything you can imagine. If you are looking for books, this is great place to stop. We found it fairly priced in comparison to other shops in the area

Emily Beese

They did a great job with the attractions here. Would recommend. Definitely worth it

Wendy Howitt

We visited this museum yesterday. In my view the first section of the tour should be updated. It was a little boring. The information was great but the presentation was boring. Otherwise worth a visit for the information given

Remi Boulanger

Overall a great experience, very entertaining. The first part is about the witch trials of Salem. The second part is about the history of witches, and some facts need to be checked, not very accurate, but still entertaining. A must see in Salem.

sherrill white

Very informative. Nice tours. Gift shop is nice. Price is good.

Kathy

It would be nice if we had more time to walk around and see the info on the walls and exhibits.

Kate Skuzeski

It was campy and fun. It is not a walk around museum. For the first 30-45 minutes you will watch a show. There are still figurines that a spotlight shines on a pre-recorded story is told. Afterwards you meet a guide who explains the history of the witch and how their history has been incorporated into the media and how they have been portrayed negatively throughout history. We had a Boston City Pass so I am unsure how much it actually costs. There is a gift shop. No photography allowed in the museum.

Mo Rosen

I don't give the 5th star only because we may have expected a bit more from this experience, like the relation of the history to the current location of the museum, but regardless, it was a good intro tour to the Salem area and its' history. They do have some cool metaphysical miscallanea, if that's of interest, though not much you can't get somewhere else.

Jim Grant

The scenes depicted in the round gave a great visual to the information being given. The tour guide was informative and strangely authentic! It was great!

Ethan Sharp

This was honestly pretty lame. Just a bunch of wax figures and a recorded presentation from the 80s, Really disappointing. The only reason it gets 2 stars is that the gift shop was pretty nice.

Scott Faivre

The history portion of the museum was pretty interesting and pretty amazing. Toward the end of the tour they talked about modern day witchcraft and got a little too political for my taste. I would have gave it 5 stars if we could have left politics out of it.

Bree Brincat

By far my least favorite museum in Salem. I more recommend the Witch Dungeon Museum. Basically the same information (but more of it) and a more personal tour with a show to boot! This was crowded and the after the show tour lacked good information or anything new or unique. That was overcrowded as well and we were unable to get a good look at anything or hear our under-enthused tour guide. (We attended on a Monday.)

Ann S

Cons: Tourist trap. Not worth $13 if you are above the age of 10. The presentation is everyone in a room with stools and benches where they light up different scenes of mannequins to a pre-recorded voice. Fairly engaging storytelling, but you are paying $13 to essentially be read a short story with very little historical information. Museum is a misnomer. Pros: Great for younger kids since it's so short and the storytelling is simple! Staff were very friendly!

Stacy Smith

This place is so great because it's kinda terrible. A kind of kitsch experience that is both interesting, informative and funny. But if you're going to get with the whole Salem witch scene, its great.

Patrice E

First time here tonight for the 80th anniversary celebration of The Wizard of Oz. The relevance of having it here was made so vividly clear in their presentation and I agree! I can not wait to come back!!!

Kathy Nace

Made a free straw doll outside of museum entrance. Best part! Did learn a couple of interesting facts but not worth the money. Friendly staff and cute gift shop.

PJ Cole

Absolutely loved this museum! They do a great job of connected this history to modern day events and actually treat modern day witchcraft with a great amount of respect. Educational, a little campy, and all around a fun fun time!

Angelika Perrotto

I really love this museum. I highly recommend it to anyone who is visiting, prices aren't too unreasonable and the small animatronic show is engaging as well as educational. Check it out if you're in the area.

Eric Peterson

A very interesting tour about the history of the witch trials. Fascinating presentation about the witch trials using a recorded narration with dioramas. The only disappointment was near the end of the tour where they try to compare this period with other more recent political events. The museum is a must see. The tour ends in the souvenir shop that contains a lot if fun and novel merchandise.

Phuong Trieu

Highly efficient operation. Gets us in and out smoothly. Very informative and great learning experience.

Kimberly Rouse

Cool building and friendly staff, but I think it could've been done a lot better. It's a short, basic overview of the witch trials that appears to not have been updated since they opened the place. Nothing I didn't learn in school when they touch on the witch trials. I really expected to learn more than I knew when I went in.

Chris Hart

Interesting experience, more entertainment and sensationalism than history. They make some claims about beliefs of Christianity that demonstrate and superficial understanding of history and theology.

Todd Halling

The coolest part of the museum is looking at the outside of the building. The "show" is dated and reminiscent of a Disney animatronic presentation. There were not really any artifacts on display. It was ok to visit once but I wouldn't be in a hurry to return. The most interesting display was a first edition of Wizard of Oz.

