Historic Overview of Salem Walking Tour

Salem, US
83% of travellers recommend this
Very Good (56 reviews)

Highlights

  • Explore over four centuries of Salem's remarkable history
  • Learn about the town's fascinating past and its illustrious founding
  • Discover the critical role of Salem in the American Revolution
  • Experience the harrowing tales of the Salem Witch Trials
  • Learn about the famous people who've called Salem home

Meeting Point

We are part of the pedestrian walkway downtown at the corner of Essex and Central Streets. We are next to Emporium 32 and across from the New England Dog Biscuit Company. Look for our purple sign.

Meeting point

8 Central St, Salem, MA 01970 , United States

End point

End Point

Return Location: Returns to downtown Salem area. Tour Guide can help direct you to where you want to go.

Meeting point

Massachusetts , United States

End point

What to expect

1

Salem Historical Tours & Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour

Discover why Salem is the true birthplace of the United States of America with the best history tour in the city. Explore over four centuries of Salem’s remarkable history from its illustrious founding in 1626, to its place as a thriving 21st Century city. The witch trials made Salem infamous, but there’s so much more. Explore Salem’s critical role in the American Revolution, how it led the great Age of Sail, and all about the many important and famous people who’ve called Salem home. The United States just wouldn’t be the same without Salem. The guide will go to as many locations as possible.

Duration 5 minutes
2

Red's Sandwich Shop

Salem has plenty of revolutionary history. You'll visit the location where local revolutionaries met to discuss plans for a potential war with England.

Duration 5 minutes
3

Old Burying Point Cemetery

Visit the oldest cemetery in Salem and one of the oldest in the country. Dating back to 1637, the cemetery is the resting place of many of the Puritans, including judges John Hathorne and Bartholomew Gedney, Nathaniel Mather, Samuel McIntire, Simon Forrester, Richard Derby and more

Duration 10 minutes
4

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

Visit the Salem Witchcraft Trials memorial dedicated to the 20 people executed during the hysteria in 1692. THe memorial has a bench for each person that includes name, date of execution and form of execution. The memorial has a lot of symbolism.

Duration 5 minutes
5

Turner's Seafood at Lyceum Hall -Salem

Lyceum Hall, home to Turner's Seafood, has significance to the witchcraft trials and additional history. Bridget Bishop, the first woman executed for witchcraft in 1692, lived on the grounds. In 1877, Alexander Graham Bell performed the first public demonstration of the telephone here.

Duration 5 minutes
6

Salem Old Town Hall

We will discuss Salem's incredible maritime history that began right after the American Revolution. From 1790-1812, Salem was the richest port in the country. Elias Haskett Derby became America's first millionaire in 1793. Portions of Hocus Pocus were filmed at the site as well. And Harry Houdini was put in the jail across the street. He wasn't under arrest, but the police chief wanted to see if Harry could break out of the new jail cell.

Duration 10 minutes
7

The Merchant

Hear a story about George Corwin, the high sheriff of the 1692 Witchcraft Trials, who lived on the grounds where the building now sits. In addition, George Washington visited Salem and stayed in a room in the hotel that is today called the Washington Room. And Amelia Earhart taught English in the Salem Commercial School just one block away.

Duration 10 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
8

Rockafellas Restaurant

Rockafellas is in a building that was the fourth location of the first church. The second location was there too. In addition, the Town House Square building was on that spot and that has revolutionary history. Massachusetts was basically declared a state on those grounds. A local congress of representatives met there before going to Ipswich, Concord and finally the continental congress in Philadelphia.

Duration 10 minutes
9

Bewitched Sculpture

Samantha Stevens of the TV Show Bewitched is in Lappin Park. A handful of episodes of the show were shot here in Salem. The best part is that her statue sits on land that was owned by the hanging Judge John Hathorne. How ironic that a witch sits on his former property.

Duration 5 minutes
10

Salem YMCA

Before the YMCA was here, Mrs. Brown had a home here with a famous border. That was Alexander Graham Bell. He lived at the home, educated her grandson and then would take the train to Boston to teach at Boston University. He also had an attic laboratory where he worked on the telephone.

Duration 5 minutes
11

The Witch House at Salem

The Witch House is the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin. It was built in the 1660s and Corwin bought it in 1675. No witches lived here but it is the last home in Salem with direct ties to the 1692 Witchcraft Trials.

Duration 5 minutes
12

Wesley United Methodist Church

Leslie's Retreat happened here at the North Bridge as 140 redcoats led by Colonel Leslie tried to cross the river to take weapons and cannons on the other side. Several colonists stopped them by pulling up the draw bridge. No shots were fired, but the British left empty handed. This preceded Lexington and Concord by two months.

Duration 5 minutes

The experience can be subject to change due to bad weather or unforseen circumstances. We always endeavour to give you the best possible experience.

Additional Information

  • Additional information
    Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Additional information
    Service animals allowed
  • Additional information
    Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Additional information
    Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
  • Additional information
    Parking available in garages on New Liberty, Bridge, and Congress Streets
  • Additional information
    Parking available in lots at Church Street, Front Street, and Klopp Alley. Metered parking near us. Use Passport Smart Phone App for meters. Bus parking available on New Derby Street and Hawthorne Boulevard.
  • Additional information
    Tour departs at 12 pm. Check in 15-20 minutes before your tour time at Salem Historical Tours office, located at 8 Central Street
  • Additional information
    Traffic and parking can be very difficult and October is much worse with "LA Level" traffic.
  • Additional information
    Our public walking tours can pose challenges for participants with mobility and accessibility concerns. Tours are 90 minutes long and about one mile in length. Each participant must be able to complete the one-mile tour within 90 minutes, providing for frequent stops to view sites and for information from the tour guide. As Salem is a historical city, there are narrow and uneven sidewalks, bricks, cobblestones, and stairs. During events and festivals (and particularly October), with crowds and street vendors, the streets can become difficult to navigate.
Provided by Salem Historical Tours, LLC

What our experts say

  • icon
    Wear comfortable walking shoes.
  • icon
    Check out Turner's Seafood for lunch.
  • icon
    Visit the Witch House after the tour.
  • icon
    Use the Passport App for parking meters.
  • icon
    Arrive 15-20 minutes early to check in.

Select Currency