Not a museum as advertised. A walk through of life sized dummies depicting key moments during the witch trial. Narration was so fast it was hard to hear and distinguish details. Skip it. read more

This museum was very odd. It's basically a big room with a lot of creepy wax figures from the 1970s that are covered in cobwebs and illuminated on and off to tell the story of the Salem Witch Trials. The story itself was interesting, but the presentation was sorely lacking and in desperate need of an update. Definitely not worth the time or money. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Exterior - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Staff was friendly and welcoming. Get a seat in the middle when you are let into the next room. This way you can see various things light up around the room as the story is told. After the show we were taken into another room where we were given a little more history on the trials but were ushered out quickly for the next group to come in. This place has the header beam from the original 1692 jail, (one of only 2 in existence) and it wasn't mentioned by anyone giving the tour there. read more

Salem Witch Museum - One of the light up dioramas in the Main Presentation - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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It's not a museum as much as it is a little show. Kind of a waste of time. Very crowded, long line even with reservations, and I would not go again. Ok, this place is old, cheesy, entertaining, but not a very good value. The gift shop is probably the highlight. We sat on an edge bench and could not see half of the exhibit because it was above and behind us. Our group is unanimous that we would not do this again, and don't recommend it. There wasn't much to learn here that wasn't available in every free brochure and memorial. read more

Definitely worth visiting for a nice historical snapshot of the history of the witch trials. The displays seem to be decades old, but the near melting faces lend to the spookiness. (Really, I don't mean this as a negative! But if you could replace all the dolls of Its a Small World with these mannequins, you'd never sleep again!) The museum is well organized. After the main presentation, the group is already split in two to allow better flow and views. Yes you can buy your tickets on site, with each group starting in the hour. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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If u want to learn about the history of witches and how it started in salem, come check it out. Super interesting. Friendly staff. Issues with their payment machine and we just blamed it on the witches. read more

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Came to Salem on a girls trip during Halloween. In our research it was said this is one of the places you want to make sure you stop in. We got up at midnight and were able to secure tickets. upon entering the main area it's very dark. But once the show started, I felt like it was a bit dated. The announcer reminded me of a 1940s newscast. I enjoyed the stories and the second portion where the employees were explaining some things I found to be a bit interesting. But if you don't get the tickets, don't worry you're not missing. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Save your money and skip this attraction. There's a reason why they don't allow photos/videos inside - the museum is extremely outdated and boring. There are two parts to this museum and they move you through it so fast - we were in and out in 25 minutes as that is the time each group is given. The first part of the museum is a storytelling through mannequins that about 15 minutes. Then the group is split into two and one group goes into the second part of the museum and the other group has to wait in the gift shop. The second part of the museum is so rushed - a person gives an overview of modern day witches and more mannequin storytelling. There's a few displays and a timeline but they don't even give you a chance to read any of the material. Just take pictures outside and pretend you went in. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Wonderful place to visit. A must see someday in your lifetime. Children are amazed at the history of this monument of history. Another interesting observa- tion I noticed is the awe and curiosity that most Adults experienced. read more

What a waste of time. Odd experience of staring at wax figures in a room while a story is being told. Very outdated and did not feel like a museum with historical artifacts but rather a narrative of the past and some fictional events. Save your time and money, skip this one. read more

Overpriced for what you get and CHEESY! The show consisted of a story being told over speakers with lights on difference stationary created scenes and some 50 year old mannequins posed. They should be charging like $5 a person, not $18. Grossly oversold. Save your money and go to the visitor center, at least their documentary has actual actors instead of recycled mannequins from JCPenneys. read more

I was very excited to visit and had seen good reviews elsewhere. I wish I had checked Yelp. I was very disappointed in our visit. You feel like cattle being shuffled to and from rooms. The staff seem annoyed just being there. I appreciated the diorama presentation but the wax figures definitely need an upgrade. Cob webs on them and one girl looked like she got in fight with a cat her arms were completely torn up. The second room was interesting but again too small for the number of people in there. And no time to actually read the walls. Then poof your done and in their gift shop. Take a real tour and skip this. You're not missing anything. I would not recommend this either for kids under 12 read more

Whoa, this is a tourist trap. What a waste of money. We came to learn about the history of this event, respectfully, through informative museum exhibits, artifacts, and displays. Instead, you're corralled into a sensationalist puppeteer room full of wax figures, and a super crappy recording of spooky music hyperbolizes the demonic and "witch" myth, while using the real victims as pawns to make a buck off a violent moment in history. Not only was it a terrible, loud voiceover, but the info was stupid, not informative at all, and insanely outdated (poor, fuzzy audio quality). ***** For history presented intelligently, visit the historic Witch House or see the Witch Trial exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum. **** read more

Amazing museum! Loved the experience of learning about the witch trails and the staff was amazing! Highly recommend this place to others!

