Visitor Center Open House to Feature Talk and Book Signing

Local author Robert Booth is going to do a talk and book signing at the Salem Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, on December 15 at 7:00 pm.  The talk is going to coincide with an Open House in the Visitor Center gift shop, giving you two reasons to stop by the visitor center on the 15th (perhaps after the Winter Farmers' Market, which ends at 6pm!). 

Here's the scoop on the talk and signing:  

Marblehead-based historian and author Robert Booth will be presenting an illustrated lecture entitled When Salem Ruled the World: Salem’s Global Empire of Trade and Why it Failed, 1790-1830, based on his new book Death of an Empire: The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America’s Richest City.  Salem was once a global capital of commerce, with 200 ships and a fabulously lucrative trade to the Orient starting in the 1780s. The story of Salem’s friendship with India, China, and the Muslim world is as fascinating and instructive as its abrupt fall from greatness, ending in the rise of a local crime lord and a sensational murder.

If you haven't shopped in the Visitor Center Shop, you may not be aware that it carries many books for adults and children, as well as gifts, stocking stuffers, and herbs and spices for holiday cooking needs.  The bookstore is operated by the National Park Service non-profit partner Eastern National, and all profits from sales go to support the interpretive and educational programs at Salem Maritime.

Essex Heritage members, teachers with an ID card, and Eastern National members will get 15% off the purchase price of Death of an Empire.

For more information on Death of an Empire, click here.  For more information on Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem, and the Visitor Center, visit nps.gov/sama.

Friendship to sail on August 7th

Image courtesy Essex National Heritage Commission.

We love the tall ship Friendship.  We especially love her when she's in port and people can climb aboard and explore her decks, learning about Salem's maritime history and imagining the life of a sailor, a sea captain, a navigator.  One of the reasons we love Friendship so much is that she can sail.  She is a US Coast Guard certified vessel and she was built to sail, so - on occasion - sail, she must. 

On August 7th, Friendship will depart Salem for a port visit in New York City.  Her trip is part of a youth program called Friendship Sails! A Youth Journey on the High Seas.  The vessel will spend 2-3 days at sea, and once in New York the youth aboard will attend a Youth Summit with their peers from New York City and Baltimore.  She will be berthed at the Dennis Connor's North Cover Marina on the Hudson River on August 10th. Friendship will return to Salem on August 16.

The National Park Service and Essex National Heritage Commission are hosting a "Bon Voyage" event on Derby Wharf on Sunday, August 7 at 4:30 PM.  People are invited to bring handkerchiefs to wave at Friendship as she leaves port, the traditional send-off that was practiced in Salem in the 18th century.

It is fantastic to watch Friendship leave from Derby Wharf, especially when there is a crowd waving hankies, and it is equally fantastic to see her come out of the harbor from Winter Island Maritime Park.  You won't need a handkerchief at Winter Island, but I recommend a camera. 

Visit nps.gov/sama for Friendship's 2011 sailing schedule.  

Image courtesy Essex National Heritage Commission.

About the Friendship 

The Friendship of Salem is a full-size replica of the original ship constructed by the renowned shipbuilder Enos Briggs in Salem in 1797.  She is a 171-foot three-masted “East Indiaman” - the type of merchant ship that made Salem a leader in the opening of international trade with the Far East, Europe and Russia in the years immediately following the American Revolution.  The Friendship is the largest wooden, Coast Guard certified, sailing vessel to be built in New England in more than a century.  The original Friendship made 15 voyages around the world before being captured by the British during the war of 1812.  The new Friendship is part of the National Park Service's Salem Maritime National Historic Site which includes the last remaining intact complex of colonial era wharves, the 1819 Custom House where author Nathaniel Hawthorne worked and several related maritime structures and Federal Era houses. Friendship is a fully operational sailing vessel.  She is permanently berthed at Derby Wharf in Salem but, on special occasions, she sails to ports along the New England coast.  This trip to New York City will be her furthest sail to date, but plans are being made to sail to Baltimore, MD to commemorate the War of 1812 next year.  Friendship’s keel was laid in 1996 and she was certified by the US Coast Guard as a passenger carrying vessel in 2010.   

