Featured image: Ropes Mansion in Salem, used as the exterior of Allison’s house in Hocus Pocus. Photo: Emcgirk / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Cropped and resized.
If you have ever watched Hocus Pocus and wondered whether you could really walk past Allison’s grand white house, find Max and Dani’s home overlooking the water, or stand in the cemetery where Max first meets Jay and Ice, grab your walking shoes. Many of the locations from the original 1993 movie are real places you can still visit.
Most of the filming locations are in Salem, Massachusetts, and several are close enough to combine on foot. Pioneer Village and Max and Dani’s house require additional planning outside downtown, while the movie’s daytime cemetery is in nearby Marblehead.
This guide covers Allison’s house, Old Town Hall, Salem Common, Jacob Bailey High School, the village used for 1693 Salem, Max and Dani’s house, and the movie’s daytime cemetery. You’ll find recognizable photo spots, public-access details, and practical advice for visiting respectfully.
Before we go: Public access and official visitor information were checked on October 1, 2026. Hours, tickets, parking, road closures and property rules can change, especially during Salem’s busy fall season, so check the official links before leaving home.
Let’s go find some Hocus Pocus!
Hocus Pocus Filming Locations at a Glance
- Ropes Mansion — Allison’s House
- Old Town Hall — Halloween Party Location
- Salem Common & Phillips School
- Pioneer Village — 1693 Salem
- Max & Dani’s House
- Old Burial Hill — Cemetery Scenes
1. Ropes Mansion — Allison’s House
Location: 318 Essex Street, Salem
The grand white house where Max and Dani arrive while trick-or-treating is the real Ropes Mansion, now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum.
The exterior became Allison’s house in Hocus Pocus, but here’s something worth knowing before you buy a tour ticket: the inside of the mansion was not used for Allison’s home in the movie. If your main goal is seeing the filming location, the exterior is what you’re looking for.
Don’t leave after taking your photo, though. Walk around to the historic garden behind the mansion. It’s free and open every day from dawn to dusk, with paths, flowers and benches that make this a nice place to rest before continuing through Salem.
Plan for: Interior tours are seasonal, and PEM currently lists October 2026 tours as sold out. You can still see the exterior and visit the free garden, which is open daily from dawn to dusk. Check the current Ropes Mansion visitor information before traveling.
Mobility Note: If you’re considering an interior tour, Ropes Mansion is not wheelchair accessible. Visitors enter and exit using stone steps, and portions of the interior require stairs. Check current accessibility information with the Peabody Essex Museum if anyone in your group has mobility concerns.
Visiting for Halloween 2026? From October 21 through November 1, the mansion’s exterior is being decorated in the style of Allison’s house from Hocus Pocus. You do not need a reservation to see the exterior decorations. Interior tours end earlier in October, so don’t count on going inside if you’re making a late-October trip.
Photography Tip: Start with the front of the mansion. That’s the view most Hocus Pocus fans will recognize immediately. Then head into the garden for photos that feel less like a filming-location checklist and more like Salem in the fall.
2. Old Town Hall — Halloween Party Location
Location: Derby Square, Salem
Old Town Hall stands in Derby Square in downtown Salem. In Hocus Pocus, it represents the Halloween party location where the Sanderson Sisters perform “I Put a Spell on You.”
There is a fun bit of movie magic to know before we get there: although Old Town Hall represents the party location, only the exterior footage for this location was filmed in Salem. So if you get a chance to go inside, don’t expect to recognize the room from the movie.
The exterior and Derby Square are the filming-location highlights. They’re easy to visit while exploring downtown, without moving your car or relying on access to the building’s interior.
Photography Tip: Back up enough to include both the building and Derby Square. Traveling with friends or family? This is probably our best stop for a playful group photo inspired by the Halloween party.
3. Salem Common & Phillips School
Salem Common and the nearby former Phillips Elementary School let you see two filming locations in the same area. The school’s exterior stood in for Jacob Bailey High School.
Several outdoor scenes from Hocus Pocus were filmed around Salem Common.
The school stopped operating as a school in 1992, shortly before Hocus Pocus was filmed. The building isn’t a movie attraction you can tour, but you can still see its exterior from Salem Common.
This is a good place to slow down. Instead of snapping one picture and moving on, walk around the Common and see which backgrounds you recognize.
4. Pioneer Village — 1693 Salem
Location: 98 West Avenue, Salem
Pioneer Village in Forest River Park was used for the movie’s opening scenes, set in Salem in 1693, when Thackery Binx is still human.
Pioneer Village is a living-history museum you can enter during its seasonal opening hours. Its reconstructed buildings offer more to explore than an exterior photo stop.
Plan for: Pioneer Village is seasonal. For its regular 2026 season, it is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., with last entry at 3:45 p.m. Admission is currently $5 per person. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online.
Because the village can close when unsafe weather is expected, check the official Pioneer Village visitor information shortly before your trip.
Photography Tip: Save a few screenshots from the movie on your phone before the trip. Salem Common is one of the easiest locations in this guide to try a simple then-and-now photo without bothering residents or blocking an entrance.
