Salem, NH, explained
41 guides to Salem, New Hampshire: things to do, Canobie Lake Park, where to eat, tax-free shopping, history and the seasons.
Things to do
25 things to do in Salem, NH
A 124-year-old amusement park, a village on the old racetrack, a disputed stone site and two tax-free shopping districts. Here are 25 places to start.
Free things to do in Salem, NH
Trails, festivals, concerts, a library and a holiday parade, none of which cost a cent. Bring your own snacks.
Salem with kids, by age
From storytime for toddlers to Untamed for teens, here is what works at every age, plus how to do Canobie with little ones.
Indoor Salem, for a rainy day
Rain on the windshield doesn’t cancel the trip. A mall, a movie, a cooking class and a museum are all a few minutes apart.
Canobie Lake Park
125 Summers on the lake
It opened in 1902 as a trolley company's lakeside garden. A century and a quarter later, it's where New England kids measure themselves against the height sign.
Canobie Lake Park tips
Tickets are online only, parking is free and the cooler stays in the car. What to know before you drive to North Policy Street.
Canobie Lake Park rides, by thrill level
Two big coasters, a 1903 carousel, a steam train and a water park. Every ride, sorted from wild to mild, with the height rules the park posts.
Canobie Screeemfest, after dark
Six haunted houses, monsters on the midway and the rides after dark. How to plan a Screeemfest night at Canobie Lake Park.
The story of Canobie Lake Park
A streetcar company built it, the automobile nearly killed it, and three friends from New Jersey kept it going. How Salem’s lakeside park made it to 125.
The Yankee Cannonball, still rolling
It was built for a park in Connecticut, came to Salem by rail and survived a hurricane. Meet New Hampshire’s oldest operating roller coaster.
Food & drink
Where to Eat
Red-sauce institutions, a rooftop bar, a 1950s diner and a steakhouse on the old racetrack. Seventeen places to start.
Date night in Salem
Dinner, a rooftop cocktail and a walk around the pond, all within a few blocks. Plus dates that don’t start at a table.
Italian restaurants in Salem, NH
A 1978 red-sauce room, a family trattoria, a seafood house and Tuscan Village’s flagship. What to order at each, and when to go.
Breakfast and brunch in Salem, NH
Diners that open at 6 a.m., weekend brunch at Tuscan Village and coffee for the early drive. Where to go, and when they open.
The best pizza in Salem, NH
Wood-fired and coal-fired pies, Neapolitan pizza at Tuscan Village and the neighborhood shops that have fed Salem for decades.
Every place to eat at Tuscan Village
Steak, pasta, burgers, bowls, ice cream and a rooftop bar, all on the old Rockingham Park racetrack. The whole list, grouped so you can choose fast.
Family restaurants in Salem, NH
Kids’ menus, weekday deals, hibachi tables and lawn games. Where to take the family in Salem without blowing the budget.
The best bars in Salem, NH
A rooftop over Tuscan Village, New Hampshire wine by the flight, a beer garden, live music and a sports bar with golf simulators. Where to go for a drink.
Shopping
A village on the old track
How a racetrack became a place to spend the whole day, and why locals now call it downtown.
Shop tax-free
New Hampshire has no sales tax, and Salem is the first exit over the line.
Does New Hampshire have sales tax?
No tax on what you buy in the store, 8.5% on meals, rooms and rental cars, and what Massachusetts says you owe when you get home.
The Mall at Rockingham Park
Hours, anchors, food, movies and parking at Salem’s tax-free mall, plus what the Rockingham Grand will add in 2027.
Plan your trip
A weekend in Salem, Friday to Sunday
Two nights, one exit and no sales tax. An hour-by-hour plan for a fall weekend, with summer and winter swaps.
Tuscan Village, the practical guide
Where to park, how to get there without a car, what’s on which street, and the dates to know this fall and winter.
Hotels in Salem, NH
Five places to stay, sorted by exit, with what each is close to and what to know before you book.
Boston to Salem, NH
About 34 miles up I-93. Here’s how to make the trip by car, by coach, or by train and a free local bus.
Salem, NH vs. Salem, Mass.
Same name, different states, about 34 miles apart. How to tell them apart and make sure you end up in the right one.
Moving to Salem, NH: a practical guide
Taxes, trash, schools, the commute and the paperwork. What new residents need to know in the first 60 days.
Outdoors & history
From the Rock to the Grand
Seabiscuit raced here. Now Churchill Downs is building the Rockingham Grand, opening in mid-2027.
More to explore
A disputed stone site, a 1741 common, a rail trail and a year of events.
America’s Stonehenge: the stones and the debate
Stone chambers on a Salem hilltop, a claim of 4,000 years and a long scholarly argument. Here is what you will see, and how to plan the walk.
The Salem rail trail, mile by mile
Five miles of old Boston & Maine railbed, from Canobie Lake to the Massachusetts line, with a cow tunnel and a depot along the way.
Salem, NH history: from North Parish to Tuscan Village
A meetinghouse parish, a trolley resort, a racetrack and an interstate. How a farm town on the Massachusetts line became Salem.
Parks in Salem, NH: where to swim, play and walk
A swimming pond, a volunteer-built playground, 347 acres of town forest and a common from the 1740s. Your guide to Salem’s green space.
Seasons
Black Friday, tax-free
Two shopping districts, one exit and no sales tax. Your plan for Thanksgiving weekend in Salem.
Gifts from Salem
Wrap up a summer at Canobie, a cooking class or a night at The Artisan. Or shop by who is on your list.
Fall in Salem, weekend by weekend
Haunted houses by the lake, cheese wheels in the street, a history walk on Main Street and miles of trail under the leaves.
Winter in Salem, indoors and out
Snowshoe trails on an ancient-looking hill, a public skate, a mall with a climbing wall and dinner by a fireplace.
Christmas in Salem, NH
Three tree lightings, a parade down Main Street, a market of wooden booths and a map of the brightest houses in town.
Summer in Salem, from the lake to the lawn
Coasters and a lazy river, a town pond, free Friday-night bands on the green and live music by the water at Tuscan Village.
Spring in Salem, outside again
The market moves outside, the patios open, the trails dry out and Canobie starts its season in May.