Salem Witch Trials Driving Tour: Real Execution Sites

Nineteen people were hanged at Proctor's Ledge, not Gallows Hill, and this tour takes you to the actual spot.

A self-guided audio driving tour through Salem, Peabody and Danvers that traces the Salem Witch Trials to the confirmed execution site at Proctor's Ledge, the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, and the Salem Village locations where accusations began. You control the pace using an app with offline GPS and professional narration. The tour never expires and works anytime you want to drive it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Salem Witch Trials sites

• Begin at Salem's oldest burial grounds
• Visit Proctor's Ledge execution site
• Drive through Salem Farms area
• Walk to Reverend Samuel Parris parsonage remains
• Stand near Salem Village Meeting House site
• Finish at Salem Witch Trials memorial

The experience

How do you know you're standing where it actually happened? For centuries, Gallows Hill was believed to be where nineteen people accused of witchcraft were hanged in 1692. Researchers eventually confirmed Proctor's Ledge as the true location, and that's where this tour takes you first: to the memorial honoring all nineteen victims. From there, you drive through the sites that shaped the trials: the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, the only preserved home of an executed victim; Salem Farms, where ordinary families like the Proctors and Coreys lived before accusations destroyed their lives; and the foundations of Reverend Parris's parsonage, where his daughter Betty and niece Abigail Williams began the fits that ignited the crisis.

The tour works through an app on your phone with offline GPS and autoplay narration, so it runs whether you have cell service or not. You start whenever you want (morning, afternoon, whenever fits your day), and spend as long as you need at each stop, from a quick drive-by to a longer walk around the grounds. The narration plays automatically as you move between sites, and you can pause, rewind or skip ahead. There's no expiration date. You can finish it over one afternoon or spread it across multiple visits to Salem.

The route covers Broad Street Cemetery, where Judge Jonathan Corwin and Sheriff George Corwin rest in the Corwin family tomb; the Salem Village Meeting House site, where magistrates first examined the accused; and finishes at the memorial in Danvers, the former Salem Village, where the accusations began. That geography matters: the tour starts in Salem, where the trials ended, and closes in Danvers, where the hysteria erupted.

What’s included

• Self-guided audio tour app with offline GPS and autoplay narration.
• access to all driving route stops including Proctor's Ledge, Rebecca Nurse Homestead, Salem Farms, Reverend Parris's parsonage foundations, Broad Street Cemetery, and the Salem Village Meeting House site.
• the memorial in Danvers.
• anytime start with no expiration.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by WalknTours

Is this one for you?You'll need a car to drive the route through Salem, Peabody and Danvers, so this works best if you're renting one or have access to transportation. If you're staying in Salem without a vehicle, you'd need to arrange a rental or ride-share to follow the tour, but the self-guided format means you set the stops and the pace once you're on the road.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Where do I start the tour, and do I need to be in Salem when I begin?

You can start the tour anytime from anywhere using the app on your phone. The GPS guides you to Broad Street Cemetery first, so if you're staying in Salem or nearby, you can begin whenever you're ready to drive. The app works offline, so you don't need cell service once you've downloaded it.

What exactly is Proctor's Ledge, and why is it different from Gallows Hill?

Proctor's Ledge is the confirmed execution site where nineteen people accused of witchcraft were hanged in 1692. For centuries, people believed the hangings happened higher up on Gallows Hill, but historical research proved that wrong. Proctor's Ledge is now marked with a memorial honoring all nineteen victims, and the tour takes you directly there.

Can I actually go inside the Rebecca Nurse Homestead?

The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is the only preserved home of an executed victim, and the tour drives you past it. The homestead does have limited hours and is often closed, so it's not guaranteed to be open when you visit, but the tour narration explains its significance whether you can enter or not.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour is designed to take 3 to 5 hours depending on how long you spend at each stop. You control the pace entirely. You can move quickly through sites or linger to walk around the grounds, read plaques and absorb the history. There's no time limit, so you can finish it in one afternoon or split it across multiple days.

Do I need to pay admission to visit any of these sites?

No admission fees are required for any of the sites on the driving tour. You're visiting outdoor locations, memorials and grounds that are free to access. The tour itself is the app and narration. There are no museum entries or paid attractions included.