5. Max & Dani’s House
Location: Ocean Avenue, Salem
The seaside house used for exterior shots of Max and Dani’s home is one of the movie’s most recognizable locations. It is also a private residence, so this should be a brief exterior-viewing stop from public property.
Max and Dani’s house is someone’s private home. It isn’t an attraction, and visitors cannot enter the property.
Enjoy the view from the public way and resist the temptation to move closer for a better picture. Don’t walk onto the lawn, driveway, steps or porch, and remember that the neighboring houses are private homes too.
October visitors need to be particularly careful about transportation. Official Salem visitor guidance says Ocean Avenue is restricted to resident vehicles during October. Don’t try to drive down the street just to get closer to the house.
Photography Tip: Look for the recognizable exterior and tower, take your photo from an appropriate public spot, and then keep moving. This is one location where being a good visitor matters more than getting the perfect shot.
6. Old Burial Hill — Cemetery Scenes
Location: Marblehead, Massachusetts
The daytime cemetery scenes where Max encounters Jay and Ice were filmed at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, rather than in Salem.
Don’t confuse Old Burial Hill with Salem’s Old Burying Point/Charter Street Cemetery. They’re different historic burial grounds, and Old Burial Hill is the one used for these daytime Hocus Pocus scenes.
Old Burial Hill is a historic cemetery. Stay on appropriate routes, obey posted rules, avoid touching or leaning on gravestones, and keep any movie-inspired photographs respectful.
Plan for: Old Burial Hill can be accessed by a walkway near Redd’s Pond or by stairs at Pond and Orne Streets. If anyone in your group has limited mobility or you’re bringing a stroller, check current access conditions before making this a must-do stop.
Photography Tip: Go wider here. Photographs that include the old headstones and surrounding landscape capture the atmosphere without turning an individual grave into a photo prop.
Can You Visit the Sanderson Sisters’ House?
One famous movie location is missing from this itinerary: the Sanderson Sisters’ cottage.
The Sanderson Sisters’ house was a movie set and does not exist as a filming location you can visit in Salem. If you’ve been searching for an address, you can stop looking and spend that time enjoying one of the real locations instead.
How to Plan Your Self-Guided Hocus Pocus Tour
You don’t need to drive from one filming location to the next — and in busy Salem, you probably shouldn’t.
To combine all six location areas, use this order as a starting point, then adjust it around opening hours and transportation:
Ropes Mansion → Old Town Hall → Salem Common & Phillips School → Pioneer Village → Max & Dani’s House → Old Burial Hill
Start with the central Salem locations on foot. Ropes Mansion, Old Town Hall, Salem Common and Phillips School fit naturally into a walking tour through downtown.
Then plan separately for Pioneer Village and the Ocean Avenue area. If Pioneer Village is open on the day you’re visiting, its limited hours should help determine your schedule. Don’t arrive first thing in the morning only to discover that the gates don’t open until noon.
Old Burial Hill is in Marblehead, so save it for the portion of your day when you’re ready to leave Salem.
Short on time? Stay downtown. Ropes Mansion, Old Town Hall and the Salem Common area give you several recognizable filming locations without spending your day getting in and out of a car.
Want the full experience? Give yourself most of the day. That leaves time for photos, walking, Pioneer Village and the Marblehead detour without turning the trip into a race.
Visiting Salem in October? Read This Before You Drive
October is a wonderful time to follow our Hocus Pocus trail, but it’s also the month when a little planning can save you a lot of frustration.
For October 2026, the City of Salem has special parking restrictions in effect, and parking rates can change on October weekends and holidays. The city is also not operating its October weekend shuttle in 2026.
There will be limited free parking at 108 Jefferson Avenue on October weekends and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but there is no shuttle from that lot to downtown.
So here’s the important part: don’t plan your day around repeatedly moving your car through downtown Salem.
Check the City of Salem’s current October parking and transportation information before you leave. Once you’re downtown, put on your walking shoes and visit the central filming locations together.
If you’re traveling with young children, a stroller, an older family member, or anyone who tires easily, build in more time than you think you’ll need. Salem’s October crowds can turn an otherwise easy walk into a much slower outing.
Which Hocus Pocus Locations Should You Visit?
You don’t need to see every filming location to have a great Hocus Pocus day.
If this is your first trip to Salem, I’d start with Ropes Mansion, Old Town Hall and Salem Common. They’re easy to combine with the rest of your sightseeing and give you several recognizable movie locations without taking over the entire day.
Add Pioneer Village if it’s open and you want a location you can actually explore. Stop by Max and Dani’s house if seeing it is high on your wish list, but remember that this one should be quick and respectful. And save Old Burial Hill for travelers who have the time and transportation to continue into Marblehead.
Most importantly, leave yourself enough time to enjoy Salem between the filming locations. The best trip isn’t the one where you check off every address — it’s the one where everyone gets home with good photos, good memories and feet that aren’t completely worn out.
If Salem has you looking for another spooky-season trip, see our guide to the best Halloween destinations in the U.S. for more places worth planning a fall drive around.