I wish I would have read reviews before wasting like 90 bucks. The building is cool. I waited in line thinking I'd get to see/hear untold stories, histories of the victims, maybe some artifacts and documents from the trials. You know, stuff you'd see in a museum. Instead we got mannequins "explaining" the events (which weren't awful, but absolutely no information I didn't already know) and I very hurried museum guide telling us she didn't have time to go over the displays, but we should feel free to look (at what? Some words on a wall?). In terms of "artifacts, there were a few old books and some dried herbs and that was about it. The gift shop was ok. If you must, MUST spend money, do it there. The rest of the place is 100% not worth it. read more

There was no photographs, so I have no photos but the show was amazing and well done. The staff were welcoming and helpful, the only downfall was that our appointment didn't start until ten minutes after. read more

We visited the Salem Witch Museum today and, unfortunately, were not impressed. Tickets were $19 per person for the 3:00 PM time slot. The experience began with a 20-minute staged puppet-style show, followed by a 10-minute presentation. While we did learn a few things, it was difficult to follow the storylines, and we were packed into each room like sardines. During the stage puppet-style show, unless you were sitting directly in the middle, you couldn't actually see all of the scenes since they were spread around the entire room. The figures and displays might have been well made at one point, but they haven't been maintained--many were very dusty, and several even looked like they may have been melted or damaged at some point. The "museum" portion was very minimal--just three mannequins dressed as witches, some dried herbs and flowers, and a wall with a timeline of events.The entire experience was a letdown and very disappointing. read more

Very cool and informative experience! The museum does a great job walking you through the history of the Salem witch trials in a way that's easy to understand and engaging. It feels a little outdated in parts, but overall it's worth the visit--especially if you're interested in the darker side of New England history. read more

If you've ever wondered what it's like to pay good money to sit in the world's worst middle-school history project, the Salem Witch Museum has you covered. You're herded into a dark room, treated to an outdated loud audio track straight out of a cassette player's mid-life crisis, surrounded by mannequins. Honestly, the mannequins looked about as interested in the story as I was. Spoiler: you will leave knowing absolutely nothing new about the trials, except that the real witchcraft here is how they convinced you to hand over cash for this. And just when you think it's over, you're rushed out for "intermission" in the gift shop, because apparently this tourist trap is the real witch in Salem. Save an hour of your time and your money. read more

They require that you arrive 10 minutes before check-in to stand inline. Once, in that line they'll herd you to the next line ahead of your show time. Lastly, they'll have you stand in an un-airconditioned room for another 20 minutes. All in all count on 30 minutes of standing for 20 minutes of "tour" and theater. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

When you think of Salem, Massachusetts, you think of the Salem Witch Trails, which happened here in the 1800s. At least I did. Many women back then were accused of being a witch were killed by the locals who strongly feel they were. It is a dark chapter in American history that is unfortunate and definitely sad. With that said, I arrived here at the Salem witch museum on a stop on my vacation in the Boston area on Sunday October 21, 2024. I knew that you had to book tickets online on the same day of visit, so I did before leaving Manchester, New Hampshire that morning. I arrived here around 1:30 PM after having lunch nearby at The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel. There was a long line getting into the museum, but once I confirmed my ticket into The museum, it was great. The museum is in an old building that seemed to be constructed within the last 100 years. It definitely was an incredible place and has a lot of history along with the exhibits in there. I learned quite a bit more about the Salem Witch Trials and how it came to pass. It was an unfortunate and unbelievable situation back then, but the norms of the day dictated it as such. It was horrific to think that it happened but it did. I spent about 2 hours here trying to learn everything I could about this interesting piece of history. It was a fascinating look at this era of history. The overall experience here at the Salem Witch Museum is very educational and fascinating. It was here in Salem that they had rounded up many women that were accused of being witches or women who practiced in the dark arts. How everything went down and what methods were employed to carry out the mandate were the themes of the entire process. It was interesting to read about how they carried everything out to purge out the alleged witches out of Salem, Massachusetts and the surrounding areas. The ambiance of the museum is largely quiet and that solemn atmosphere made things more emotional than that of a typical tourist attraction. I walked around the museum looking and reading all of the exhibitions placards and markers to gain a lot of knowledge to see what the world was like in the early 1800's. It was a frightening time for women at the time, especially with the Catholic Church. It was definitely an important moment in the history of the United States and wished that it didn't happen, but it did unfortunately. For the most part though, while the experience did enrich my knowledge base of what happened to the Salem Witch Trials, it also strengthened my belief that there's no way that there was any connection that witchcraft can be a threat to the Catholic Church. But in those days, the perceived connection and threat was really real and they sought to make it clear that it shouldn't be. Still, it was a good learning experience and a great reminder to us today of what really happened back in the 1800's and how much lives were lost due to these misplaced ideas. The Salem Witch museum is located in beautiful Salem, Massachusetts. They are anchored at 19 Washington Square, nearer to the Salem Witch Trials memorial and the Hawthorne Hotel. They only do same day ticket sales online, so best bet would be to book your tickets right when you get up to ensure your place that day your intend on visiting the museum. They accept major credit cards for the online purchases. As far as parking goes, your only option would probably be limited to street parking wherever you can find it. If you can find a parking garage, then that's awesome! If you are like me, I arrived and departed here via Uber. Not sure if the city of Salem, Massachusetts has its own public transportation system and/or is connected to the city of Boston's public transportation system. Best bet would be to plan your trip as to how you're going to get here comfortably. As aforementioned before, there is an admission fee to get into the museum, which is only available on the day of. No advance ticketing purchase allowed. It would be most beneficial to get up early to purchase prior to breakfast to ensure your time at the Salem Witch Museum that day. I enjoyed my time here at the museum and learned alot. Hope you will too. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+ read more

