Salem Maritime National Historic Site - The Salem Armory (U.S. National Park Service)

The Visitor Center in Salem is made of brick, and has a high roof.

NPS photo

The Salem Armory is now the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center.

The Salem Visitor Center, located on New Liberty Street in downtown Salem, was originally the Salem Armory. It was the headquarters and training facility for the Second Corps of Cadets, which traces its history back to the late eighteenth century. In 1982, the beautiful 1880s gothic revival building was nearly destroyed by fire, and the remaining drill shed was converted into the Visitor Center in 1994. The area between the drill shed and the corner of New Liberty and Essex Streets was turned into Armory Park, a park honoring the veterans of Essex County

The Maritime exhibit in the Visitor center has the frames of a boat

NPS photo

The maritime exhibit in the Visitor Center incorporates the frames of a boat.

Today, National Park Service staff and volunteers provide information on historic sites and other places of interest throughout the Essex National Heritage Area in the Visitor Center. Visitors can also learn more about the history of Essex County from the exhibits and free orientation film that are available in the center, and purchase books and gifts related to Essex County history in the bookstore that is run by National Park Service partner Eastern National.

For more information:

Download the Salem Armory site bulletin (150 KB pdf file)

The Second Corps of Cadets