Sandy_ Nile

Very fun and interactive and entertaining. They allowed me and my service dog into the museum, so I greatly appreciate that. It was a good-length mechanical mannequin show, which explained the Salem Witch Trials quite well, and after the presentation (about a 15 to 1p min presentation), there was a short walk through museum display with a guide, which was lovely. The museum itself is in a beautiful old church, so the layout was great, and the gift shop had a lot of nice and cute gifts. I really loved it.

Tina Costa

A really cool place to visit. They put a really good show on.

Mary ann DePasquale

The presentation of the witch trials were great! Just wished the outside show coukd have disappeared.

Morgan Brannon

Nice way to learn history of witches in a interactive setting. The tour takes about 40 minutes, which is a good amount of time.

Jessica Norton

A little dated: think Disney World 30 years ago. Still a good recap of the witch trials, which lends context to other sites and tours in the area. Nice gift shop.

Haley Moore

It shouldn't be called a museum, there's maybe 1 artifact in the entire place. It's a show with outdated non-moving figures. The guide was pleasant and knowledgable but it also sounded like a memorized script. The place could really use some TLC, especially since you're paying about $13 which is slightly more than the other museums in the area. The outside is a beautiful building.

Adam Adams

Salem is all about witches so it's a must see. Presentation seems factual and is done well. You sit in a big room and different life size dioramas are illuminated during the story. The tour ends with political undertones which we could all do without. The tour we were on was a little too crowded.

Jackie Krause

Just visited this museum on vacation. If you want something gimmicky and extremely outdated, this is it. Has a short film using puppets, containing a lot of misinformation. Does nothing to educate about what truly happened, and focused most on the male victims (!). Then there's tour with a speech given by a guide, set to case displays with mannequins in them. This was the opportunity to dispel some of the misinformation presented in the puppet show previous, however, this needs work. There was talk about mid-wifery and herbs, but it was very disjointed and unclear. A short talk about scapegoating at the end was a good finish, but should be expanded upon. All in all, I expected so much and got so little. Very very, outdated and disappointing. Go to the historic judge's house instead.

NH Liberty

A good overview of dark period in Salem's history, what happened and the aftermath. The initial presentation does have a weird thing at the end about racism that felt like it was forced in there. The timeline display is very complete. Nice gift shop, plenty if history books.

Jacqueline Treml

We had mixed feelings about our experience at this museum. The first part of the experience with the dioramas was interesting and gave us context. The second part could have been richer in terms of content and depth. We would’ve liked to have spent a little more time with the timeline to understand it better and to have more perspective. We enjoyed the last part of the tour and thinking about modern day witch-hunts. We were glad we went!

Robert Davies

It's a good tour across two large exhibits. The first gives a look into the hysteria during the witch trials and it's reckoning. This is very well done! The second is a look into modern perceptions and how they have been shaped through story and history. Learn how to identify a modern witch hunt and learn of a few in our nation's recent past. Although the tour doesn't make some details clear, it does help fill in the bigger picture of the horrible events.

D Ram

I could have spent a whole lot more time observing this on item had I not been with others. What a work of imagination! The time spent viewing would truly be well spent for any fan of any level. I am just an average fan and I have to say I was blown away!

Corina Mayo

The tour was short and we had to wait a bit. Not as informative as it could be. It is a museum and the outside of the building looked like one but no artifacts and other historical items to look at. There were information boards upon entering which were more interesting reading . If you want to learn the history of the Salem witches, go on the night walk tours.

Scott Feldkamp

The actors portray a relatable scenario and deliver powerful dialogue. The stairs are properly creaky and the dungeon is actually quite traumatic. If you want to know what it's like to be in a witch dungeon, this is it.

Mike Bailey

The story of the Salem Witch Trials told through cinematic effect was great. I wasn't overly pleased with the second part of the tour which told a completely different story as to how witches today are deemed than other areas of Salem. Get your facts straight if you would please.

James Anon

Very helpful staff that assisted with pacing needs due to those traveling with us. Great tour - learned a lot about the area and the history. A fun place to go with a group.

Anna Banin

Some museums are more than fun. This one is like that. It makes you remember that witch hunting has little to do with witches and can happen to anybody. Gift shop was pure fun though! Love those little witches you can put on the wine bottle :)

Connie Reed

We did not go to the museum. Wandering the street mall nearby was fun though. We were traveling through and did not have much time.

Jareth Graves

I think this was the most comprehensive, and interesting, presentation of all the museums we visited while in Salem. It is most definitely worth the price of admission.

