Yes, yes, yes, we all know how tourists will complete the saying. For locals though, the Hocus Pocus obsession is all a bit strange to us. Yes, again, even more strange than many of the other obsessions. Tourist season is picking up already in Salem, and almost every bucket list carrying traveler will have written down at least one site from the 1993 movie which was filmed around the city.

While most of these sites are concentrated downtown- like Allison’s house (The Ropes Mansion), Old Town Hall, and Max and Allison’s high school (the old Philips Elementary School)- many tourists flock to South Salem to see other locations. Pioneer Village is one of them, but without a doubt the most controversial is Max and Dani’s House.

The reason for the controversy is that it is still a small single family owned by the same couple who owned it back in 1993. Their children were even extras in the film! Occasionally visitors forget that fact, going on to the property to take photos on the front porch. Some have even tried to go inside! There are Hocus Pocus themed tours that bring people by the home. Peruse the internet and you will find articles about filming locations that you can visit, naming this house among them. Perhaps folks take that too literally.

The end result is that there are “No Trespassing” signs around the property and the city closes down that part of Ocean Avenue to traffic at the height of tourist season. This part of Salem is definitely worth a visit, especially to Forest River Park, which is alongside the current location of Pioneer Village (though there is a discussion locally about moving it). If you do decide to visit the neighborhood though, please be respectful.