Sites & Memorials
20 Best Things to Do in Salem, MA (From a Local)
By Lori, History writer & tour co-founder • Updated September 2026 • 7 min read
Salem is where history, mystery, and salt air collide. Everyone comes for the 1692 witch trials, but this little coastal city hides centuries more than that, from Revolutionary-era mansions to one of the best art museums in the country.
We live here and lead tours through it year-round, so people are always asking us the same thing: what should I actually do in Salem? This is our honest answer — 20 of the best things to do in Salem, Massachusetts, grouped so you can plan a half-day or a long weekend. A quick tip before the list: start with a walking tour. It lays out the whole city for you and makes everything else easier to find.
IN THIS GUIDE
01. Take a walking tour
06. Cemeteries & Memorials
12. Visit the museums
17. Where to eat
03. Tour the historic houses
10. Walk the waterfront
16. Shop Witch City
20. Salem in October
- Take a walking tour
The single best first move in Salem. A good guide turns four centuries of history into a story and shows you where everything is.
The 1692 Salem Historical Tour
HISTORY • ALL AGES • ~2 HRS
The real story behind Salem’s most infamous year, led by a local historian and descendant of a trial judge. You’ll walk the streets where the hysteria unfolded, hear how the accusations started and ended — and discover Salem’s Revolutionary War and maritime chapters along the way. Backed by 30+ years of research.
The 1692 Bloodbath Adult Ghost Tour
GHOST TOUR • 18+ • AFTER DARK
When the sun drops, Salem tells its darker stories. This adults-only walk leads you past haunted cemeteries and centuries-old buildings for tales of gruesome murders, mysterious deaths, and the spirits said to linger. Real history, eerier edge.
- Tour the historic houses
Salem’s old homes are time machines, some older than the trials themselves.
The Witch House
BUILT 1675
The only building in Salem with a direct tie to the 1692 trials still standing. Once home to Judge Jonathan Corwin, who presided over many of the hearings. Guided tours show authentic furnishings and the chilling stories behind the trials.
The House of the Seven Gables
MADE FAMOUS BY HAWTHORNE
The 17th-century mansion that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel and overlooks Salem Harbor. Explore the secret staircase, period rooms, and seaside gardens while learning the literary and maritime history behind the house.
The Pickering House
BUILT C. 1664 • 18 BROAD ST.
One of the oldest continuously occupied homes in the United States, in the same family for over 350 years and ten generations. Birthplace of Colonel Timothy Pickering, a Revolutionary officer who later served as Secretary of State under George Washington. Seasonal tours show off its 1841 Gothic Revival details.
- Cemeteries & memorials
The quiet heart of Salem’s history — approach these with respect.
Charter Street Cemetery (Old Burying Point)
EST. 1637
One of the oldest burial grounds in the country, and the resting place of trial figures including Judges John Hathorne and Bartholomew Gedney, and Reverend Nicholas Noyes.
Good to know
During the busy season (late September through October), access is limited — reserve a time slot at the visitor center next to the memorial, or through the cemetery’s website.
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial
DEDICATED 1992
A solemn granite tribute to the 20 innocent people lost in 1692, right beside Charter Street Cemetery. Stone benches are engraved with each victim’s name and date of execution. A quiet space that carries real weight.
Proctor's Ledge
EXECUTION SITE • CONFIRMED 2016
The actual site where the nineteen were hanged was not on top of Gallows Hill, as long believed, but at its base, confirmed by researchers in 2016. The semicircular memorial, dedicated in 2017, sits quietly at Pope and Boston Streets with each victim’s name carved in stone.
Good to know
This site is in a residential neighborhood with no parking. Walking tours are not permitted to visit this location. If visiting, please be quiet as it is a neighborhood and a solemn place to pay respect to those who perished here.
Howard Street Cemetery
EST. 1801
Resting place of Revolutionary War soldiers and early residents, beside the site of Salem’s old jail. Long thought to be where Giles Corey was pressed to death, though historians now place that spot in a nearby lot. Atmospheric and often quiet.
- Walk the waterfront
Salem was once one of America’s busiest ports — the harbor still tells that story.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
EST. 1938 • AMERICA’S FIRST
The country’s first National Historic Site, nine acres of historic waterfront with twelve structures, including the Custom House and Derby House, three wharves, and the replica tall ship Friendship of Salem. A window into Salem’s role in early American trade.