Clark Thompson

The first half of the tour presents a credible insight into the Salem witch trials utilizing sound effects and mannequins on a 360 degree stage. The second half of the tour tries to mainstream the wiccan lifestyle into modern society. These folks are definitely on an agenda which has little or nothing to do with the past. Admittedly, I left here feeling a little uncomfortable.

Jenny Fleck

Non-moving dioramas that told the story in about 30 minutes. Not sure what I was expecting entirely but it probably wasnt this. A little pricey for what it ended up being but still cool to learn a bit of the history in the area. If you are super into the trials maybe check out one of the real life reenactments to be more immersed

Willy Spence

If you are looking for a high tech experience, this may not be for you. This is very informative tour of the Salem Witch Trials & How pop culture has affected the outlook on witchcraft. Awesome gift shop! I personally enjoyed the entire tour and the price was right!!

Sonia Oh

The building is nice but it's not a museum, if you ever in there take some pictures of yourself outside and don't pay to go in, you won't be missing a thing

Jason Bond

Great ambience. Very friendly staff. Super clean bathrooms. Interesting history lesson. I recommend it!

Mark Frumkin

Told an interesting story of the witch trials in Salem. Strictly a tourist attraction.

Shapes Blue

An interesting place and a different take on what happened in 1692. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the past or the witch trials themselves

Steven Groen

Not family friendly. Rude staff. My child was having a tantrum and I was trying to calm him down but staff felt they needed to tell me how to parent. NEVER COMING BACK. I would try the Witch Dungeon Museum. Much better value.

Stefania Freijo

Tickets are $13 and it's an hour to and hour and 15 minutes experience. It is a story telling of the beginning of the Salem Witch trials and it's a small museum on the progression of witches in society along the years.

Andrea Norman

Really interesting museum giving the true history of witchcraft and the trials. Highly recommend.

Alex Kurnikov

Very informative tour. The place is very interesting and well kept. The city of Salem is great too so definitely worth a visit!

steve kellough

Worst $13 I ever spent. I was interested in learning more about the trials and information about what really happened. What I got was a story time, and a political poor pitiful us story about how things are today. We sat in a room on stools and you would spin around to a light\wax show with a narrative of what happened. Then half of you are whisked away into a little room full of writings on the wall and just a couple of exhibits. The other half has to wait in the gift shop because the museum is so small. You are then herded through this tiny museum while being told how certain types of people today are being persecuted the same way the "witches" were. Then, if you would like to fight the crowd, you can stay and read the walls. Otherwise, escape through the gift shop. They push you through, and you can't take pictures (not that there is anything to really take pictures of). If you want to learn about the witch trials, Google it. If you want to deal with politics and a tourist trap, stop by Salem.

Joseph Hubbard

The Salem Witch Museum offered a unique experience that was entertaining and educational. The gift shop has some very good t shirt designs and it is where I picked up my momento from my trip to Salem. The tickets were somewhat overpriced in my opinion, however, admittance is included in the Boston citypass which saved money.

Erin Lascot

Okay, I read all the reviews too. I read this was a tourist trap, and I thought “whatever, I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Well, plot twist, it’s that bad. Really, please don’t spend your money here. You’ll pay to watch 30+ minutes of dioramas talking (that don’t move), followed by 15 minutes at the gift shop before you’re even allowed into the second (and last) part of the museum. There you’ll meet your “guided tour” to literally look at three more dioramas where your guide talks for 5 minutes and then presses a button to let the diagram speak. Oh and you want to see real artifacts of the period? Well, they just have dried herbs. That’s the extent of the “artifacts”! Please save your money and don’t go.

Gwyn Dubel

The tour was very interesting, but if you are on a time crunch, I would definitely recommend stopping in the gift shop as there is a great selection of souvenirs and gifts!

Shannen Williams

Was super great! You get an in depth story of the witch trials and how they started. Also you get the story of how the witch came about and got modernized!

Mary Kennedy

A wonderful 360 presentation in two parts. Bonus points for being the only shop in town with a hoody zip up sweatshirt in a 2x

Stefanie M&M

We arrived for the 11 am”presentation” paid $13 got escorted into a room full of different displays with mannequins that would light up as a recording of man went through the history of the Salem witch trials. Unless you know nothing about Salem don’t waste your money. After that they escort you into another room that talks about the origins of women healers to popular culture.

Shellie Zicaro

Same as it was 45 years ago, a bit of a disappointment in a time with computers, digital lighting, and animatronics...could be great with an update! It was nostalgic to go back as an adult having been there as a child with good memories. Trying to compete with modern attractions they aren't doing themselves any favors, HOWEVER the staff was great, and the little store was very cute with lots to purchase! A little upgrading and it would be wonderful!

