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Photo: Fletcher6, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This replica ship usually functions as a floating museum; however, the vessel is fully functional and Coast Guard certified. She was designed after a model of the original (on display at PEM), and is occasionally taken out under full sail for crew trainings and tall ship events. The original was a three-masted trading ship built in Salem in 1797. After circumnavigating the world over a dozen times, she would eventually be taken by British forces during the War of 1812, then stripped and sold for parts.
Friendship of Salem is a 171-foot (52 m) replica of the Friendship, a 1797 East Indiaman. It was built in 2000 in the Scarano Brothers Shipyard in Albany, New York. The ship usually operates as a stationary museum ship during most of the year. However, it is a fully functioning United States Coast Guard-certified vessel capable of passenger and crew voyages, which makes special sailings during various times of the year. The Friendship of Salem is docked at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, established in 1938 as the first such site in the United States. The site, which includes several structures, artifacts and records, is operated by the National Park Service.
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Take a tour of Salem harbor on a full-scale replica of the famous schooner. Framed and planked of white oak and trunnel-fastened in the traditional manner, this replica was launched in 2003. The original Fame was a fast Chebacco fishing schooner reborn as a privateer when war broke out in the summer of 1812. She was arguably the first American privateer to bring home a prize, and she made 20 more captures before being wrecked in the Bay of Fundy in 1814.
Salem's 13th customs house, this one dates from 1819 and was built to represent the power of the federal government. Pay a visit to reveal exhibits on the tools of the Custom Service, the work of the Customs inspectors, and the office of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famous American author whose three-year stint in the Salem Custom House inspired his classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.
Housed in a historic building dating to the 1650s, the Salem Arts Association features over 180 new and upcoming North Shore artists specializing in all media and disciplines. Pieces on display are constantly rotating and available for purchase. The association is an all volunteer run non-profit. Check their calendar for a variety of events that take place throughout the year.
Turner-Ingersoll Mansion
One of the oldest surviving 17th-century wooden mansions in New England. Made famous by the eponymous 1851 Nathaniel Hawthorne novel. The oldest sections of the home date to 1668, when it was built for Captain John Turner and his family. The home has been altered and modified countless times over the centuries as family fortunes ebbed and flowed. Eventually; in 1908, wealthy philanthropist Caroline Emmerton purchased the home and set about effecting its restoration. Supervised by Boston's city architect; they restored the home to its former glory, making only the occasional sacrifice to historical accuracy. Visitors today will discover low ceilings, extensive Georgian paneling, and hidden staircases among hundreds of period curios. Walking the grounds is always a charming activity. The fresh ocean breezes are sure to invigorate. Also on site is the home where Nathaniel Hawthorne was born. It was moved here in 1958 and is worth a few minutes of your time.
Built in 1675, this home wouldn't be added to the park until 1964. Acting as a counterpoint to some of the more grandiose structures, this is a remarkable example of a 17th century middle-class family home. Exhibits within the house showcase rare early ephemera and artifacts discovered during archeological digs on-site. The taller bits belong to the original structure, which remains (mostly) as it was when absorbed in the 1960s. The small adjacent sidewalk is a "hidden gem" entrance to the larger Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
The museum includes a walking tour that consists of an artifacts room, a recreation of life down by the docks where the pirates did their recruiting, and reenactments and representations of such famous pirates as Sam Bellamy, Captain Kidd, and Blackbeard. You can get $5 off tickets when you buy with Witch Dungeon Museum and Witch History Museum.