The Witch House at Salem — Attraction in Salem

Have been to the "Witch House" three times. Its connection to the Salem witch trials is tenuous - the owner of the house, Judge Corwin, was one of 12 or so judges who were called to serve, but only half of those did, and we don't know if Corwin was one or not. The house - filled with charm, takes you back 300 years. According to a staffer, the house was used as a home until the 1960's, after which it was restored. Added drop ceilings, walls, etc. were removed to reveal the earlier interior. The fireplaces are magnificent.

Some things stuck out negatively. Window curtains are store bought and one of them still had the manufacturer's tag on it. Someone couldn't make simple linen curtains for the house, or at least remove the tags?

Furniture wasn't thoughtfully placed. A carved chest was in a corner, catty corner, a most non-17th century waste of space. A row of chairs were pushed up against a wall, with a long table pushed up against them, with brochures on the table. One room boasted a large weaving loom and a bed, but it was also full of furniture items that looked jumbled, not arranged to make the room look lived in.

Staff was nice, but we did have one bad experience. We were having a pleasant conversation with an older staff person about the history of the house, when I unconsciously put my hand on the back of a chair that I was standing behind. She had every right to remind me of the museum's very sensible and necessary "no touch" policy, but she did so by snapping loudly at me, like I was a child. It was embarrassing, her tone of voice wasn't necessary, and was in fact rude. I mentioned my faux pas to another staff person in another room later on and she laughed and said, "Don't worry, it happens, even we do it."

I would definitely recommend visiting the Witch House, even though the name seems a bit odd (no accused witch lived there), and even though a few improvements could be made to the way that things are displayed. Beautiful house and furnishings, a nice gift shop, nice staffers and just a short walk from downtown Salem, but make sure to remember not to even slightly touch anything or you may get your head chewed off. I wrote the director of the Witch House by the way to suggest that staffers should ALSO be on good behavior. Never got a reply. Maybe the cranky staffer WAS...

I'm a Salem resident and I am on a mission to tour all the local attractions. About this one:

This is a great place to visit while in Salem!

What it is: This is the only standing building IN SALEM with ties to the Salem Witch Trials (I've highlighted "in Salem" as you can find another great house strongly connected to the Salem Witch Trials in Danvers: The Rebecca Nurse Homestead, home of one of the executed). The so-called "Witch House" was the home of Jonathan Corwin, one of the judges during both the preliminary hearings and the Court of Oyer and Terminer. It consists of two floors open to the public, with furniture from colonial time, although, as far as I understand, not original to the house. The tour was self-guided when I did it most recently (spring 2022) and takes approximately 20 minutes.

PROs This is the "real deal", meaning this is not an attraction but an actual historical house from the time of the trials and where one of the judges and his family lived. The staff inside is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate and very willing to chat and help with any questions. Through the house you'll find signs and posters about the history of the trials and with interested pieces of information about life in the 1600s. The outside of the building is possibly the most photographed building in Salem and it is quite iconic.

CONs There are no true cons, however, some disappointment might come to the visitor who doesn't know what this is about. Since the place has been branded as the "Witch House", it is possible that the expectation differs from reality. The "Witch House" is not scary. No witch lived here. This is the historical house of judge Jonathan Corwin. No pictures...

The Witch House at Salem is a unique historic house located in Salem. It was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin who served as a judge during the Salem Witch Trials. Corwin purchased the house in 1675 and he and later generations added onto it. The house has undergone repairs and maintenance, but those who visit will see how Corwin kept it when he was alive. For those who want to see a historical house with a connection to the Salem Witch Trials this is the place! The house offers self-guided tours from November through March. It is truly unique to walk around the house. They have interesting displays about the inhabitants of the house and life in Salem around the time of the trials. Some of the displays do a good job describing the horrors of medicine in the 17th century. As informative as the displays are, they need to be larger or presented differently. The writing and pictures on the displays are not easy to see and many people often huddle around them. Perhaps, an audio would be better for some of the locations in the house. There are guides located in different rooms of the house and they are knowledgeable about the history of the house. The gift shop is located in the house and has unique merchandise. The guides and staff are helpful and friendly. Check the website for hours, tours, or ticket purchases. To go through the house it takes about a half hour. When you leave the Witch House you will leave with a deeper understanding of life in Colonial Salem and a better understanding of the Salem...