We stopped in just to check it out, they had some displays in cases, site maps and souvenirs. They had restrooms and a information counter. we browsed around for a few minutes, I was able to get a few colonial coins for my boyfriends collection as well as a pin for mine. I learned that Salem was the birth place of the National Guard. They had information on the Boston Tea Party, former Presidents, and the history of the area. It was a one of the cooler visitor centers I have been into and I enjoyed it evne though it was a quick stop. read more

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Go for the restrooms, stay for the phenomenal boat they have in the front window and the recreation of a town. Sign the guest book with your city, maybe snag a souvenir and hit the town by foot. Big nice parking garage across the street too. read more

Wish I remembered the identify of the Yelper who seemingly discussed the bathroom status of every coffee house she reviewed. Several visitor center reviews praise the bathrooms, and they're not wrong. Walk around town and look at the NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS signs. And even if less urgent needs bring you here, it's worth a stop. I didn't see the movie but there was a nice museum-type section with a couple of boats, displays of people doing 1800s-type activities and an Instagrammable model of the original armory (partly destroyed in an 1982 arson fire). read more

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Centrally located in the heart of Salem, this place was a much-needed surprise! The older gentleman working the Information Desk was a sweetheart! Very knowledgeable and super patient with me since I had a lot of questions! A lot of people come to Salem for the hauntedness but there's a lot of maritime sites to see also. read more

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A nice little area accross from the museum and one of the parking garages. A small setup of exhibits on the inside with a variety of markings and engravings on the outside. I actually found this to be more enjoyable than the Peaboxy Essex Musuem in my travels around Salem. It will only take you about 10 minutes to look at everything, but I would encourage anyone to check it out if they are in Salem. read more

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It was a rainy day, so we stopped in the visitor center to dry off and use the bathrooms. Missed the start of the movie of Salem Witch Trials, but you need tickets and we didn't buy them. We did watch a free movie in the lobby by the back door. It was closed captioned and played at a low volume so as not to disturb anyone in the area NOT watching. We looked at gifts in the gift shops. They had small to large items, priced low to high. We purchased a magnet to help us remember this trip. This was a nice visitor center with helpful, friendly Rangers. read more

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AC! Clean bathrooms! Helpful staff! The visitor center is the hub to purchase tickets to various tours, watch a film about Salem, get your National Park passport stamped, or relax in the shade in Armory Park beside it. The National Park Service staffs it and will swear in junior rangers here too. There's also a gift shop that features a variety of unique items. read more

Salem Visitor Center - Entrance - Visitor Centers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Staff are very helpful to direct you around town. Located next to the parking deck it's a good place to start when walking around town. Tip: one of the few places in Salem that offers public restrooms. read more

When visiting Salem the Salem Visitor Center is a must to stop by and check it out. We were there the weekend before Halloween and it was extremely crowded. I had read it was one of the busiest Halloween weekends they had. The visitor center is laid out very well, clean, spacious, updated and well maintained. They have merchandise to purchase, well informed polite staff to assist and well maintained restrooms which is crucial this time of year. Most restaurants and businesses won't let you use their restrooms unless you are a paying customer. There are also porta potties outside. We stopped by several times during out stay and we found everything running smoothly even with the overcrowding, everyone seemed to be on top of their game. We were even given a map and some suggestions for our stay. They have a theater in the rear where they were showing the History of Salem for $5.00 per person. We didn't get chance to see the show because we weren't aware of it until late in the day. I would suggest to start here when visiting Salem for a good start. There is a lot of history we were not aware of, it was very interesting. read more

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My family stopped at the Salem Visitor Center as our first stop in Salem for two reasons: 1) Our tour group was dropped off here at Salem 2) We heard from our tour guide we could get a map of Salem here for free. We came in and went to get a map from one of the (Park Rangers?) men who worked here. He gave everyone who wanted a map and of course answered any questions someone may have about Salem. This place is a National Park and run by the US Department of the Interior. It has some information on the history of Salem and it's worth a look. It also has a store, where I scored a t-shirt with the old Colonial Revolutionary Flag of the snake saying "Join or Die". I'm a history nerd, what can I say? Still I wish they had more historical info here about Salem... also no AC? Cmon, I think the US government can throw a few extra dollars to have that running. Still it was a great place to get into to orient ourselves in our exploration of Salem. read more

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Very nice people and great service. Helped us find all we need and had clean restrooms

The Salem Visitor Center and National Park Store has really cool items and souvenirs. They also have an area where you can stamp your passport. Unfortunately, there aren't any interior bathrooms and port o potty toilets are located in a row alongside the building. The bathrooms do not contain sinks, they aren't the high class port o potty toilets that some places have. When you first walk in there is a hand sanitizer station and a large model ship to view. The space is light and modern. read more

They are ONLY open Wednesday- Sunday 10-4! Not helpful at all when you are here on a Tuesday. read more

