salem tours trolley

• SALEM WITCH TRIALS
• METAPHYSICS

Salem Trolley Tour

The Salem Trolley Tour is perhaps the best way to see Salem if you’re in a hurry or new to The Witch City. In just one hour, The Salem Trolley Tour visits nearly twenty spots in town. Some notable places guests visit include: The Salem Witch Museum , Salem’s gorgeous Pickering Wharf, The House of the Seven Gables, The Old Burying Point, and many more.

Variety of Stops

Something that makes this particular tour worthwhile is that it, unlike many other Salem attractions, explores more than just The Salem Witch Trials . In addition to 1692’s history, you’ll also be educated about Salem’s incredible maritime, architectural, merchant, and literary histories. They also offer “Special Tours” which are themed and in a constant rotation – check their website for these.

Shuttle Service and Trolley Path

Jumping into the Salem Trolley Tour also means you’ll be able to get on and off at ANY of the stops along the way. So, if you’re a savvy Salem-goer, you can definitely use the trolley as a pseudo-shuttle service that runs from The Salem Regional Visitor Center . From there, you’ll venture west to the Old Burying Point and then west past The Salem Witch House and into the architectural beauty of Chestnut Street. Then, the trolley heads south to the waterfront. After that, it swings as far to the east as land allows, all the way out to Winter Island. The Salem Trolley Tour concludes by backtracking from the east and swinging north, back to The Salem Regional Visitor Center .

It’s important to know before you jump on The Salem Trolley Tour that several of the stops are designated as “Flag Stops.” What this means is that if you’d like to get off the trolley at these locales, you’ll need to let the driver know by signaling onboard. These stops include (as of September 2018):

• South Harbor Garage & the New England Pirate Museum
• Phillips House, Hamilton Hall, and Chestnut Street (incredible architecture here, by the way)
• The Salem Maritime Historical Site
• Salem Willows Park
• The Salem Ferry (with connecting service to Boston)
• Winter Island

Your Visit to The Salem Trolley Tour

As with many of Salem’s attractions and tours, service is seasonal and runs regularly from April 1st to November 1st. If you’d like to visit in the off-season, give them a ring at the number below to check their schedule. The first tour leaves the station at 10:00am and the last at 4:00pm.

The Salem Trolley Tour:

• Price: Adults and seniors are both around $20 each, with a slight discount for seniors. Children are about $10, unless they’re under the age of 5, in which case they are free when accompanied by an adult.
• Get tickets from 8 Central Street Salem, MA  01970 or online
• The tour departs from and arrives to The Salem Regional Visitor Center at 2 New Liberty Street Salem, MA 01970.
• Phone:  (978) 744-5469
• Buy Tickets Here

Joel Austin is an actor, writer, and filmmaker who’s lived all over the country. He’s been an avid Salem lover since the 2010’s.

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Salem Trolley

Price & Hours

• Facilities 3.0
• Atmosphere 5.0

Whether you only have a few hours to experience Salem or your feet just need a break from walking, the Salem Trolley is an excellent way to learn about this intriguing town. Visitors can either stay on the trolley for the duration of the tour (which lasts approximately one hour), or hop on and off at their leisure while they explore historic Salem. Aboard the trolley, local tour guides narrate Salem's fascinating history, pointing out notable landmarks, such as The House of the Seven Gables , Old Burying Point Cemetery and the Salem Witch Museum , along the way.

Recent visitors praised the trolley's knowledgeable tour guides, calling them informative and entertaining. However, some travelers noted that the service was disorganized and the trolley gets crowded quickly, making hopping on and off difficult. For the best experience, visitors recommend taking the full one-hour guided tour instead of using the trolley as a shuttle service.

Tours begin and end at the National Park Service Visitor Center in downtown Salem. Tickets for adults cost $22, children ages 6 through 14 cost $12 and kids 5 and younger ride for free. Visitors must purchase tickets in-person on the day they plan to ride (online tickets are not available) at one of the following locations: outside of the Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center, the Salem Trolley Office or the Landing at Salem Ferry. With the exception of Easter Sunday, tours run daily April through October, on November weekends and on the Friday after Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last full tour departing at 4 p.m. Keep in mind, tour hours are seasonal and subject to change, so check the Salem Trolley's website for the most up-to-date information.

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More Best Things To Do in Salem, MA

#1 The House of the Seven Gables

Built in 1668 for Capt. John Turner I, this waterfront mansion was home to three generations of Turners before being sold to Capt. Samuel Ingersoll in 1782. After Ingersoll's death, the property was inherited by his daughter, Susanna Ingersoll. Susanna's cousin, now-famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne, visited her here often and the property eventually became the setting for his 1851 novel, "The House of the Seven Gables." Although the official name of the house is the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, the home quickly took on the name given to it by Hawthorne.

