Salem and the North Shore – Northeastern Massachusetts
Salem and the North Shore of Massachusetts are some of the most beautiful places for a day (or two) trip by car from Boston. Historic Salem is known as one of the most important ports of young America and an important Puritan settlement in the colonial period. Salem has become a symbol in popular culture, mainly due to the witch trials held there at the end of the 17th century, and today it is considered the Halloween capital of America.
- Salem still has many ancient buildings, and its center is filled with antique gems (in American terms).
- Today's city breathes the niche tourism of witchcraft enthusiasts and is associated with Halloween celebrations.
- The North Shore of Massachusetts stretches north from Salem along the charming beaches of Cape Ann peninsula up to the New Hampshire border.
- On Cape Ann, you'll find charming fishing towns like Manchester-by-the-Sea, Gloucester, and Rockport. These towns specialize in seafood restaurants, offering some of the finest lobsters and clams on the East Coast, and they are also the launching point for whale watching boats in Massachusetts Bay.
- The town of Essex is renowned for its fine antique shops and is also a beloved tourist destination. The countryside of Cape Ann is filled with stunning sandy natural beaches, charming lighthouses, and unique houses.
How long should you spend touring Salem and the North Shore of Massachusetts?
To fully explore Salem and the North Shore, plan at least two days.
It’s a good idea to find lodging either in Salem or in the towns and cities of the North Shore.
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8 Must-See and Do Things in Salem and the North Shore
- Experience popular culture at the Salem Witch Museum
- Derby Wharf at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site
- Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester
- The view from Eastern Point Lighthouse
- Fine seafood restaurants at Bearskin Neck and the “Motif Number 1” house in Rockport
- Whale watching from boats departing Gloucester Harbor
- Antiques on the Main Street of Essex
- Dip your toes at the stunning Wingaersheek Beach
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What is the northeastern corner of Massachusetts?
What is Salem?
- Salem is primarily recognized in popular culture today for the witch hunts
- The witch trials in the Puritan town of the late 17th century are one of the quirkiest subjects in American culture and still have widespread expression today
- Beyond the city's ethos, today's Salem is somewhat of a distant suburb within the continuous urban area of Boston. It is located a half-hour drive from the downtown of the big city in New England
- Salem is the largest city in Essex County, in the northeastern corner of Massachusetts, not far from the border with New Hampshire.
- The city is home to about forty thousand residents, and its old center is considered one of the most interesting in the state
Salem was established in 1626 on an abandoned Native American settlement of the Naumkeag tribe and quickly became one of the important ports in New England. Over the years, it attracted masses of Puritan settlers from England. In 1692, the infamous witch trials were held there, resulting in the hanging of about 19 defendants, most of whom were women. Today, Salem is a pastoral and pleasant city, with a historic center and quite a few attractions.
Click here for a day trip from Boston to Salem + entry to the Witch Museum…
What is the North Shore of Massachusetts?
- The North Shore of Massachusetts is the Atlantic coastline stretching north of the Boston metropolitan area (the city of Salem) to the border with neighboring New Hampshire.
- Along the rural coastline are important historical towns, beaches of stunning beauty, nature, and landscapes.
- The towns in the area are known for attracting antique hunters on one hand and whale watchers on the other (not literally, just to observe the pods). A whole tourism industry exists in the coastal towns for whale watching, including boats and ships heading deep into the bay packed with tourists.
- North of Salem begins the rocky Cape Ann peninsula, which marks the boundary between Ipswich Bay, stretching to the city of Portsmouth on the border of New Hampshire and Maine, and to the south, Massachusetts Bay stretching southward to Cape Cod.
The two largest towns in the North Shore are Ipswich and Gloucester, known for their unique artist districts, historic homes, and plenty of classic New England lobster and clam restaurants. The North Shore is considered one of the most beautiful and attractive road trip destinations in New England and a great spot for a country day trip from Boston.
How to Get to Salem and the North Shore?
- Salem and the North Shore are a short drive from downtown Boston
- Logan International Airport – BOS is just a half-hour drive from Salem and less than an hour from all major towns of the North Shore. The airport has direct flights from Ben Gurion Airport or you can also reach it via a transfer in New York
- Access to Salem from Boston is via the famous Route 1, which crosses the Atlantic Coast from Key West, Florida to northern Maine
- You can also take the nearby I-95. The Yankee Division Highway or Route 128 runs through the North Shore from north of the Boston metropolitan area to Gloucester
- The scenic Route 127 leisurely runs along the southern coastline of the North Shore up to the town of Rockport
Map of Salem and Massachusetts' North Shore
When to Visit Salem?
