Hocus Pocus Filming Locations in Salem (and Marblehead)

Hocus Pocus came out in July 1993, and fans still come to Salem every fall to find the places from the movie. Here's the honest version: most of the film was shot on sets in Burbank, California, with only about two weeks of filming in Massachusetts. But the scenes shot here are some of the most recognizable, and you can see most of them in a single walk.

In Salem

Ropes Mansion

318 Essex St. The outside of Allison's house, where Max and Dani show up to her parents' Halloween party. Only the exterior was used in the film. The formal garden behind the house is free to visit and open from dawn to dusk; the house itself is run by the Peabody Essex Museum and opens only for seasonal tours.

Old Town Hall

32 Derby Square. The outside of the town Halloween party, the night the Sanderson sisters crash it. Only the exterior was filmed here. Old Town Hall is used for events and exhibits and isn't open on a regular schedule, but the building is easy to see and photograph from Derby Square.

Salem Common

Washington Square. Several outdoor scenes were filmed around the Common. It's a public park, free any time.

Phillips Elementary School

Facing Salem Common. The outside of Max and Allison's school. It stopped being a school in 1992 and is now private apartments, so admire it from the Common.

Pioneer Village

98 West Ave. The 1693 opening scenes, in the colonial village where Thackery Binx is still human. (The witches' cottage interior was a set, not one of these buildings.) Pioneer Village is a living-history museum; in 2026 it's open June 6 to November 15, Saturdays and Sundays 12 to 4 pm, last entry 3:45.

In Marblehead (a short drive away)

Old Burial Hill

Orne St, Marblehead. The daytime cemetery scene, where Max runs into the bullies, wasn't filmed in Salem at all. It was shot at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, one of the oldest burying grounds in New England. Please be respectful: it's a real, historic cemetery.

Max and Dani's house

It's a private home in Marblehead. Please don't go looking for it.

A simple walking route

Ropes Mansion → Old Town Hall → Salem Common and Phillips School. All are downtown, within about a 15-minute walk of each other. Pioneer Village and Old Burial Hill are easier by car or rideshare.

Not a filming location, but fans love it

The Winifred Sanderson figure at Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery (217 Essex St) wasn't in the movie, but it's a popular photo stop.