Spellbound Tours — Local services in Salem

We booked this tour on a recommendation from an employee at The Magic Parlor on Essex Street in Salem. We were guaranteed that this tour would be the most comprehensive and informative Ghost tour available. As we’ve been to Salem before and taken many tours, we were doubtful but intrigued. After taking the tour though, I’m glad we bought the tickets!

A different kind of tour: unlike any other tour I’ve taken in Salem, this tour doesn’t hurriedly shepherd visitors along a nonstop flurry of sites, sacrificing quality for quantity. Dr. V., the guide, makes fewer stops than other tours- and they’re not at “the usual suspects,” either. Instead, Dr. V. focuses on fact-based, very in-depth descriptions of the facts of the Salem witch trials, the actual locations (historically accurate, as opposed to where tourist-traps have since been built), and the ghostly experiences that have occurred at each stop. He also discusses validity of findings, explanations for debunked photos, and psychological disorders that lead to certain experiences and beliefs. He is open to questions, engages his audience, and is extremely knowledgeable about his subject matter. The tour covers historical events, supernatural occurrences, suggestions on future endeavors, secrets of Salem that I’ve never heard on a tour before, discussions on archaeology of the area, anthropology of the area, medical and mental health history, art, photography, ghosts, and even vampires. He also remained on site after the tour to discuss questions etc. with his audience.

Parking: the Witch City Mall parking garage and the Church Street parking lot are both located geographically close to this tour.

Location: the tour meets in a centrally located area near the Witch City Mall. The tour takes place in a loose loop of the area and returns to the backside of the Peabody Essex museum, approximately one block from the initial meeting area.

Accessibility: this tour does not venture off roads and established pathways. Though Salem is laid out in mostly brick and cobblestone at certain points, there are sidewalks everywhere. This tour is accessible to persons using mobility devices. Dr. V. speaks loudly and concisely. He is very accommodating to patron-needs. This tour is friendly to persons requiring hearing assistive devices.

Acceptance and friendliness: Salem is a very loving and accepting city in general. This tour is most assuredly race and sexuality friendly.

Content and age appropriateness: this tour is appropriate for all ages. We brought a 10 and a 2 year old on this tour. Dr. V. was extremely accommodating, engaged the children, and explained all content in layman’s terms that made enjoyment possible for all ages and oral literacy levels.

Time and distance: this tour takes approximately 90 minutes and travels approximately one mile.

Ticket acquisition and cost: tickets are available online. The fees were reasonable at $25 per ticket. Gratuity is encouraged but not required. Dr. V. accepts cash and Venmo for gratuity purposes. Expect to tip- not because it is encouraged, but because you’ll genuinely want to!

External references: Dr. V. will verbally provide additional references for continued exploration of the subject matter including books and TV shows. He also offers his card to anyone interested in paranormal research in their own homes and lives.

Recommendation: I highly...

Mixed feelings! We went right after Halloween first week of November! Tour guide was awesome! Definitely knowledgeable & personable, tried his hardest to make it great for everyone with his story telling and interaction! He gets 5/5 stars!

The actual tour really wasn’t that great & I wouldn’t do it again nor would I recommend it as the top of someone’s to-do list while there. The group was taken to multiple different spots in Salem via foot. The guide would talk about the significance of each place (ghost stories mostly) which sounded like a bunch of child like made up stories…a bunch of ‘hocus pocus’ if you will! (Entertaining for kids, not so much for adults) Thought it would be more historical based. Almost all of the spots were paved over with large buildings now (apartments, businesses, etc) You don’t go into any of them either. Took away the wow factor & left you disappointed. Really made me want to hold back & leave the group after the first stop once I realized what the tour was going to be like!

Not sure if the ambiance of Salem & tour changes at all during peak season before Halloween! Could’ve very well been because we came after! If you’re looking for something fun to do in Salem to pass the time, I’d say do this & show your support! But you won’t miss much by...

I booked a trip to Salem with a group of my high school friends and we had a blast. The Salem Voodoo, Vampires, and Ghosts Guided Walking Tour ended up being one of several highlights on the trip. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and was a fascinating story teller. We ended up goofing on the timing and were already 30 minutes late before we joined the tour. As we walked to the next location, he caught us up on what he already went over and it was really nice of him to do. We did another tour the night before with a larger group and I wish we had done this tour with everyone because unfortunately the other tour we went on was blown out of the water by this one. The sites were unique and the stories were not ones that we had already heard of as part of other tours. As we walked, he also gave recommendations of food places or little shops and museums that he recommended which was an unexpected and nice touch. I would definitely recommend booking this tour on your...