Explore

There’s so much to explore in the city of Salem – so don’t forget to escape to the rest of the scenic North Shore and the city of Boston. The beaches of Cape Ann are just a quick zip up the beautiful coast, and the city of Boston is just a short train or ferry ride away – or about a half-hour by car. No matter the season, your interests, or your budget, our recommendations will delight your sense of wonder.

Summer in Salem is as breezy as it is beautiful. Walk the Heritage Trail around the city, learn about Salem’s colonial history and infamous 1692 Witch Trials in one of the many attractions, and pop into the quirky shops or delicious eateries. Stroll the waterfront and out the jetty to Derby Light, or to the bay at Pickering Light on Winter Island. Head up the coast to enjoy an afternoon on the beaches of Gloucester, Ipswich, Manchester, Plum Island, or Salisbury or explore the high seas by whale watch, chartering a schooner, taking a sailing lesson or renting a motorboat with your friends. Stroll charmingly cosmopolitan downtown Newburyport, explore a quaint, waterside village like Bearskin Neck in Rockport, or peruse the antique shops and fried clam shacks of marshy Essex. And don’t forget to visit Boston. Walk the meandering Freedom Trail through Boston, enjoy a picnic or Shakespeare on the Commons, catch a Red Sox game, or take a cruise through the Boston Harbor Islands. Or celebrate the 4th of July listening to the Boston Pops on the Charles River as fireworks burst overhead. Massachusetts is in its glory in summer.

The fall is a magical time of year to be on the North Shore with its famed golden and crimson foliage, but it’s really Salem’s time to shine. Haunted Happenings fills Salem in October with magic and macabre, and undeniable nighttime energy. Street performers, food vendors, lantern-guided ghost tours, spectors and gawking spectators fill the streets, eager to experience the Salem vibe at Halloween, like a haunted house, Witch Trial attractions, a real witchcraft shop, or a costumed night on the town. Talk a crisp walk on the beach along Cape Ann’s shoreline, but definitely don’t miss the chance to enjoy quintessential fall in New England while apple picking at a historic farm. Go to Harvard Square to see street performers or watch the famed Charles Regatta, or get a taste of old-world Italy in the North End, or stroll the waterfront of the vibrant Seaport District. Take a guided trolley tour or Duck Boat around town to take in some local history and the changing colors. There’s nothing quite like fall in New England.

Salem really dazzles in the winter, as the splendor of its opulent Federalist architecture and quaintness of its Colonial structures are on full display decked out in holiday décor for the annual Christmas in Salem house tour. Many of the small towns of Cape Ann host holiday strolls, most notably the Christmas Walk in Marblehead featuring a Revolutionary parade, Rockport’s Santa arrival by lobster boat, the illuminated lobster trap Christmas tree in Gloucester, and the dazzling Christmas stroll in Newburyport featuring horse-drawn carriages and Victorian carolers. Winter is the perfect time to take advantage of Boston’s many world-famous indoor attractions, like the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, Boston Tea Party Museum, or Museum of Fine Arts– or take in a Celtics or Bruins game at the TD Garden. Celebrate the New Year with great fanfare at the First Night fireworks and parade on the Commons. Boston and the North Shore are a magical place to be in winter.

Salem in springtime is a lovely place to take a stroll through the quirky boutiques, artisan markets, new age shops, and top-notch restaurants. Or bar hop between craft breweries and local cider houses when night falls. Take a narrated historical trolley ride around the city, and a tour of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of the Seven Gables. Take a drive up scenic 127 and walk the famed beaches of Cape Ann and sample its fresh seafood. Catch opening day at legendary Fenway Park or ride the swan boats through the Victorian-era Public Garden. Cheer on runners along the Boston Marathon route on Patriots Day or peruse the shops along Newbury Street. Boston comes alive in springtime.

There is something here for everyone in every season.