Salem, MA: It’s more than just witches and jump scares

Please note this blog post is sponsored by Real Pirates Salem. If you are a Salem, MA or north shore based business interested in working with me, please click here. Please also note the images used are © Real Pirates Salem and are used with permission. Thank you!

I know, I know. You came here for green faced witches and jump scares. You know what? I did too, the very first time I visited Salem, MA. However, along the way, I learned that it’s so much more than the witch trials. Did you know that Salem is home to the Peabody Essex Museum which is the oldest continuously operating and collecting museum in the United States? How about the fact that Parker Brothers Games began here in Salem? Another fun fact…Salem is the birthplace of the National Guard! Did you know that Salem was one of the most significant seaports in Puritan-American history? The city has deep ties to the sea, trade and even pirates.

Salem, Massachusetts, known for its rich maritime history, was a bustling seaport during the late 17th and 18th centuries. Its harbor became a hub for international trade, linking New England with distant parts of the world such as China, India, and the West Indies. Ships from Salem transported goods like spices, tea, and fine silks, establishing the town as a prominent player in global commerce. The wealth generated from this trade allowed the town to flourish, and many of the grand homes and buildings still standing today reflect that prosperous period. The Salem Maritime National Historic Site commemorates this significant era, featuring preserved wharves and the Custom House, where goods were inspected and taxed.

Pirate history is also woven into Salem’s past. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Salem’s sailors, who were adept at navigating the seas, occasionally turned to privateering—essentially state-sanctioned piracy—during times of war. Some even operated outside the law, engaging in full piracy. Notably, British-born privateer and pirate Captain Samuel Bellamy, often called “Black Sam,” gained fame as one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy. His ship, the Whydah Gally, sank off the coast of Cape Cod, carrying a vast fortune in plunder. While Salem’s primary legacy is that of legitimate trade and maritime innovation, its pirate connections add an adventurous and rebellious edge to its storied past.

So where can you learn about Black Sam, Salem’s ties to the sea and other notable characters? Real Pirates Salem. Voyage through pirate history with a museum over 300 years in the making! Real Pirates Salem features real artifacts and treasure from the shipwrecked Whydah Gally. From lore to legendary find, see and touch the world’s only authenticated pirate treasure ever discovered – including coins, cannons, and weapons – recovered from the ocean floor by underwater explorer Barry Clifford.

As a boy, Barry Clifford sat around the fish house listening to stories told by men who had just come home from World War II. His favorite story was told by his Uncle Bill. It was the story of a pirate ship that had wrecked off the Cape – one that supposedly was full of the biggest pirate treasure ever known. And it was right here in his own backyard.

From the very first time he heard this story, he knew he wanted to try and find the wreck of The Whydah. And when he finally did, he realized that the real treasure of this shipwreck was not the gold, or jewels, but the stories he had found. Real Pirates Salem is the only place in Salem where you can see these artifacts, learn about pirates and become familiar with Sam Bellamy, Maria Hallett, Hendrick Quintor, John King and John Julian.

Real Pirates Salem is located at 285 Derby Street and online at realpiratessalem.com. Fun fact: Real Pirates Salem also does weddings and vow renewals! Dress in your finest pirate garb, get married by costumed performers amongst the artifacts and exchange vows in what is surely one of the most unique ceremony spots in the city.

Once you’re done at Real Pirates Salem, be sure to wander down to the wharf! Take in view of the Friendship of Salem, the Custom House and continue the fun with a sail out onto the water.

Salem, MA: It’s more than just witches and jump scares

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