Salem Passport Quest: A New Way to Explore the Witch City

SPONSORED CONTENT | Photographed by Jess Shada, Destination Salem

What if your visit to Salem came with a mission?

In Salem Passport Quest, you’re not just sightseeing — you’re a newly inducted member of a mysterious Guild, and Salem’s future is in your hands. Plants and animals are disappearing, a veil of silence has settled over the city, and the Guild’s journals have been scattered across Salem. Your task? Recover the missing messages by solving clues hidden throughout the city before it’s too late.

It’s a playful premise that transforms Salem into your own life-sized adventure game.

Created by Salem resident Amanda Bondi, a full-time elementary school teacher, and illustrated by artist Ash Beadle, the pocket-sized passport book features 20 scavenger hunt-style quests designed to help visitors experience Salem a little differently. Rather than rushing from one attraction to the next, each quest invites you to slow down, look a little closer, and discover the details that make the city so memorable.

The adventure takes you to some of Salem’s most beloved landmarks, including the Peabody Essex Museum, The House of the Seven Gables, Winter Island Park, Derby Wharf Light Station, and Punto Urban Art Museum, while also introducing you to local favorites like Jolie Tea Company, Hive & Forge, Bit Bar, Forest River Park, Harbor Sweets, Salem Willows Park, the Salem Athenaeum, and the Salem Flea Marketplace. Together, the quests encourage visitors to explore a mix of iconic attractions and hidden gems that make Salem such a rewarding place to wander.

Instead of following a tour guide or checking attractions off a list, you’ll search for architectural details, solve clues, and uncover pieces of Salem’s history that help move the Guild’s story forward. Along the way, you’ll record your discoveries in the book’s Field Notes and collect custom passport stamps at ten participating locations. By the end of your adventure, you’ll have more than a souvenir: you’ll have a keepsake filled with your own discoveries.

One of the best things about Salem Passport Quest is that there’s no right way to complete it. Spend an afternoon solving a few quests, dedicate an entire weekend to the adventure, or return to Salem again and again until you’ve completed all twenty. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifteenth, the passport encourages you to experience the city through fresh eyes.

It’s also an activity that appeals to just about everyone. Families can work together to solve clues, couples can turn it into a unique date, solo travelers can explore at their own pace, and even longtime Salem residents may find themselves noticing details they’ve walked past for years.

More than anything, Salem Passport Quest celebrates the joy of exploration. Every side street, historic building, neighborhood park, museum, and locally owned business has a story waiting to be uncovered… you just need to know where to look.

Ready to begin your adventure? Pick up a copy of Salem Passport Quest at the Destination Salem Visitor Center, join the Guild, and discover the Witch City one clue at a time.