From tarot card readings to broom-making workshops to spooky sleepovers, here’s how to make the most of your visit to Salem.
Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, claims that Salem had become a hotbed for feminism would have been dismissed as hocus pocus. This was, after all, the Massachusetts city where 20 innocent people, mostly women, were falsely accused of witchcraft and sentenced to a grizzly death during the notorious witch trials of 1692.
These days, it’s not without a touch of irony that the city of Salem, situated 20 miles northeast of Boston, has been reclaimed by a new wave of powerful, practicing witches. Rebranded as America’s “Witch City,” contemporary Salem is now home to an ultra-inclusive scene with more female-owned enterprises than you can shake a broomstick at, alongside rainbow flags fluttering freely in the breeze and plentiful year-round spookiness.
So, come closer, my child, as we tour the Salem haunts and experiences that will leave today’s visitors truly spellbound.
Have a Rainbow Aura Reading at Hauswitch
Salem is a city run for and by women. Nowhere is this more apparent than at HausWitch, a metaphysical lifestyle store operated by millennial “Head Witch in Charge” Erica Feldmann and her trusty coven.
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Inside this vibey one-stop shop for hipster witches, you’ll find everything from chic black cat pillows and feminist witch tote bags to queer tarot card decks and ‘yes witch’ greeting cards. Be sure to stop at the aura photo booth for a one-to-one reading and a Polaroid snap of your rainbow energy.
Take a Psycho-Sensory Tour of Unseen Salem
If didactic walking tours tend to give flashbacks of bygone schooldays, then this hands-on, deeply immersive tour will instead feel like a breath of fresh air. Clairvoyant, queer witch, and Now Age Travel tour guide Melissa Rose Nierman leads a magical 3-hour expedition around her hometown of Salem.
Many of the seaside city’s beloved landmarks are featured–including the picturesque Ropes Mansion and Gardens and the kitschy Bewitched statue–but their stories are explored by tapping into the surrounding unseen senses. A group tarot card session and guided meditation are also woven into this unique, supernatural tour experience.
Small group tours run every first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (April-November) and cost $75 per person. Private group tours start from $300 per group.
Make a Bespoke Broom at the Witchery
It’s thought that the association between witchcraft and brooms has its roots in 14th-century England when female brewers–who also happened to wear pointy black hats–would leave brooms outside homes to signal that their frothy ale was ready to drink.
Reclaim the crafty ritual by making a broom from scratch with a workshop at this welcoming harborside hangout, starting at $69. Bespoke brooms can be customized with dried flowers, charms, and pendants, ready to hang above your door for protection.
Pay Your Respects at the Salem Witch Trails Memorial
No longer the villain in a fairytale, cultural perceptions of witches have shifted in recent years as witchcraft infiltrates the mainstream. These days, “hex the patriarchy” is a slogan t-shirt, celebrities such as Katy Perry and Heather Graham boast of spell-work, while Salem itself has been reimagined as the place for a fun girls-getaway.
But let’s not forget that the city’s Puritan judges also condemned people as witches and publicly executed them. A sobering reminder of this dark chapter of persecution can be found at The Salem Witch Trails Memorial, where granite slabs are inscribed with the names of the victims, and visitors today leave roses in remembrance.
Support the Sisterhood at Hive + Forge
Stir the cauldron and stock up on macabre gifts at this treasure trove of a store. Many of the 60+ creative folks selling their goods here are Salem-based and identify as witches.
Inside, shelves jostle with delicate crystal and moonstone necklaces, skull candles, woodcut prints, and frozen-in-motion taxidermy animals. There’s also a section by Red Antler Apothecary crammed with heavenly-scented herbal skincare and moon flower tea, which is said to ease menstruation symptoms.
Have a Wonderfully Witchy Wedding in Salem
Salem is a popular wedding haunt, and increasingly, those getting hitched here are opting for unions that emphasize equality and partnership over patriarchal norms. Stepping up to the altar is Tara McMullen-King, Wiccan priestess, ordained minister, and founder of Witchy Woman Weddings.
Need help crafting feminist-focused vowels? Or fancy sidestepping traditional gender roles by having a “groomsmaid” or “flower dude” at your ceremony? Then The Wedding Witch of Salem has you covered. One of her most popular spots for inclusive ceremonies is The House of the Seven Gables, a mystical 1668 mansion made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. Blessed be, my witchy sweethearts.
Research the History of Witch Hunts
This landmark museum makes a persuasive argument that the formula behind the violent witch hunts–fear, a trigger, and scapegoating–remains ever present in society today.
Brush up on this revealing history at the “Evolving Perceptions” exhibition before watching a gaggle of vintage animatronic Puritans play out Salem’s witch trials in the main theater, complete with a gruesome reenactment of a man being crushed to death under stones. Need some light relief? Then stop in at the enchanting gift shop for black cat sunglasses, fortune-telling teacups, folk healing books, and knitted black witch’s hats.
Museum entry $17.50 for adults, $14.50 for children.
Ignite the Flames of Love at Crow Haven Corner
All modern-day witches know that love magic–casting spells to attract a partner–really starts by manifesting self-love. Hotfoot it to Crow Haven Corner, Salem’s oldest witch shop, to deep-dive into the curious world of love spells, occult books, mojo dolls, potions, and cosmic readings, all of which aim to master self-knowledge and promote healthy relationships.
Have an Inclusive Tarot Reading
You can’t leave Salem without partaking in a tarot reading. At The Witchery, Jody has created an empowering, safe space for all to explore the deck. Their collaborative style emphasizes the card’s symbols and meanings, offering room for self-reflection and a relaxed atmosphere that puts first-timers at ease.
Tarot reading $50 for 30 minutes.
Visit Salem’s Famous Witch House
As one of the last remaining buildings with a direct link to Salem’s witch trials, this historic house was once the home of Puritan judge Jonathan Corwin. It’s since become a local icon, splashed across postcards and cushions in the trinket stores lining nearby Essex Street. Stop by for a self-guided tour, which offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of the early colonists who settled in Massachusetts.
Entry adult $12, children $8.
Gather Your Coven to Stay in a Witch’s Cottage
When the witching hour strikes, round up your coven and make haste to The Cove, Salem’s spookiest sleepover. Behind the hotel’s unassuming doors, a wonderland of themed guest rooms awaits, including a haunted circus suite, a swashbuckling pirate hideaway, and a medieval dungeon.
The witch’s cottage rooms are the hot ticket here, looking like they’ve fallen from the pages of Hansel and Gretel, complete with higgledy-piggledy bedframes and mysterious vines creeping eerily across the walls.
Rooms from $180 excluding breakfast.