Salem's Burying Point and Its Ghosts, on a Family Walk
A 90-minute evening walk through Salem's witch trial history and ghost lore, pitched so children can follow along.
Ghost City Tours runs this 90-minute walk as its all-ages tour of Salem and sells a separate adults-only route, the Requiem for Salem, for anyone after the grimmer version. A guide leads the group on foot through about a mile of downtown at what the operator calls a leisurely pace, stopping outside old houses and a graveyard to tell the witch trial history and the ghost stories tied to each address. By the operator's own breakdown the mix is roughly 65 percent history, 30 percent paranormal and 5 percent entertainment, so expect more 1692 than jump scares. It recommends the walk for children five and up.
As of October 23, 2026, the booking calendar shows 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 PM starts on most nights through October 31, plus a 9:00 PM start on the remaining Fridays and Saturdays of October. From November 1 only the 8:00 PM start remains, running through November 28, and the next season on the calendar opens March 13, 2027. Cancel at least 24 hours before your start time for a full refund.
The Ghosts of Salem Walking TourGhost City Tours · Starts at Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square · 90 minuteswww.viator.comTwo Stop Lists, One Graveyard in Common
The Viator listing names four stops: the Witch House, Old Town Hall, the House of the Seven Gables and the Burying Point on Charter Street. Ghost City's own page for this tour names a different set, led by the Burying Point and followed by the Ropes Mansion, Rockafellas and the Pickman House, and says not all stops are guaranteed on all nights. The listing carries the same caveat. The Burying Point is the one stop both lists share, and two Viator travelers, in October 2024 and October 2025, wrote that their group never went to the House of the Seven Gables at 115 Derby Street. The Witch House and the Ropes Mansion both stand on Essex Street, at numbers 310 and 318.
History First, With Room for Kids
The operator's content notes are death, mortality and execution history, the core of the witch trial story, and it keeps the tone at what it calls spooky but never too scary. Parents writing on Viator mention an 11-year-old who called it her favorite thing in Salem and a family with children from 8 to 18 who all enjoyed it. Guests who came for scares are the ones who leave disappointed: a September 2026 reviewer wrote that there was not much talk on the ghost part and walked away from the tour. No stop on the route includes admission, so every story is told from the street. Both the listing and the operator mark the walk wheelchair accessible and stroller friendly. The operator welcomes leashed, well-behaved pets, while the listing mentions only service animals.
Stand Near the Guide on Busy Nights
The most common complaint in recent Viator reviews is sound. In October 2024 several guests wrote that they could not hear the guide, one of them describing "a pretty large group", and two said they left early. In September 2026 a guest reported a faulty microphone and missed stories. Stay near the front at each stop, especially in October, which the operator calls peak season. One booking covers up to ten travelers, and for groups of ten or more the listing points you to Ghost City's private and group sales coordinator.
Rain, Tips and Who Pays What
The walk runs rain or shine, so bring an umbrella if the forecast calls for one. Gratuities are not included. On the listing, travelers aged five and under go free, the child rate covers ages 6 to 11, and everyone 12 and up pays the adult rate. Each booking needs at least one adult. The operator asks guests not to bring their own alcohol on the walk.
📍 The group gathers in the open area directly in front of Old Town Hall at 32 Derby Square, and the operator asks for 10 to 15 minutes early. Parking downtown is hard to find, so the operator suggests a rideshare or a pedicab over driving in. Your confirmation email carries a map of the meeting point. The stories start with the building in front of you: the listing counts Old Town Hall among Salem's haunted addresses, and says guests have reported apparitions in its windows.