Wayyyyyyyyyy overpriced for what they're offering. I would NOT recommend, it's just a money grab. They should be charging $5 for kids and $8 for adults MAX! read more

Salem Witch Museum - Part of the boring exhibit. I would never recommend this place. - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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The tickets to enter the museum can only be purchased online (which is fine), but just not convenient for people who are older and do not use their phones often. The show started about 15 minutes after our start time (which was kind of frustrating). They have small stools to sit on for the beginning of the museum. It starts with a show talking through the witch trials and with wax figures. They're a little creepy and the show seems pretty dated. The second half of the museum talks through witches and how perceptions have changed throughout history (which I thought was interesting). We had an older gentlemen talk through the history which was very interesting and gave a nice perspective on how the idea of witches has changed within pop culture. They also have a gift shop which was crowded, but the prices seemed very expensive. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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I'm stumped on where to begin. Let's start with I do not recommend this place despite the low cost of entry. To be honest, they actually should charge less. I was unimpressed and almost fell asleep in the first room. You go through two rooms of listening to an audio. In the second room, they didn't give you time to read the timeline on the wall after the audio before rushing you out for the next group. Maybe they should change something to keep the interest of customers. I don't have expectations going in, but my entire group was dissatisfied. 0 stars...1 for effort, but wouldn't recommend. read more

Group visit to Salem and we thought it would be a good choice to visit the museum. Well, not so much. It was somewhat informative. But the website labels it as 1.25 hr. We arrived early only for I find out our 3:15 is really 3:30 and we we outside and off for coffee in 35 minutes. If you go, sit literally in the middle of the room. Otherwise you miss half the non-animated show. The last wall is actually a powerful statement but lost by the end of the tour. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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It's very catchy, I felt like it was a mix of spirit Halloween costume store, and some sort of carnival haunted house. To be honest, trying to get tickets and a frenzy midnight sleepy stupor was not worth it. There are other more historically, accurate, and interesting places in Salem to visit.this was funny to see, but really did not for me fully or accurately represent anything true to the Salem witch trials which has been extremely inflated and incorrectly marketed. read more

Just don't waste your money. The building is nice. Staff were short, lacking in enthusiasm and not very helpful. This place and story could be so great but as it is, it's maybe worth $5 per person for the dated story show they have set up. If you want to call it a museum, fill it full of artifacts, history of the area, or witches etc. There are some items, it we were rushed through so quickly by the staff we didn't get a chance to look at the few things that were there. Again, could be amazing, but at the moment it's just embarrassing, and not worth anywhere near the $18 each we paid; Again save your money, there's a bunch of other places up the street that look a lot more interesting. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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When I think of a Museum I think of artifacts and history this wasn't that. I guess if you've never covered the Salem Witch trials in school or did a simple google search this place would be very educational. If you're going to check it out I would recommend getting there early and sitting in the middle or else you won't be able to see half of the first scenes in the story. read more

Have been there twice. Went this year with family who have never been there before. Yes it is campy but informative and interesting. Guides are knowledgeable and helpful. Nice backup information if you've read Salem history. Bookstore and gift shop worthy. read more

It's very strange that this is one of the attractions that sell same day tickets only, but is literally just two rooms. The first room would have been more fun if the doors didn't keep opening and closing, letting light into an otherwise dark room. It is informative but most of the information you will likely find out on other tours, or just by roaming the city. If you're short on time or can't get tickets, just skip this spot. The only redeeming thing is their gift shop which uses some quality materials. *this visit was in mid September* read more

For first timers this spot is cool to check out to learn the history of the Salem witch trials and how they came about. The tickets are $16.50 for adults. It's two presentation shows with statues and auto track. With a gift shop at the end of the presentations. The staff were very nice and bathrooms were really clean. This could also be included with the GO CITY Pass if you have it! read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Super weird, not a museum. You get ushered into a dark room with mannequins that are falling apart and they push play on a recorded story. Part two is another room with a timeline, more mannequins, and more story time from a guide. Then done. Gift shop occupies 1/3 of the place. Save your $20 read more