I was a bit disappointed with the National Park visitor centers while on vacation. I feel like I got better information with the research I did prior to my trip than I got at the visitor center in Salem. The employees working the day I was in Salem seemed too busy having conversations about their work schedules than helping visitors. There is a lot to look at in the visitor center and they have a couple exhibits as well. There is a gift shop that had a few neat items. I made sure to get my National Park passport stamps before leaving. The restrooms were clean and nice, which was a plus for stopping back by before heading back to Boston. It might have just been the lack of help from employees but I was disappointed in my stop here. I would return to see if the next visit was better. read more

The Salem Visitor Center was a great spot to stop into while we were exploring the area. It's in a central location to all of the museums, restaurants, and attractions in Salem. We walked here, and checked everything out on foot. Salem is a really walk-able city! The Visitor Center is the perfect place to begin your tour of Salem, or to stop in along your way. There's tons of information available about the area, and the guides that work in the center are knowledgeable. If you're exploring Salem I definitely recommend stopping in here! read more

The story of Salem begins here; this should be your 1st stop! Visiting this first to receive some first-hand information on this town. Unfortunately, we did it backwards and visited this last. I wish we came here first though. They are a wealth of information and there is a short movie to watch here, too. There are some interactive things for the kiddos and plenty of resources for adults to guide them through the Salem experience. So, because my family and I visited during the winter time there were many things that were closed; just keep that in mind during your visit. The Visitors Center is clean and folks there were super helpful. read more

Salem Visitor Center - Visiting Salem... - Visitor Centers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

If you are visiting Salem Massachusetts, and you are interested in discovering more about the history of this great little city than the witch trials, this is the first place you should visit! Located in the center of it all and within walking distance of all the major attractions, this is far more than a typical visitor's center. Run by the National Parks Service, it is a museum in itself, built in the historic Salem Armory. There is also a large air-conditioned theater showing a well-made film which covers the major events in Salem's history. The exhibits and information are free. Also you will find the cleanest public restrooms in the city here! A note about walking around Salem: There are several interesting and historic buildings and grounds which aren't obviously open to the public unless you look closely, with several located in the waterfront area. Many are complimentary and self guided with informative signage. I highly recommend getting as much information as you can beforehand, even printing a map of the area and speaking to the Visitor Center guides. There's so much to see and much of it is free! read more

Salem Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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It's a really nice visitor's center! Great place to find some souvenirs, go on a restroom break and relax a bit before going back out into the heat. read more

Salem Visitor Center - Entrance - Visitor Centers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Great service, knowledgeable staff. Clean restrooms. Prices for items are also reasonable

When coming to Salem, I highly recommend coming to the visitor's center first to pick up a map! October is a busy month for the town so, they had a lovely old women sitting at a table with maps, guides, information. I went to her and asked the typical, "what should I see and do?" She went on to circle various "must-sees" and the reasoning for them. She even knew times of various shows and showings. If not for the maps, then come here for the running bathrooms. Unlike the porta-potties right outside the building lol read more

I'm giving it a 2 because it got me out of the rain. I realize it's the "off season" but I am beyond excited to be in Salem with my sistter for the weekend. We looked at some brochures and trinkets to buy but then we decided to ask for help. "Hi! What are the must sees?" "Everything is closed." Staring at each other like morons. "Guide/ranger" opens guidebook angrily and circles 4 things she knows are open because they called her to confirm that morning. "Okay. Thanks?" We walk to the lobby and called two other attractions that were indeed open. We had an awesome day but it was no thanks to the visitor center. read more

Lots of stuff I wanted to but plus staff that answered every random question people asked without rolling their eyes or sighing deeply.

The Salem Visitors Center is actually a really great place to start your journey into Salem. Not only do they have a ton of printed info available to give you ideas of things to do in town..the staff there is extremely pleasant and helpful in getting you started off on where to go. I would highly recommend grabbing a map and at the very least premapping out what you'll be doing. There's so much going on in this town it can be overwhelming at times..plus you want to make sure you hit the stuff and areas that you went there to see right? They also have a lot of great historical Salem stuff in the center..plus a screening room for documentaries on local things! All in all a really great place to start your visit to Salem. read more

Salem Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

This was my firsts stop on my weekend in Salem and I was underwhelmed by the information it felt like part tiny museum and part gift shop. Hardly any brochures or maps which I was expecting. And the couple brochure areas were mostly empty. Good for a stop but don't expect to find too much help for planning a weekend. read more

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A great place to get information on a wonderful city, as well as maybe some books or gifts. I have to admit though, I mostly just stop here for the bathroom. It's the only public bathroom I can find on Essex in the heart of the touristy shops, museums etc. read more

This much more than a visitor's center and is a great place to start your tour of Salem. There are tons of brochures, maps, and very helpful Rangers that will point you in the right direction. Many of the Rangers are very knowledgeable on the history of Salem and we learned a lot. The biggest reason I'm happy we stopped here first was because it gave us an idea of what we definitely wanted to see and what we could skip. There are TONS of tourist trap "museums" in Salem and the Rangers helped us to weed them out. read more

VERY helpful staff here. The visitor center greats you as you walk out of the large parking structure behind the Peabody. Great location to start your time in Salem. Local history abound, plus your $$$ support the National Park System. If you haven't started already, this visitor center has the NPS passport. You take your passport with you to sites around the country/American Territories and get stamps in them for the different NPS locations you visit. This location has TWO, and the Maritime orientation center has the third...just a hint! Great souvenirs here as well. read more

Get your maps here! :-) We used our Salem Maps to find all of the important historical spots around Salem. Very useful.

