Seeing Salem: Audio Tour from the Common to Pickering Wharf

Stroll into this sprawling green park, one of Salem's most beloved public spaces, where history has unfolded for nearly 400 years. This was the training ground of the first muster of the American National Guard, making it the very birthplace of a national institution.

eorge Washington's visit to Salem in 1789. It marks the starting point of the tour and sets the stage for the stories that follow.

Marvel at this striking nine-foot bronze figure of Salem's founder, standing watch near the edge of the Common. Erected in 1913, the statue depicts Conant in a broad-rimmed hat and flowing cape, grasping an oak tree Salempl, a symbol of the resilience that shaped this city from its earliest days.

Enjoy this thoughtful bronze tribute to Salem's most celebrated author, seated on a moss-covered rock along the boulevard that bears his name. Hawthorne's connection to Salem runs deep, from his childhood here to his time working at the Custom House just down the road.

ly surrounded by some of Salem's liveliest bars. It is a reminder of the waves of Irish immigration that shaped the city's social and religious fabric in the 19th century.

Walk along this lively waterfront area where Salem's proud maritime heritage meets modern harbour life. It is the perfect place to pause, take in the sea air, and picture the merchant ships that once made this city one of America's wealthiest ports.

Explore this national park site right on the waterfront, preserving the wharves and buildings that drove Salem's extraordinary maritime trade. Derby Wharf stretches out into the harbour here, offering one of the most atmospheric views on the entire tour.

Pass this handsome Federal-style building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked as a surveyor, an experience that directly inspired the introduction to The Scarlet Letter. The building still stands largely as Hawthorne would have known it, making it one of the most tangible literary landmarks in America.

Marvel at this elegant brick mansion built for Elias Hasket Derby, the country's first recorded millionaire, whose fortune was built entirely on maritime trade. It is one of the oldest surviving brick buildings in Salem and a quiet testament to the extraordinary wealth the sea once brought to this city.

Stroll past this weathered timber-framed house, one of the most quietly remarkable on the tour. A single family occupied it for over 200 years, making it a rare and intimate window into everyday colonial life in Salem.

ational Historic Site complex along Derby Street. It stands as one of the finest examples of the architectural style that defined Salem's prosperous merchant class in the late 18th century.

ith deep traditions of local craftsmanship. It makes for an ideal post-tour destination, where Salem's history and hospitality come together in a glass.