Sunrise at Derby Wharf
FREE • EARLY RISERS
Grab a coffee and walk out along Derby Wharf at dawn. Watching the sun paint Salem Harbor from the end of the wharf is one of the best free things you can do in the city, and you’ll likely have it to yourself.
- Visit the museums
From world-class art to living history — something here for every kind of visitor.
Peabody Essex Museum (PEM)
WORLD-CLASS ART & CULTURE
One of the oldest continuously operating museums in the country, and genuinely world-class. Maritime artifacts, Asian export art, contemporary installations, Witch Trial exhibit, and other rotating exhibits.
The Salem Witch Museum
CLASSIC SALEM INTRO
Two presentations: a dramatic walk-through of 1692 with thirteen life-sized stage sets, and a deeper look at how the very word “witch” evolved from the European hunts to today. A good orientation to the trials.
The Witch Dungeon Museum
LIVE ACTORS
A live reenactment of a witch-trial examination, followed by a guided walk through a recreated dungeon — the dark, cramped cells where the accused awaited trial. Vivid context you won’t get from a plaque.
Pioneer Village
EST. 1930 • AMERICA’S FIRST LIVING-HISTORY MUSEUM
A recreated 1630 Puritan settlement and one of Salem’s hidden gems. Thatched cottages, herb gardens, and costumed interpreters show how the earliest settlers really lived — the world that existed decades before the trials.
- Shop Witch City
Salem’s boutiques are as eclectic as the city — from spellcraft supplies to vintage finds.
Browse the independent shops
SOUVENIRS & ONE-OF-A-KIND FINDS
Skip the chain souvenirs and hit the local boutiques. A few of our favorites:
- Die With Your Boots On — gothic clothing, band merch, and edgy accessories.
- Emporium 32 — curated vintage-inspired apparel and locally made gifts.
- Bewitched — statues, spell candles, jewelry, books, and keepsake trinkets.
- The Botanica of Salem — occult and spiritual supplies, plus professional readings.
- Where to eat in Salem
Cozy breakfasts, fresh New England seafood, and a rooftop or two.
Breakfast & lunch
FUEL UP BEFORE EXPLORING
Red’s is the Salem staple for a classic New England breakfast, while Salem’s Retreat is a friendly local gem with generous portions. Either one sets you up for a day on foot.
Seafood dinner at Turner's
HISTORIC LYCEUM HALL
Turner’s Seafood serves some of the freshest seafood in New England inside the historic Lyceum Hall — a building with its own place on our ghost tour. Old-world charm with the catch of the day.
Drinks with a view
ROOFTOP & WATERFRONT
The Roof is Salem’s only rooftop bar — city views and inventive cocktails. Longboards brings laid-back harborside sandwiches and pizzas, and Rockafellas pours hearty American fare inside a the former first church.
- Salem in October
If you can visit for the big one — here’s what you’re in for.
Haunted Happenings
ALL MONTH LONG • OCTOBER
Every October, Salem transforms into a month-long Halloween festival: haunted houses, psychic readings, historical tours, street performers, seasonal markets, and family-friendly events. It kicks off with the Grand Parade on the first Thursday of October.
LOCAL TIP
October is magical but packed — book your tours, hotels, and dinner reservations well in advance, and expect crowds, especially the weekend before Halloween.
START HERE
Begin your trip with a walking tour
The easiest way to get your bearings in Salem — and the best way to hear the real history. Join our local, historian-led 1692 Salem Historical Tour, and the rest of your visit falls into place.
Salem trip-planning FAQ
One full day is enough to hit the highlights — a walking tour, the Witch House, the memorial, and a museum or two. Two days lets you add the waterfront, the Peabody Essex Museum, and a relaxed meal without rushing. In October, give yourself extra time for crowds.
October is Salem at its most festive, thanks to Haunted Happenings — but it’s also the busiest and most crowded. For smaller crowds and easier access to sites like Charter Street Cemetery, visit in late spring or early fall. Salem is a rewarding year-round destination.
Several of Salem’s most powerful sites are free: the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Proctor’s Ledge, the historic cemeteries, the grounds of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, and sunrise at Derby Wharf. Walking the historic downtown costs nothing at all.
Absolutely. Beyond the witch trials, Salem offers a world-class art museum, Revolutionary-era mansions, a historic working waterfront, and excellent dining — all far less crowded outside October. The history is there every month of the year.
Start with a walking tour. A local guide gives you the full backstory and a clear sense of the city’s layout, which makes planning the rest of your visit much easier.
