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The Grim's Guide to Salem | 8 Haunted Cemeteries in Salem MA · The Grim: Haunted Cemeteries & Graveyard Tales

0:13
Kristin: Grim morning and welcome to the Grim.
0:16
Kristin: I'm your host, Kristin.
0:18
Kristin: Today we're opening the gate and stepping into the graveyards of Salem, Massachusetts.
0:23
Kristin: The aroma of coffee mingles in the air.
0:26
Kristin: The gates stand open.
0:27
Kristin: Step carefully.
0:29
Kristin: It's time to descend into the hauntings of history.
0:32
Kristin: We're deep in the heart of spooky season now, dear listeners, when the veil thins and all things haunted come alive.
0:39
Kristin: I had planned to bring you another graveyard this week, but instead thought we'd do something a little different.
0:44
Kristin: Sharing a Grim's Guide to Graveyards in Salem.
0:47
Kristin: Many don't realize that Salem is home to eight historic cemeteries, each with its own story to tell of tragedy, reverence, and restless memory.
0:56
Kristin: Someone quiet ties to the witch trials themselves, other whisper of generations that followed, forever shaped by that dark legacy.
1:04
Kristin: While I'll be exploring each of these cemeteries in full episodes of The Grim, and some have already had their time beneath the moon, this guide is meant to be something a little different.
1:15
Kristin: A quick companion for wanderers and daydreamers alike, touching on the hauntings and lore that linger among Salem's oldest stones.
1:23
Kristin: Salem streets often hum with footsteps and voices.
1:26
Kristin: They are thick with curiosity and candle smoke.
1:29
Kristin: In the bustle, it's easy to pass by these resting places without a second glance.
1:34
Kristin: And when that happens, a little bit of the witch city's quiet magic fades into the fog.
1:39
Kristin: So whether you're here to wander in the flesh or drift along in spirit, let's begin our walk among the stones.
1:46
Kristin: With so many historic burial grounds in Salem, you might be wondering which ones are actually worth seeing.
1:52
Kristin: If you're visiting for just a weekend, you probably won't have the time to explore them all, but there's one I always tell people they have to see: Charter Street Cemetery, also known as the Old Bering Point.
2:05
Kristin: You might even remember it from season 1, Episode 2 of The Grim, where we explored it in full.
2:11
Kristin: Many visitors stumble upon it by accident.
2:14
Kristin: It's right in the heart of Salem's busy streets, surrounded by shops and the hum of tourists.
2:20
Kristin: And just outside the gate sits the Witch Trials Memorial, dedicated to the victims of 1692.
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Kristin: It's really hard to miss, and even harder to forget once you've stood there.
2:30
Kristin: A quick tip before you go: you'll need a reservation to enter the cemetery or skip the long lines.
2:36
Kristin: The good news is though, it's absolutely free.
2:39
Kristin: You'll just have to make one the same day you plan on visiting.
2:42
Kristin: The grounds though are wrapped in an old stone wall, and a city attendant keeps watch at a single gate, allowing visitors in and out only one way.
2:51
Kristin: Though the cemetery stood during the time of the witch trials, its soil doesn't cradle the victims themselves.
2:57
Kristin: Even so, too, of its residents.
2:58
Kristin: Judges Bartholomew Jedney and John Hawthorne played fateful roles in that dark chapter.
3:04
Kristin: With the witch trials memorial just beyond its gate, it's easy to understand why many feel this ground still bears the weight of those haunted days.
3:13
Kristin: The memorial crafted by architect, artist duo James Cutler and Maggie Smith, was brought to life through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
3:21
Kristin: It's been praised across the country for both its stark beauty and solemn purpose.
3:26
Kristin: On August 5th, 1992, Noble Brother at Ali Vice, a fitting voice to honor those once silenced by fear.
3:33
Kristin: The memorial was designed to be a place of quiet reflection, where remembrance lingers in the air like a whisper.
3:40
Kristin: Step through and you'll find the names of twenty souls etched in stone, men and women condemned in 1692, their only crime born of hysteria and superstition.
3:50
Kristin: The path of the memorial leads gently toward the cemetery gate.
3:54
Kristin: It's designed guiding you closer to where history and memory intertwine.
3:58
Kristin: It serves as a haunting prelude, a moment to pause, breathe, and feel the weight of what came before you step within.
