Salem Kids Tours

I'm really excited about Salem Kids Tours, a brand new walking tour in Salem that is geared specifically for kids. The tour is geared for kids and their parents, age 4 and up, and features "Ghost Stories, Gross Stories, and a Time Machine!"

This is a cool addition to any family trip to Salem.

Tours, led by the ever charming Prudence Adams, are held Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Save in Salem with the MassValuePass

The third iteration of the MassValuePass is currently in circulation, and it can save you money! If you are not able to download a pass from MassVacation.com, or you download your pass, print it out, and then leave it on top the dishwasher, not to be remembered until you are 100 miles from home (I'm just saying - stranger things have happened), stop into the National Park Service Salem Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street. They have printed copies of the pass and would be happy to provide you with one.

Here are the sites and accommodations in Salem that are participating in the Pass:

SALEM MASSVALUEPASS DEALS

LODGING DEALS

*Please check with each individual property for additional restrictions or blackout dates

Clipper Ship Inn

Salem
978-745-8022
First two nights at regular price. Additional nights are 25 % off nightly rate. Nightly rate ranges between $95 and $150 per night.

Hawthorne Hotel

Salem

978-744-4080
Stay in a standard room at the historic Hawthorne Hotel for only $119 plus tax! Regularly $150. Not valid with any other discounts; not valid on reservations already made; based upon availability. Blackout dates may apply.

Salem Inn

Salem

978-741-0680
Stay at the Salem Inn Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and receive 25% off your entire stay. regular room rates range from $139.00 - 259.00.

Stepping Stone Inn

Salem

978-741-8900
Normal price is $144 + tax discount is $115 + tax and with all 2 night stays you are given a pass to the Salem witch museum right next door. When calling to make a reservation please mention this add to receive your discount

ATTRACTION DEALS

Bewitched in Salem

Salem

978-744-9904
Daytime and Nighttime Walking Tour Special. Receive 1 FREE child's ticket with every regular priced Adult ticket purchased.

History Alive! Presents: Cry Innocent: The People versus Bridget Bishop

Salem

978-867-4767
Receive a 2 for 1 discount when purchasing a Cry Innocent ticket at our box office cart on the corner of Essex St. and Derby Sq. With the Mass Value Pass, a 2nd person will be admitted free with the purchase of one adult, student, or senior ticket. Regular prices for Cry Innocent: $9 Adult $8 Students and Seniors Free for children under 6 yrs.

History Alive! Presents: Pioneer Village

Salem

978-867-4767
2 for 1 discount with the purchase of a Pioneer Village ticket. With a valid Mass Value Pass, a second person will be admitted to Pioneer Village after purchasing one adult, student, or senior ticket. Regular Pioneer Village Ticket Prices: $9 Adults $8 Students and Seniors Free for children under 6 yrs.

House of the Seven Gables

Salem

978-744-0991
$2 off admission (up to four)

New England Pirate Museum

Salem

978-741-2800
25% Off Adult Admission $8.00 adult ticket will be $6.00 with Mass Value Pass

Salem Trolley

Salem

978-744-5469
One Hour historical tour with same day shuttle. Ride the Red Trolleys!!! Discount of $3.00 off adult and senior tickets. That's a 25% savings.

Salem Witch Museum

Salem

978-744-1692
Visit the Salem Witch Museum and receive a special promotional rate: Adult- $6.00, Senior Citizen, $5.25 and Child (6-14) $4.00. This offer may not be combined with any other discount.

Witch Dungeon Museum

Salem

978-741-7770
25% Off Adult Admission $8.00 adult ticket will be $6.00 with Mass Value Pass

Witch History Museum

Salem

978-741-7770
25% Off Adult Admission $8.00 adult ticket will be $6.00 with Mass Value Pass

Witch House

Salem

978-744-8815
$2.00 off our admission prices of $8.25(adult), $6.25(senior), $4.25(child)

DINING DEALS

Nathanial's at the Hawthorne Hotel

Salem

978-744-4080
25% off one dinner entree when two or more are purchased.

RETAIL DEALS

City Consignment & Thrift

Salem

978-744-44333
Take 25% of one regular priced item priced 10.00 or more. (not to be combined with any other purchase

There are many, many more discounts - all at least 25% off - on MassVacation.com. Use your pass to explore Massachusetts all month!

Salem Heritage Trail - Part 2 of 2

After satiating our hunger with hot dogs, my 8-year-old companion and I set out to continue exploring the Salem Heritage Trail, AKA "The Red Line."

