Indoor Salem, for a rainy day

The best indoor things to do in Salem NH cluster around I-93 Exit 1: an enclosed mall with about 140 stores, a 12-screen movie theater, a cooking school and a dozen places to settle in for a long lunch. Add the library and the town museum on Main Street, and a rainy day fills itself. Here is the plan, with hours where they’re confirmed. Call ahead, since schedules shift.

Indoor things to do in Salem NH: shop

The Mall at Rockingham Park, 99 Rockingham Park Blvd., is the obvious first stop: about 140 stores under one roof, anchored by Macy’s, JCPenney and DICK’S House of Sport. New for 2026 are Carter’s, New Balance, POP MART and Rowan, an ear-piercing studio opening its first New Hampshire store, along with Gorjana, Aerie and an expanded Lululemon. New Hampshire has no general sales tax, so the tag price is what you pay; see our New Hampshire sales tax guide. Our guide to the Mall at Rockingham Park has the store list.

At Tuscan Village, the shops are outdoors, but the lots are close. On a drizzly day, park once and dash between L.L.Bean, Williams Sonoma, HomeSense, The Container Store and Tuscan Market. Whole Foods Market, open since July 22, 2026, is at 24R Via Toscana, and Caffè Artisan, off The Artisan Hotel lobby, is a dry spot for coffee. See our Tuscan Village visitor guide.

Movies and active play

Cinemark Rockingham Park and XD

The 12-screen theater at 15 Mall Road opened in 2020 as Cinemark’s first in New Hampshire, bringing movies back to Salem after 17 years without a theater. Every auditorium has reserved seating and heated, reclining Luxury Loungers, and one is an XD large-format screen. The concession stand sells beer, wine and frozen cocktails. Book seats online or in the app.

DICK’S House of Sport

The mall’s DICK’S is a House of Sport, the chain’s larger format, which includes a climbing wall, TrackMan golf bays and multi-sport cages. Call (603) 824-3152 to ask what’s open and what it costs before you promise the kids.

Cook, sip and learn

The Cooking School at Tuscan Market

Run with Williams Sonoma, the school at 9 Via Toscana offers hands-on cooking classes, mixology classes and guided wine tastings. It is one of the few indoor activities that works for a group, a couple or a solo cook. During the Parmigiano Reggiano Festival on Oct. 10–11, 2026, it holds free cooking demos.

A wine class at AV Wine Bar

AV Wine Bar, 16 Artisan Dr., pours New Hampshire wines from Appolo Vineyards with scratch-made small plates. Its Wine 101 class with a sommelier runs Mondays, 6–8 p.m., through October 2026, and walk-ins are welcome. Music Bingo nights fill some Tuesdays, and “Girl Dinners” on Wednesdays, 4–8 p.m., pair a plate with a glass of wine for $30. Open daily from noon.

Museums and the library

• Salem Historical Society museum, 310 Main St.: the 1738 Old Town Hall holds Native American artifacts, vintage toys, antique eyeglasses and Canobie Lake Park memorabilia, with a Military Room upstairs. Next door, the Alice Hall Memorial Library building has a coin collection and a player piano, and Schoolhouse No. 5, a one-room school, shows period desks and an 1873 flag with 37 stars. Hours aren’t posted online; call (603) 890-2280.
• America’s Stonehenge visitor center, 105 Haverhill Rd.: the walking loop is outdoors, but the visitor center has a museum and gift shop. In a light rain, the loop takes about an hour; bring good shoes for the uneven ground. Open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., last admission 4 p.m.
• Kelley Library, 234 Main St.: open Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Little-kid programs run Monday through Wednesday mornings with no registration, a take-home craft comes out every Wednesday, and teens can join After School D&D on Thursdays. On Oct. 15, classical guitarist Scott Ouellette plays. See more in Salem with kids.

Long, warm meals

A rainy day is a good excuse to linger. One easy plan: the mall in the morning, a long lunch, then a matinee at Cinemark next door. A few places built for that lunch:

• Tuscan Market, 9 Via Toscana: house pasta and Neapolitan pizza, with seats inside and on a heated, enclosed patio. Open daily from 8 a.m.
• Tuscan Kitchen, 19 Via Toscana: a long Italian lunch under The Artisan Hotel, with weekday happy hour 3–5 p.m.
• The Colosseum, 264 N. Broadway: Southern Italian since 1987. Open Saturday from noon and Sunday from 1 p.m.
• Grand India, 264 N. Broadway: dosas, curries and biryani.
• Sevmar Mediterranean Bistro, 401 Main St.: mezze and kabobs, with live music every Thursday night.
• MaryAnn’s Diner, 3 Veterans Memorial Pkwy.: breakfast from 6 a.m. in a 1950s room.
• The Friendly Toast, Tuscan Village: retro all-day breakfast and a full bar.

Our full dining guide lists more.

Coming soon

The mall announced two Fenway-area entertainment concepts, Game On and Loretta’s Last Call, for fall 2026. Check the mall’s directory for opening dates. In mid-2027, Churchill Downs plans to open the Rockingham Grand casino in the former Lord & Taylor building, with a 900-seat entertainment venue. Guests must be 21 or older. In the meantime, Churchill Downs points card players to Chasers Poker Room, 7 Veterans Memorial Pkwy.

When the sun comes back, pick up our list of 25 things to do in Salem, NH. Theater info: cinemark.com.