Explore This Park

Tours, Programs, and Activities

 

NPS Ranger Tour

National Park Service Ranger standing along walkway giving a tour

Scheduled daily programming for May 1- June 30, 2017

Visit the Custom House: Daily 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Tour the Narbonne House: Daily at 2:30pm (Limit 8. Tours are free, but require reservations. Please call 978-740-1650 or stop by the Visitor Center at 2 New Liberty Street on the day of your visit to make a reservation.)
Films at the Visitor Center:
"Where Past is Present: A History of Salem;" 27 minutes, 10:15am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm (FREE)
"Salem Witch Hunt: A History of the Salem Witch Trials;" 38 minutes, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm (ADULT: $5.00, SENIORS/KIDS: $3.00)

Scheduled daily programming for July 1 - September 17, 2017

Visit the Custom House: Open Daily 10:00am - 4:00pm
Visit the Narbonne House: Open Daily 11:00am - 12:00pm and 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Films at the Visitor Center:
"Where Past is Present: A History of Salem;" 27 minutes, 10:15am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm (FREE)
"Salem Witch Hunt: A History of the Salem Witch Trials;" 38 minutes, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm (ADULT: $5.00, SENIORS/KIDS: $3.00)

(The Derby House is closed for a repair and preservation project. Friendship of Salem is at dry dock in Gloucester, Massachusetts undergoing repairs and routine maintenance.)

 

Education Rangers with group of preschool students

Special Events & Exhibits

In addition to our regularly scheduled programs, Salem Maritime hosts and participates in a variety of events in the community of Salem and beyond. Visit the Calendar to learn about upcoming events.

Preschoolers in the Park
From June to August, Preschool aged children and their favorite adults can join park rangers at Salem Maritime once a month at 10am for free Storytime, crafts, and activity sessions. No registration required. The dates are as follows:

Monday, June 5, 2017
Monday, July 3, 2017
Monday, July 31, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
Monday, October 16, 2017

Family Adventure Paddle
The National Park Service at Salem Maritime National Historic Site is teaming up with Coast to Coast Paddle to offer low cost kayak and paddleboard experiences for families. Adults enjoy a maritime history kayak tour in Salem Harbor with a National Park Service Ranger and a Coast to Coast Paddle Guide while kids have a stand up paddle board lesson and engage in fun water themed activities.

These programs will be offered at 10:30am on the following dates:
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Saturday, July 8, 2017
and at 2:00pm on
Saturday, August 26, 2017

$12.00 per person
Registration and information available by phone at 978-969-0151 or email [e-mail]
Departs from the Coast to Coast Paddle Rental Kiosk located at Salem Willows, 167 Fort Ave.

The Augmented Landscape
Five Artists from Boston Cyberarts have created ten augmented reality sculptures for this outdoor exhibition taking place on the water front at Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The exhibits can be viewed through any smart phone or tablet after downloading a free augmented reality viewing application.

 

Visitors learn about the Friendship of Salem on a Ranger led tour.

Tour Descriptions

Free ranger-led tours and programs are offered during some seasons. Tours are free, but require a first-come first-served reservation by stopping in the Visitor Center or by calling [phone]. Reservations open at 9:00 AM each day and can only be made the day of your tour. We recommend signing up as early as possible. Tours range from 30 to 60 minutes in duration.

For groups of 10 or more or groups interested in education programs, please call 978-740-1662 to inquire and make a reservation.

The U.S. Custom House in Salem
Visit the U.S. Custom House that was built in 1819 to House the offices of the U.S. Customs Service. During the height of Salem's East Indies trade, the Customs Service in Salem collected millions of dollars in taxes on incoming cargo. Learn about the process for collecting these taxes, which provided vital financial support for the new United States government. For three years, this building was also the workplace of the famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne's experiences during his stint in the Custom House inspired his most famous novel, The Scarlet Letter.

The Derby House and Narbonne House Tour
This tour leads visitors through two distinct historic homes. The Derby House, constructed in 1762 was the first home of Elias Hasket and Elizabeth Crowninshield Derby. It is an exemplary example of a wealthy merchant's Georgian home and is furnished to reflect the Derbys' 20-year long residence in the house. (The Derby House is currently closed undergoing repairs and routine maintenance.) The Narbonne House, built in 1675, spans nearly 300 years of history as a home of middle class Salem residents. The Narbonne House is unfurnished and contains displays of some of the nearly 150,000 archaeological artifacts excavated from the home's backyard.

The Tall Ship Friendship of Salem
Friendship of Salem is a replica of a cargo vessel built in Salem in 1797. Tours of the Friendship visit the main deck and the 'tween deck of the vessel. You will learn about the lives of the sailors who traveled the world, bringing exotic goods to Salem during the height of the East Indies trade. (Friendship of Salem is currently at dry dock in Gloucester, Massachusetts undergoing repairs and routine maintenance.)

 

Self-Guided Activities

Audio Tour
Listen to an audio tour and follow along with the accompanying map as you travel the site.

Walking Tours
Browse through a number of themed walking tours and site bulletins including African American heritage sites and the history of Salem architecture.

Junior Ranger Programs
Junior Ranger activity packs are available at the Visitor Center (2 New Liberty Street, Salem) and our park store, Waite and Peirce (193 Derby Street, Salem).