Things to do in Salem
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Salem Maritime National Historic Site
The witch phenomena obscures Salem’s true claim to fame: its glory days as a center for clipper-ship trade with China, started by Elias Hasket Derby. The Salem Maritime National Historic Site comprises the customhouse, the wharves and the other buildings along Derby St that are remnants of the shipping industry that once thrived along this stretch of Salem. In all, the site comprises ten different historic locations within a two-block area. Start at the visitors center to pick up a map and to see the informative film To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East. Of the 50 wharves that once lined Salem Harbor, only three remain, the longest of which is Derby Wharf. Visitors ca…
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Tall Ship Friendship
Of the 50 wharves that once lined Salem Harbor, only three remain, the longest of which is Derby Wharf. Visitors can stroll out to the end and peek inside the 1871 lighthouse. The most prominent building along Derby St is the Custom House, where permits and certificates were issued and, of course, taxes paid. Other buildings at the site include warehouses, the scale house, and Elias Hasket Derby’s 1762 home. Stop by at the West India Goods Store, a working store with spices and other items similar to those sold two centuries ago. You can also board the replica of the tall ship Friendship to see how the sailors lived.
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House of the Seven Gables
Salem's most famous house is the House of the Seven Gables, made famous in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel of the same name. As he wrote: ‘Halfway down a by-street of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge clustered chimney in their midst.’ The novel brings to life the gloomy Puritan atmosphere of early New England and its effects on the people’s psyches; the house does the same. The admission fee allows entrance to the site’s four historic buildings, as well as the luxuriant gardens on the waterfront.
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Winter Island Maritime Park
Just south of Salem Willows Amusement Park (less than 2 miles northeast of Salem center) is Winter Island Maritime Park, the site of Fort Pickering and its lighthouse. It is now a public park with a campground and the tiny Waikiki Beach (don’t get too excited by the name: it’s really just wishful thinking). Two miles south of the town center, Forest River Park has two beaches, picnic areas and a saltwater swimming pool.
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New England Pirate Museum
Relive the adventures of Captains Kidd and Blackbeard at the fun-filled Pirate Museum. The museum includes an artifacts room with authentic pirate treasures, interactions with pirate characters in costume and a walking tour through the port and a visit to a pirate ship. Get a discount if you purchase tickets to the Pirate Museum, the Witch History Museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum together.
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Peabody Essex Museum
The exceptional Peabody Essex Museum reflects Salem's rich maritime history. The museum was founded upon the art, artifacts and curios collected by Salem traders during their early expeditions to the Far East. As the exhibits attest, they had deep pockets and refined taste. In addition to world-class Chinese and Pacific Island displays, the museum boasts a fine Native American collection.
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Cilantro
The North Shore goes south of the border. This is not your mama’s Mexican food, though. Cilantro’s menu uses inventive dishes like sea bass al naranjo (seabass with oranges) or albondigas al chipotle (cheese-stuffed meatballs) to draw out the subtle textures and flavors that sometimes get lost in your average taco.
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Stephen Phillips Memorial Trust House
Lovers of old houses should venture to Chestnut St, which is among the most architecturally lovely streets in the country. One of these stately homes is the Stephen Phillips Memorial Trust House, which displays the family furnishings of Salem sea captains, including a collection of antique carriages and cars.
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Yin Yu Tang
Predictably, the Peabody Essex Museum is particularly strong on Asian art, including pieces from China, Japan, Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. The collection from preindustrial Japan is rated as the best in the world. Yin Yu Tang is a Chinese house that was shipped to the museum from Huizhou province.
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Witch House
Best of Salem's other 'witchy' sites is the Witch House, the home of the magistrate who presided over the trials. To dig deeper, read Arthur Miller's The Crucible, which doubles as a parable to the 1950s anticommunist 'witch hunts' in the US Senate that resulted in Miller's own blacklisting.
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Red’s Sandwich Shop
- Salem, USA
- Restaurants › Café
This Salem institution has been serving eggs and sandwiches to faithful customers for over 50 years. The food is hearty and basic, but the real attraction is Red’s old-school décor, complete with counter service and friendly faces. It’s housed in the old London Coffee House building (1698).
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Salem Historical Tours
- Salem, USA
- Activities › Tour
Did somebody say murder? This series of spooky tours tell tales of witchcraft and haunted houses. Thematic walking tours include Cemetery 101 (adult/child/senior $10/6/8; 1pm), Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tours (adult/child/senior $14/8/10; 8pm) and the Salem Witchcraft Walk (adult/child/senior $10/6/8; 3pm).
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Salem Beer Works
Part of the Boston Beer Works family, this microbrewery serves 15 different brews on tap, as well as a full menu of pub grub, sandwiches and more filling fare. The specialty seems to be things fried, which undoubtedly encourages more beer-drinking. Other fun perks include pool tables and outdoor seating.
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Lyceum Bar & Grill
This historic building has hosted some of America’s foremost orators in its lecture halls, from Daniel Webster to Henry David Thoreau. Today the elegant dining room is one of Salem’s top dining spots. The New England fare is traditional but not tired, and service is always excellent.
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Grapevine
Dine alfresco in the lovely flower-filled courtyard or tuck into the romantic dining room. This Mediterranean gem is frequently rated among Boston’s best restaurants. The menu changes seasonally but pasta, seafood and meats are always artfully prepared and presented.
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In a Pig’s Eye
- Salem, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
This dark, friendly pub boasts an eclectic menu of burgers and beef stroganoff, homemade soups and tasty salads, and ‘Pig’s Eye Favorites’ like steak tips or pork chops. Despite the small space, it has live music (usually acoustic) a few nights a week.
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Salem Willows Amusement Park
Less than 2 miles northeast of Salem center is Salem Willows Amusement Park, with beaches, cheap children’s rides and games, and harbor cruises. Admission is free but you pay per attraction.
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Rockafellas
With live entertainment Wednesday through Sunday, this lively restaurant and lounge draws an upscale crowd to kick back and enjoy the semi-swanky setting. Music ranges from acoustic to reggae to rock and blues.
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Dodge St
Food is served here, but most people come to suck down a few beers and get their groove on. There’s live music, usually rock and blues. If you must eat here, get the ribs.
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Front Street Coffeehouse
- Salem, USA
- Restaurants › Café
A cool place to sip a caffe latte or munch on a giant sandwich. This is where multipierced urban youth, well-groomed soccer moms and out-of-town visitors all find common ground.
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Finz
The highlight is the gracious, spacious dining room with three walls of windows overlooking Salem Harbor. The kitchen keeps customers sated, with seafood of course.
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Pickering House
Furnished in antiques, Salem’s Pickering House is said to be the oldest house in the USA continuously occupied by the same family.
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Salem Trolley
This tour follows a figure-eight route, with a running commentary, past most of the town’s places of interest.
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Forest River Park
Two miles south of the town center, Forest River Park has two beaches, picnic areas and a saltwater swimming pool.
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