Salem Attractions

1630 Pioneer Village is a re-creation of a 17th century fishing village with actors in period costumes, authentic homes, gardens, wigwams, and animals. It is one of the oldest living history museums in the country, pre-dating those in Plymouth and Williamsburg. Visitors can see the costumed guides perform tasks common in the era and hear tales of life in the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The Bonded Warehouse in Salem was built in 1819 to store cargo that was waiting to be claimed or re-exported. It now stores tea chests and original hoisting equipment.

Many noted Salem citizens are buried in Charter Street Burying Ground.

Salem City Hall houses portraits and furnishings as well as the Indian deed to the town.

Built in 1819, the Custom House in Salem was used to conduct port business and collected tariffs.

Derby House was built for Richard Derby, a prominent merchant, in 1762. It is the oldest brick house in Salem.

The Derby Wharf was used as a base during the Revolutionary War. It is the site of the Derby Wharf Light Station.

The work of master builder Samuel McIntire is featured in the 1805 Gardner Pingree House.

Built in the 17th century, Narbonne Hale House was used by tradesman and craftsman, and as a private home.

The Pirate Museum in Salem features an artifact room with authentic pirate treasure, a re-creation of a colonial seaport with costumed actors playing the roles of its citizens, a treasure-laden cave and a life-size pirate ship. Around the same time that judges in Salem were trying people for practicing witchcraft, pirates like Captain Kidd and Blackbeard were sacking merchant ships and towns then burying their treasures on many of the islands along what is often called the Gold Coast.

The Rebecca Nurse Homestead was built in 1678, in a saltbox style. It was the home of Rebecca Nurse, one of the victims of the 1692 witch-hunt. Even though many people signed a petition to declare her innocence, Nurse was still tried, convicted and hanged. It is presumed that her body is interred in a burial ground located close to the house.

Three restored rooms at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead contain period furnishings from the 17th and 18th century.

The Ropes mansion was built in 1912, and features elaborate gardens with geometric beds in the Colonial Revival style. The best time for viewing the garden is July and August.

The Salem Common is an 8 acre park in central Salem. This area has been public property since Salem's early days.

The Salem Trolley offers a one hour narrated tour with stops at the major sites and attractions in Salem. Passengers can jump off and rejoin at any of the locations.

Audiovisual presentations and exhibits at the Salem Witch Museum recreate the hysteria of the 1692 Salem witch trials. There are also educational displays on witchcraft, which look at the stereotypes and the phenomenon of witch hunting.

Phillips House in Salem is a Federal-style home featuring Chinese porcelains, Persian carpets, paintings and Early American furniture on display. The collection spans five generations of Phillips family with highlights on African woodcarvings and Native American pottery.

The Witch Dungeon Museum recreates Salem in 1692 with professional actors in period costume who re-enact a witch trial adapted from original transcripts. The stage is located in a 19th century church. After each performance, visitors are led down into a recreation of the dungeon where the accused "witches" were kept.

Judge Corwin, one of the magistrates in the witch trials, lived in this large house, known as Witch House. It was built in 1642 and is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Witchcraft Trials of 1692.

Witch House has been preserved to appear as it did in the 17th century and is an excellent example of 17th-century architecture in the area. Tours of the house blend information about lifestyles, furnishings, and architecture of the time with insights into Corwin's role in the events of 1692.