The Witch Trials That Still Haunt These Towns

Everyone knows about Salem, Massachusetts. The 1692 trials, nineteen hangings, and the mass hysteria. But Salem isn't the only place where witch trial history bleeds into the present.

Salem, Massachusetts

Obviously. But what people don't realize is how much of the original trial locations still exist. The Witch House, where Judge Jonathan Corwin lived, still stands. People report cold spots, the feeling of being watched, and phantom voices. Gallows Hill, where the executions happened, is now a residential area. Residents report strange occurrences—objects moving, unexplained sounds, children talking to "people" no one else can see.

The Salem Witch Trials Memorial, dedicated in 1992, is a place where people leave offerings. Flowers, notes, and apologies to the accused. Some visitors report feeling overwhelming sadness or anger when standing there. Others say they feel forgiven.

Current rent in Salem? Studios start around $1,400. One-bedrooms run $1,800-$2,500. People pay premium prices to live in a town literally built on innocent blood. Several landlords have reported tenants breaking leases early, citing "uncomfortable energy" in their units.

Danvers, Massachusetts (formerly Salem Village)

This is where the accusations actually started, in 1692. Rebecca Nurse, one of the executed women, lived here. Her homestead is now a museum. Staff and visitors report seeing a woman in period clothing walking the grounds. Doors lock and unlock on their own. The temperature drops suddenly in certain rooms.

The area where the afflicted girls first exhibited their symptoms is now suburban housing. Multiple families have reported their children experiencing night terrors, sleepwalking, and speaking in voices that aren't their own. One family moved out after their daughter, age 7, started speaking in perfect 17th-century English—a dialect she'd never been exposed to.

Bury St. Edmunds, England

Between 1645-1647, Matthew Hopkins, the "Witchfinder General," executed over 100 people in East Anglia. Bury St. Edmunds was one of his primary hunting grounds. The jail where accused witches were held still exists, now converted into apartments.

Tenants report scratching sounds inside the walls, the smell of burning (witches were sometimes burned in England, not just hanged), and apparitions of women in torn, filthy clothing. One tenant documented finding the same handprint appearing on her bathroom mirror every morning—a small hand, like a child's, with six fingers.

Würzburg, Germany

One of the most brutal witch trials in history happened here between 1626-1631. Over 900 people were burned at the stake, including children as young as four years old. The Prince-Bishop's Palace, where many were imprisoned and tortured, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and tourist attraction.

Visitors report hearing children crying in empty rooms. Tour guides refuse to enter certain areas alone. In 2018, a security camera captured what appeared to be a small figure in period clothing walking through a locked corridor at 3 AM. The footage was analyzed, and no explanation was found.

The city has the highest rate of "unexplained phenomena" reports in Germany. Residents near the old execution sites report persistent nightmares, feelings of being watched, and electronic devices malfunctioning without cause.

Why It Matters

When you're looking for apartments in these historic areas—Salem, Danvers, or any town with dark history—it's worth researching what happened in that specific location. Not because you necessarily believe in ghosts, but because living somewhere with that kind of traumatic past affects you, whether you believe in the supernatural or not.

The energy of a place matters. Whether that's literal spiritual energy or just the weight of knowing what happened there, it changes how you feel in your home.

And sometimes, the past doesn't stay buried.