4:06
Kristin: And if graveyards aren't quite your thing, don't worry.
4:09
Kristin: You don't need a reservation to walk the memorial.
4:12
Kristin: It's open to all who wish to pay their respects or simply feel the quiet power of the place.
4:17
Kristin: I've always found it fascinating and honestly a little ironic that Judges Hawthorne and Jedney, the very men who condemned the accused, are buried just feet away from this memorial.
4:27
Kristin: The Stones of the Innocent may not rest here, but the shadows of their judges do.
4:32
Kristin: It's as if history itself placed them side by side, forever bound in silence, just as they were once bound in judgment.
4:39
Kristin: One of the biggest misconceptions about Charter Street, though, is that people believe it holds the graves of the so-called witches or the accused.
4:47
Kristin: But it doesn't.
4:48
Kristin: This is only the memorial.
4:50
Kristin: Because the accused were believed to be in league with the devil, they were denied burial and consecrated ground.
4:56
Kristin: After their executions, families, under the cover of darkness, quietly gathered what they could of their loved ones and buried them in secret.
5:04
Kristin: To this day, the true resting place of the victims remain unknown.
5:08
Kristin: There are a few strong leads currently being explored, but nothing has ever been fully confirmed.
5:13
Kristin: Now, is Charter Street haunted?
5:15
Kristin: Many believe it absolutely is, and the grounds have been named as one of the most haunted burial grounds in America.
5:22
Kristin: The claims begin with the environment itself.
5:24
Kristin: People report a sudden physical chill, a profound cold that has nothing to do with the weather.
5:30
Kristin: It's paired with an unnerving constant feeling.
5:34
Kristin: The sense that you're absolutely being watched even when the path ahead is empty.
5:38
Kristin: Witnesses claim to see shadowy figures, fleeting shapes moving between the oldest stones, dressed in styles that died three centuries ago.
5:48
Kristin: Then even the people who work there aren't immune.
5:50
Kristin: Caretakers have reported ghost lights, small pale glows near the Peartonera graves, that disappear the second you approach them.
5:58
Kristin: Visitors often feel a clear tug on their clothing or hear distant sounds of footsteps just behind them.
6:05
Kristin: But when they turn, nobody is there.
6:08
Kristin: But perhaps the most disturbing claim is this sound.
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Kristin: Low murmurs, too faint to form words rising straight from the earth itself.
6:16
Kristin: Is it the echoing distress of the accused?
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Kristin: Or is it the endless regret of the judges who condemn them?
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Kristin: A regret many whisper belongs to the late Judge John Hawthorne, who rests here.
6:27
Kristin: But the energy doesn't stop with the judges.
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Kristin: Many believe the unrest is fueled by the victims themselves.
6:33
Kristin: While Giles Corey himself was crushed outside the cemetery, his defiant spirit, and his wife Mary Corey, who was interred within, anchor a furious energy to the grounds.
6:45
Kristin: Whatever the source, the energy here is undeniable.
6:48
Kristin: It feels like the veil between the living and the dead is tissue thin, and every shadow holds a story.
6:54
Kristin: Whatever lingers within Charter Street feels old, older than the city itself.
6:59
Kristin: But if you follow the narrow streets just a few blocks away, you find a place where the heaviness deepens, and that might be even more haunted than this cemetery.
7:09
Kristin: Howard Street Cemetery, in the second mussee on the Grimm's list, featured on season 1, episode 16 of The Grim.
7:17
Kristin: This is where one of Salem's most harrowing stories unfolded.
7:21
Kristin: The death of Giles Corey, the only man in the witch trials to be pressed to death.
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Kristin: Howard Street Cemetery paths are narrow.
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Kristin: The stones lean like weary old men, and their seems just a touch heavier, as if the earth itself remembers its painful long past.
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Kristin: Within wise Giles Cory, pressed to death in 1692.
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Kristin: His final cries buried beneath the weight of the stones.
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Kristin: Now, some of you might be thinking, wait, I thought you just said that witches couldn't be buried on consecrated ground.
7:51
Kristin: You're right.
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Kristin: But here's the twist.
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Kristin: Howard Street Cemetery didn't even exist in 1692.
7:58
Kristin: The grounds weren't established as a burial site until 1801, nearly a century later.
