Many of you know that I adore Salem and a lot of the old New England seaports. There is something about them that I just haven’t found anywhere else. They always feel like home to me. While many people go to Salem to investigate the witch hysteria my love of this town also comes from it being an old New England seaside town. From the narrow roads with the colonial houses packed together that show you remnants of the old seaside life it’s a place that I will never tire of exploring. That being said over the past several years I’ve been asked for recommendation on where to go and what to see. I hope you enjoy my list for you!
Bewitched After Dark Tours – I can’t recommend them enough. I would start any trip to Salem with Jeff. He’s amazing and you will learn everything you want to know about Salem from him. He does day and night tours. The night tour is not a ghost tour. It really doesn’t need to be when what happened in Salem is more frightening. I would personally recommend the night tour. There’s something about being in the Old Burial Ground at night that is just an amazing experience. You can check out my article on him here: Review: Bewitched After Dark Tours
The Hawthorne Hotel is one of the oldest hotels. I was lucky enough to finally be a guest at this hotel this Summer and it’s amazing. You can walk inside it to see for yourself as the staff is amazing. You will instantly be transported back in time when you walk in as it’s still quite reminisce of the 1920’s. Be sure to check out the mail slot above the elevators. Take a ride on the elevators as well. See if you can figure out which elevator I believe is haunted! It’s definitely a place that I would recommend that you check out. If you’re interested, check out my article about the Hawthorne Hotel’s Haunted Elevator.
Derby Wharf Light Station is one of my absolute favorite spots. I’ve been going there for almost 20 years now. It’s a small area that has had a lighthouse to help guide boats in the Salem Harbor since 1871. The wharf itself has been there since 1761. There’s a replica of an old ship called the Friendship of Salem that you can check out. They open it from time to time and you can walk on the boat. The reason that this is one of my favorite places is that when the tide is low you can make your way down on the right hand side of the walkway to the water and you can usually find old pottery. It’s amazing to make into necklaces. You will also find sea glass from time to time. Please don’t pass this information on to many people as it’s a special place to me.
The House of Seven Gables is a must. It’s one of the few tourist attractions in Salem that I definitely recommend. The walk through tours are very well done. The secret stair case is really a neat experience and the house helps you to get a good idea of colonial living in New England.
Ye Olde Pepper Candy Company – Across the street from the House of Seven Gables you will find an old candy shop. I forget the name but they have some original candies in there that are always fun to try. They are old Salem recipes.
Enchanted – Next to Derby Wharf there is a neighborhood where Laurie Cabot’s current shop is. It’s called Enchanted. I would recommend there. It’s always cool to get something small from her shop.
Wynott’s Wands – Definite must see shop. It’s like you walk into the world of Harry Potter. Gorgeous shop. Amaaaaaazinnng wands. I’m planning to take my son back there this summer.
Old Burying Point Cemetery – I believe this is a must see on everyone’s list. It is the oldest burial ground in Salem. Quite a lot to see there. There is a map on a stone in the cemetery highlighting stones that you will want to look for. If you caught my article on that cemetery there is an old looking house at the back of it where Nathaniel Hawthorne’s wife use to live. They would walk the cemetery at night and he often pulled character names from his stories from the stones in the graveyard. You can read it here: Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Old Burying Ground in Salem.
Peabody Essex Museum – Located right in downtown Salem where you are sure to walk by it, this museums deserves some of your time, perhaps a fairly large chunk of time if you can plan for it. It is listed as one of the top 20 art museums in the United States and it’s soon to be in the top 10 with the new area they are opening. It’s a pretty large museum and you will want to plan accordingly.
Salem Willows – Salem Willows is an old park in Salem. It is named for the Willow trees that the Europeans planted there in the 1800’s. It became in official park in 1858. I love it as it has an old style small boardwalk section with arcades and boardwalk type food? It’s small but really beautiful. There’s a tiny beach there that I’ve often had luck finding sea glass.
Witch Shops – Of course you can’t go to Salem without exploring all of the shops! There are so many that will definitely have you entertained while you look through all their treasures. The Derby Square Bookstore, Coven’s Cottage, and Enchanted are among my favorites.
While I know this article is about Salem I always recommend that if you are able to that you jump up to Gloucester and explore Crescent Beach and Stage Fort Park. While small it’s one of my favorite places in New England and is home of the original Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Have an amazing day!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong