Discover Spring in Salem, MA: Family Fun, Art Exhibits & Outdoor Tours
Spring into your next visit to Salem, Massachusetts with family fun at our museums and attractions, new art exhibitions, outdoor walking tours, and so much more! Keep reading to plan your spring visit and to find inspiration for Easter and Mother’s Day in Salem.
Museums & Attractions
Punto Urban Art Museum brings art from over 40 world-renowned artists from around the world right to the streets of Salem. Just a five-minute walk from downtown, this open air art museum features over 85 murals, offering a way to explore Salem through art while spending time outdoors. Mural maps are available online, and we recommend downloading one before you set out to explore.
To learn about the Salem Witch Trials this spring, head to the Salem Witch Museum. Here you’ll learn the history of the Trials through a presentation based on original documents. The museum’s second exhibit offers context for making connections to the Trials and exploring their relevance to today. Tickets to the museum are sold online only, and may be purchased ahead of your visit at salemwitchmuseum.com.
Embrace your inner witch and dress up for a stylish photo shoot at Witch Pix. Salem’s premier witch costume photo studio, Witch Pix offers something for everyone with multiple sets and costumes covering a variety of themes and experiences. Make reservations for your shoot online at witchpix.com.
The Witch Dungeon Museum on Lynde Street opens April 1. The museum features a live reenactment of a 1692 Witch Trial followed by a tour through a recreated dungeon. Nearby on Essex Street, the Witch History Museum also opens April 1 and shares the history of the Salem Witch Trials through a guided tour of a recreation of Salem Village.
Walking & Trolley Tours
Outdoor walking tours are great ways to explore Salem, and there is a tour for every interest:
Salem Kids Tour opens for the season during April school vacation week, as the only tour of Salem especially designed for kids and families.
Sinister Stories of Salem starts their spring season in April with two-hour long Morning and Afternoon Strolls (with guide Kenneth Glover, pictured above).
Bewitched After Dark covers Salem’s history, including maritime trade, the Salem Witch Trials, and more.
Salem Night Tour features a ghost tour to historically significant and potentially haunted sites around town, and they offer a daytime tour with Salem Day Tours if you’re looking for something a little less spooky.
Witch City Walking Tours has themes covering lots of different themes ranging from the Witch Trials to murder mysteries.
Spellbound Tours begin April 1, with tours focused on Salem’s haunted history, voodoo, vampires, and more.
To tour Salem at your own pace, Hocus Pocus Tours now offers a guided tour via mobile app with Salem On Your Own. Download the app, or click here to find a complete list of walking tours. Advance reservations are recommended for tours.
The Salem Trolley opens for the season April 1! Hop aboard the trolley for a one-hour narrated tour of downtown Salem- the perfect way to start your visit!
Peabody Essex Museum Exhibitions
See The Salem Witch Trials 1692 before the exhibition closes on April 4. This exhibition tells the history of the Salem Witch Trials through the use of art and rarely-exhibited original witch trial documents from the Phillips Library collection.
Alexis Rockman: Shipwrecks runs through May 31. The exhibit showcases a new series of dramatic depictions of historic shipwrecks, in which Rockman symbolizes the impact that the migration of goods, people, plants, and animals has had on our planet.
In addition to special exhibitions, the Peabody Essex Museum showcases works of art and culture from around the globe, along with Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old Chinese house. Timed tickets are required to visit the museum and special exhibitions and may be reserved online at pem.org.
Easter in Salem
If you live nearby, consider booking a visit from the Easter Bunny with Salem Food Tours! The Easter Bunny is hopping around town for physically distanced meet and greets while dropping off locally made chocolates from Harbor Sweets, Kakawa Chocolate House and Ye Olde Pepper Companie.
Wherever you live, spring is the season to order chocolate bunnies and other Easter treats from Harbor Sweets! These handmade chocolates are made right here in Salem and have become a spring tradition through the store’s 48 year history. Shop in person on Leavitt Street or order online at harborsweets.com.
The Salem Waterfront Hotel is offering their annual Easter Brunch Buffet (with Easter bunny photo ops!) Learn more and book your reservation here.
The Hawthorne Hotel has special Easter menus for dine-in and takeout. Join them for brunch or dinner and find complete details at hawthornehotel.com.
Village Tavern is offering a meal your entire family will love and indulge in all of Easter’s blessings with their Chef’s classic Easter Sunday Dinner featuring roasted ham, buttered mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots and green beans. Plus special appetizers and side orders. Learn more at villagetavernsalem.com.
Mother’s Day Shopping & Dining
Shop for mom in Salem with local stores offering something for every taste and budget:
For tea-loving moms, purchase loose leaf tea by the ounce from Jolie Tea Company. Jolie has over 100 blends of tea to choose from, plus macarons and other sweets. For the ultimate tea-inspired gift, check out their subscription boxes which include deliveries of tea four times per year.
Moody’s Home & Gifts stocks locally made and handcrafted gifts from around the world. Find uniquely designed mugs and home decor, plus Mother’s Day cards, homemade soaps, essential oils, and more.
Hive and Forge offers a curated collection of jewelry, decor, soaps, and accessories all made by local artists. The shop features pieces by different artists each month, so be sure to stop by during your visit to Salem.
Find dining options for the whole family in Salem:
Adriatic Restaurant is a locals’ favorite spot for special occasions with their Mediterranean-focused menu featuring flatbreads, fresh seafood dishes, homemade pasta, and more. As the weather warms up, their outdoor patio offers a lovely setting under string lights right on Front Street nearby some of Salem’s boutiques and shops.
The Hawthorne Hotel has been a local’s favorite for Mother’s Day dining for years. Lunch and dinner are currently served in the Tavern (with additional seating in the hotel’s ballroom), and the menu offers a mix of soups, salads, sandwiches, and more plus a full bar and specialty cocktails. The Tavern now offers curbside pickup and family meal packages if you prefer to dine at home.
Turner’s Seafood recently began offering brunch on the weekends, with twists on their classic entrees like crab cakes eggs benedict, plus a full bar with Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and more. Their lunch and dinner menus are also available if you’re looking for their full array of fresh seafood, including their famous lobster bisque, Asian nachos, and more.
Village Tavern is serving Mother’s Day specials in their four dining rooms and patio! Indulge in Chef Dan Forrestal’s specialties: Roast Prime Rib, Baked New England Shrimp & Lobster Pie, Fresh Swordfish Tips. Contact the restaurant for reservations at villagetavernsalem.com.
What are you looking forward to this spring in Salem? Let us know in the comments!
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- Salem Mother’s Day Gift Guide