- Like the entire northeastern part of the USA, it's best to travel to the northeastern tip of Massachusetts in the spring and summer seasons.
- The city of Salem reaches its peak popularity in mid-fall, at the end of October, as part of the Halloween celebrations, which is almost fully associated with the city (due to the witches).
- The winter in the area is freezing, and the fall can also be stormy.
Planning a Travel Route in Salem and the Northeastern Corner of Massachusetts
- The trip in Salem's ancient center is short, and all attractions are close to each other within a short walking distance.
- The two main axes of Salem's center are Derby Street near the harbor and the central Essex Street. Between them are streets descending from Essex towards the harbor, featuring ancient houses.
- Near Salem Park, you'll find the Witch Museum and the impressive Peabody Essex Museum.
- Nearby the harbor, you can find other interesting sites in the city, such as the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, the House of the Seven Gables, and the home of author Nathaniel Hawthorne.
From Salem, it’s worth hopping over to nearby Marblehead for a short stroll. From there, begin to explore the coastline of the Cape Ann Peninsula. The usual route circles the peninsula from the south, with the first stop in Manchester-by-the-Sea, followed by a visit to all the nearby sites in Gloucester. From Gloucester, continue to Rockport and then to Wingaersheek Beach, finishing up in Essex. There's the option to visit some places by train, but it's definitely worth exploring the area with a rental car.
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Everything to See and Do in Salem
Salem Common Park and Salem Witch Museum
The ancient center of Salem is built along the long Essex Street, which stretches like a crescent from east to west. Small streets lead south towards the harbor, filled with historic houses and various attractions for the thousands of tourists visiting the city every day. To the north lies the great park of Salem Common, an open and pleasant grassy strip surrounded by tree-lined avenues. In the heart of the park stands the solitary Salem Common Bandstand, a sort of charming neo-classical gazebo.
Click here for a guided tour of all the sites related to the witch history of Salem…
At the western edge of the park, just across the road, lies the Salem Witch Museum. Housed in an impressive and somewhat intimidating neo-Gothic building, the museum plays on the duality of the city's relationship with the painful historical subject that has now become part of popular culture. This duality is reflected in the deep contradiction between the historical overview of the witch trials held in the city at the end of the 17th century and the city's transformation into a symbol of postmodern cultures that embrace mysticism and witchcraft.
The city wisely recognized the popularity of the cultural trend and definitely profits from it by commercializing and creating attractions for lovers of witchcraft and mysticism (and much like comic book enthusiasts in the USA, witchcraft has quite a market). The museum has almost become a pilgrimage site during Halloween at the end of October????.
Address: 19 N Washington Square, Salem, MA
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Peabody Essex Museum
The impressive modern museum with its fascinating architectural design by architect Moshe Safdie is situated on historic Essex Street, right in the heart of Salem. The museum brings together the collections of the Essex County historical societies and includes an enormous amount of ornaments, jewelry, sacred figures, devices, artworks, and handicrafts, all collected by sailors who sailed from Salem to the entire world over the last 400 years. The museum's collection boasts an immense number of decorative items and art from the Far East.
Address: Essex St. 161, Salem, MA
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Salem Witch Village and Salem Wax Museum
In the eastern part of Derby Street, there are several buildings that have been converted into private businesses that tell the city's story. The witch village and the wax museum offer activities for children, including actors dressed as wizards and witches, and of course, souvenirs, commercialization, and food.
Click here for a guided tour following the evolution of Halloween in Salem…
In the nearby wax museum of Salem, there are recreations of the trials, figures of witches, and pirates, along with many Halloween-related elements. Nearby is the New England Pirate Museum, which operates on the same principle as the nearby attractions.
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The Salem Maritime National Historic Site
The Salem National Historic Site tells the city's second story (not the witches). At certain times, Salem had one of the most important ports in America, with more than 50 wharves along the coast. Today, the city's port is no longer commercial but is intended for docking tourist vessels such as sailboats, yachts, and other ships. The national site tells the story of the city's port and its importance to the development of New England.
