Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
Salem Ferry
(
&
978/741-0220;
www.salemferry.com) operates daily from
Memorial Day weekend through October. The 50-minute catamaran trip connects
Central Wharf, next to Boston's New England Aquarium (T: Blue Line to Aquarium)
to the Blaney Street Wharf, off Derby Street, a 15-minute walk or quick hop on the
Salem Trolley (see below) from downtown Salem. The peak adult fare (before 4pm
from late June-early September) is $13 one-way, $23 round-trip, with discounts for
seniors, children, families, and evening passengers. The one-way off-season fare is $10
for all.
VISITOR INFORMATION
A good place to start your visit is the
National Park
Service Regional Visitor Center,
2 New Liberty St. (
&
978/740-1650;
www.nps.
gov/sama), open daily from 9am to 5pm. Exhibits highlight early settlement, maritime
history, and the leather and textiles industries. The center also distributes brochures
and pamphlets, including one that describes a
walking tour
of the historic district,
and has an auditorium where a free film on Essex County provides an overview.
The city's Office of Tourism,
Destination Salem
(
&
877/SALEM-MA
or 978/
744-3663; www.salem.org), produces and distributes a free visitor guide that includes an
excellent map. The
Salem Chamber of Commerce,
265 Essex St., Salem, MA 01970
(
&
978/744-0004;
www.salem-chamber.org), maintains a large rack of brochures and
pamphlets, and the staff is up on the latest events. It's open weekdays from 9am to 5pm.
The municipal website (www.salem.com) and an excellent community website
(www.salemweb.com) offer information for out-of-towners.
GETTING AROUND
In the congested downtown area,
walking
is the way to go,
but you might not want to hoof it to all the sights, especially if it's hot. At the Essex
Street side of the visitor center, you can board the
Salem Trolley
(
&
978/744-
5469;
www.salemtrolley.com) for a 1-hour narrated tour, and reboard as often as you
like at any of the 12 stops. It's a good deal if you're spending the day and don't want to
keep moving the car or carrying leg-weary children. The trolley operates from 10am to
5pm (last tour at 4pm) daily April through October; check ahead for hours in Novem-
ber. Tickets ($12 adults, $10 seniors, $5 children 6-14) are good all day; they're avail-
able onboard, from the Trolley Depot shop, 191 Essex St. at Central Street, on the
pedestrian mall, and at the Park Service visitor center. A sister company, Salem Histori-
cal Tours (same phone; www.salemhistoricaltours.com), offers a number of excursions,
the best known of which is the
Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour.
A 90-minute explo-
ration of the spooky and paranormal, the tour runs nightly from April through Octo-
ber and costs $14 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, $8 for children 6 to 14.
SPECIAL EVENTS
The city's month-long Halloween celebration,
Haunted Hap-
penings
(www.hauntedhappenings.org), includes parades, parties, tours, and a
ceremony on the big day. In August, the 2-day
Salem Maritime Festival
fills the area
around the Salem Maritime National Historic Site (see listing below) with live music,
food, and demonstrations of nautical crafts. The festival kicks off
Heritage Days,
a
weeklong event when the city celebrates its multicultural history with musical and
theatrical performances, a parade, and fireworks. Contact Destination Salem (see
“Visitor Information,” above) or Escapes North (www.escapesnorth.com) for details.
EXPLORING THE TOWN
The historic district extends well inland from the waterfront. Many 18th-century
houses, some with original furnishings, still stand. Ship captains lived near the water