8:03
Kristin: So while Gilescore was originally denied burial on consecrated land, he now is in fact laid to rest within Howard Street Cemetery in an unmarked grave.
8:13
Kristin: The exact spot may be unknown, but the weight of his story lingers among the leaning stones, and the shadows of that tragic history seem to whisper through the past.
8:23
Kristin: Some say if you walk slowly along those paths, you might feel a sudden chill, a coldness that has nothing to do with the wind.
8:31
Kristin: Others have told of faint whispers, barely audible, that rise and fall with a rhythm of your own footsteps.
8:38
Kristin: Some believe it's Cory, still trapped in the agony of that cruel punishment, still bound to the ground where his last struggle played out.
8:47
Kristin: But Corey isn't alone.
8:48
Kristin: The energy of the accused witches, denied proper graves and forced into secret burials, linger among these stones too.
8:57
Kristin: Cold air gathers where the earth dips, a whisper of what was never laid to rest.
9:02
Kristin: Visitors speak of unseen movement, a flicker at the edge of sight, a sudden chill tracing the spine.
9:09
Kristin: Sometimes it feels as if someone walks beside you, silent and unseen, until the path grows still again, and from the darker corners come the faintest sounds.
9:19
Kristin: A sigh, step, maybe a name carried on the wind.
9:23
Kristin: The unmarked dead may have no epitats, but their presence is unmistakable, woven into the ground itself.
9:30
Kristin: It's no wonder that Howard Street Cemetery becomes a favorite on midnight ghost tours, especially on a chilly October night, when the air seems to thicken and the past feels closer than ever.
9:40
Kristin: Next on our list, a short walk from Howard Street, brings us to Broad Street Cemetery, one of Salem's lesser-known historic grounds, yet no less steeped in shadow.
9:50
Kristin: Unlike the more famous cemeteries of Charter and Howard Street, Broad Street feels quieter, almost hidden, tucked between the streets that have long carried the bustle of the city.
10:01
Kristin: The stones here lean with age, worn smooth by wind and rain, many etched with names, dates, and symbols that whisper of lives long past.
10:10
Kristin: It may lack the immediate noriety of Charter Street or the tragic weight of Howard Street, but Broad Street carries its own energy, a sense of stories held just beneath the surface, of lives remembered in subtle, lingering ways.
10:24
Kristin: Even in daylight, visitors often remark on the unsettling stillness here.
10:29
Kristin: As dusk falls, the shadows stretch between stones, shifting and swaying, as though the past itself has begun to stir.
10:37
Kristin: Opened in 1655 Broad Street Cemetery is Salem's second oldest burial ground, the third stop on our list.
10:44
Kristin: Yet its stones seem to hold the centuries in their very bones.
10:47
Kristin: At its heart was the Corwin family plot, resting place of Judge Jonathan Corwin and Sheriff George Corwin.
10:54
Kristin: Men's whose hands helped shape the grim fates of those during the witch trials of 1692, the same Corwins who once dwelt in the witch house that still stands today.
11:03
Kristin: Their presence here is subtle yet unmistakable, a quiet weight that lingers in the corners of the graveyard, where time itself seems reluctant to pass.
11:13
Kristin: Some say on still nights the faint scent of candle smoke, or the ghost of long-faded flowers, drifts through the grounds, though no flame burns and no hand has placed a bloom.
11:24
Kristin: Lights flicker where no lantern shines.
11:27
Kristin: Figures are glimpsed at the edge of vision, vanishing when you turn.
11:31
Kristin: Whispers linger in the dark, dissolving the moment you strain to hear.
11:36
Kristin: Unlike the raw grief that clings to Howard Street, Broad Street's hauntings are quieter, almost intimate.
11:43
Kristin: A sigh in the night, a fleeting glance, a chill that curls deeper than the evening air.
11:48
Kristin: Walk these paths after dusk and the history presses close.
11:52
Kristin: The long dead seem to breathe through the stones, as if Salem itself has folded time into the earth.
11:58
Kristin: Here the shadows are never far, and sometimes they feel like they're watching.
12:03
Kristin: Leaving the quiet shadows of Broad Street behind, a short journey by car or very long walk brings us to Greenlong Cemetery, one of Salem's newer historic grounds, yet no less haunted by the weight of memory.
12:16
Kristin: Established in the 19th century, Greenlong stretches across rolling plots, with rows of upright stones and family mausoleums.