We left you on Washington Street at the corner of Lynde Street. Facing east, the MBTA Commuter Rail Station is a few steps north of our lunch stop, and while the Heritage Trail goes to the train station we will not. Instead we head south along Washington Street, passing Salem City Hall, which was built in 1836-37.

To avoid retracing our steps up the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, we continue down Washington Street (Occasionally referred to as "Eat Street," Washington Street is home to more than a dozen restaurants that offer a wide range of fare from around the world.) and we turn onto Front Street, passing the Old Town Hall where Cry Innocent is performed and the Salem Farmer's Market offers local foods and crafts on Thursday afternoons.

Front Street turns into Charter Street and heads up hill toward the Old Burying Point Cemetery. We spend some time wandering through the cemetery, looking at gravestones and trying to read the stones that have been worn away by time and weather.

I wanted to find the grave stone for Samuel McIntire, Salem's famous architect and wood carver, because it is not cited on the sign and most people don't realize that this beloved son of Salem is buried in the Charter Street Cemetery. Using the map of notable stones, we wind our way through the cemetery and find Mr. McIntire's grave site.

Adjacent to the cemetery is the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. Dedicated by Nobel laureate Eli Wiesel in 1992 to commemorate the tercentenary of the Witch Trials, the memorial is a start reminder of the tragic Salem Witch Trials. Nineteen innocent people were hanged and one man pressed to death during the Witch Trials of 1692.

We do not know for sure where the hangings happened. The memorial, which is on the Liberty Street pedestrian way between Charter and Derby Streets, is the most appropriate place to remember the victims and consider the lessons of tolerance learned from the Salem Witch Trials.

When you visit the memorial, note the twenty benches that extend from the walls. Each bench is inscribed with the name of one of the condemned, the method and date of their execution. The trees in the center of the memorial were chosen because they are the last to flower in the spring and the first to shed their leaves in the fall. Upon the memorial's threshold you will read the words of the condemned, which are carved into stones that run under the walls of the memorial, symbolizing the accused words falling on deaf ears. Often you will see candles or flowers laid on the benches to remember the victims.

Truth be told, the lessons of 1692 are somewhat difficult to convey to my 8-year-old son, so I explain the history, he takes pictures, and we move along down Charter Street toward Pickering Wharf.

We are following the Heritage Trail (Red Line), so we loop through Pickering Wharf and do some window shopping. I'm checking out menus in the windows of the restaurants, pondering our next meal, and he is concentrating on the shops and the boats docked in the marina.

You will find a bit of everything at Pickering Wharf, from pet boutiques to ladies' accessories, Witch shops to beauty salons, creative cuisine to an all-you-can-eat salad bar. And lobster rolls. There are many great lobster rolls to choose from on Pickering Wharf!

I always think "The Salem Frigate" plaque would be a perfect addition to any scavenger hunt, because I don't think anyone knows it exists. This plaque is on Pickering Wharf, facing the water, so to see it you need to walk along the fence between Capt.'s and Victoria Station.

The plaque reads:

On 23 October 1798 prominent citizens of Salem who had subscribed to build a ship for the service of the United States voted “to build a frigate of 32 guns and to loan the same to the government.” The Essex was constructed and equipped at winter Island about a mile from this site. “To oppose French insolence and piracy.” Her keel was laid in April 1799: She was launched 30 September and sailed from Salem 22 December 1799 under Captain Edward Preble. Essex did outstanding service in the naval war with France and the Barbary Wars. Her last cruise under Captain David Porter in the War of 1812 was epic in naval history. Essex swept the pacific clear of British whalers and provoked a British squadron to seek her out while disabled in the neutral port of Valparaiso, Chile on 28 March 1814. Essex was attacked and forced to surrender after a valiant 3-hour battle.

The proud name and heritage of the Frigate Essex were carried on by the aircraft carrier USS Essex, first of 24 Essex-class ships commissioned 31 December 1942. She bore the name nobly for more than 26 years of an illustrious career.

Dedicated 20 June 1979.

Salem's history just keeps going and going and going... and so do we. As we leave Pickering Wharf, we round the corner of Derby Street to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site Orientation Center.

We step into the Orientation Center and watch the free 19-minute film, "To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East." The film presents Salem's fascinating maritime heritage, giving context to the wharves and buildings preserved by the National Park Service.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site includes Derby Wharf, Derby Light, the tall ship Friendship of Salem, historic buildings including the Custom House, Derby House, and Narbonne House, and the West India Goods Store (note: this is a great spot to buy spices!)

