The country’s oldest National Historic Site sits on Salem Harbor and it costs nothing to visit

It’s the country’s first National Historic Site

Salem Maritime National Historical Park sits right along Salem Harbor in Massachusetts, and it holds a title no other park in the country can claim.

On March 17, 1938, the federal government made it the very first National Historic Site in the United States. In July 2025, it earned a new designation as a National Historical Park.

Nine acres of waterfront, twelve historic structures, and over 600 years of maritime history wait for you here, and every tour and program is free.

Salem ships sailed to China and back for tea

Between 1776 and 1812, Salem moved more cargo than any other port in the country.

Ships left the harbor bound for China, India, Indonesia and Russia, and came back loaded with tea, spices, silk and porcelain. All that trade made Salem the wealthiest city per capita in the nation by the early 1800s.

By 1790, it ranked as the sixth largest city in the United States.

The city motto still reads “To the farthest port of the rich East,” and taxes collected at the customs house covered 7 percent of all federal revenue.

Derby Wharf runs 2,045 feet into the harbor

Richard Derby Sr. and his son Elias Hasket Derby started building Derby Wharf in 1762. By 1806, it stretched 2,045 feet into Salem Harbor, making it the longest wharf in the park.

At its peak, 22 warehouses lined both sides. Today it stands as one of the few surviving pre-Revolutionary port structures in the country.

You can walk it any time you want, day or night, because the wharf and park grounds stay open 24 hours a day, year-round.

A solar-powered lighthouse at the end of the walk

Walk the full length of Derby Wharf and you cover nearly half a mile over the water.

At the far end sits the Derby Wharf Light, a small lighthouse built in 1871 that still works today, powered by solar energy.

You can’t go inside, but the walk out there gives you open views of Salem Harbor, nearby marinas and the surrounding coastline. On a clear day, the light and the water make the trip out worth every step.

The Friendship sailed 15 voyages before the British took her

The Friendship of Salem is a 171-foot replica of a merchant ship originally built here in 1797.

The original Friendship made 15 voyages to China, India, Indonesia and Russia before the British captured her during the War of 1812. She was never seen again.

The National Park Service built the replica at the Scarano Brothers Shipyard in Albany, N.Y., and launched her in 1998.

She returned to Derby Wharf in July 2025 after a major multi-year repair, with final masting and rigging work planned through spring 2026.

Fake cannons fooled pirates from a distance

Step aboard the Friendship and you can spot a Quaker Cannon on the upper deck. It looks real from a distance, but it is carved from wood.

Merchants used these fakes because real cannons were heavy and expensive, and every pound of iron meant less room for profitable cargo. The name comes from the Quakers, who opposed war.

When pirates did close in, the fighting went hand-to-hand because pirates wanted the ship and cargo in one piece.

Nathaniel Hawthorne worked inside this customs house

The Salem Custom House went up in 1819 on Derby Street, where officials collected taxes on goods arriving from overseas. Nathaniel Hawthorne worked here as Surveyor of the Port from 1846 to 1849.

That job gave him the material for the famous opening chapter of The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850. You can step inside today and see his office, tools of the customs trade, and exhibits about the building.

A carved wooden eagle once sat on the roof, and Hawthorne wrote about it in the novel.

A wedding gift that built a shipping empire

Captain Richard Derby built the Derby House in 1762 as a wedding gift for his son Elias Hasket Derby. It is the oldest brick house in the park and a solid example of Georgian architecture.

Elias went on to become one of the wealthiest people in the young United States, sending ships to trade directly with China and the Far East.

Free guided tours run with National Park Rangers, but groups cap at eight visitors. Stop by the Salem Visitor Center the day of your visit to grab a spot.

One woman lived in this house for 101 years

The Narbonne House went up in 1675 for Thomas Ives, a local butcher, making it one of the few surviving middle-class homes from 17th-century America.

One family occupied it for 200 of its nearly 300 years of use.

Sarah Narbonne, the longest resident, was born inside and lived there until her death in 1895 at age 101. The National Park Service bought it in 1963 and chose not to restore it to a single era.

Instead, the house shows how it changed across 330 years.

A sea captain’s shop sold molasses and coffee

Captain Henry Prince built the West India Goods Store around 1800.

He owned stakes in nine ships and sold imports like molasses, sugar and coffee alongside local products.

In Salem, “West India Goods Store” meant any shop selling imported goods from around the world, not just the Caribbean.

Nearby, the Pedrick Store House, a three-story warehouse originally built around 1770 in Marblehead, was moved to Derby Wharf and reassembled by the Park Service starting in 2007.

It is a rare surviving example of the waterfront warehouses that once lined the American coast.

Polish immigrants kept Salem going after the ships left

St. Joseph Hall went up in 1909, built by one of Salem’s Polish community clubs.

The building served as a meeting place and apartment building for Polish immigrants who lived near Derby Street. Its large second-floor hall hosted hundreds of weddings, dances, plays and social events over the decades.

The park added it in 1988, and it tells a story most people do not expect here. Salem’s history did not end with the tall ships.

Working-class families kept this neighborhood alive long after the maritime trade faded.

Three to four hours covers the whole park

The park’s historic buildings typically open from mid-May through the end of October, Wednesdays through Sundays.

Start at the visitor center at 2 New Liberty Street in downtown Salem, where you can pick up maps, explore exhibits and watch two short films.

One covers Essex County’s maritime history, and the other digs into the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. You can bring your leashed dog on the outdoor grounds and Derby Wharf, but not inside buildings.

Check the official website for current hours before you go.

Explore Salem Maritime National Historical Park in Massachusetts

You can reach the park by car, commuter rail, bus, ferry or recreational boat.

The main address is 160 Derby Street, Salem, Mass. There are no entrance fees, and every tour and program is free. The grounds and wharves stay open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Building hours and tour schedules shift by season, so check the official website before your visit for the latest on hours, tours and the status of the Friendship of Salem.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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