14 Terrifying Ghost Stories From Salem, Massachusetts

Giles Corey was a supporter of the witch trials and even testified against his own wife, Martha. That all changed when he was accused of being a warlock (or male witch) himself. He refused to enter a plea during his trial, leading Sheriff Corwin to torture him in the hope of securing a confession. Corey was publicly pressed to death, and the extreme nature of his punishment led many to question the validity of the witch trials.

During his torment, Corey reportedly shouted at Sheriff Corwin, "Damn you! I curse you and Salem!" Four years later, Corwin died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 30.

Corey's ghost is now believed to haunt the Howard Street Cemetery, where he appears as a bad omen. Witnesses saw his ghost just before the Great Salem Fire of 1914.

Retired sea captain Joshua Ward had this brick mansion built in the mid-1780s. During the 1680s, the land had been owned by the notorious Sheriff George Corwin, also known as "The Strangler." Nineteen men and women were executed under his watch during the witch trials, and Corwin was infamous for his torturous interrogation techniques

After Corwin's sudden death in 1697, his family had him interred in the cellar because it was too cold to bury him and they were worried about Salem residents dismembering his corpse in revenge. His body remained in the house for several years before being moved to the Broad Street Cemetery.

Several ghosts now reportedly haunt the spot where Joshua Ward's house now stands, including Corwin himself and the spirit of one of his victims, Giles Corey. The angry ghost of a woman with wild black hair has also been seen; she's believed to be another victim of the witch trials.

The famed House of the Seven Gables was built by sea captain John Turner in 1668, and three generations of the Turner family lived there before it was sold. The new owner, Captain Samuel Ingersoll, eventually left the house to his daughter Susanna, who was a cousin of Nathaniel Hawthorne. His visits to her house inspired him to write The House of the Seven Gables.

Today, it's said that Susanna's ghost can still be seen wandering the halls and looking out the windows. Strange sounds are heard, and the ghost of a friendly child reportedly lives in the attic. The house is now a museum, so you can make your own ghost-hunting visit, if you dare.

The Witch House (also known as the Jonathan Corwin House) was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, who presided over the Salem witch trials and sent 19 innocent people to their deaths. It's now the only structure still standing in Salem that has direct ties to the witch trials, and it's open to the public as a museum.

The paranormal hotspot was featured on Ghost Adventures and the investigators experienced cold breezes, felt touches on their arms, and heard the sound of a child's voice.

If you've passed through Salem or Peabody, MA, you may have noticed Bunghole Liquors and had a good laugh. But the funny name actually comes from the liquor store's Prohibition history. Back then, the building was a funeral home and the owner ran a speakeasy in the basement where bodies were embalmed. The slang for the secret drinking spot was "bunghole," as in "Will I see you at the bunghole tonight?" One of the regulars said that if Prohibition was ever lifted, the owner should turn the place into a liquor store, and that's exactly what happened in 1933.

Today, it's said that spirits still lurk in the store. A female ghost roams behind the wine racks and a feline ghost haunts the shop.

Wicked Good Books occupies the space that was formerly Derby Square Bookstore. During renovations, tunnels were discovered beneath the store which connected to a warehouse in Derby Square. According to a Salem tour guide, the tunnels were used to smuggle goods and people.

Investigators discovered evidence of human remains inside the tunnels, and it's believed that two enslaved people were entombed there.