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James Horner was originally slated to score the film, but became unavailable at the last minute, so Debney had to score the entire film in two weeks. Even though he didn't score the film, Horner came back to write the theme for Sarah (sung by Sarah Jessica Parker, more commonly known as "Come Little Children") which is featured in Intrada's Complete Edition of the score. Nearly two decades after the original movie came out, Hocus Pocus 2 dropped Friday on Disney+. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker reprised their roles as three sisters seeking eternal youth, which they can only achieve with the essence of children. Three unlikely hosts have made their house available on Airbnb to celebrate the season of All Hallows' Eve.
Storyline
After identifying the Devil’s pad, I decided to do some further digging and discovered that another scene was filmed just two doors down – a very brief set-up scene in which extras dressed in costume were shown trick-or-treating. Feeling lucky, I did a Google search for “Victorian house,” “Whittier,” and “6536” and one of the first results kicked back was an article on the Historic Whittier Homes website about a residence located at 6536 Friends Avenue. Sure enough, the images shown matched the Devil’s house to a T.
Overall, Salem is very walkable and a nostalgia-trip for "Hocus Pocus" fans.
It's just a few miles from Salem, where the movie takes place, and where townsfolk accused more than 200 people of practicing witchcraft in 1692 and 1693. If you don't mind a field trip to Salem and the surrounding area, it's possible to do just that. Whether you're coming by plane, car, or broomstick, we've made it easy for you to relive your favorite scenes from the movie by visiting where they were filmed. Now, we recommend setting "I Put a Spell on You" on repeat as you discover all of the iconic locations where Hocus Pocus was filmed. If you don’t remember what Hocus Pocus is about, let us take you on a brief trip down memory lane.
You Can Actually Visit The Hocus Pocus House

As soon as they are alive once more, the Sanderson sisters feel it’s time to stay immortal — even if it means they take a life in the process. The Ropes Mansion has tremendous street presence, a fact that no doubt played a part in producers choosing it as the home of Allison and her well-to-do parents. Although no scenes were actually filmed inside the house, that hasn't stopped fans of the film from visiting and taking a tour.
Max and Allison's High School
In Hocus Pocus, the town cemetery did more than set the tone for this spooky film. After we see him getting bullied on his way home from school, it's almost impossible not to root for him (hey, we love an underdog). And like most graveyards, this is one that you can easily visit… assuming, of course, that you don't find the whole thing a bit too creepy. It's no question that watching Hocus Pocus is one of the ultimate Halloween activities—a rite of passage, even! It's one of the best (and most nostalgic) Halloween movies out there, having given us many of the iconic quotes that we all still say today. Director Kenny Ortega shot parts of the movie on location in the historic New England town of Salem, Massachusetts.

The opening scene set in 1600s Salem
Hocus Pocus festival in Middletown this weekend has free activities for families - Hamilton Journal News
Hocus Pocus festival in Middletown this weekend has free activities for families.
Posted: Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While I have never stalked the school, I believe that information to be correct. As Winifred attempts to drain Max's life force, the sun begins to rise. In the ensuing struggle, Allison, Dani, and Billy fend off Mary and Sarah. In a mid-air struggle atop Winifred's broomstick, Max and Winifred fall onto the hallowed ground of the cemetery, turning Winifred to stone. As the sun rises above the horizon, Mary and Sarah disintegrate into dust along with Winifred's stone body.
But while the children are celebrating their victory, the witches' curse revives them again. A charmed pair of guests will have the chance to stay in the cottage of the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus. The building – complete with a cauldron, spell book and black-flame candle – has been recreated in the woods of Danvers, Mass.
He wakes up to find that his little sister, Emily, has been kidnapped by the Sanderson sisters for their youth potion. He tries to rescue her but fails, and the sisters turn him into an immortal black cat before they are sentenced to death. Phillips Elementary School, which shut down in the early '90s, served as the exterior shot for the school in the movie, per Salem.org. Photos on Google Maps indicate it's now a residential building. The children make their way to the school with the Sanderson sisters hot on their trail during one intense scene in the movie. In a nod to Hansel and Gretel, Allison comes up with a plan to trap the sisters in the school's furnace in an effort to kill them.
Samuel Skelton High School
In the "Hocus Pocus" universe, Max and Dani live in the house with their parents. The first appearance of the house is innocuous as the siblings fight about trick-or-treating. The walk there was long but full of colorful graffiti and ghoul decorations. As I got closer, I noticed it was just a very regular-looking house on a non-descript street. Max and Dani's home is featured fairly prominently while the Old Town Hall and Allison's house make brief yet memorable appearances.
Roadtrippers helps you find the most epic destinations and detours—from roadside attractions to natural wonders and beyond. You might remember Max and Dani’s mother wearing her Madonna costume to the town Halloween ball. And if you don’t have the fastest fingers, you can still stroll the streets of Salem and take those selfies in front of these famous places. Whoever stays will be welcomed by the bubbling cauldron, a personal broomstick, the Black Flame Candle, and the Manual of Witchcraft and Alchemy. Wenham, Middleton, Lynfield, Peabody, and Beverly surround Danvers.
It was built in 1930 and has the thatched roofs you see in the movie as well as other snapshots of life in the 1600s, per the official website. Some scenes in the original Hocus Pocus were filmed in Salem, but the Airbnb listing is not part of the actual film set. Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy film[4] directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. It follows a villainous comedic trio of witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy (Omri Katz) in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night.
The vacancy made it especially convenient for Hocus Pocus filmmakers to dress up the building as a high school for a few shots. Here is where we first meet the Sanderson sisters in their witchy house, before the townspeople come knocking on their door to hang them. While the movie is set in Salem, much of the interior filming actually took place in California.
(I mean, duh.) But, you guys, now that I’ve actually seen it myself, I SO get the hype! Of course, you can still stroll the streets and pose for pictures outside. Escaping, Max steals Winifred's spellbook on the advice of Binx, who remains an immortal black cat. Binx guides the group to an old cemetery, where they are protected from the witches since it is hallowed ground. The witches eventually catch up to them at the cemetery, where Winifred raises her former lover Billy Butcherson from the grave and sends him after the children. After luring them to the local high school, the children trap the witches in a pottery kiln and burn them alive.
To portray life in the 17th century, filmmakers chose to shoot in Salem's Pioneer Village. The museum was built in 1930 and is meant to mimic the colonial architecture — thatched roof cottages, wigwams, and more – of the 1600s. This location is the house of Max and Dani in the movie Hocus Pocus. Please remember that the home is a private residence and that while the owners are okay with visitors taking pictures from the road, walking onto the lawn or porch is trespassing, so be respectful. So I was thinking, what better way to do that, than cart myself all over Los Angeles to visit the real-life shooting locations? The other half of production took place in Salem, MA (just as the film suggests).
We only see the house once when Max and Dani walk into it while trick-or-treating. Afterward, the duo, along with Allison, then make their way to the Sanderson sisters' cottage where the drama unfolds. The movie starts off with Max developing a crush on Allison during a class conversation about Salem, the Sanderson sisters, and the city's Halloween traditions. It wasn't open to the public when I visited, possibly because of the coronavirus pandemic, but TripAdvisor reviews suggest you can usually take a donation-based self-guided tour.
Somehow, our team prevailed, and the film remains a cult hit, partly because of the classic look surrounding and supporting those great performances. Even though it's not currently open to the public, you can definitely snap a selfie with it while walking down South Washington Square. Before you head to Salem, watch the video above for a sneak peek of what you'll see when you visit. Behind the Ropes Mansion is a colorful garden some might even describe as magical.
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