My ancient, nocturnal benefactor tasked me with inspecting human representations of dark creatures…read moreto ensure mortal pop culture was maintaining appropriate reverence for the underworld. Naturally, I ventured into the International Monster Museum inside the Witch City Mall in Salem. The admission price is remarkably low for the quality of the experience. Upon entry, you are handed an electric lantern to navigate the pitch-black halls, which sets a brilliantly eerie mood right away. The detail on the models is outstanding. From classic cinematic beasts to folklore entities from around the globe, the set design and pneumatic motion-sensor animatronics pull you right into the nightmare. Expect plenty of well-timed startles lurking in the dark corners as you explore. We highly recommend this spot over Count Orlock's Nightmare Gallery. Not only are the sets and overall walk-through significantly more engaging, but you are also allowed (and encouraged!) to take as many pictures and videos as you want, whereas other spots strictly forbid photo taking. While conducting my field evaluation, I paused in front of a particularly majestic, life-sized vampire display. Wanting to send proof back to my employer, I struck a dramatic pose beside it for a photo. Suddenly, a motion-sensor jump scare triggered, sending a blast of pneumatic air and a loud screech directly into my face. I instinctively let out an unholy, high-pitched shriek, threw my issued lantern into the air, and dropped flat onto the floor in a panic. The museum staff was delightful, though I had to spend ten minutes explaining to my centuries-old boss why the "scouting photo" he requested was just a blurry, low-light shot of my boots and a floating lantern. For the low price tag, incredible detailed craft, and endless photo opportunities, this is an absolute must-visit in Salem!

The International Monster Museum in Salem delivers some solid jump scares and a good collection of…read morecreepy animatronics featuring all kinds of monsters and horror creatures. The setup is entertaining and definitely has moments that will catch you off guard, especially if you're easily startled. The museum itself is on the smaller side, but the pricing is reasonable enough for what you get. One odd touch was being handed a lighted lantern to carry through the exhibit -- not entirely sure of the purpose beyond adding atmosphere. If you scare easily, be prepared, because some of the jump scares are surprisingly effective. Overall, not a bad quick horror attraction to check out while in Salem.

The cheese factor was a little up there for me. Our guide was fantastic and incredibly…read moreknowledgeable, but the exhibits themselves needed a bit of improvement. For kids? This is perfect because it's not too "adulty and boring."

My kids (8 and 7) enjoyed going to this museum with my in laws. They spent a couple of hours there…read morebefore getting lunch in town. They took some fun photos (see attached) and even came home with little treasure chests from the gift shop. While I don't think this is necessarily a museum you'd visit multiple times, this had been on their wish list for some time and I'm really glad they got to do it. From what I heard, there were fun photo ops and interactive displays.

​If you're looking for a break from the heavy history of the Witch Trials and just want to…read morecelebrate the "spooky" side of Salem, this is the place. It's vibrant, nostalgic, and has a bit of a "funhouse" energy with its 3D glasses and day-glo displays. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which is exactly why it's so charming. ​It is a smaller museum, but it's packed with fun. We spent about 30 minutes walking through the different vignettes, which cover everything from ancient Samhain traditions to 90s-era Halloween kitsch (the vintage Barbie collection was a personal highlight!). It's a self-guided flow, so you can move at your own pace without feeling rushed by a tour guide. ​ ​The price point is one of the best in town. While other attractions in Salem can easily run you $25-$30+, this was much more affordable and felt like a fair trade for the time spent. It's a great "add-on" activity if you have a gap between your larger tour bookings. ​ ​Don't skip the 3D glasses at the entrance! They really make the neon displays pop and turn the experience into something more immersive. Also, because it's a shorter walkthrough, it's a fantastic option for families with kids who might not have the patience for the longer, text-heavy history museums nearby.

