Discover Salem

Salem offers several distinct points of interest to consider when planning a trip: the Salem Museum combines a historic house with a modern addition, while historic Main Street has antique shops, restaurants, breweries, and historic landmarks all within a short walk of one another. Other attractions include the Salem Farmers Market, named greenways and trails, a golf course, and the Salem Fair. If you’re looking for a hotel in Salem, you can start by considering whether local history, downtown offerings, seasonal events, or golf will be the focus of your stay.

History at the Salem Museum

The Salem Museum has been housed in the Williams-Brown House since 1992. The house was built in 1845. Since 2010, the museum has also included a modern, environmentally conscious addition. This museum brings together a 19th-century house and a later modern addition. A gallery highlights sixteen significant events dating back to 1671 that shaped Salem and the Roanoke Valley. The exhibition therefore looks beyond the year the house was built and connects Salem’s history with that of the Roanoke Valley. If history is an important part of your trip, you can take this focus into account when planning.

Main Street and the Farmers Market

Antique shops, restaurants, breweries, and historic landmarks shape the offerings on historic Main Street. They are all within a short walk of one another, making it easy to consider different kinds of stops as part of a single downtown itinerary. This is a different planning focus from museum visits or event dates. Since shops and offerings can change, it’s a good idea to check the latest information before your visit.

The Salem Farmers Market is downtown, at the corner of Broad Street and Main Street. The City of Salem established it in 1992. Vendors selling produce and craftspeople are represented there each week. During the summer months, the market also serves as a concert venue several times. The market’s vendors and its concerts appeal to different travel interests: vendor offerings are part of the weekly market, while concerts are seasonal and may vary from year to year. If you’re planning a trip to Salem specifically for a concert, check the dates for your travel period.

Trails, Golf, and the Salem Fair

For other interests, Salem is home to the Mason Creek Greenway and the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail. A section of the Roanoke River Greenway around the Moyer Sports Complex is named the David Smith Trail. These names help distinguish the individual trails and the named section; together, they make up a separate area of interest alongside the museum and downtown offerings.

The Salem Municipal Golf Course was established in 1919 on a 46-acre site a few blocks from the city center. The course has nine holes, is par 34, and measures 2,400 yards. For golf enthusiasts, the number of holes, par, and length give a concrete sense of the course; its location a few blocks from the city center is another useful point of reference.

The Salem Fair features classic fair food, exciting rides, and entertainment. It is a recurring event, and the offerings vary from year to year. If you’d like to include it in your travel plans, check the dates and the program for your travel period.

For an overview of the wider trip: Salem.