In 1910, the home opened to the public as a museum. Philanthropist Caroline Emmerton, the museum's founder, hoped to preserve the home for future generations and use the proceeds to help fund settlement programs for immigrant families. Today, the museum honors her wishes by funding social work and offering various types of educational programming, including English language classes and community-based conversations on immigration. At the museum, visitors can marvel at original period features that span four centuries, including the home's extraordinary Georgian paneling, and climb a hidden staircase that leads to the structure's attic. In addition to the House of the Seven Gables, the property boasts a collection of six historic buildings set along Salem Harbor. Other buildings within the collection include the Hooper-Hathaway House, the Retire Beckett House, the Counting House and the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace, which was moved here from its original location on Union Street in 1958. It also includes a visitor center and a museum store where guests can purchase unique souvenirs. The whole campus has been designated a National Historic Landmark District.

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• Salem Trolley

The Salem Trolley is the greatest way to explore Salem and learn about its rich history. Since 1982, Salem Trolley has established the bar for scenic tours and superior transportation north of Boston. The Salem Trolley offers a one-hour narrated tour of Salem’s attractive and historic sites. Explore Salem’s 1692 witchcraft trials, or go further into the intriguing world of Salem’s literary and maritime past. The Salem Trolley may provide transportation in one of our replica turn-of-the-century trolleys. For weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, birthday celebrations, parades, family reunions, proms, and school activities.

Located in Essex Street Pedestrian Mall Address: 8 Central St, Salem, MA 01970

Getting Around

• Uber, Lyft, or Salem Skipper
• Joshua Ward House
• The Old Town Hall
• The Old Burying Point
• Salem Witch Trials Museum
• Peabody Essex Museum (PEM)
• Emporium 32
• The Good Witch of Salem
• Moody’s Home & Gifts
• Witch City Mall

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• Hallowed Ground (Speakeasy)
• Tin Whistle
• Ugly Mug Diner
• Village Tavern
• Turner’s Seafood

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Expert at cramming as much travel as possible into the little time available

Salem trolley tour – the easy way to see salem.

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(Updated May 2024)

The Salem Trolley Tour experience

Salem is a city located on the north shore of Massachusetts, in New England , and is most famous for the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Howver, the trials lasted for less than a year and over 400 years ago. Not to diminish the horrors, importance and significance of this time, but there is so much more to Salem than the witch trials! Taking a ride with the Salem Trolley Tour means you get to learn about all the fascinating things that have occurred in this part of New England!

Undoubtedly your first instinct will to want ot visit the city in October, and it iwll be an fascinatining time to go, with lots going on in the city. But, it will also be SUPER crowded, making hotels expensive and find places to park and eat tricky. Instead, consider visiting off season. Or, if you still want the fall vibes, consider the shoulder month of September. No matter waht time of year you visit, Salem Trolley Tours will be the perfect way to see the best of the city, ensuring you have a fab trip.

Salem is perfect for a long weekend, or short break, as it is small but packed with things to do. Its walkable, so start with a Salem Trolley Tour and work out the places you want to return to.

You can also include Salem as a stop on a larger New England roadtrip – I highly recommend Kennebunkport, Maine and Vermont , with Salem being a final stop before flying home from Boston.

How to get to Salem

If you are coming from Boston there are numerous ways to arrive:

• By car , although driving in Boston might want to be something you avoid. There are multi storey car parks in Salem which are easy to navigate. It would be advised to get there early, particularly on weekends, as they do get very busy. Located right next to the National Park Service Visitor Centre is a car park. Handily, this is where the Salem Trolley Tour starts from.
• You can catch a bus , which takes approximately an hour.
• Alternatively there ferries from the city. Which while exciting, is also a tad expensive.
• The final option from Boston is the train which leaves from Boston North Station to Salem on the Rockport line. A standard ticket costs around $8.

Salem Trolley Tour

If you are limited on time in Salem, this is a fantastic way to see much of the city. It has 14 stops along the way, which each show one of the highlights of the city.

The Salem Trolley tour starts and ends at the National Park Visitor Centre. However, you can also hop on and pay for your ticket on the trolley at some of the other stops. The great thing about the Salem Trolley tour is that your ticket is valid all day, and you can jump on and off as much as you like.

How long does the Salem Trolley Tour take?

The full tour takes one hour, if you decide not to get off. However, the beauty of a Salem Trolley Tour is that you can hop on and off. You can get off at each stop that takes your fancy, explore, and then jump back on to the next trolley that passes. There are 6 flag stops along the route, where you can ‘flag’ the Salem Trolley Tour to re – board!