The site features three restored wharves, with the longest being Derby Wharf, stretching 650 meters into the mouth of the South River. Part of the site is also the ship Friendship of Salem, an East India Company ship that underwent extensive renovation and is now quite an attraction.
The House of the Seven Gables
Turner House, also more commonly known as the House of the Seven Gables, is located near the bay waters slightly east of the Salem National Site. The house is famous due to Nathaniel Hawthorne's book by that name, published in 1851. Hawthorne, a native of Salem, was the descendant of the infamous Puritan judge William Hawthorne, who presided over the Salem witch trials.
Hawthorne was born right behind the house that inspired his most famous book. Today, the house is an open museum where you can explore the ancient gables. The house was built in 1670 and is considered one of the oldest and best-preserved in the city. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthplace, located nearby, is also open to the public.
Address: Derby St. 115, Salem, MA
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Everything to See and Do on the North Shore
Marblehead
The beautiful and historic Marblehead is located just a ten-minute drive south of Salem center. Marblehead is one of the finest examples of British settlement in New England dating back to the early 16th century. In the Marblehead Historic District, nearly all the buildings were constructed between the early 17th and mid-19th centuries.
These buildings have served the residents of the city for hundreds of years and most of them are still used for residential or daily commercial purposes. Two houses converted into museums in the historic center of Marblehead are the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and Abbot Hall, which now serves as the city hall. The tower atop Abbot Hall is the city's emblem.
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Manchester-by-the-Sea
The small marina town of Manchester-by-the-Sea is located just a fifteen-minute drive west of Salem towards Gloucester on the southern coast of Cape Ann peninsula. The town sits on the multi-armed bay of Days Creek. This peaceful New England town is perfect for a short trip, featuring views of old houses, the bay, and the small harbor.
On the town's main street – Central Street, you’ll find some great restaurants and the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum, which houses a small collection of art and items related to the town.
Gloucester
Gloucester is the largest city on the eastern part of the North Shore, with nearly 30,000 residents. This small city is known as an important fishing port, overseeing fishing and lobster trapping in the northern part of Massachusetts Bay. Gloucester's Main Street is filled with high-quality seafood and fish restaurants.
Beneath the main street, by the inner port waters of the Inner Harbor, sits the Maritime Gloucester museum. This is where ships set off for whale watching, and thus it's filled with visitors. On the other side of the harbor lies the artists' colony Rocky Neck, home to unique galleries and excellent seafood restaurants. South of the city center, you'll find the impressive Eastern Point Lighthouse, offering views of the entire coastline of the bay.
Rockport
The beautiful town of Rockport is just a ten-minute drive east from Gloucester, located at the eastern tip of Cape Ann. The town center is built on the narrow, rocky strip of Cape Hedge. The main street serves as the town's central avenue. As it continues along the cape, it becomes Bearskin Neck Street. Along its route, you'll find excellent seafood restaurants, galleries, antique shops, and other unique stores. The street is one of the prettiest in all of New England, attracting a large number of tourists.
North of Main Street, right at the start of the cape, is the stunning Front Beach where you'll find luxury homes, seafood restaurants, and shops too. From Berskin Neck Street, you can access Rockport's harbor where the unique “Motif Number 1” stands, a red fishing shack on the harbor that has become an especially popular tourist spot.
Wingaersheek Beach
A 15-minute drive northwest of Rockport, you'll find the natural and unique Wingaersheek Beach. This beach is considered one of the most beautiful in all of New England, attracting a massive number of visitors and bathers (during the summer). It's a particularly wide sandy beach formed by the sediment of rivers flowing into Ipswich Bay and drifting south with the currents.
The beach lies east of the grand homes at Farm Point, the western part of the small resort town of Annisquam. Following the long sandy Coffins Beach, shaped by the tides of Ipswich Bay's south, you'll find a stunning view of the beach from the Annisquam Harbor Light Station at the town's northern tip.
Essex
The small town of Essex is a fifteen-minute drive west of both Rockport and Gloucester. Situated on the waters of the Essex River, the town's Main Street is one of the most attractive spots in New England for antique hunting. Along the street, you'll find many shops specializing in vintage items, some dating back to the British settlement in the area. Essex is also renowned as the birthplace of the batter-fried clams, with numerous restaurants serving this popular dish.