Land Ho! Set your course for the 2011 Salem Maritime Festival

A Celebration of Four Centuries of Salem’s Maritime Heritage in “Ships, Sawdust, Sailors & Song” on Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6.

SALEM MARITIME FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Friday, August 5th, 6:30-9 pm

Sunset Concert on Historic Derby Wharf featuring the exciting, contemporary Celtic rock band, Coyote Run 

Saturday, August 6th, 10am-5pm - Free Family Fun All Day!

 

Free Harbor Cruises!

Friendship of Salem Tours & Demonstrations

USS Constitution Master Gun Drill Team

USCG 47’ Motor Life Boat Tours

NE Aquarium Tide Pool Exhibit

Free Canoe, Kayak, Jolly Boat Rides, Hands-on! Sea Adventures

Horse-drawn Hayrides around Historic Salem (1:00 – 4:00pm)

Roving Storytellers, Craft Demonstrations

Boat building, Face Painting, Kite-flying and a Muck Walk!

SALEM MARITIME LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE

Friday, August 5th 6:30 – 9:00pm

Sunset Concert on the Salem Waterfront featuring Coyote Run, with picnicking by the waterside and dancing under the stars. Coyote Run, a very contemporary Celtic rock band blends a marvelously eclectic Celt set list with their ancient earthy vibe for a lavish musical feast of harmony and rhythm. 

Saturday, August 6th 11:00am – 5:00pm

11:00 am: Ben Rudnick & Friends

12:30 pm: Three Sheets to the Wind

1:30 pm: Whose Muddy Shoes 

2:30 pm: New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus

3:30 pm: The Love Dog

MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 

Presented by the Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem, the 23nd annual Salem Maritime Festival will host an exciting array of free family fun festivities, including live music, traditional craft demonstrations and seaport trade exhibits, story-telling, and much more!  The centerpiece of this year’s celebration will be the Friendship of Salem, a replica of 1797 merchant vessel that will host the NPS Junior Ranger Program for children. Visiting ships include a U.S. Coast Guard 47’ Motor Life Boat, Schooner Fame of Salem, which is a full-scale replica of a once famous Chebacco fishing schooner, the Vessel Finback offering the HOBBES onboard marine ecology program, Lewis H. Story, the flagship of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum with a fleet of kayaks, canoes, jolly boat, duck boats and radio-controlled model boats on display. Free 90-minute harbor cruises will be offered starting at 9am on the Schooner Fame of Salem and Vessel Finback (see website for Ticket Drawing information). Free kayak, canoe and jolly boat rides will be offered 10am – 4pm. Come celebrate four centuries of Salem maritime history at: www.nps.gov/sama.

Two Free Lectures on Salem's History

Salem Maritime, the national park in Salem, welcomes two Salem State University faculty to speak at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem on Tuesday, June 21, 2011.  The presentations are free and will be held in the Auditorium at the Visitor Center on New Liberty Street.

9:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Salem and the North Shore in the Seventeenth-Century

Professor Emerson W. Baker, Professor of History, Salem State University

Professor Baker will discuss 17th Century colonial life here in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, especially in Salem.  The presentation will encompass Native American history and Saugus, the site of  Saugus Iron Works, the national park in Saugus.

11:00 AM - 12:30  PM

Salem and the China Trade: A “Glocal” Approach

Professor Dane A. Morrison, Professor of Early American History, Salem State University

Professor Morrison will discuss the experiences of Salem’s merchants in a way that makes the China Trade relevant to visitors to Salem today, connecting global history to the local resources in Salem. 

The lectures are free and all are welcome! 

The British are Here! The British are Here!

"By His Excellency's Command:"
General Gage and the British Army in Salem

They are encamped at Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem, to be specific.  Salem is the happy host to a British encampment this weekend.  The encampment commemorates the arrival of General Thomas Gage in Boston in June, 1774. Gage was dispatched to move the capitol of Massachusetts to Salem, where the King hoped cooler heads would prevail over increasing troubles in Boston.  By the end of the summer, there were two regiments of regulars encamped around Salem, and the legislature had defied Gage's authority, and set about creating the Provincial Legislature, independent of Royal Government. 

