FAQ About Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is located on the coast of Massachusetts 16 miles north of Boston and 45 miles south of New Hampshire. Neighboring communities include Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody and Swampscott.

Salem is…
…25 miles from Concord,
…30 miles from Lexington,
…56 miles from Plymouth,
…87 miles from Hyannis,
…74 miles from Sturbridge,
…125 miles from Northampton,
…148 miles from Stockbridge.

Logan International Airport in Boston, MA, is the closest airport. It is a 30- to 45-minute drive from Logan to downtown Salem, depending on traffic. Visit MassPort.com for more information.

Manchester Airport in Manchester, NH, is approximately 70 minutes away by car. Visit FlyManchester.com for more information.

Approximately $50.00 one way.

We recommend using parking garages. Click here for parking information.

If you are planning your first visit to Salem, please start at the Salem Regional Visitor Center, located at 2 New Liberty Street. The National Park Service Rangers and volunteers can help you with maps, brochures and directions. There are clean restrooms, a gift shop, and a free 27-minute film called “Where Past is Present.” From there, you may want to take a trolley tour to orient yourself to all of the attractions in the City. Salem Trolley offers a 1-hour narrated tour, and tickets are valid for on-and-off travel until 5pm on the day the ticket is purchased.

The schedule of events for Salem Haunted Happenings is published annually in August. Visit HauntedHappenings.org for information on last year’s festival, and for this year’s events as they are planned. We add new events almost every day!

Boston Harbor Cruises operates Salem Ferry service between Boston’s Long Wharf and Salem’s Blaney Street. The current year’s schedule is available on its website. The trip takes 55 minutes. The ferry is enclosed, has restrooms and a snack bar.

You can! The MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) Commuter Rail connects Salem to Boston’s North Station, Newburyport, Rockport and Gloucester. The fare between Boston and Salem is $6.75 per ride (one way). You can walk from Salem Depot to downtown shopping, dining, attractions and the waterfront. For bus service, take #450 from South Station, #455 from Wonderland and #459 from Logan Terminal C. MBTA.com

New England weather is unpredictable year-round. Monthly averages, in degrees Fahrenheit, are:

January: 37 high, 20 low
February: 40 high, 23 low
March: 47 high, 30 low
April: 57 high, 38 low
May: 67 high, 48 low
June: 76 high, 58 low
July: 82 high, 63 low
August: 80 high, 62 low
September: 73 high, 55 low
October: 62 high, 45 low
November: 52 high, 37 low
December: 42 high, 27 low

Visit The Land of Witches & Pirates with a combo ticket to the Witch Dungeon Museum, Witch History Museum, and New England Pirate Museum.

The Salem Hysteria Pass includes the Salem Wax Museum and Salem Witch Village.

The Visit 1692 Pass includes the Salem Witch Museum, Witch House and the Rebecca Nurse House in Danvers, and includes discounts at The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel, Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie and Goodies Ice Cream (Danvers).

Salem is a very walkable city. How fast you walk it is up to you! Most people can walk a half-mile at a leisurely pace in 15-20 minutes. Here are some sample distances:

To walk from the MBTA train station to the Salem Ferry at Blaney Street is less than one mile.

The National Park Service Regional Salem Visitor Center to the Phillips House on Chestnut Street is just over a half-mile.

The House of the Seven Gables to the Salem Witch Museum is a half-mile.

The Peabody Essex Museum to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site is less than a half-mile.

Salem Willows and Winter Island Maritime Park are each about 1.5 miles from the center of downtown Salem (at Salem Common). While people do walk these distances, most prefer to drive. There is ample parking at both destinations.

The line is the Salem Heritage Trail, and it connects the most important stops and neighborhoods in Salem. The line is painted on the sidewalk and creates four loops through the city to help you explore. It is painted on the map in the Salem Visitor Guide, on the maps in the information kiosks around Salem and in the Salem Best Maps.

From downtown Salem, driving northeast, Derby Street turns into Fort Avenue. The Salem Trolley runs tours to Salem Willows and can provide transportation to the downtown for the cost of their ticket prices. RV camping is available seasonally at Winter Island Maritime Park  reservations are required.

For wheelchair rentals near Salem, contact:

North Shore Home Medical
104 Newbury Street (Route 1)
Peabody, MA 01960
Route1Health.com
978-535-3893

Osborne Medical Supply
59 Essex Street – Lynn, MA
osbournemedicalsupply.com
978 598-3501

Destination Salem has created a printable resource sheet with accessibility information. If you have any questions, contact us at 978-741-3252 or via email at info@salem.org.

Pedestrians have the right-of-way in Massachusetts, and vehicles are required and expected to stop for pedestrians crossing the road. Since Salem is a very walkable city, as well as a runner-friendly community, you are likely to encounter pedestrians crossing the road who assume you are aware that they have the right-of-way. Please drive with caution.

Regarding Bicycles: Salem has an active bicycling community, and you will notice “sharrows” on several streets and interchanges. Please be prepared to share the road with cyclists, and be mindful of cyclists when navigating our intersections.

Email your question and we’ll respond to you directly. We may even add your question to this list!