The Halloween museum in Salem is one of those attractions that feels more exciting in theory than…read morein reality. The 3D fluorescent rooms are pretty cool at first, and there are a few fun props tied to Hocus Pocus and classic The Walt Disney Company films that horror and Halloween fans may appreciate. That said, the museum itself is very small and doesn't offer much beyond the initial visual appeal. Even though tickets are relatively cheap, the experience feels rushed and underwhelming overall. Unless you're already walking by and looking for a quick stop during a Salem trip, this is probably one attraction that can be skipped.

The staff are the nicest people and they had real artifacts inside. I had to touch everything for…read moresome reason. Lol. I heard someone say they didn't like it right before going in so I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. It is a museum so you have to stop and read all the things otherwise you won't like it either. It's not a scary place where people jump out at you, if you want that you should go to one of the haunted houses. The guy at the gift shop was dressed up too and was good at staying in character. He added the fun aspect and he told us he is one of the Jason's during October. He even makes masks you can buy. Cool guy.

This well exceeded expectation! The story telling In The beginning, setting the scene made the…read moreattraction even more special. The real life artifacts and pirates treasure were top tier... this is a NON CHEESEY WORTH THE MONEY attraction. My family loved a little something different in Salem and not the same regurgitated witch stories. This did not disappoint. 10/10. Will come back! #worthit

The front desk worker is amazingly nice and welcoming for a torture museum. You walk in and it…read morefeels like a whole different world. The music and temperature feel like you are in a real dungeon and put you on edge. The tickets are $15 per person and it takes about 25 minutes to go through. Everything is authentic so no touching but as many pictures as you want just no flash! I loved it! ‍

While we were visiting the City of Salem. We wanted to find something to do or experience while we…read morewere in town. We looked up the map and found this interesting Salem Museum of Torture. Curious minds brought us to this interesting and cool museum. There was a nice gentleman that was working at the time, he helped us decide if this was something we would have a great time exploring. He wasn't wrong. It was an interesting experience to say the least. After we paid for our tickets, he explained that we can stroll thru there at our own paces. There is no time limit here. You can go through there fast or take your time to read, and take in the history of all the different torture apparatuses they had inside the museum. We find it fascinating how they used to use these devices to torture people back in the days. Glad we aren't living in those times. Can't imagine the suffering they used to go through. It was a very interesting visit. Glad we at least experience it once to learn the history and the stories behind each device. After you are done, you can head back up and check out their gifts shop. It was a great and interesting experience. If you happened to visit Salem and is curious about torture devices, definitely stop by and experience it for yourself.

It's a very interesting museum to go through. They show you're quite a bit about the trials then…read moreyou're going into the prisons where they actually kept the prisoners. Wait till you see the room. They found this jail by accident many years ago. It has its own interesting history give it a try you're gonna like it.

Really cool stop with the combined three attraction ticket! The outside is beautiful with a spooky…read moreinterior. You are celebrated warmly and the live action of the trial is so well done. The dungeon is cold and dark makes you feel like you are really there. Gift shop is amazing and affordable.

Excellent site to visit! Beautiful views! We had a great docent lead tour. Our guide shared lots…read moreof details and did a great job trying to answer our group's many questions! Learning about the different architectural phases of this property was very interesting. The Secret Staircase is special! Gift Shop was a fun stop! Friendly staff. They have their own parking lot with ample and FREE parking while you visit. Now that's a plus. Everywhere else in Salem is paid parking, including the Peabody Essex Museum (park and hike!) Highly recommend visiting The House of Seven Gables if you are in the area.