Tours are run daily from April through to October with the last tour leaving the visitor centre at 4pm. The first tour leaves at 10am, so get there early to make sure you can make a full day of it.

What information will the Salem Trolley Tour give?

Each trolley has a very knowledgable guide on board to give you all the information you might need as you make your way through the city. Skip was the guide on the Salem trolley tour I took and despite the on board PA system not working and traffic jams we encountered he worked so hard to keep us informed for the entire tour. Plus – such a sweetheart!

Where does the tour visit?

There are 14 stops along the 8 mile route, each showcasing a different part of the Salem history. These include the Witch Trial Memorial , Salem Maritime Site , the House of the Seven Gables,  Philips House, Hamilton Hall and Chestnut Street . Just to name a few!

You learn so many interesting facts about Salem along the way. Such as seeing the oldest sweet shop in Salem , the building that now sits on the wharf which was moved there after being purchased for $1! And the site of the original monopoly factory.

How much does a Salem Trolley Tour cost?

Tickets for adults are $25 andSeniors (60+) are $24. There are also tickets available for children (6-14) at $15 and children 5 and under are free (when accompanied by an Adult).

After the tour ends, make sure to go back and visit the bits that interested you most! And, as you will soon discover, there is so much more to Salem than a single years worth of history. Despite what tourism might say!

Blogger transparency: I was offered my tour on the Salem Trolley tour with compliments but, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own! 

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Interested in taking a walking tour of Salem? The city offers several kinds of Salem walking tours for any kind of tourist. Choose the Salem witch tours which give visitors a front-row seat into Salem’s role in the Salem Witch Trials. If you’re interested in ghouls and goblins, check out the city’s ghost tours where guides will share stories all about the mysterious creatures, mythology, and folklore that have been lurking around for centuries.

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Home » Things to Do » Tours

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Privacy Overview

2024 Season

Tickets available online on Monday, September 9, 2024 at 9:00 am. Tickets are $36 each. Tour departs from Starting location will come soon.  Please arrive 15 minutes prior to show time.  Please check in inside Timeless Life Treasures, 68 Wharf Street, Salem.

Live the History!

• Museum Tours
• Trolley Tours

The Salem Historical Society

Visit: 239 south lundy mail: 208 south broadway ave salem ohio 44460.

Underground Railroad Tours

The  docent, dressed as a Salem Quaker, takes passengers back in time to the year 1856. Following the sharing of many stories, the travelers will return to the twenty-first century with a better understanding of the plight of slaves, the working of the Underground Railroad, and the abolitionist movement that flourished in Salem prior to the Civil War.  Since the homes are private and entrances not possible, a screen inside  the trolley displays over 100 slides of the insides of the homes, the Underground Railroad hiding places, and several abolitionists who lived in or visited them. The slides will also help clarify the historical information presented during the program.  

• Length of tour:  about 60 minutes 
• Cost:  $15 per person
• Reservations Recommended:  Call 330-337-8514
• Walk-ons are welcome on a first-come first-serve basis if the tour is not full

A minimum of 15 is necessary to conduct the tour.  

The tour is subject to cancellation if the minimum is not reached two days before scheduled date. 

Charles Burchfield Tours

A  year in the making, this project is a collaboration with The Burchfield  Homestead Museum. Trolley guests will the many Salem sites and buildings that inspired Charles Burchfield's paintings.  Along the  way, tour guests will hear about the artist's childhood that helped  develop his outlook of life which reflects in his artwork.  The trolley  will make a stop at the Burchfield Homestead Society Museum for guests  to tour the home of Charles Burchfield.

• Length of tour:  about 90 minutes 
• Cost:  $20 per person, includes admission to the Burchfield Homestead Museum

Ghost Tours

The Salem Ghost Trolley Tours occur in the fall season and participants are taken out of the downtown area to famous graves and other "haunted" areas. A docent tells true ghost stories about these places and events in and around Salem. Participants should wear good walking shoes as there are occasions that riders exit the trolley to walk around.

• Length of tour:  about 75 minutes 
• Reservations Required:  Call 330-205-3923 

A minimum of 15 is necessary to conduct the tour.  The tour is subject to cancellation if the minimum is not reached two days before scheduled date. 

Ghost Walking Tours

In conjunction with our Ghost Trolley Tours, we also offer a Ghost Walking Tour in the fall of each year. During the walks, participants are taken around downtown Salem learning of our city's "haunted" past. Participants should wear good walking shoes. The walk is held rain or shine. 