A visit to Salem must start with a stop at the Salem Visitor Center! Aside from helpful staff, there is actually a lot to see in the center itself: dioramas of ships and old Salem, lots of booklets and flyers for happenings around town, a cute gift shop with little nick-nacks. There is a theatre inside showing short informational films that you can pay to see throughout the day. Outside, there is a trolley stop if you want to take the Salem Trolley around town instead of walking. Overall, this is a good little place to stop so you can get all of the information to make your Salem visit a good one! read more

If you're visiting Salem and not sure what to do, get in here! If you need a map or restroom, they got your back. I was visiting Salem's Haunted Happenings the weekend before Halloween 2015. It was my first time travelling to a random city by myself and I felt a little overwhelmed, especially since there's not a lot of materials to work on when I researched the event. So after giving up on the line to Salem Witch Museum, which was the only place I was sure I wanted to visit, I stop by the Salem Visitor Center -pretty easy to find with its courtyard, it's in the middle of most of the attractions- and got in there. Upon entry, a friendly ranger greeted everyone with a smile. No food and drinks inside. I spotted someone by a display the middle of the room who offers free maps and event guides. Thank heavens! My phone almost died from all the Google Map activities I'd done and a manual one is very appreciated. I saw a pretty long line going to the restroom, but just so you know, the option is there. They also have a kids area-looking corner (confirm me? The kids were playing puzzles or something), a small-scale Salem navy history display, and a tourist shop. I didn't fully explore the place because I already got my map, which was much better and more detailed than I expected, and I am ready to explore Salem! TLDR: Go here for the official Map, to save on precious phone battery life. It was free and it had enough details to keep you company for 3-5 hours. read more

Salem Visitor Center - The Visitor Map that I got for free. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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BEAUTIFUL. Informative, clean. GREAT SERVICE, great stories, great people. You HAVE to make this the first stop and take it from there!

The people working are excellent resources on what to see and do in town. If you're not sure what all there is to do, go here. They have maps and let you know about the times of movies and walking tours. We went on the historical walking tour, and highly recommend if you are looking for more of a real knowledge tour, not a ghost tour. read more

Let's be honest. I pulled a detour through Salem, MA on a road trip because I wanted to see with stuff. Surely the visitors center is chock full of brooms, black hats, etc. Nope! Not the case. Turns out Salem has a storied maritime history that I simply couldn't have cared less about. Then we spotted what could be our saving grace: there's a daily screening of an original film about the witch trials and the screening was starting in 15 mins. Hurray witches! We found ourselves alone in the theater watching perhaps the lowest quality historical documentary I have ever seen. The acting was laughable, the editing was choppy, and the video itself seemed to have been transcoded to death. Yes, it did relay an interesting historical perspective of the witch trials but damn, we felt ripped off even at $5 a ticket for the film. So lesson learned -- not for witch enthusiasts. read more

I didn't get to walk around in here too much, but from what I saw, it's a very well done visitor's center! I'd love to come back and explore a little more - there's so much history to tell and this place definitely holds the key to a lot of that information. There's also plenty of free brochures and guides you can pick up to help you plan your stay in Salem. Great first stop! read more

There isn't actually a whole lot here - the National Park Service's focus in Salem is on the maritime history, so their programming is mostly based at the Maritime Historic Site by Derby Wharf (though you can get information about those programs, and possibly buy tickets for them, at the Visitor Center). The Visitor Center does have a free film about Essex County that I would definitely recommend, and a film that costs money about the witch hysteria that is also pretty good. Other than that there are a couple of small displays and lots of brochures for local attractions. However, the best part of the visitor center is the rangers, who are super knowledgeable about Salem past and present, and excited to share their knowledge. read more

A great place to gather informations before starting on you tour of Salem. Very helpful employees and clean restrooms. There are some nice displays and a good gift shop. Covered garage is across the street at $0.75 per hour. read more

Great 1st stop in order to get brochures, advice and gifts. They sell a lot of nice books here. After leaving you have a good feeling of what you want to do for the day. Quite a few people work in this building and they all appeared to be quite knowledgeable, helpful and nice. read more

Beautiful building, employees are very kind and helpful. Nice public restrooms. Enjoyed the witch trial movie.

Nice place but to the "Park Ranger" working the register, yes she does speak English just probably didn't hear you. Sorry we put the items in front of the gentleman three feet from you. With your command of the English language maybe now you can work on commanding your manners... read more