When you arrive in Salem, start there! The park staff is amazing and will give you an itinery with choices and good place to eat and to visit More

the national park service should take over more of Salem and clean it up More

We walked from the train station to our B&B and ducked into the visitors center for a quick look around. The free film about Essex county was really well done and the exhibits were very good. The person at the desk was helpful and was able to make excellent recommendations for our very short visit to Salem. More

I was very pleased with the information center. The staff were friendly and informative. The displays were great. The building is situated right in heart of where you need to be, with the parking garage across the street, the trolley stop right in front, the PEM museum across the street, etc. The building and surrounding area are clean and very... More

Must start your visit to Salem by a visit to the Park Service Visitor Center. The staff are very knowledgeable and they take time to deal with individual inquiries and to explain the best way to plan your visit. More

The people at the center were very helpful and had information on hand about what was open, how much it cost, and the hours. More

We didn't spend a lot of time here. There was information about the Derby Wharf, the armory, etc. It did have a nice gift shop though. More

The NPS has several guided tours of a reconstructed 19th-century sailing ship, of the kind that brought spices back fro te Orient, makig their owners millionaires. The tour also includes the old customs house where Wahsington Irvig (amobg others worked). More

There's a free film show that gives a good introduction to Salem's history beyond the witch trials, and the employees offer good advice about what else is around. Maybe less crucial if you're in Salem in the summer, but in the winter, it's definitely worth stopping here. More