This well exceeded expectation! The story telling In The beginning, setting the scene made the attraction even more special. The real life artifacts and pirates treasure were top tier... this is a NON CHEESEY WORTH THE MONEY attraction. My family loved a little something different in Salem and not the same regurgitated witch stories. This did not disappoint. 10/10. Will come back! #worthit read more

Real Pirates Salem - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

It was a good tour and Michael was great as a guide. it was really historical in nature and not a gimmicky as I feared. We learned a lot. We did the 3 museum package and it was worth it. read more

Real Pirates is a great stop in Salem, just at the edge of all of the hustle and bustle of the witching attractions. You learn the story of a real pirate, see exhibits about the life and times of pirates of the era, and even get to touch real treasure recovered from a shipwreck. You start with a video recounting the story of the Whydah, and the museum takes off from there. The exhibits and historic artifacts (both real and reproductions) are very interesting, and the story is captivating. I happened to hear someone at the Salem visitor's center mention this place, and I'm happy that I stopped by with the little time I had in town. The artwork, both inside and on the outside of the building, is very good as well to engage you with the theme and story. read more

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Must see in Salem! Unfortunately, the guided tours weren't available the day I visited, which is something I was really looking forward to. Salem has as much maritime history as it does Witch history and it's often missed. The owner is clearly very passionate and knowledgeable and the artifacts are fantastic. I do feel as though I missed out on an experience without the guide, so maybe call ahead to find out when the tours are available. read more

Real Pirates Salem - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

There's two pirate museums in Salem. This one is the real deal your guys. A well curated pirate museum with quite a few real pirate treasure pieces, pirate ship wreckage and some well done pirate scenes. It's worth the money and the other pirate museum across and down the street is really super cheesy, it's like a costume store with very little history. read more

The maritime history of Salem has always fascinated me. We took the guided tour and our pirate guide Josh (Dread Pirate Herbert!) was a wealth of knowledge. Seeing real pirate treasure was a highlight for sure, as well as learning about how the artifacts are being preserved. I highly recommend the guided tour! read more

This is Authentic, well-concieved, entertaining and fun! Well done, and informational, this tour covers the story of the richest pirate of all time, Sam Bellamy. There we're artifacts and gorgeous murals. There were displays and the tour guide, Cap'n Jonny Depths (Jason) was a spectacular and very invested pirate. He made a good tour GREAT. Well-worth the price of admission. Very good attraction, I came with my sister and will come again with my kids and husband. I enthusiasticlaly recommend this!! read more

Real Pirates Salem - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Great museum. A lot of interesting history and artifacts. Very well laid out and wheelchair friendly

Witches and Pirates? Perfect. There was another pirate museum across the street but from what I read this was the one to go to. They did not disappoint. We showed up and were able to coordinate and get a guided tour by Stephanie. It was just the two of us and she took us through and I left knowing a lot more then I would've navigating solo! She was informative and friendly, cute gift shop at the end, clean restrooms and temperature controlled (it was hot and humid outside). read more

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Salem is famous for the witch trials, but the pirate history is truly fascinating and often gets overshadowed by the witchcraft and spooky tourist options. We thought we'd stop by this exhibit to learn a little bit more about another aspect of Salem's history. Truthfully, we didn't enter this exhibit with super high expectations, but we ended up spending two hours there. The reason? Our pirate guide was incredible. He walked us around and told us so many personal stories and theories. While the exhibit itself was very informative, he brought the experience to an entirely new level. read more

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My son and I got the guided tour and it was awesome! We learned so much and had a fantastic time. Our guide was wonderful and made the whole thing really special for us! Highly recommend! read more

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Orders of magnitude more impressive than I expected, a great blend of modern technology and genuine artifacts. The depth and breadth of history you want to engage with is up to you; the options are there, so the museum adapts well to various ages and interest levels. You start off using your ticket to take a wanted poster of yourself (scan your ticket with your phone to view/save it later) before proceeding down the hall, reading a bit about Sam Bellamy and the Whydah as you go. There's a quick video introduction in a theater; as lightning flashes and sinks the Whydah, the doors open to reveal the museum proper. There's proper acknowledgement of the Wydah's origins as a slave ship before you reach the myriad artifacts rescued from the wreckage. There's everything from cannons and munitions to plates and gaming tokens. There's a reconstruction of part of the ship. You can touch some of the recovered treasure! You can practice your knot-tying skills! You can sign the Articles! And at the end, you can get a peek at the art/science involved in the ongoing restoration work. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful artwork throughout. Put a visit to Real Pirates high on your Salem to-do list. read more

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This museum was so fascinating and you get to touch real pirate coins. The staff was clearly passionate and knowledgeable. If you have a love of the sea and pirates you need to go here! read more

Wow!! This museum was just what I needed after binging four seasons of Blacksails. If you need your fix of actual pirate memorabilia and want to learn more background along with seeing real pirate treasures, canons, examples of what it was like on the ships for pirates and slaves and more. Add to this a phenomenal knowledgeable and friendly staff. What's not to love? read more

Real Pirates Salem - Real pirate museum - Museums Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Lots of history. Very interesting! The guide was friendly and explained things thoroughly.