Salem Maritime and the Center for 18th Century Life at Minute Man National Historic Park have teamed up to invite some of the best reenactors in Massachusetts to give a taste of what Salem was like in the summer of 1774.* 

The encampment began on Saturday, and continues through Sunday.  Sunday's schedule is:

11:00 AM: Morning parade and Service for the Troops
11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM: "Awkward Squad:" learn how to drill like a Regular, using wooden muskets.

1:00 PM, 2:00 PM: Drill and musket firing demonstration
3:00 PM: Salute to the ship and end of event

 All Day: Surgeon's tent, camp life, meet the troops, Junior Ranger programs, Milliner's Shop, Gage's Headquarters, Colonial Games

It is wonderful to walk through the camp and talk with the reenactors, see the meat and bread cooking in the fires, and watch demonstrations in the field. 

 *Copy adopted by the schedule and program distributed by the National Park Service at Salem Maritime.

Vacation Week Isn't Over Yet

If you're home with the kids this week, you're probably going a bit stir-crazy.  The weather has not been conducive to outdoor fun, and the kids (at least in my house) are getting a bit stir crazy. 

Well, vacation week isn't over yet, and there's lots to do in Salem that will keep you out of the elements.  Here are a few ideas.

Ride the red trolley.  Salem Trolley tours are awesome for all ages.  Younger kids who might not understand all of the historical nuances will just love being on the trolley, and older kids will appreciate Salem's diverse and dynamic history.  When you disembark from a trolley tour, you will be one-hour richer in Salem trivia, and full of facts on topics including Monopoly, the US Coast Guard, Salem's original sea wall, where Alexander Hamilton almost got to dance, and why doors on Chestnut Street are slightly wider than usual. 

Your trolley ticket is good for on-and-off shuttle service all day, too, so you can use the Trolley to visit the New England Pirate Museum, Salem Maritime, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Salem Witch Museum, Salem Willows (trust me, you need popcorn from Hobbs), and the House of the Seven Gables.

Drop into the Peabody Essex Museum for Art Activities to benefit Disaster Relieve in Japan.  Join the PEM for a celebration of Japanese art and culture this week.  There are drop-in activities (included with admission) all week, and on Friday students from MassArt's Boston Origami Project will be on site creating Origami cranes and fund raising for Red Cross emergency relieve efforts in Japan.  For complete information and a schedule of activities, visit pem.org. 

This Saturday, April 23rd is Junior Ranger Day at Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem.  This is a great opportunity (and, frankly, excuse) to take the kids to Salem Maritime and celebrate all of our National Parks.  There will be free, Ranger-led programs for kids of all ages between 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Salem Visitor Center, on Derby Wharf, and on board the tall ship Friendship. The Junior Ranger program is a great way to engage your kids in the national parks.  It's fun, and kids who complete the tasks can earn a Junior Ranger badge. 

There's always the old standby of taking the kids to the movies. CinemaSalem is showing Rio this week, which is a film made for School Vacation Week.  It's animated.  It's funny.  And the kid's concession combo only costs $5. 

All of this exploring is bound to get the kids hungry, so here are a few options for food:

Diner-style, enormous servings... eat at Reds Sandwich Shop.  The pancakes are enormous, you'll only need a half-portion of the Mac & Cheese, and for adventurous eaters, the daily specials are $6.95 and market-fresh.  Located on Central Street, a block away from a Trolley stop.

Pizza... Essex's NY Pizza and Deli provides quick counter service for pizza, subs, sandwiches and salads.  It's located inside Museum Place Mall, so you are a short walk from both the PEM and CinemaSalem.

Italian... you've got to try Caffe Graziani for the fresh pasta in a family-friendly environment.  Located on Washington Street, just a short walk from the closest trolley stop (use the rear entrance to make it shorter!).

Seafood... try the new Seaport Cafe on Derby Street at the entrance to Pickering Wharf.  The seafood is fresh and they will event get some veggies onto the plate for the kids! 