What in the actual heck did I just pay $35 for, a bunch of garbage that's what. I should have read the yelp reviews before going to the Salem witch museum which in essence sounds cool but turns out to be a high school puppet show that does nothing but bore the audience. I expected something really scary and cool revolving around the Salem witch trials. This was not that and please don't waste your money. read more

We enjoyed this museum and it was pretty much what we expected. The intro with the narration and wax figures was pretty cool. I feel like it would probably frighten small children, but for older kids and adults, I think it's great! I also enjoyed the second part of the museum that talked about how our view of witches as a society has evolved through time. My one suggestion would be to allow guests to linger and view the wax scenes after the show for a bit, and the second part too! It felt a bit rushed. To be fair, I did not ask if I could linger to see anything longer, so that may be a possibility already. If not, the information and presentation is still super! I understand the demand might result in the need to move people along quicker. The museum was informative! I noticed some people seemed a bit disappointed in the lack of actual artifacts from the trials. I think it's important to remember how long ago this was, and that, at the time, it was not such an important moment in history to the people involved, so having real artifacts of the trials themselves might be more challenging than expected. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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What a Witchy Place!!!! Happened by here while I was out in Boston for some work. This place is pretty cool. Very touristy but cool too. I saw the show and it was interesting and shared some unknown facts. I think I had an idea of most of the with trials from school but did not know it to this much detail. The shop is cool and has all sorts of witchy stuff. If you are into witchery this has to be a destination of yours. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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‼PLEASE READ BEFORE VISITING‼ So, this museum is... cool... First things first, the title says museum, but that's a stretch. Think more like a show, as it explains the Salem Witch Trial story. Not any big artifacts are there, or something you walk around and read, but it's a show which helps explain what happened during the witch trials. It definitely gives a very good vision on what happened. Second, my age rating: 11+. This is very kid appropriate, don't get me wrong, and no blood or gore or anything like that is shown. So, why 11+? Well, it can be a little bit scary. My 12 year old was a bit shaken up, but was fine overall, but my 8 year old got scared and needed to leave. There's things such as screams, music, and overall atmosphere that can be scary for younger ones. I was even spooked myself! It's not horribly scary, but definitely not the best option for young children. Now, if young children can take a bit of spooky things, definitely let them come! Like I said, it's very child friendly besides the spook factor, so if they can take it, they can definitely come! Although I will say, it can be confusing at times for younger ones. Next, the animatronics are...not the greatest...they definitely look a bit outdated, but when looking at them from a distance, they're okay. They do the job. However, they aren't really animatronics, because, well, they don't move. This isn't the biggest problem, but just be aware, you're not paying for an animatronic show. It's only really a problem because it can be a little hard to see who's speaking, but that only happens occasionally. Now let's talk about the good things. It absolutely gets the job done in a way that's interesting and keeps you engaged. It's better than just reading about it at least. So overall, great! Does a great job of conveying the story of the Salem Witch Trials, and I'd recommend visiting! Just remember, not a museum, a show, kinda apooky at times, but a great and engaging way to teach people about this famous historical event! read more

It was fun. It was different from other museums, you go in, sit down and look up. A booming narrating voice plays throughout the auditorium and a spotlight lands on each mannequin/wax figure and you listen to their part in the story of history. Then there is a second part where you are shuffle through to a smaller room with a bunch of photos and listen to a tour guide briefly describe the photos on the wall. It definitely needs to be modernized but other than that it's a good experience and for the price of entry, 17.50 it was fine. We could check it off of our list of things to have done and seen in Salem. The only thing that I would say, the local businesses of Salem really took advantage of a small negative time in history and they're making their money. read more

Salem Witch Museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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This is a tiny museum that overcharges for an antiquated, underwhelming presentation and an exhibit that is unnecessarily guided. Reading about it on Wikipedia would be a better use of time. read more

Don't waste your time. It is really not that interesting, and it is kind of expensive for what it is. You're ushered into a large room where everyone is seating on extremely uncomfortable stools, and there is a proverbial mannequin show that occurs around you while some 1940s voiceover explains what is happening in each scene. And in case that doesn't put you off too much, there is an intermission where you're escorted into an objectively terrible gift shop, to wait your turn to do something else. But you're caged in this gift shop for 10-15 minutes. I would do almost anything else besides the Salem Witch Museum. read more

This museum is very interesting. The statue with the earliest days of the witch trial as you walk through the museum you get to see some of the scenes of the witches and how they were prosecuted on the way out is a nice gift shop. You'll come pick up a T-shirtor maybe some penny candy read more