The Salem Witch Museum is housed in a magnificent gothic revival-style edifice, constructed in 1844-46 and former home to Salem’s Second Unitarian Church. The building is arguably Salem’s most iconic landmark.
The Salem witch trials of 1692 were the largest and deadliest witch panic in colonial North American history. This formative event in our country’s founding has lessons that resonate to this day. Visitors to the museum learn this tragic history through two engaging presentations. The main presentation takes place in a large, darkened auditorium, once the church’s sanctuary. Visitors are seated on red stools and benches throughout the space, illuminated by a glowing 9-foot red circle which lists the names of the 20 innocent victims of the Salem witch hunt. For 22-minutes, the audience is immersed in the story, told through thirteen life-sized stage sets built into the walls which are illuminated around the room as a sonorous voice narrates the tale.
A second exhibit was added in 1999 to better contextualize the Salem witch trials and address the modern understanding of the word “witch.” Entitled “Witches: Evolving Perceptions,” this 12-15-minute staff guided tour explores the history of the European witch trials, emergence of the stereotypical witch, and enduring calamity of witch-hunting. A visit to the museum takes 45-minutes to one hour to view both presentations.
Though there is limited space in this historic building, the front vestibule offers informational displays which supplement what the visitors see in the main presentation. The museum also includes a successful store and bookshop as well as several micro exhibits throughout the public areas.
We are open year-round, with extended hours in July, August and October and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day as well as several weeks in January for painting and maintenance. For our international visitors, the main presentation is also available in French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese.
