Hosted by the City of Salem, the Salem Spice Festival celebrates nearly four centuries of Salem’s history of herbs, teas and spices. The festivities take place in Pioneer Village, the oldest living history museum in America, which is designed to represent Salem in the year 1630 with various examples of colonial architecture. The perfect kick-off to the fall season

The final weekend of September 2019 will feature both the grand opening of the much-anticipated expansion of the Peabody Essex Museum and, just one block east, the Salem Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival. These two events combined with visitors choosing the weekend prior to Salem Haunted Happenings for their trip to Salem promise to make the end of September one of the

 Charter Street Cemetery will be closed for restoration work June 1-October 2020 for landscape restoration and improvements including the installation of new pathways, lighting and perimeter fencing, and restoration of the iron fencing along Charter Street and the retaining wall along Liberty Street. During this time the City plans to publish information and images regar

It is not always clear why Salem is known around the world as the “Witch City”. The connection can clearly by attributed to the Trials of 1692, but the popularity of works like Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible and the “Salem Saga” episodes of Bewitched, which aired in the 1970s, along with the growth of Witchcraft as a Pagan religion

Salem, Massachusetts is home to numerous holiday markets throughout the season each offering something for everyone on your list. Shop local this holiday season with handmade goods, dark arts pieces, and more with this list of upcoming holiday markets around town: 3rd Annual Holiday Marketplace at Finz & Sea Level (November 30) Pickering Wharf is always full of uniq

With Thanksgiving just a few hours away, we want to accept the thoughtful invitation of Salem Maritime National Historic Site to create a gratitude list. We are thankful for so many things, but here are five that bubble to the top of the list. We are thankful for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who travel from near and far to visit Salem, especially those who put S

Salem Holiday Happenings have arrived an our calendar is packed with ways to spend the season in Salem. With holiday markets throughout December, festive photo ops, and events for the whole family, there is always something merry and bright to explore this time of year in Salem. Shop small with local retailers Salem has holiday markets that take place all around town th

Experience Salem from wherever you’re spending this holiday season with a virtual experience for everyone! Book psychic readings, shop for the holidays, meet local artists, and more, all while supporting Salem’s small businesses. Find ideas for how to experience Salem virtually this time of year below: Grinchy Grams Spread holiday cheer with a personalized v

In September 2019 the Peabody Essex Museum launched into a new era when it opened a new wing that features 40,000 square feet of gallery space spread over three floors and a beautiful new garden. The wing, which was designed by Ennead Architects, is the new home to the PEM’s extensive Maritime Art, Asian Export Art, and Fashion and Design collections. Museum curators ha

by Rachel Christ and Jill Christianson, Salem Witch Museum Establishing the details of women’s lives in early America can present massive challenges for historians. Consider the three women of Salem Town who were executed in 1692; Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, and Bridget Bishop. If not for her role in the Witch Trials, we would know almost nothing about the life of Alice

There is more to see and do in Salem than ever before! Find inspiration for your next trip to Salem this year below and discover everything that’s new for 2020. For more trip planning inspiration, request a free Salem City Guide & Map here. (1) Festivals & events all year long Kick off 2020 in Salem at the Salem Comedy & Spirits Festival in January, pl

Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Salem with the sweetest event of the year during the 18th annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival! The festival, co-hosted by Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, features an annual chocolate and wine tasting, stunning ice sculptures, deals and promotions, and more. Get the most out of your visit to Sal

Salem is a bit of a literary darling. Nathaniel Hawthorne, considered America’s first great novelist, wrote glorious novels about Salem including The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851), and the Salem Witch Trials inspired Arthur Miller’s award-winning play, The Crucible (1953). These books are prerequisites on any Salem reading list. Here are

February Vacation is a Perfect Time to Visit Salem! Spend a day downtown exploring our museums and attractions, or make your trip into an overnight stay with a special offer for the whole family. Here are a few ideas for how to spend a day or an overnight in Salem this month: Vacation Week Activities Constructing History at the Gables Come in out of the cold and explore

Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll proclaimed March 29, 2020 Salem Women’s History Day. Special programs will be held at the following museums and attractions around town: The House of the Seven Gables Inspired both by his research for the 2016 exhibit at The House of the Seven Gables and the archival collection of Emmerton’s letters, Mr. Moffat’s lecture will highligh

Stay safe at home during this time and consider ordering takeout or gift cards from your favorite local restaurants, or if you’re not nearby, order some Salem gifts, souvenirs, books, and more by shopping online. Find a pdf of online stores here. Art & Craft Supplies Circle of Stitches has everything you need to get create your very own knit and embroidered pr

In 1799, the East India Marine Society was founded as an organization of Salem captains and supercargoes. Under the organization’s provisional charter, which called for the establishment of a “cabinet of natural and artificial curiosities,” the Peabody Essex Museum was formed. Members of the East India Marine Society stocked the collection with a variet

St. Peter’s Church was the first Anglican church in Salem founded in 1733/34. The church’s original structure along with its replacement, the facade you see today, was built on land donated by Philip English, a wealthy Salem trading merchant. English was not well liked by his community for a number of reasons, including that he was a follower of the very reli

What today is one of Salem’s historic boutique hotels was once the home of merchant Joshua Ward (in the late 1780s). While not one of Salem’s wealthiest merchants, Ward had amassed a “small” fortune from importing molasses, Sumatran pepper, tea, spices, silk, and more to construct an opulent home close enough to the harbor so that he could see his

The House of the Seven Gables, or the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion as it was known before Nathaniel Hawthorne published his novel of the same name, was built in 1668 for Captain John Turner I. The Turner family was wildly successful in maritime trade, leading to the wealth that made some of the more opulent features you can see at The House of the Seven Gables today possible