Salem is older than the trials, deeper than the legends, and richer than most visitors expect. In 1776, it was one of the most prosperous and consequential cities in the new republic.
Long before Salem was known for its witch trials, it was known for its ships. In the decades following independence, Salem's merchant fleet ranged as far as China, India, and the Pacific, making it one of the wealthiest cities per capita in the young United States.
But Salem's Revolutionary story runs deeper still. Its patriots defied the British before Lexington and Concord, its privateers harassed enemy shipping up and down the Atlantic, and its sons served in the Continental Army from the earliest days of the war.
In February 1775, British Regulars marched on Salem to seize colonial military stores, and were turned back by unarmed townspeople at the North Bridge. It was one of the earliest direct confrontations of the Revolution, months before Lexington and Concord.
Salem outfitted dozens of privateers during the Revolution, disrupting British supply lines and capturing hundreds of enemy vessels. The wealth and daring of Salem's maritime community were critical to the American war effort.
Salem was home to the first millionaires in America, the first museum open to the public (the Peabody Essex Museum's predecessor), and some of the most ambitious Federal-style architecture in the new nation.
The trials of 1692 are Salem's most famous chapter, but they are far from its only one. The same community that suffered one of history's great injustices also produced some of the finest merchant mariners in the world, built magnificent Federal-era mansions, and contributed soldiers, ships, and wealth to the American Revolution.
To visit Salem in America's 250th year is to encounter a city fully at ease with its complexity, proud of its history in all its dimensions, and generous with its stories. Whatever brought you here, Salem will give you more than you came for.
Salem's finest places to stay, eat, and experience the city, your guides to an unforgettable REV250 experience on the North Shore.
Just 16 miles north of Boston, Salem is one of the most accessible day trips, or overnight destinations, on the entire New England coast.
Parking in Salem: Several parking garages and lots are available throughout downtown Salem, including the Museum Place Mall Garage off New Liberty Street and the Riley Plaza lot near the train station. Street parking is available but can be competitive on weekends and during peak season. The commuter rail is strongly recommended for summer and fall visits.
"Salem was old before America was young, and it has never stopped being interesting."REV250 Salem · America's 250th Anniversary
Your Salem story doesn't have to end at the town line.