The Heritage Trail continues down Derby Street to The House of the Seven Gables, and on to the Salem Ferry landing at Blaney Street. We stop at Ye Olde Pepper Companie for some energy in the form of malt balls and Swedish Fish. Ye Olde Pepper Companie is most noted for its Gibralters and Blackjacks, however, which were two of the first commercially produced candies in America.

Bags of candy in hand, it is time to double back up Derby Street to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, where we cut through on the path between Derby House and the Hawkes House up to Essex Street and on to Salem Common.

Salem Common has been public grazing land since the 17th century. In the 18th century it was used as a training ground for the militia. Today it's a great spot for picnics, bike riding, dog walking, and relaxing.

We reach the end of our adventure at the statue of Roger Conant on the northwest corner of Salem Common. This statue was erected to recognize Roger Conant, who founded Salem in 1626 for the English Dorchester Company. Salem was known as Naumkeag ("fishing place") then, and was renamed Salem (from the Hebrew word for peace) in 1629.

We had a great time exploring Salem's Heritage Trail. It runs in three loops through the city, passing most of the historic sites, museums and attractions, and past many of Salem's hotels, inns, and B&Bs. We did not wander off the trail other than food and the film at the Salem Maritime Site, and our walk took about 2.5 hours and we spent less than $20 on lunch and candy.

There is so much to Salem's history. The Heritage Trail lets you explore it independently and at your own pace. Travel from 1626 to 2009 New England - just follow the red line!

Salem Heritage Trail - Part 1 of 2

Earlier this summer, my eight-year-old son and I set out to walk the Salem Heritage Trail. This is the red line that is painted on the sidewalks of Salem. It extends from the MBTA Commuter Rail station (30 minutes from Boston on the Newburyport/Rockport lines) to the Salem Ferry dock on Blaney Street, and it makes three loops in between.

We started at the Salem Visitor Center at 11:00 AM on a nice Friday, camera in hand. All things in Salem start at the visitor center - located at 2 New Liberty Street, it is across the street from the Museum Place Garage, has (clean!) rest rooms, lots of visitor information on Salem and the entire Essex National Heritage Area, or North of Boston region, informative ranges who can answer just about any question, and a free 27-minute film called "Where Past is Present" that I highly recommend watching for two reasons: 1) it will give you a great overview of Salem and the region's history, 2) it is extremely well done. And it appeals to all ages.

From the Visitor Center, we headed west on Essex Street, passing the Peabody Essex Museum. The PEM is the oldest continually operated museum in the country, and it has exceptional collections that include Asian Export Art, Maritime Art, Native American Art, Yin Yu Tang, a Chinese House, which was moved piece-by-piece from China and rebuilt in Salem (and is today the only example of 18th Century Chinese architecture in America), and incredible changing exhibits and programming.

As the PEM's first building, The East India Museum Hall (pictured) was where Salem sea captains and merchants would display the curiosities they brought back from around the globe. Today it is part gallery and part function hall, and it was used for the opening wedding scene in the 2009 film Bridewars with Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.

We continued down Essex Street, past boutiques, shops, cafes and the Witch History Museum. People were dining outside, and a few shops have water bowls for thirsty dogs out. At the corner of Essex and Washington Streets, on the former Daniel Low Building, which today is Rockafellas (restaurant), is a plaque that notes the building as the site of Salem's first Town Hall and the location where, in 1774, delegates for the first Continental Congress were chosen.

Turning from American history to whimsy, across the intersection is the statue of Samantha from the Bewitched series, which filmed the Salem episodes in Salem in the early 1970s. There is a small exhibit about the series' visit to Salem in the lobby of the Hawthorne Hotel. The statue was erected in Salem by TV Land in 2005, and today I suspect Samantha's statue is one of the most photographed objects in Salem!

Continuing down Essex Street we pass more restaurants and shops before reaching the intersection of Essex and Summer Streets, which has a lot going on! On the north side of Essex is the Witch House, or Corwin House. The house is the only building still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. It was the home of Judge Jonathon Corwin, who was one of the magistrates who presided over the trials.

Across the street on the south side of Essex Street is a monument and flag (of course!) remembering Salem Captain William Driver who was the first to name the American flag "Old Glory." That flag, which was given to Driver by his mother as he departed on a trip, is part of the Smithsonian's collection.

