Visiting Salem, Massachusetts with kids!

With spooky season upon us, it is the perfect time to tell you all about visiting Salem, Massachusetts with kids! This little town has plenty of fun in store even for those who spook easily. Read on to discover the sites of Salem.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. By clicking on one I may make a commission at no additional cost to you.

Salem, Massachusetts has always been on my bucket list of U.S. cities to visit. When we were planning our back east road trip, it was the perfect opportunity to finally check out the spooky sites!

Arriving in Salem

We drove the 45 minutes from Boston to Salem on a Sunday morning. I had long heard that Salem gets crazy crowded during the fall (for obvious reasons!) so we had tacked it on to a summer trip. I honestly think we enjoyed the little city just as much as we would’ve in the fall. The weather was comfortable and although it did rain a bit, we were able to quickly find shelter in a nearby restaurant. Touring during the summer allowed us to not have to worry about coats and hats and gloves and all of those things your kids tend to leave around like a breadcrumb trail. As someone who is extremely cold-adverse I found it so much more pleasant to meander the town in July.

Amazon Travel Essentials

We easily drove into the city and found free parking at 35 Church Street. Other parking information is available on Salem’s website. Since we were visiting Salem with our kids in tow, we skipped over some of the darker shops and spookier tours. My older two were already unhappy with the amount of time I wanted to spend in the cemetery. If you have longer to stay in town or are looking for less of a self-guided situation, here’s a link to tours of Salem specifically for kids!

One day for visiting Salem, Massachusetts with Kids

If you only have a day to see Salem like we did, here are some of the highlights!

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

This was pretty much the entire reason I wanted to come to town. This moment in history has always caught my attention. It seems so surreal and yet here in Salem is the evidence that it did absolutely occur. The memorial is unassuming, three granite walls surround the area which holds the names of those hanged during the trials. This also includes the name of Giles Corey, the lone person who was pressed to death instead of hanged.

As I mentioned above, my kids were less than thrilled by the cemeteries and memorials that are abundant here, so we didn’t stay long. This memorial is open daily from dawn to dusk.

The Witch House

The Witch House, or the Jonathon Corwin House as it is lesser known, is the last structure standing with direct ties to the witch trials. Corwin sat as a judge during the later parts of the trials. The house is open to tour during certain hours. For more information visit the Witch House website- https://www.thewitchhouse.org/.

Ropes Mansion

Are you a diehard Hocus Pocus fan? Fun fact- this movie terrified me as a child and I have never seen it all the way through! Even still, we had to check out Allison’s house from the movie while we were in Salem. Its officially known as Ropes Mansion. Although you can’t visit the inside, you can visit the gorgeous gardens surrounding the home. Here’s Salem’s website with more filming location information.

Essex Street

Looking for a witchy souvenir or just need a t-shirt to take back to someone at home? Look no further than Essex Street! We spent a while meandering down this little street and in and out of its many shops. Shut off from traffic, you will often find street performers and the like out while you shop. This is also the location of the Salem Visitors Center.

Other places of interest

We chose to spend just a few hours visiting Salem, Massachusetts with kids, but you could certainly spend an entire weekend! Here’s a short list of other fun sites to see while you’re there.

The House of the Seven Gables

The Halloween Museum

International Monster Museum

Salem Witch Village/Wax Museum

Eats

Of course no trip is complete without grabbing a meal! With the rain starting to come in, we decided to end our walking tour and popped into The Village Tavern. Connected to the Witch City Mall and boasting the best burger in Salem it seemed like a winner! While mostly empty early on a Sunday, they had a kids menu and our service was impeccable. Finding a tasty restaurant that makes the whole family happy is such a treat on a long trip. I would definitely recommend it!

Taking kids to Salem can be a great way to spend some time having family fun! If you have a kiddo who’s a bit more cautious about spooky things it may be best to visit during the off season (December-August) or make it a quick day trip like I did. I would love to come back here for a long weekend sans kids to go on some creepy tours!

Need something to keep the kids busy on a road trip? Check out my tips here.