So, if you need activities for the rest of vacation week, look to Salem.  For even more ideas, visit the Calendar on Salem.org.  Enjoy the rest of the vacation week.  Grab a sweatshirt and a rain coat or a poncho and you'll be having so much fun you won't notice the weather!  

The answer to the question, "Where should I start when I visit Salem?"

We hear this question a lot at Destination Salem: "We've never been to Salem. Where do we start?"

Here, for you today, is the answer I have given dozens of times over the phone.

First: Park in the garage. Set your GPS for 2 New Liberty Street, Salem, MA 01970 and head to the Museum Place Mall. It costs $1.50/hour, cash (and on peak weekends in October it's $20 cash upon entry), and once you're there, you don't have to worry about your car for the rest of the day.

Visit Salem's Parking Department on Salem.com for complete parking information.

After you park and lock your vehicle, head out of the garage and across Liberty Street to the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center. Here is where you can get oriented to Salem and the region and all of the sites, museums, and history you are about to encounter.


The Visitor Center serves as a primary interpretive point for both Salem and the Essex National Heritage Area. You will find exhibits that interpret the Early Settlement, Maritime, and Industrial heritage of the region, as well as information and brochures to help you find sites and museums that are dedicated to telling each specific story.


The Visitor Center also offers a free, 27-minute film, Where Past is Present, that offers a terrific and beautifully filmed overview of the founding of Essex County and the early days of the nation, through the fishing and maritime history and into the industrial heritage of the nineteenth century. The film will help you make connections between the sites in the region, and, perhaps, the places from where you come. Translations of the film are available in French, Spanish, German and Russian. Click here for more information on the film, including its schedule.


The visitor center itself is housed in the drill shed of the Salem Armory, which was the headquarters of the Second Corps of Cadets. The Armory Park adjacent to the visitor center is a great place to relax, watch the people go by, have a picnic, or wait for a trolley or walking tour - as many of them originate here at the visitor center.


The Visitor Center provides maps and brochures galore, as well as trained Rangers and volunteers who can help point you in the right direction. Equally as important, the restrooms are clean, which may be your first priority after driving into Salem! Begin your trip at the Salem Regional Visitor Center and you will be oriented for a great day exploring Salem, or days exploring the region.

Sailing Vessel Peacemaker to visit Salem Maritime National Historic Site

From August 9 to the 22nd, Salem Maritime will welcome the 400 ton barquentine Peacemaker to historic Central Wharf. “We are committed to having a lively visiting vessel program at Salem Maritime National Historic Site,” said site Superintendent Patricia Trap, “and Peacemaker is a modern example of the traditional shipbuilder’s art.”

Peacemaker originally built in 1989 in Brazil and intended as a charter vessel by a Brazilian industrialist. She was never completed, however, and in 2000, she was purchased by a community known as the Twelve Tribes. The Twelve Tribes community finished construction on the vessel, rigged her as a barquentine, and in 2007 began sailing her as an experiment in communal living at sea.

Peacemaker will be open to the public for free from August 10 to 22, 10 am to 7 pm on weekdays, and 10 am to 9 pm on the weekends. For more information, call 978-740-1660.

Pictures from the Salem Maritime Festival

Yesterday's Salem Maritime Festival was fantastic. There were wharves filled with activity and family fun, including schooner sails, remote boat races, wooden boat decorating, kite making (and kite flying), face painting, henna tattooing, reenactors, cannon firing, and 19th century lawn games to play.

And music! There was music! Hundreds went to the opening concert on Friday night, and the bands that played through the day had people dancing under the tent.

Here are some of my pictures from this annual day of Free Family Fun...

Lawn Bowling (a'la 1804)

The Lewis Story, visiting from Ipswich.

Learning from a local lobsterman.

Tall Ship Friendship and Pedrick's Warehouse

USS Constitution Drill Team demonstrating a cannon firing drill.

Provisions, trade, costume... a look into history.

For more information on the Salem Maritime Festival and the Salem Maritime National Historic site, visit nps.gov/sama.

This week is Salem Heritage Days... don't miss the Pizza Contest on Monday night and the Ice Cream Bowl on Tuesday! You can view a PDF of the schedule of Heritage Events here.