Guides · Salem
Salem
33 places · 6 areas · a free route, then $4.99 for the whole city · offline map 3.5 MB
The free route
Free in the app, permanently, before you pay anything. 8 stops, 1 day, about 1.5 km, planned by the app's own engine.
Day 1 · ~1.5 km
1
Salem Common
Washington Square; 9-acre common with the 1926 bandstand and Washington Arch, site of the 1637 militia muster
Walk through the Washington Arch into the Common, circle the bandstand and look at the merchants' mansions that ring the square, several of them by Samuel McIntire.
2
Narbonne House
Salem Maritime grounds off Derby St; 1675 First Period house, the oldest building of Salem Maritime
Look at the plain timber-framed house from the garden and compare it with the grand Federal houses nearby: this is how ordinary Salem people lived.
3
Derby House
Derby St; 1762 brick house of merchant Elias Hasket Derby, beside the McIntire-designed Hawkes House
Look at the Georgian brick house facing the wharf, then at the Hawkes House next to it, designed by Samuel McIntire.
4
Custom House
Derby St facing Derby Wharf; 1819 customs house with the eagle of The Scarlet Letter, Public Stores behind
Look up at the eagle on the roof, the one Hawthorne describes at the start of The Scarlet Letter, then step inside if the building is open.
5
Pickering Wharf
Derby St by the South River; waterfront wharf and marina between downtown and the maritime park
Stroll along the waterfront past the marina and the shops, and stop for seafood with a view of the boats. It is an easy link between downtown and Derby Wharf.
6
Friendship of Salem
Derby Wharf; 1997 replica of a 1797 East Indiaman, back at the wharf since July 2025
See the three-masted ship from the wharf, and go aboard if a ranger program is running on deck.
7
Derby Wharf
Derby St; wharf begun in 1762 and extended in 1806, nearly half a mile long, the longest in Salem
Walk the nearly half-mile to the little lighthouse at the end and back, with the harbor on both sides and the Friendship moored along the way. Sunset is the best time.
8
House of the Seven Gables
115 Derby St; 1668 Turner mansion that inspired Hawthorne's novel, restored from 1908 by Caroline Emmerton
Take the guided tour through the old rooms and up the secret staircase hidden behind a closet, then walk the gardens by the harbor.
More of the top sights
A few of the 33 places in the full guide. Each one has its own written guide in the app: what to do, what to notice, the history, and why it hits.
The Witch House
310 Essex St; circa 1675 home of trial judge Jonathan Corwin, a house with direct ties to 1692
Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex St; museum founded by the 1799 East India Marine Society, with the Yin Yu Tang Chinese house
Salem Witch Trials Memorial
Liberty St between Charter and Derby Sts; 1992 granite wall with 20 benches naming the executed
Areas
Essex Street · Burying Point and Pickering Wharf · Derby Street Waterfront · Salem Common · McIntire District · Beyond Downtown
Illustrations are drawn for the app. Place descriptions are written by hand and checked against a primary source; facts draw on Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors.