13 Things to do in Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts, is most (in)famous for the witch hysteria that began in 1692.  And that’s a shame, because Salem was a major port city and boasts a rich and varied history.

But perhaps I’m biased.  I was born in Salem (in October), spent almost every Sunday and Halloween of my childhood there, and still visit family in the city.  There are many things in Salem for curious travellers to explore.  Here are 13 that I think will give you a taste of the full flavor of Salem’s rich history:

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Pioneer Village

America’s oldest living-history museum brings 1630 Salem back to life.  Visitors can learn about the lives of some of the earliest English settlers.  Sites you may explore include simple homes, gardens, a blacksmith’s shop, and the Governor’s Faire House.

Salem Common

This public park was founded in 1667.  Animals grazed, and militia mustered here.  Today it’s a lovely spot for strolling, reading, and picnicking.

Fort Pickering

Settlers built Fort Pickering early in the 17th century on Winter Island (actually a peninsula).  It guarded Salem Harbor until into the 20th century.

It went by several names until 1799.  Since then, it has honored Salem’s Gen. Timothy Pickering, who served as Quartermaster General during the Revolutionary War and as Secretary of War for our young country.

The Fort’s ruins will especially intrigue visitors interested in military history.

Corwin House

This 17th-century home is often called the Witch House, because its owner Jonathan Corwin was one of the judges in the witch trials.  It is the only house still standing in Salem with a tie to the trials.  A tour gives you picture of the home lifestyle of prominent early colonials.

Salem Witch Museum

The Salem Witch Museum features two exhibits.  The first recreates the witch hysteria of the 1690s through 13 immersive displays.  The second sets the Salem Village events in larger context.  It focuses on European witch trials and considers modern-day “witch hunts”.  The Museum is housed in the 19th-century Gothic Revival East Church building.

Witch Dungeon Museum

The Witch Dungeon Museum features reenactments of the witch trials based on court transcripts.  There is also a replica of a dungeon where those accused of witchcraft may have been held.

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

If you’d like to pay your respects to the 20 people killed during the Salem witch hysteria, you may do so at the simple and solemn Salem Witch Trials Memorial.

Peabody Essex Museum

The oldest continuously operating and collecting museum in America houses more than one million works, primarily from the 18th century forward.

It stems from the East India Marine Society, founded in 1799 during the heyday of the Old China Trade.  One of the Society’s purposes was to maintain and display artifacts that sailors brought back from abroad, so that local citizens could enjoy and learn from them.

The Museum today boasts one of the largest collections of Asian art in America.

Ropes Mansion

The Ropes Mansion is a Georgian Colonial operated by the Peabody Essex Museum.  The house was originally built in 1727 for Samuel Barnard, who was a prominent merchant.  In 1894, new owners had it renovated in Colonial Revival style.  Its real showpiece is the large garden added in 1912.  It was one of the settings for the cult classic Hocus Pocus.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site

America’s first National Historic Site maintains 12 historic structures on the Salem waterfront that preserve and teach 600 years of New England maritime history and in particular Salem’s Great Age of Sail, which spanned the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sites you can explore include the Custom House, a warehouse, and a replica of Friendship, a 1797 merchant tall ship.

The Visitor Center presents a 27-minute film, Where Past is Present, which will give you an overview of the history of Salem and Essex County.

Phillips House

Chestnut Street features opulent homes built thanks to the fortunes made during the Great Age of Sail; it is one of the most beautiful streets in America.

Phillips House is the only such mansion open to the public.  Built in the Federal style in 1821, its interior was renovated into Colonial Revival style nearly a century later.

In addition to the historic home, you can explore the carriage house’s collection of early automobiles, including a Model A Ford.

New England Pirate Museum

Where there is a maritime society, there will be piracy.  The Pirate Museum offers an educational and entertaining guided tour during which you can learn about the buccaneers who terrorized New England’s Gold Coast, see artifacts from sunken ships and pirate hoards, and explore a recreated colonial port, a pirate ship, and a treasure cave.

House of the Seven Gables

Nathaniel Hawthorne used to visit his cousin Susanna Ingersoll at her notable 17th-century home.  He later used it as the setting for his well-known 1851 Gothic novel.  Today the historic house is a museum that you can explore on a 45-minute guided tour.  You may also visit Hawthorne’s birthplace next-door.