Salem Heritage Trail
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About
The Salem Heritage Trail guides visitors from around the corner and around the world through over 400 years of Salem history. The themes of the trail bridge connections from the land’s earliest settlement to the Salem we see today with focuses on local Indigenous Peoples, Colonial Salem and the Witch Trials, the Age of Sail, Industrial Heritage, Abolitionism and African American Stories, Immigrant Experiences, Religious Diversity, and Contemporary Salem.
Created in the 1980s, the Salem Heritage Trail was developed to be a self-guided walking trail to help visitors experience Salem’s historic sites and navigate the downtown district. Intended to evoke a brick line like Boston’s Freedom Trail, the Salem Heritage Trail was painted as a red line on the sidewalk. Over time, the trail became known as “The Red Line.”
Click HERE to see the Salem Heritage Trail Mobile App
Step into Salem with our new Virtual 360 Heritage Trail Tour, click to enter.
Historic Sites
The Salem Heritage Trail is a tool for exploring historic Salem on foot. Hop on the trail in the middle or on one of the ends, and follow it through historic downtown Salem to the edge of the McIntire Historic District and along the Essex Street Pedestrian Way to Derby Street and the Salem Waterfront District.
For an immersive experience click HERE to entre our 360 Tour.