Anna Tran

I thought this museum was cheesy. But for some reason it was why I enjoyed it so much. The story was engaging and the tour guides knew what they were talking about. I love seeing the historic timeline and while there could be updates to the technology, it was a unique experience to have. I reccomend!

Mark Hemmann

Couldn't help myself when the show started...made the evil villian sound and everybody laughed! Learned alot of local history..glad we went!

Allen Todd

The Salem witch trials occurred in 1692 thru 1693. Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 19 were executed. The trials are an example of mass hysteria. In some sense it is understandable, the Massachusetts colony had only been established 60 years before. These people were living on the edge of “Civilization” and there was probably a lot to be fearful of. You can visit the Salem Witch Museum in the town of Salem. The museum tour begins with a presentation of the events of the Salem Witch Trials, then a guided tour where they attempt to explain the historical and modern definition of witches. The cost is $13.00 for adults and $11.00 for children. They offer a discount for teachers. It should be noted that the presentation may not be suited for young children. While we were visiting we saw a young child get scared and the parent had to leave during the presentation. Overall a worthwhile stop if you are in the area.

Audree Roberts

Took our children (14, 13, 11 & 5). The 5 year old was scared at first, but ended up loving it. The presentation was very historic and the visuals were interesting. The gift shop was cool and had some good deals, but the witch mall was better priced, if you're looking for souvenirs. Overall and excellent and educational experience!

Will Crenshaw

This place was awesome! Knew the history but they put on such a great show, it makes it come to life even more. Planning our next trip and this will be a return for sure. A must see if in, or even close to Salem!

Randal Hollenbach

Salem is Ground Zero for many things that are interesting I will go back there as many times as I can

Demi Bremer

Overall not what you'd expect from a museum. It's just a lot of sitting/standing. For $13 a head I'd say it's worth a visit, especially with the coupons that come with a ticket.

Judith Blondel

What a let down. Good for children. Talking mannequins... really!

George Buchert

A little corny, but a good overview of the events surrounding the witch trials and gives some good historical context to how our modern image of witches evolved. It seems more geared towards kids, but even as adults it was entertaining enough to be worth the price of entry. Those with very small kids should be cautious though: some parts may be frightening for the very young.

Katherine Erickson

Actively misstated history. Not just kitschy but genuinely bad. Give it a miss. The building is pretty from the outside; walk right by.

Tyler Fontana

If you have some time to kill, sure why not go there. But I felt like less history was covered and the guide focused more so on pushing an agenda aligning with their beliefs. Show was good but guided tour was poor.

Jazmin B

Worth the money, interesting presentation, not your typical museum which was refreshing, great staff members so kind and interact with the people throughout the presentations, I really enjoyed it. Even my 4 year old daughter was excited!

BluelaceCoffin

The first half of the show is really interesting but the history of witches half is very boring. Nice little gift shop though.

Rob Quickenden

Awesome place to learn the history. Great tour guides too

J R Sage

This was a great family event shown in two parts. The first part, story told by diorama author the Salem witch trials. It was very interesting! The second part is an historical presentation with a tour guide narration on how witchcraft and witches became a part of our society.

Bryan Perry

They give you a nice overview of the witch trials, but the walk through portion leaves a little to be desired. The guides were awesome and very interesting. If your looking for a crash course on the witch trials this is the place.

Heather West

We did enjoy the museum, it's small but the light up dioramas were very nice. I was disappointed that the history of witchcraft was so focused on the western European version of witches though. It would have been awesome to see some examples of the way magic and it's practitioners are viewed in other cultures. Especially considering that the whole Salem Witch Trial period was sparked by stories and scraps of magic from Barbados.

Cristina A

We thought the tour would have been more interactive. It was still nice to learn about the history though. The town was nice as well.

Angela Hong

I'm sorry... This museum just really outdated. Guides were nice, but this is worth like $5 and no guides are actually necessary. 30min old old old mannequin+audio sit down theatre and 15min guided tour.

Josh Z

It's definitely a tourist trap, but so are a vast amount of other attractions around here. If you truly wanted to learn about the subject you should research other museums elsewhere that are run by the state or some school. The tour really lacked in content. For the a tourist who doesn't know much of anything, about the Salem Witch Trials, this museum will likely satisfy you. The animatronics show gives a decent overview.

nancy pope

If you like Halloween, you'll love this place. Otherwise, too hokey for me. I did think the outside of the building was cool... enjoyed that part. Also, it's located across the street from a wonderful, large, grassy public park.

