A look another glorious morning, makes me sick! Hello children of the 90s! If you’re like me, you may have grown up watching the 1993 Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. This hilarious film starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, was a HUGE part of my childhood.
And I still watch it every year. It makes me laugh, it’s super fall festive, and it has so many lines I can quote all year long.
I watch the movie probably once a week leading up to Halloween! So when we planned my bucket list trip to Salem, MA in October I was over the moon excited.
The movie takes place in Salem,MA and quite a number of scenes are actually filmed there. I knew I wanted to find all of the spots, and boy I did. I was running all over the town to scout out my favorite movie scenes. I was the biggest fan girl, but don’t worry I wasn’t the only one!
So if you find yourself in Salem I have put together all of the Hocus Pocus spots for you so you don’t have to do the research!
Hocus Pocus Filming Locations – Salem, MA
Max and Dani’s House – 4 Ocean Ave
Max & Dani’s home in the film is quintessentially New England. A few scenes take place here, including the witches’ departure with a kidnapped Dani in tow.
Max’s attic bedroom always seemed so cool to me as a kid, complete with his own tower. Why would he want to move back to California?!
The Hocus Pocus house location is very close to the water and can be found at 4 Ocean Avenue. This is a private residence. So plan to be very respectful of the family that lives there and their home.
Thackery Binx’s House– 98 West Ave
The opening scenes of the movie take place in the 1600’s and were filmed at your next stop: Salem’s Pioneer Village.
This is a reconstruction of what the village may have originally looked like so many centuries ago.
It’s a unique place to visit, and feels like you have been transformed back in time. Quick tip when visiting: do not light the black light flame candle if visiting on Hallow’s eve.
You can find Pioneer Village at 98 West Ave.
The Sanderson sisters’ house seems to have been made at a set entirely for the film. While you may not be able to visit that mystical cottage, it is easy to imagine it from inside Pioneer Village.
Old Burial Hill, Orne Street, Marblehead
There are a few cemetery scenes in the movie. Early on, we see Max riding his bike through a cemetery filled with crisp, fallen leaves. He is stopped by the local bullies who steal his shoes and give him the nickname “Hollywood.”
It’s about a 15-20 min drive from outside the town of Salem. It’s worth the drive for the views, however. It is open to the public and has the graves of 600 some soldiers from the Revolutionary war. The cemetery in Marblehead is called Old Burial Hill and is one of New England’s oldest cemeteries. It is actually quite an impressive space in a beautiful location surrounded by quaint homes and views of the sea.
There are some spots for street parking along the street below Old Burial Hill.
Allison’s House: 318 Essex Street
“What do you call them Max? Yabbos?” Max’s crush Allison lives in Ropes Mansion. This gorgeous historic home served as Allison’s mansion in the movie. Max & Dani arrive here when trick-or-treating and expect that they’ll bob for apples. Instead, they find Max’s crush Allison inside giving out the candy.
The house is totally worth a visit, as well as the beautiful gardens in the back!
The Halloween Party: Old Town Hall 32 Derby Square
When the witches come back from the dead, Dani, Max, and Allison rush to Town Hall, where their parents are in the midst of Halloween revelry. The Halloween party they are attending seems absolutely awesome, by the way, even as a kid I wanted to go!
The Hocus Pocus party scene is famous for Bette’s killer performance of “I Put a Spell on You”.
It’s super easy to find this Hocus Pocus location when visiting Salem, as it’s right in the heart of town. Just steps away from shops, tours, and the area’s main streets, you’ll find the Old Town Hall at 32 Derby Square.
The School – South Washington Square
Just off of the Common you will spot the high school used in the film. (‘Tis a prison for children!)
This is a spot where the children lure the witches in their hopes of getting rid of them once and for all. The exterior of the school is immediately recognizable, as is the tall tower or “chimney” which figures heavily into the scene.
These scenes were filmed in the now-closed Phillips Elementary School. The school has actually been turned into apartments, but you can still enjoy the view from outside.
What’s your favorite Hocus Pocus scene?
[…] I wrote a whole post outlining where all of the spots are. Read it here! […]