12:24
Kristin: Greenlawn is also perfect for autumn enthusiasts, with his rolling grounds and mature trees turning brilliant shades of gold, red, and orange.
12:33
Kristin: There's something quietly magical about wandering these paths in the fall.
12:37
Kristin: The crisp air with the rustle of leaves underfoot and the glow of autumn light across century-old stones.
12:44
Kristin: It's a hauntingly beautiful setting where history and the season intertwine.
12:48
Kristin: From the quiet charm of Green Long, we now move to Harmony Grove Cemetery, a historic gem in Salem that's less about hauntings and more about serene reflection and natural beauty.
12:59
Kristin: This is also a further distance from the city center, but worth the walk.
13:03
Kristin: Established in the mid-19th century, Harmony Grove was designed as a garden cemetery, with its winding paths, ornamental trees, and thoughtfully arranged monuments that invite visitors to wander and reflect.
13:16
Kristin: While Harmony Grove doesn't carry the ghost stories of Salem's older cemeteries, its beauty and calm make it a favorite for photographers, nature lovers, and those seeking a contemplative walk through history and nature combined.
13:30
Kristin: Tucked quietly behind the bustle of modern Salem, further down Essex Street and away from the city's crowded heart, lies the Friends Burying Ground, the city's third oldest and by far its smallest cemetery.
13:43
Kristin: Its earliest stone worn and pale bears the name Sestafer Foster, dated 1702.
13:49
Kristin: Nearby rest members of the Southwick family, once pillars of Salem's Quaker community.
13:54
Kristin: Here in 1718, the Religious Society of Friends built their second meeting house, replacing an earlier one that stood further east along Essex Street.
14:04
Kristin: It was dismantled around 1832, yet the ground it was sanctified on remains, a silent witness to centuries of faith, endurance, and prosecution.
14:14
Kristin: A cruel irony lingers here, though, that in a town founded by those fleeing religious oppression, others would be condemned for the way they chose to worship.
14:24
Kristin: During the 17th and 18th centuries, Salem stood at the heart of New England Quakerism.
14:29
Kristin: The first Friends arrived in the 1650s and were met with hostility.
14:34
Kristin: Many were driven out, punished under the harsh laws of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, yet their quiet endurance outlasted those who sought to silence them.
14:43
Kristin: Today the Friends Burying Ground endures in gentle simplicity, its modest headstones and quiet air, a true reflection of the Quaker spirit.
14:52
Kristin: Though it may not rank high among Salem's more dramatic resting places, it holds its own quiet charm.
14:58
Kristin: Some may find it humble after visiting Charter or Howard Street, yet there's a certain peace here, a stillness that feels almost sacred and restraint.
15:07
Kristin: Now, for many visitors, a trip to Salem is inspired by the cult classic Hocus Pocus.
15:13
Kristin: And if you're asking yourself which of the cemeteries we've talked about so far were featured in the film, the answer is none.
15:20
Kristin: It's become a popular question thanks to social media, with tourists often asking about the Sanderson Sisters' house or the graveyards they might be located in.
15:30
Kristin: But here's the truth.
15:32
Kristin: The Sanderson Sisters are entirely fictional, inspired loosely by the lore of the witches in Salem, which isn't surprising to many, but we just needed to clear that up for some listeners.
15:43
Kristin: Some fans enjoy taking tours of the filming locations around the city, like Allison's house, Max's house, or town hall, but the graveyard used for many of the later scenes was actually a movie set, not a real Salem cemetery.
15:56
Kristin: The graveyard scene during Max's bike scene, however, does exist.
16:00
Kristin: It's in Marblehead, just a 15 to 20 minute walk from downtown Salem, or a quick five-minute drive.
16:07
Kristin: That scene was filmed on top of Old Burial Hill, which offers breathtaking views of the coast framed by weathered stones perched on the hill.
16:15
Kristin: It's a stunning spot, and was even featured on season 1, episode 22 of The Grim.
16:21
Kristin: Old Burial Hill in Marblehead is one of New England's oldest cemeteries, established in 1638, and its stones whisper tales from the Puritan era through the Revolutionary War.
16:32
Kristin: Among the graves is a memorial for Wilmot Red, a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692.
16:39
Kristin: Legend holds that her curse still lingers over the town of Marblehead, a silent reminder of fear, injustice, and lives lost to hysteria.
