1692 Before and After, LLC

1692 Before and After runs guided walking tours of Salem led by licensed local guides and historians. Its flagship 1692 Salem Historical Tour is a two-hour, family-friendly walk focused on what actually happened during the Witch Trials: how a group of young girls came to accuse more than 200 people, and the stories of the 19 people hanged and the one man pressed to death under heavy stones. The company bills it as history, not a ghost story.

The route passes 17th- and 18th-century homes, burial grounds and landmarks, and the company’s tours also cover Salem’s rise as one of the most powerful seaports in early America. Stops include the 1675 home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, a magistrate who examined the accused, the Ropes family house recognizable from Hocus Pocus, a congregation founded by Puritan settlers in 1629, and the Bewitched statue of Elizabeth Montgomery. After dark, the adult 1692 Bloodbath Ghost Tour turns to hauntings, murders and tragic accidents.

What to Know

• The historical tour is based on 30 years of research into 17th-century records, firsthand accounts and court documents.
• Tours are likely to sell out in September and October, so booking ahead is wise.
• The Corwin house is the only surviving Salem building with a documented direct link to the events of 1692.
• Salem-themed apparel is sold through the company’s shop.