My sisters and I selected Real Pirates Salem over other nearby tourist attractions because of the great Yelp & google reviews and it did not disappoint! You might think that the story of one sunken pirate ship would a little too narrow to hold anyone's interest for long - but the curators have done a truly excellent job using this pirate and his pirate ship to explore slavery, trade, the economic and social dynamics of piracy, colonialism AND the modern technological process of finding and restoring the wreckage of a pirate ship. Now it might sound a little too intense but it truly is just right. There are a lot of interactive exhibits and engaging colors, displays, etc., making it accessible for audiences at all ages or interest levels - you can read deeply about how pirate leadership structures or play with ship knots. Overall it was super cool and definitely worth a visit! Also just to note that there photobooths at the beginning and end of the exhibit and the photos really are free and easy to download afterwards. read more

This was an amazing experience! If you want to learn about authentic pirates and pirate treasure, this is the place. Bill was extremely knowledgeable and there is much to see! I'll never look or think about Pirates the same way again. One of the best experiences in Salem. Thank you Bill! read more

I loved this place. I walked in blind, expecting another tourist-trap waxworks, but there's a very serious historical-archaeological background to this place, and a lot of authentic and VERY cool artifacts. The curation is a really interesting mix of sensational tourist-trap and grounded, evidence-driven facts that I really enjoyed. There's still a lot of fun dioramas and good production values for anyone who doesn't inherently get excited about authentic 300-year-old cannon shells. And... you get to touch authentic pirate treasure. Anyone who doesn't get at least a little excited about that is either lying or is dead inside. read more

Didn't realize that this Pirate Museum was only about the Whydah. So we were disappointed with that. We assumed going in that it was about pirates...not just one boat/crew. Salem needs a good pirate museum. Gift shop could use some work, too. Eye patches, pirate hats, etc. I think it's cool being about a recent boat find, but that's not how it's portrayed. read more

One of the best small museums I've ever been to! The director greeted us in the entrance and showed us how to use the Photo Booth. We then entered the small room where he introduced Sam Bellamy and the story behind the discovery of the Whydah. It is clear this museum is a labor of love for all involved and worth the time. Plan on at least an hour here. read more

The name says it all! This museum is all about real pirates, not the hollywood versions. The exhibits are fantastic! Check it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

This is a very nice multimedia presentation about the Wyndha pirate ship as well as some basic pirate info. Truly some amazing artifacts that have been recovered, with an acceptable number of reproductions too. This is a tasteful representation of pirates, appropriate for all ages. We took our 4 year old and had no concerns. Loads of history included so that there's a thorough story told. The staff walking through the exhibit were quite knowledgeable and engaging. And they welcomed questions! Definitely recommend for families and those interested in piracy. read more

We really enjoyed our time at this museum. The artifacts were super cool and we actually learned a lot. The owner was kind enough to personally show us a couple of items we missed on the tour. Very cool museum!! read more

We really enjoyed the Real Pirates museum while we were there but have also found it is one of things that we mention first as we have recounted our trip to friends and family. So interesting to learn about real pirates and I left thinking they were way cooler than I originally thought! We also enjoyed talking to the curator who clearly has a love and passion for the history. read more

This wasn't some gimmicky tourist trap, which was wonderful....if you want cheap gift shop items, go to a gift shop. This was a really nicely put together museum of artifacts and information about an actual pirate ship and crew, and really gave a historical background on the Whydah and the pirate life. The staff was incredible, from Jackie Besse, Jason (Johnny Depth), to Bill Golden. All were extremely informative, helpful, kind and fun. Thanks to all. One of the best, non-touristy, things we did on our first visit to Salem. Dale and Linda M, Gold Canyon, AZ. read more

The best attraction in the Northshore! This is the real deal. My tour by Jason was amazing.

Amazing place to visit. It has something for everyone. From a tale of romance to the adventure of pirates and eventually finding treasure. A must see for the whole family. read more

Just finished enjoying Real Pirates of Salem. I loved the way it told the story of the golden age of piracy through the lens of Sam Bellamy and the Whydah. The exhibits are engaging while remaiNing authentic. Highly recommended! read more

We had seen the exhibit on the Whydah when it was in Denver, so we figures we'd go in here to see theirs. It was really good. There's a lot of information and a couple hands on things. You can get your picture on a Wanted poster. The whole thing takes about an hour, so if you like pirates, this is a good stop. read more

This is an experience not to be missed. A really neat collection of artifacts and discovery of a story about Pirates and the Whydah. Mr. Golden was a most excellent host and source of information. The staff that assists and offer further details are excellent. What a cool experience that is nicely done in a modern experience. Definitely worth the entrance cost! Check it out. read more

If you actually want to learn about Pirates, you aren't going to find a better place. If you want blood and guts and stories of vicious dastardly brutes killing innocent merchantmen, keep looking. Blackbeard is mentioned only once, and while you will get the obligatory Captain Kidd legend, it will be disappointing. BUT, you will also learn why historians believe pirate ships were more democratic than most nations, what really happened to crew captured by pirates, and see with your own eyes real pirate treasure discovered at the bottom of the sea. AND TOUCH IT. The bulk of the museum discusses the fate and history of the slaveship, turned merchant, turned pirate, turned sunken wreck of the Whydah. It was lost for 300 years, then discovered by a treasure hunter. But his treasure was the artifacts and history of the Whydah; the coins and cargo it carried may get the press and keep the kids excited, but the history that was found is the true treasure. Unlike many historical museums that show you replicas and fake dioramas and exploitative videos, the bulk of this museum is real. The artifacts on display are mostly from the actual buried wreck of the Whydah, recovered, restored and donated to the museum. Some are amazingly new-looking, while others show their age quite accurately. Weapons, cannons, coins, pulleys, anchors .... All the fun things that every maritime-related museum displays are there. But these are the real ones that were stored in ocean water for 300 years before being displayed. Your kids will love it, racing through and pointing out all the cool things and learning all kinds of things to brag about to their friends, and then they'll complain about having to pull YOU out of the museum to go do something else. read more