Old Salem Museums & Gardens

Such a magnificent day. We had the best time and it was so amazing for my 9, 8, & 5 year old and we adults had a great time as well. The history is fascinating and immersive. Now they are incorporating their “hidden town” component which delineates the realistic depiction of the role of African enslaved people in creating Salem and building the fortunes of the prestigious citizens there so people can understand that all the cool stuff came at a huge cost to human lives and with much suffering. Those lessons need to be taught so we remember not to romanticize the past so much but to learn from it. Great time, real lessons. Take the kids and the whole family. Definitely recommend.

Wow! We stayed here as part of our Harvest Host membership. We really did not know what to expect when we booked this great HH! I haven't been to a living history neighborhood since I was a kid and we really enjoyed it. Upon arriving we entered and received a very thorough overview of what was open and a little history of Old Salem. Purchased our tickets and set off. Make sure to arrive early as you will want to spend some time touring the homes and shops. We enjoyed the whole village even though we arrived a little late. We checked out all of the open houses and really learned a lot. Parking area was paved and not so level but the auto level was able to correct without any blocks under the jacks. We expected a little more noise for being so close to downtown but it was super quiet! When we woke up we walked through the village again and spent some time on church street exploring more of the neighborhood. We were the only ones there for the night so we had this place all to ourself. We enjoyed or stay here and will plana return trip once some of the other houses open again.

A must visit for anyone in the area! Old Salem is the only living museum in the region dedicated to Moravian life, and it's well-worth a half-day or full-day if you can spare it! The demonstrations are fascinating, and the grounds are simply beautiful, too. And of course you have to stop in to get some sweet treats as souvenirs - that's a must!

We really enjoyed our visit!
Things to know:
-Strollers and wheelchairs are very challenging on the uneven cobblestone.
-The $20 ticket to see "everything" includes entrance to 5 buildings. Most of the buildings were still closed. Many are private residences.
-Plan to spend extra money at the bakery. My favorite are the Moravian cookies.
-It is free to walk around the town and admire the architecture. The gift shop, bakery, sewing shop, and Visitor's Center are also free to enter.
-The historical interpreters were fully immersed in Old Salem lifestyle. There were many hands on opportunities for kids and the staff were extremely patient and encouraging.