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Salem Maritime National Historic SiteThe dining room of the Derby House showcases elegant 18th century furniture and silver.
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Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Operating Hours & Seasons
 
Regional Visitor Center in Salem

Salem Maritime NHS Orientation Center

Guided Tours of Salem Maritime The West India Goods Store
NOTE: New 2009 spring hours for the Orientation Center, Guided Tours, and the West India Goods Store have been posted.

 
The Salem Visitor Center used to be the Salem Armory.
NPS photo.
The Salem Visitor Center used to be the Salem Armory.

The National Park Service Regional Visitor Center in Salem

The Regional Visitor Center on New Liberty Street is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week.

The Visitor Center is closed on January 1, Thanksgiving Day, and December 25.

The Regional Visitor Center offers a free orientation film on the history of Salem and Essex County, Massachusetts, as well as exhibits and information about the area.

 

Visitor Center Orientation Film:
Where Past is Present

This 27 minute orientation film on the history of Essex County, Massachusetts is close captioned. It is shown in the Regional Visitor Center at:

  • 9:25 AM
  • 10:15 AM
  • 11:00 AM
  • 12:00 PM
  • 1:00 PM
  • 2:00 PM
  • 3:00 PM
  • 4:00 PM

Translations in French, German, Spanish, and Russian are available. Please ask at the information desk for the translations.

Click here for more information about the Salem Regional Visitor Center.


 

 
The orientation center for Salem Maritime is located on Derby Street.
NPS photo
The Orientation Center for Salem Maritime is in an 18th century warehouse.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site

The Salem Maritime NHS Orientation Center is located at 193 Derby Street, and contains exhibits, an orientation film, and a small bookstore.

 

 

For the winter of 2008-2009, it will be open on the following schedule:

April 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

Open Daily, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

PLEASE NOTE: The Orientation Center may be closed while the ranger is on tour.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site is closed on January 1, Thanksgiving, and December 25.

 

Salem Maritime NHS Orientation Film:
To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East

This 18 minute orientation film on the history of Salem's maritime trade and traditions is shown at the Orientation Center every half hour when the building is open. When the orientation center is closed, To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East will be shown at the Salem Visitor Center at New Liberty Street.

 

Tours of Salem Maritime NHS

All tours are guided by National Park Rangers, and last approximately one hour.

Click here for the schedule of guided tours

Click here for tour fees

A reproduction of a seventeenth century chest on exhibit at the Regional Visitor Center
On exhibit at the Regional Visitor Center
find out about our permanent and rotating exhibits in the Regional Visitor Center
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detail of the Salem Maritime publication The Salem Armory
Download the latest Salem Maritime brochures
Self-guided walking tours of Salem and info about the site
more...
black and white compass rose from a recreated painted floorcloth in the Derby House at Salem Maritime NHS  

Did You Know?
The largest customs duty bill collected at the Port of Salem was $140,761 when the ship Sumatra returned from Canton in 1831.

Last Updated: April 22, 2009 at 12:40 EST