This Article Will Cast A Spell on You Rope Mansion, a.k.a The Hocus Pocus Filming Location

One of the beloved movie staples for Halloween is the witches in Hocus Pocus with the Sanderson Sisters, which graced the silver screen in 1993. It would be no surprise if one knew that there were filming locations in Salem, Massachusetts, one of which is Rope Mansion, which also has an exciting history in itself. 

Rope Mansion

Rope Mansion was built in 1727 for local merchant Samuel Barnard, who came from Deerfield in 1720 after the death of his wife and infant son. He passed the house along to his nephew Joseph Benard and his son. The house was eventually sold in 1768 to British loyalist Judge Nathaniel Ropes Jr. 

Several years later, the mansion came face to face with the American Revolution. While Ropes had smallpox in March 1774, an angry mob attacked the house and demanded he renounce his support to Britain. The next day, he passed away, and many speculate that the stress combined with smallpox was too much. Priscilla (Rope’s widow) fled with her six children to Danvers, Massachusetts.

After the war, the eldest, Nathanial Ropes III, would return to the house. He and his wife Sarah had three children, one of whom would be named Nathanial Ropes IV in Ropes tradition. He eventually moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his sisters Sally and Abigail lived. A string of tragedies would befall the two women.

Sally married merchant Joseph Orne, who would pass from tuberculosis at the age of 22, leaving her with a daughter. Abigail's dress would catch fire after standing too close to the fireplace, and she would die three weeks later from injury complications in 1839. Like her father, Sally’s daughter Elizabeth would also contract tuberculosis and pass in 1842 at 24. Sally would then live in the house for the remainder of her life till 1876, when she finally passed. 

Sally’s nephew Nathanial Ropes V would move into the mansion and go on to add some additions to the house. When Nathanial passed, he gave it to his sisters. The house continued to receive renovations from the Ropes family until the last sister passed in 1907. Afterward, Trustees of the Ropes Memorial maintained the house and opened it as a historical museum in 1912. During that year, a botanist designed a colonial-style garden to accompany the house. In addition, a greenhouse would be added to the garden in 1916. Fast forward to 1989, it would be donated to the Essex Institute. 

When the Sanderson Sisters Rolled into Town

Now to what made the house more culturally known: Though many people would not be familiar with the house’s preexisting history, many people in the are familiar with a scene from the cult classic Hocus Pocus. 

A quick summary of the movie: It starts back in 1693 when the Sanderson Sisters Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) are sentenced to be hanged for the death of a young girl. Before they are hanged, they curse out the town, telling them they will be back one day if a virgin lights the black candle. To prevent the candle from being lit, it is guarded for a few centuries by Binx, who is a human turned cat by the Sanderson sisters and the brother of the young girl they killed. One night on Halloween 1993, the candle is lit again by a teen named Max (Omri Katz), who accidentally awakens the Sanderson Sisters. Throughout the movie, it’s up to Max, his little sister Dani (Thora Birch), and his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) to stop the Sanderson Sisters before they capture more souls. The movie is full of silly antics, mainly by the witch trio, which range from driving a bus, mistaking a homeowner in a costume for the Devil, and singing a catchy song to a group of people at a Halloween dance.

In the movie, it was used in a scene where Dani and her older brother go to Allison’s house, where a party is also being held while trick-or-treating. The house used for that scene was Rope Mansion. As a tribute, the front of the house is annually decorated every Halloween to replicate how it looked in the movie. 

Due to the popularity and filming locations used in Salem, some businesses sell merchandise dedicated to Hocus Pocus in Salem. One of the bars my mom, Alicia, a.k.a. Loco Coco, and I went to, called Far From the Tree Cider, served ciders named after the Sanderson Sisters and Binx, the cat.  (Photo below taken by Loco Coco.)

Hocus Pocus is still gaining a more substantial cult following. Its sequel was released in 2022, and a third film is said to be in the works.