A Whole Lot of Hocus Pocus

One of the main focuses of our trip to Salem was being able to see the many buildings they used for outside shots in the movie Hocus Pocus. I had found a story in the Boston Globe called “Then and now: ‘Hocus Pocus’ bewitches Salem, 20 years later” and knew we had to try to visit all the spots. I’ll follow along with the news story, with the first stop being Max and Dani Dennison’s house:

Max and Dani Dennison’s house, located on Ocean Avenue in Salem, Massachusetts.

We didn’t make it to the school that served as Max’s school in the movie. We did, however, visit Old Burial Hill, which is in Marblehead, Massachusetts, just down the road from Salem. This is where Max gets his shoes stolen by Jay and Ernie.

Old Burial Hill, Marblehead, Massachusetts.

We also drove by and very quickly stopped by the Town Hall before making our way to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House. This was where Max’s parents attended a party, and also where Bette Midler sang “I Put a Spell on You,” thus, putting a spell on all of the adults in attendance. Apparently, it was meant to be a house party, but I never thought that watching the movie. I always thought it was a large gymnasium.

Old Town Hall, home of the Salem Museum.

A few different parts of the movie are filmed at Salem Pioneer Village. Unfortunately, they were closed both times we tried to go there, so the photos aren’t that great because I was taking them through holes in the fences. The village shows where both Thackery Binx and the witches lived.

Just a few days after we visited, someone else sneaked onto the property and took video of what they saw. Here’s a better look:

Visiting the Ropes Mansion during our Haunted Footsteps tour was pure luck, as we had no idea we were going to make it there. It wasn’t open when we visited, but here is a blog post with some great photos of their new restoration.

Recognize this house? It is Allison’s house from the movie Hocus Pocus, also known as the Ropes Mansion.

As we were waiting for our tour at the Salem Witch Museum, we sat in Salem Common, which is just across the street, but I did not realize until just now that part of the movie was filmed there, so alas, no picture!

So, what did you think? Do you adore Hocus Pocus as much as I do? I really can watch it over and over again, no matter the time of year, and I can’t wait to go back to Salem to visit!