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Winston-Salem, NC

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Jessica W.

Planned a day trip to Winston Salem and Old Salem was our number 1 stop. Planned to spend a couple of hours here at most ended up here for more than 4hours and could have stayed more!!! Loved loved loved it. It was a cool windy day so getting to go in and see the different places was nice. I would highly recommend taking this trip for anyone who like history or historic building and artifacts.

Kimber C.

This is a great place to visit and walk around. The architecture of The oldest house dates back to 1776. You can see the timber frame filled in with the brick masonry. Highly recommend a visit.

Bill W.

Fantastic Place to Unwind, Enjoy the History and Indulge in Good Food Salem was the third Moravian Settlement what was known as Wachovia but was by far the largest. As Salem and the neighboring town of Winston grew, they eventually combined to form Winston Salem. The Moravians are still active and they are a number of Churches scattered throughout the western Piedmont and other areas of the United States. Most of the building in Old Salem were built in the later 1700's to early 1800's. Many have been preserved with few changes so preservation and reconstruction are constantly ongoing. Streets and side walks are cobblestone and brick and because of tree roots causing them to buckle, good idea to wear comfortable shoes and watch where you step.. Beautiful public green in from of the College and this is also the location of the public pump where all the towns people got their water. TheTavern is an active restaurant serving very good food. Very eclectic menu with some period like the Moravian Chicken Pie and others like Wild Boar Shank a bit more creative. It's basically a nice quite place and you get a great opportunity to just relax and unwind.

Joy L.

Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A definite tourist attraction, however was closed during peak season for a long Christmas break. So do not plan on visiting here during Christmas as nothing will be open. While very nice for the locals and their families, it is not the best time to visit. Included in the historical registry are the Salem Tavern, Single Brothers' House, Single Brothers Industrial Complex Site, and West Salem. The original settlers of Winston Salem were members of the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination that first began in 1457. These were followers of John Huss (Jan Hus, 1369-1415)hailing from the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic. In 1722, Count Zinzendorf, a Saxon nobleman, helped create the village of Herrnhut as the first settlement of exiled Morovians.

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4 months ago

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2 years ago

Super cute old town area with beautiful buildings and a cool bakery with a special bread baking oven. It's worth a visit!

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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4 years ago

Awesome times, enjoyed the live action re-enactments and history that exudes from these historical districts

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8 years ago

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Review Highlights - Old Salem

“We did have lunch at the Tavern and really enjoyed our meal.”

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Former Home Of Maya Angelou

Former Home Of Maya Angelou

5.0(1 review)
3.3 mi

First and foremost: this is a private home in a quiet neighborhood and not a public museum /…read moreproperty. If you visit, please make sure to not enter the property / knock on the front door / disturb the family who lives there in any way. Respectful, okay? Okay, cool. That all being said -- this place is a historical landmark for Winston Salem and humanity as a whole. It was the home of writer/actress/director/activist Dr. Maya Angelou from 1994 until her death in 2014, when she passed away inside this home. Dr. Angelou once wrote a lovely little essay called "In the Valley of Humility" (published in the collection "Letter to My Daughter") about how and why she decided to make Winston-Salem her home. She decided on Winston-Salem in part because of the warmth and kindness she felt from the community at Wake Forest University, and decided to accept the position of lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies there in 1981. This came after a divorce when she was looking for a "soft place to land". Anyone who has spent time in the Wake Forest part of Winston-Salem can certainly understand the appeal for her in that moment. Whenever I feel the need for a spiritual moment or reset, I like to quietly drive by her former home on Bartram. I take in the trees, how green and peaceful everything is. I pull out of the neighborhood and drive the few minutes down to the Wake Forest campus -- the same drive that Dr. Angelou likely made when she was heading over to speak or teach. It's really easy to understand why she picked Winston-Salem as her haven. Whenever I have visitors in from out of town, this is one of the first places I recommend that they visit. She may not live there anymore, and the house may now be painted deep blue instead of sunshine yellow, but driving by this house and down these streets -- especially after reading "In the Valley of Humility" -- allows so much in-depth insight into the day-to-day existence of one of the most cherished Southern writers of our time.

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Former Home Of Maya Angelou

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Old Salem Heritage Bridge - Old Salem Heritage Bridge, Winston-Salem

Old Salem Heritage Bridge

4.8(13 reviews)
0.0 mi

Built in 1998 for nearly $2m, this is a modern covered pedestrian bridge and it is named for the…read moreroad that it covers, Old Salem Road. It is located at the site of North Carolina's first Moravian community and is next to the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. I found it interesting that it is the first covered bridge built in North Carolina in nearly a quarter century, and is one of only three in the State. From the American Society of Civil Engineers (North Carolina) web site, "It is a timber Burr arch truss bridge (named for early 19th Century American bridge builder Theodore Burr) which compliments the characteristics of Old Salem's Moravian heritage. The structure spans approximately 120' over Old Salem Bypass with 17' vertical clearance over the roadway, and a 12' walkway. The bridge is framed with two massive Burr-arch trusses, 15'-10" in height with a 5' rise. The arches spring from two cast in place concrete, stone-faced abutments. The western landing of the bridge has stairs and a wheelchair ramp, meeting the American with Disabilities Act requirements, providing access to the bridge from the strollway. East of Old Salem bypass, the structure connects to an elevated concrete walkway leading to the stairwell and ramp, which connects to Main Street." It is a spectacular photo opportunity and in fact, a family was having some professional portraits done when I was here. Sorry to disturb y'all! [Review 19948 overall - 3435 in North Carolina - 922 of 2023.]

Super cute spot. Looked like someone had just gotten married there because there was confetti…read moreeverywhere. Great stop for pictures and easy to walk too. Wheelchair accessible as well.