My mom and I toured the House of the Seven Gables when we spent a day in Salem a week or so ago,…read moreand it was one of the highlights of our time in Salem. The house dates back to 1668, when it was built for a wealthy sea captain and merchant. It remained in that family for three generations before it was bought by another family. The house is mostly famous for being the setting and subject of a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was a second cousin of Susannah Ingersoll, who lived in the home for years. In 1908, the home was purchased again, this time by a woman who made it her life's mission to restore the house, protect it for posterity, and to turn into a museum that could be visited by tourists to Salem. The home was renovated many times (by different owners of the house) - it didn't even always have seven gables, but that's a part of its interesting story! We learned all of the above and more from our tour guide on a guided tour of the house. Our tour guide was great - friendly, informative, and interesting! After our tour, we explored Nathaniel Hawthorne's birthplace home, which was moved to the grounds of the House of Seven Gables to avoid demolition. It was a great way to learn a little more about Hawthorne. There was also a gift shop, where my mom and I both bought copies of The House of the Seven Gables, stamped so we always remember where we bought it. Our tour was interesting, and the house is striking and fascinating. It's well worth a visit if you're exploring Salem.

I'm a local and previous member of PEM. I would recommend this museum to history buffs and Asian…read moreart enthusiasts. I appreciate that the museum has held workshops with the Mashpee Wampanoag and has held events with iconic Native artists like Joy Harjo (Muscogee). The Native American exhibit is refreshingly good. As a Native person (Choctaw Nation of OK) I feel really comfortable going here.

I visited the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) with my mom at the end of our day in Salem about a week or…read moreso ago, and we really enjoyed our visit. The museum has an extensive collection of Asian Art, but it holds more than 800,000 works of historical and cultural arts covering maritime, American, Asia, and Oceanic and African art. The highlight of our visit was visiting the Yin Yu Tang House. The house dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Huang, a prosperous merchant, built this stately 16-bedroom, two story-house with a courtyard and called it "Yin Yu Tang," meaning "Hall of Plentiful Shelter." It was home to the Huang family in the Huizhou region for more than 200 years until the last of the family descendants moved from the village in 1982. In the 1990s, as part of a cultural exchange, the home and its contents were dismantled and transported to Massachusetts, where it was re-erected in the PEM. The PEM opened to the public in 2003. The house is currently undergoing work to preserve its roof tiles and masonry walls, so there was a lot of scaffolding obstructing views of the home and pictures taken of the museum. But it still well worth a visit; it's incredible. (The website says the house is closed 7/27-7/31 and 8/3-8/7, so maybe they'll have the work done by the end of those stretches!) I only wish the staff that had walked us into the house had explained exactly how much time we'd get inside the house before being ushered out for the next group, because my mom and I were using the audio guide to learn about the house as we explored. Before we finished several rooms, we were told our time was up, which was a bummer - we barely had time to peek into the rooms we hadn't gotten to yet, so I wish we'd known and could use our time better. They call it a tour on the website, but it's a self-guided experience; no museum staff walk you around the house. (FYI: You need a separate ticket for the Yin Yu Tang House, which you can buy on the website.) We explored the rest of the museum as well, including some of their interesting temporary exhibits: "Anila Quayyum Agha: All the Flowers Are for Me," "On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America," and "Beyond the Broom: Salem Short Films." Other highlights of our time were visiting the East India Marine Hall and seeing art and artifacts relating to the Salem Witch Trials. They also have a great gift shop, so save some time for that. A very nice regional art museum that is worth visiting if you have time in your Salem itinerary!

From the darkest depths of our souls the dead live on here in wax…read more As you walk the area you will be surrounded by the past . The darkness that came from this area . Salem is one of the oldest cities in our early history. Many individuals have called this place home. How many souls have come and gone. Perhaps are still here . We will never know, nor forget. Some of the best of Salem is presented here in wax. This is a vocal piece of joy walking through. A local human shows you how much they can recall about the past, in wax of the city . We have witches, pirates, sea dogs, and all sorts of creatures . Come and join us. While the admission might be too much, we are supporting a local flavor and it was fun . The employees are enthusiastic about their performance and sell a great product. The wax figures are very nice but look the part as far as the tour. You decide . This is a tourist attraction, many believe a tourist trap . I don't feel that way . Walk the waxy past of Salem and learn something fun about the world of witches and wizards. Step outside of yourself and see what

Overly priced, low quality, outdated, haunted houses suck, management always unavailable, should be…read morefired.