Adjacent to the Driver memorial is the entry plaque to the Samuel McIntire District. This is an amazing district of Federal Style Architecture. Salem has the largest collection of Federal era architecture in the world, and it is concentrated on Essex, Chestnut, and Federal Streets - as well as around Salem Common (Heritage Trail, Part 2). There is a self-guided tour brochure of the McIntire District available at the visitor center. You can do it without the brochure though - just follow the plaques with the sheaves of wheat that are installed in the sidewalks, and make sure to read the house plaques so you know when and for whom each house was built.

Back on the North side of Essex Street, we passed the First Church in Salem, which was the parish of many of the accused during the Salem Witch Trials. This church is stunning with Tiffany windows and Gothic architecture, and it made an appearance in the 2008 novel The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.

Next door to the First Church is the Ropes Mansion, which is part of the collections of the Peabody Essex Museum. The mansion is not open to the public, but its stunning gardens are. We strolled through the gardens and took more pictures than this post will allow, noting the different flowers and plants, and walking along the paths. There are benches in the Ropes Garden, making it a lovely place to relax with a book or the daily paper.

"Hours fly, flowers bloom and die, Old days old ways pass by, Love stays" - wisdom spoken by the sundial in the Ropes Mansion.

We circle back now, and walking north a block, we cross back on Lynde Street, passing the Witch Dungeon Museum, and the Witches Cottage at the Griffen Theatre. The Witch Dungeon has the following sign from the original Witch Gaol, which was located just east of where the Witch Dungeon Museum is located.

I was advised by my companion that it was certainly lunch time, so we followed the Heritage Trail around the corner, passing Ben & Jerrie's, to Boston Hot Dog where we indulged in our regular: "Kid's dog with ketchup and California dog."

Boston Hot Dog on Washington Street is just a few steps from the MBTA Station. After lunch, we will head down Washington Street, to the Salem Common and the waterfront.

To be continued...

Trashimals at the PEM

I stopped into the Peabody Essex Museum on Friday to see the Trash Menagerie exhibit, and it was fantastic. I highly recommend adding it to your itinerary when you visit Salem.

My traveling companions (we'll call them my "focus group") were 8 and 5, and I could have left them at the Trashimal table for hours. This exhibit definitely passed the kid test.

Trash Menagerie is a celebration of the recycled. The animals on exhibit were made from umbrella pieces, old bike parts, corrugated cardboard (like them monkey on the right), bunt pans (My favorite! The green glowing centipede on the right.), campaign buttons, pots and pans, plastic bottles, old sweaters and more.

The artists' creativity inspired my kids to want to go home and make something out of nothing, and the recycling bin is now considered art supplies.

The kids really enjoyed the Trashimal board where they could use magnetized features to create their own animal - real or fictitious. We had a 5-headed-animal and a 2-headed-bird before too long.

Now, we went to the museum specifically for the Trash Menagerie exhibit, but the banner promoting the Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes exhibit absolutely drew in my 5 year old. so the focus group headed upstairs to this wonderful new exhibit of seascapes painted by the Dutch masters.

This gave me the opportunity to talk to the kids about art and looking at art - we talked about angry water, and rainbows, the very big ships sinking, and how amazing it was that a painter can make all of the details of a ship's rigging look so real.

The Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes is certainly not an exhibit geared for young children, but it was fascinating, nonetheless. There is a conservator's station in the exhibit, which fascinated the kids just as it had fascinated me when I first saw the exhibit.

The Boston Globe and The Salem News and Northshore Art Throb have each covered the Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes. I recommend checking them out, and then visiting the PEM for the Trash Menagerie, the Seascapes, and everything else. It's a brilliant place to spend the afternoon.

Doing Salem with Kids

I get asked all the time - "What can I do with my kids?" - and there are many, many options!

Here are my recommendations for families coming to Salem with kids who are 11 or younger.

1) Before you do anything, get on a trolley. Take the trolley tour around Salem to get the lay of the land. I recommend a trolley tour to everyone and anyone visiting Salem or any destination for the first time. Learn what's out there - see the landscape - hear the history. And then you are prepared for your day of exploration. Salem has two trolleys - CityView Trolleys of Salem and Salem Trolley. Both provide excellent service and tours, and both offer tickets that are good for the whole day so you can use them for on-and-off shuttle service.

2) Hit the Peabody Essex Museum and plan to spend some time. Upon arrival, purchase tickets to tour Yin Yu Tang, a Chinese House, because the kids will love it, and their perspective will probably be completely different from yours. The galleries at the museum are wonderful. My kids love the Maritime Art, especially the huge model of the Friendship. Check out the PEM's calendar online because they often have special programming for families. Programming or not, visit the Art & Nature exhibit, where the whole family can engage in games and activities that relate to current exhibits.