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Old Salem Heritage Bridge
Old Salem Heritage Bridge - Old Salem Heritage Bridge, Winston-Salem

Old Salem Heritage Bridge, Winston-Salem

Old Salem Heritage Bridge

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Historic Bethabara Park

Historic Bethabara Park

4.5(13 reviews)
5.8 mi

I was very pleased with my experience here. Originally came to explore the walking trails but…read morehappen to come on a day they were doing live demonstrations. It was quite fun to try the food that was a representation of what they would have eaten during that time period and see it cooked over a fire. It was very delicious too! The staff was so friendly and genuinely happy to answer any questions and include us in the process. I admired their authentic outfits too, it was like being transported back in time. The grounds are beautiful and the walking trails go much further than I had anticipated. There is also a creek in one section of the park, which is a peaceful place to cool off on a summer day and also a great place for kids to explore freely. I have not personally been to one of their festivals but have heard nothing but good things in regards to them. Overall this is a great FREE place to visit. Friendly staff and clean bathrooms!

This is a wonderful resource for the Winston-Salem and even the Triad region. A direct link to one…read moreof the first if not the first settlers of the area. Religious migration of MORAVIANS from the North Eastern states. And ultimately the MORAVIAN RELIGION hails from Germany from the 1400's. Their church emerged from the Hussite movement, which predated Martin Luther's Reformation by over 50 years. This park honors a long heritage, that laid the foundation that predates both Winston and Salem, now Winston-Salem. This public park hosts several festivals a year. And it hosts outdoors summer concerts that can be held under a open air shelter. Great for families and peoples or all ages and their pets. Nice and flat for strolling. The grounds houses structures and reconstructed structures from the original settlement back to 1753. Several of the structures house demonstrations for the living skills needed back then: food production, black smithing, etc. A modern welcome center has a model reproduction of the center and is a sort of mini museum. The staff are knowledgeable and happy to educate. There are presentations in the center on the history. Nice bathrooms are there also. And a limited # items are available for purchase and I believe funds go to support the park. The main old structure is a house of worship with an organ that dates from very early on. Consider HISTORIC BETHABARA a quicker trip that to say WILLAMSBURG in VA (granted that is larger and more historically important on a National Level) but nonetheless a way to take a quick step back in time. Also consider OLD SALEM a little to the south in Winston-Salem. Another MORIAVIAN SETTLEMENT (really a follow on, since BETHABARA was meant to be temporary whilst SALEM was planned to be permanent). More along the lines of a mini-WILLAMSBURG. With a reopened TAVERN restaurant. And historical sites and demonstrations to experience. And SALEM is the home to the 1st ever official 4TH OF JULY celebration in the Nation. And back to HISTORIC BETHABARA, take a stroll through the vegetable garden housing genetically same fruits and vegetables that were grown back in the 1700's. Salem also has the same type of gardens.

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Historic Bethabara Park
Historic Bethabara Park
Historic Bethabara Park

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Old Salem Museums and Gardens - 1st Krispy Kreme

Old Salem Museums and Gardens

4.4(54 reviews)
0.3 mi

I've visited Old Salem numerous times over the years. I was pleased on my latest visit that new…read morebuildings and exhibits were open. There is a large parking area at the Visitor's Center. Tickets are $27 for a two day pass. The staff provides you with a map and circles all the stops so you will not miss a thing. You can go in any order you'd like. There is a lot of walking so make sure you have comfortable shoes on. There are also restroom stops along the way that are marked on your map as they are not obvious. In the buildings you can see various trades performed and learn about the Moravian history. I enjoyed the Doctor's House; Boy's School as I had not seen those before but it was great to see the other buildings again and get questions answered by the staff. MESDA is now an additional fee and not included with the Old Salem ticket. Then there are just two tours a day. The Frank L. Horton Museum has two self guided galleries. There are a few places to eat while at Old Salem. The Tavern of Old Salem is a sit down restaurant with table service. The Flour Box has sandwiches, pastries and salads as well as a traditional tea service. Winkler Bakery has breads, cookies and pastries. Old Salem has done a great job of preserving history and lots of the exhibits are hands on. There are signs that say "please touch" in some of the buildings.

North Carolina history interests us after moving to Greensboro so Old Salem was a natural…read moredestination. We arrived 15 min after opening and the parking lot was already full with cars and tour buses. Oddly though, the greatest population in the village were school children. We paid $30 each to be able to get into "ticket only" buildings. The museum and art gallery were Interesting with furniture, pottery, art work, etc. You could walk through the village streets unticketed but needed tickets for tours and demonstrations. Unfortunately, we didn't enter one of those buildings because of the very large groups of school children waiting for the next opening. We were told by a docent in the art gallery, "I hope you like children," and we do, but we had no idea how many were there. It would seem very considerate of adult patrons to have one or two days a week dedicated to school groups to allow $30 ticketed patrons to actually enjoy the sights! We stopped into the cafe around noon for a snack hoping the kid groups would diminish. I ordered spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips. There were maybe 5 whole pita chips, the rest broke pieces too small to dip with. My husband ordered the pretzels with spicy mustard and cheese. It was delivered without mustard. When he asked, he was told, "Oh, sorry, we're out." My cider was delicious but $40 later, not a good experience. The kid groups were still waiting for tours so after two hours of walking and waiting, we left. All in all, it seems others have had good times in Old Salem. Unfortunately, we just had an expensive long walk.

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Old Salem Museums and Gardens - The Old Salem Heritage Bridge interior.

The Old Salem Heritage Bridge interior.

Old Salem Museums and Gardens - Vogler House

Vogler House

Old Salem Museums and Gardens - The Gunsmith's shop in Old Salem, NC

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The Gunsmith's shop in Old Salem, NC

Old Salem - landmarks - Updated November 2026

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