Salem Maritime National Historical Park

On March 17, 1938, Salem Maritime was established as the first National Historic Site created by the National Park Service. In 2025, as part of a legislative effort to boost tourism, expand funding opportunities, and honor Salem’s 400th maritime anniversary, it was redesignated as Salem Maritime National Historical Park.

The park preserves a historic stretch of Salem’s waterfront, a collection of wharves and buildings that together tell a layered story of America’s early identity. That story encompasses the enslavement of Indigenous people and people of African descent, the rise of colonial port towns, the role of international trade in shaping the young nation’s economy, and the ties between maritime commerce and growing industrialization.

Among the surviving historic structures are the U.S. Custom House, Hawkes House, Derby House, St. Joseph’s Hall, Narbonne House, and the West India Goods Store. A highlight unique to the park is the replica tall ship Friendship of Salem, docked at Derby Wharf, where visitors can learn about the original vessel’s remarkable 15 voyages to destinations including China, Indonesia, India, Venezuela, Spain, and Russia.