16:49
Kristin: The tomb of the Pierce family is said to host restless spirits, bound to the graveyard by the desecration of their resting place.
16:56
Kristin: One infamous tale tells of a visitor who was just 19 years old, who dared to take a selfie with a skull from the tomb, a prank that, according to legend, invited lingering shadows and misfortune.
17:08
Kristin: Visitors have long reported disembodied voices, footsteps echoing along the empty paths, and shadowy figures slipping between the headstones.
17:17
Kristin: Apparitions occasionally appear, watching silently before vanishing into the foggy air.
17:23
Kristin: Beyond the cemetery, Marblehead's harbor carries its own spectral tales.
17:28
Kristin: The Lady in White, a figure of love and loss, drifts along the shoreline while a restless sailor searches endlessly for his lost crew.
17:37
Kristin: Notable burials include Mary Gale, who testified against Wilmont Red, tying together threads of tragedy, accusation, and history in one haunting landscape.
17:48
Kristin: Walking Old Burial Hill, it's easy to see why this cemetery continues to captivate visitors, including myself, a place where history, legend, and lingering spirits meet atop a hill with sweeping views of the sea.
18:01
Kristin: Within each of Salem's historic graveyards lies more than memorials to the departed.
18:06
Kristin: They hold fragments of early American folk art, silent expressions of belief and morality carved into stone.
18:14
Kristin: Many visitors pass them without truly seeing.
18:17
Kristin: Winged skulls and cherubs, weeping willows and urns, each etched into slate by hands long gone, each carrying a message from another time.
18:26
Kristin: They stir something in those who linger, dread, despair, or perhaps fascination.
18:32
Kristin: These carvings are not merely decoration.
18:34
Kristin: The winged skull, one of the oldest motifs, speaks of both death and resurrection.
18:38
Kristin: A soul's flight from decay toward eternity.
18:41
Kristin: Terims soften that grim imagery in later years, offering comfort and hope in place of fear.
18:47
Kristin: The urn and weeping willow arrived as styles changed, reflecting a gentler sorrow.
18:52
Kristin: Grief made graceful, and mourning turned inward.
18:55
Kristin: Together they form a language of loss and remembrance, written not in words but in symbols.
19:01
Kristin: I've always found these carvings endlessly fascinating.
19:04
Kristin: Each want a quiet dialogue between the living and the dead, between art and eternity.
19:10
Kristin: Salem offers countless chances to discover them for yourself, to stand before a stone and see how time has shaped both the carving and the hand that made it.
19:19
Kristin: Perhaps we've inspired you to wander through these graveyards, to notice the details others might overlook, to feel the hush of history that lingers between the stones, or maybe you'll simply pause at one and listen, letting it share the story that has carried for centuries.
19:35
Kristin: If you're drawn to the darker hours, several local companies offer nighttime tours that grant rare after hours access to the graveyards, the perfect chance to walk among the shadows with a seasoned guide, and maybe, just maybe, encounter something unexplained.
19:51
Kristin: Salem is a magical town in every season.
19:54
Kristin: Though Halloween may draw the greatest crowds, throughout the year it carries its own quiet enchantment, the same haunting charm but gentler, with room to breathe among the dead.
20:04
Kristin: When you come wander slowly, support the local shops, savor a meal of Salem's ever-growing food scene, and lose yourself in the stories that linger between cobblestones and headstones alike.
20:16
Kristin: Please just remember that people do live in Salem year-round and be respectful.
20:21
Kristin: There are many haunting happenings here, some planned and some perhaps not.
20:26
Kristin: Let us know on Instagram or TikTok if you visit, and if the Grimm's Guide to Graveyards in Salem helped you explore new grounds.
20:33
Kristin: The Grim also has its own shop on our website to grab some cute merch for those chilly nights.
20:38
Kristin: If you need help finding us, please visit www.thedgrim.com.
20:44
Kristin: For now, the stories of Salem slid back into stone, and the dead return to their uneasy rest.
20:50
Kristin: Yet they're never silent for long.
20:52
Kristin: Thank you for walking with us through the veil into the Grim's guide to graveyards in Salem, descending once more into the hauntings of history.
21:01
Kristin: The gate is sealed, the veil drawn.
21:04
Kristin: Yet death keeps no calendar, and so we shall return, as we always do, on the Grimms.