David Waibel

They didn’t charmed me :( It’s gotten old. I think it’s from the ‘80s... renovated please, some special effects or more Not a must see for witch fans, sorry guys.

Mary Guerra

Had a great visual theatrical story telling of what actually happened during the Salem Witch Trials.

K

No pictures allowed and it was all prerecorded audio. It wasn't horrible but another museum had a better show with live actors.

Marcus Marcus

The place is very dated and has an smell that is not very pleasant. Also to hear that they are blaming the birth of witches on a Woman of Color is bogus and set the tone by highlighting her in RED which is truly negative. Then it was told that at the end all of the people killed were cleared and that the Woman of Color was set free. Now we all know since all of the women charged with being witches were white and obviously killed for no reason they did not set that Woman of color free she was tortured, sold and then probably killed. Alot of History is tainted and strangely points the fingers at people of color, that were violently stolen from their native land to serve as property.

Iris Mama

This was a truly unique experience. I've never seen a museum do a presentation like this one. They present the witch trials really well while keeping your attention. Great gift shop too very affordable

Rachel Kinder

A quick way to get a brief history of Salem, it is a guided tour. A little cheesy (the good kind), but definitely enjoyable. Workers were pleasant and answered questions professionally.

Michael Klamer

Fun little "show". A little pricey, but fun to do once! Nice gift shop!

Scott Schwartzberg

I'm sure this is a great museum, but it's not for me. I would have preferred exhibits and signage rather than a guided tour. I completely understand that there are few if any remaining artifacts.

Kevin Qitsualik

Quaint place to visit if you are in the Salem area. They give historic teachings about witches and some contemporary views. I liked the gift shop but it would be nice if they sold semi precious stones too.

Lisa W

Please save your money and go on a guided walking tour. First, you sit in a crowded dark room with wax figures (that haven't been updated since the 70's) above you. A pre-recorded track plays for about a half hour, and the light shines on difference wax figures at different times during the narrative. It reminded me of a documentary you would see on TV, but much less engaging and interesting. I guess it's good for kids since it just gives very basic information. After that, they split you into 2 groups for the next section. The worst part is that we were in the group forced to wait in the gift store for 10 minutes until the other group moved through the second presentation. It was cramped and only being in Salem for a day, it was a waste of our time. Had we known what the second section was (a brief introduction from a real person, and then more wax figures with pre-recorded narrative), we would have just accepted the waste of money and left. If I could offer a suggestion for improvement to actually make is worth the hefty $13 admission, is replace the wax figures and outdated narrative with real actors who can tell the story with passion.

afkhalis

This museum gives very good information about the trials, however I feel if you have the option to go to the Witch History Museum and Witch Dungeon, go to them first.

Scott Moore

This place is really fun and very interesting! There's lots of shops and great places to eat and even grab a cold drink. It's a must to check out for sure, nothing like it that can compare to the town of Salem and all the attractions.

Margot Plumadore

This had been talked down to me in advance so I didn't have high expectations, but it surprised me. Very friendly staff. Efficient tour and very informative. My only criticism is that the stairs could be ramps to make it more handicapped/baby stroller accessible. That said if you are fit and mobile yourself you can manage 4-5 steps at a time to transition between room. No photos inside, but that is understandable. Senior discount available and kids under 6 are free.

Kelly Kramer

Went in and immediately got to see the tour, the wax figures were a little cheesy but the tour was very informative and covered the events that happened during the Salem witch trials and also what witches have looked like throughout the years! There was a really great bit on stereotypes and how they follow humankind through the years! Very great, tickets were pretty expensive but all tours were expensive in Salem.

A-lynn Acosta

It was a cool tour, the gift shop was neat as well, definitely something to do if you are unfamiliar with Salem’s history, but it’s sort of like a one and done type thing very touristy. The outside is great for taking pictures, it looks very old and spooky!

Anna Bernier

The museum is set up to go along with the story so you get the visual effect. The story is very informative and enjoyable.

Sabrina Calvente

It’s pretty cool I like how the museum glows in red at night makes it a bit more spookier

Kim Fabian

I only went for their Main Presentation since they sharply close at 5pm that was the only option allowed to me at 3pm. So I am not sure what the rest of the museum is like. In the presentation you were given a voiced-over telling of the history while in a dark room with old wax museum type human interpretations of those involved and a light would shine on which one to look at during a certain telling, no movements or anything cool. The history was rich but the experience was just okay.

Max62004

First presentation is interesting but all the information can be read online, the second presentation had some interesting items but didnt interest me as much as I hoped.