• Cost:  $10 per person
• Reservations Required:  Call 330-205-3923

Trolley Christmas Lights Trolley Tours

During the Holiday season, the Quakertown Trolley offers rides to view Salem's most decorated homes and businesses.

Yes, You Can Rent Our Trolley

Our beautiful new trolley is available to rent for group tours and special occasions. 

• It adds a special flair to your wedding to transport the bridal party to the church or reception area. And yes, we have had wedding ceremonies on the trolley!   
• Surprise someone on their birthday with a trolley ride to their party.
• Splurge on your anniversary with your “special someone” at a scenic spot with your favorite picnic food.   
• Treat your guests or club members to one of our guided tours with a docent.   
• Design your own trolley tour for your family reunion to visit local sites that have been significant to your ancestry. 

Our trolley can help you create memories that won’t be forgotten.

Reasonable pricing is based on time and travel. Call us at 330-337-8514 to check pricing and availability.   

Copyright © 2024 The Salem Historical Society - All Rights Reserved. 

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Gallows Hill Presents: The Ghosts & Legends Trolley Tour

Join us for a ghostly Salem Trolley ride that you’ll never forget. Tickets on sale starting  March 1st!

This event is available only in late September and October.

(Trolley does not run on October 31st.)

Price Per person $34 general seating.

COMBO TICKETS are available for this event. Select combo tickets when purchasing!

Board the Ghosts & Legends Trolley and get ready for a thrilling ride as an eerie, sinister and comical guide takes you on a journey through the darkened streets of Salem. Hear stories of witches, ghosts, murder and more. You’ll see The House of the Seven Gables, the old cemetery, Winter Island and much more. Perfect for any age, this frightening, amusing, and entertaining ride sells out quickly, so buy tickets now for this memorable trolley tour! The Black Widow Mary and Jack return this year as your hosts on the Trolley!

• Ghosts & Legends Trolley departs from Gallows Hill, 7 Lynde Street, Salem, MA 01970
• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time. The trolley leaves PROMPTLY at the designated time.
• Tour is approximately 50 minutes.

Remember to dress warm!

• Not recommended for children under 7 years old.
• Duration: 50 minutes

Click here for Ghosts & Legends Trolley tickets

Want to see The Gallows Hill Main show as well?   Then get: Ghosts & Legends Trolley/Gallows Hill Combo ticket.

Immediately before your Trolley tour, you’ll enter Gallows Hill for our exciting Main Show. It’s our incredible experience about the Salem witch trials, with frightening characters and special effects. A perfect combination for your visit to Salem during Haunted Happenings!

Click on the purple button above, then select your combo ticket.

Save up to $5 per person!

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the event. Due to the prompt show start, late-comers will not be admitted.

POLICIES AND TERMS:

Your start time on the ticket is when The Ghosts and Legends Trolley departs. Allow enough time to get here, we don't want you to miss it! Late arrivals (even by a few minutes) will NOT be refunded. If you miss the trolley, we cannot get you on a different trolley time. LATE ARRIVALS will not receive a refund. You MUST redeem this voucher for a valid ticket at the front desk. Check in 15 minutes before your event time so we know that you are here.

COMBO TICKET HOLDERS: Make sure to arrive on time to see the main show. Tickets may be refunded up to 48 hours prior to your event time. After that time, there are no refunds for any reason. No animals of any kind are allowed in to this event. This includes emotional support animals. Ghosts & Legends Trolley departs from Gallows Hill, 7 Lynde Street, Salem, MA 01970

LARGE GROUPS: There is no reserved seating, so large groups may not be sitting next to each other. Your group may be sitting apart.

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time. The trolley leaves PROMPTLY at the designated time. Some weekends in October have sudden street closures that causes us to use a new pick up location. (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

If this is the case, patrons may be required to walk to the new trolley pick up location . (This is a 5 minute walk, just down the street from Gallows Hill Theatre).

By purchasing a ticket, you agree that walking to the trolley may be part of your experience.

Children younger than 7 years must pay for a ticket if they are taking up a seat.

Please note that there are NO REFUNDS for this event 48 hours prior to your ticket date.  This includes late arrivals, so make sure you allow plenty of time to get to Salem!

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Home » Group Tours » Salem Trolley

Salem Trolley

• Weddings & Events

The Salem Trolley provides visitors with a narrated one hour tour through beautiful  historic Salem.

On your 8 mile journey you will explore Salem’s witchcraft trials of 1692 and travel beyond the witchcraft hysteria into the fascinating realm of Salem’s literary and maritime history. Your professional driver and talented local tour guide will entertain you with factual history and interesting tidbits about Salem.

• 8 Central Street, Salem, MA 01970
• Tammy Harrington
• 978-744-5469
• [email protected]
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