2) Head down to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site where you can walk out to the lighthouse and tour the tall ship Friendship. Make sure to visit the Scale House and Bonded Warehouse exhibits, both are free and located behind the Custom House. If you visit the Salem Regional Visitor Center (2 New Liberty Street), the kids can color a sheet for the "Fish & Ships" wall. The maritime site also has a Junior Ranger program.

3) Sail the Seven Seas - or at least Salem Harbor - aboard the Schooner Fame (Pickering Wharf). This sail aboard a wooden schooner will give you a taste of the exciting life of the Privateer in 1812. (I might not take kids under 3 on the Schooner - check when you make your reservations.)

4) Eat breakfast at Reds! Reds Sandwich Shop is great for families - kids love the Mickey Mouse pancakes (they are enormous) and parents like the reasonable prices. If you can get a spot at the counter, the kids can watch the cooks work the grill.

5) Stop at Boston Hot Dog, 60 Washington Street, for lunch. The dogs are awesome - and the expansive hot dog menu has something for everyone (my kids like "just ketchup" - I am a huge fan of the California Dog).

6) If you're feeling brave, stop at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie for a sweet treat. You've heard the phrase, "Kid in a candy shop," right? Then you understand why you have to be brave. The candy is wall-to-wall and as delicious as it is plentiful. Try the malt balls, and don't go home without your own package of Gibralters, which were the first commercially made candy in America.

7) For a bit of ice cream, Ben & Jerry's is next door to Boston Hot Dog, and Maria's Sweet Somethings is at 26 Front Street. Ben & Jerry's is self-explanatory. Maria's carries Richardson's Ice Cream, which is locally made at their dairy in Middleton, MA. The Mint Patty frozen yogurt is particularly refreshing.

8) Finally, hop off the trolley at Salem Willows for an hour, if you have time. At the Willows you will find ice cream, popcorn, taffy, pizza, Chinese food, kiddie land, mini-golf, and an arcade. It's a bit like stepping into the past. The Chop Suey sandwiches are the stuff of legend in Salem. I generally find myself at Hobbes' for popcorn. There are two beaches, lots of grass to run around on, and a fishing pier where you can usually find somebody fishing or crabbing.

Mahi Mahi Cruises runs out of the Willows, too, and they start their season next week.

Celebrate Jr. Ranger Day in Salem!

Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day

at your National Parks in Essex County!

Junior Ranger Day will be celebrated on April 25, 2009 at the two National Park Service sites in Essex County: Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Saugus.

Junior Ranger Day is part of National Park Week (April 18-26, 2009), which is designated annually by Presidential proclamation as a week for celebration and recognition of America’s National Parks. In 2008, nearly 50,000 people participated in Junior Ranger programs at 200 National Parks around the country, including Salem Maritime NHS and Saugus Iron Works NHS. “This is a wonderful opportunity to bring your children to the National Park in your back yard,” said Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works Superintendent Patricia Trap, “I would encourage all parents to do the National Parks’ Junior Ranger programs with their children, and I am very pleased with the new Junior Ranger programs that we are able to present in Salem and Saugus.”

Salem Maritime National Historic Site’s free Junior Ranger Day activities will take place on the tall ship Friendship of Salem from 10 AM to 4 PM. Two Junior Ranger programs will be offered that will teach kids about ships and what a sailor’s life was like. One is aimed at four to six year olds, and those who complete the activities will earn a ribbon; the other is for seven to twelve year olds, and kids who complete those activities will earn a badge.

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site’s free Junior Ranger program will be offered all day. The program helps kids to explore the people and technology of the 17th century iron works. Participants in the program can choose their activities to create a custom program tailored to their interest and age. Children that complete the program will earn a badge and certificate.

The programs will be available at Salem Maritime NHS on board Friendship,which is docked at historic Derby Wharf, 193 Derby Street, and at Saugus Iron Works, which is located at 244 Central Street in Saugus.

For more information about Salem Maritime NHS and the Junior Ranger Day activities in Salem, please visit www.nps.gov/sama or call 978-740-1650. For more information about Saugus Iron Works NHS and the Junior Ranger Day activities in Saugus, please visit www.nps.gov/sair or call 781-233-0050.

Photos: The Salem Maritime Festival, held annually on the first weekend of August; Friendship of Salem under full sail. Both photos courtesy NPS.