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.
The best things to do in Salem NH sit within a few miles of I-93 Exits 1 and 2. You get a 124-year-old amusement park, a walkable Italian-style village built on the old racetrack, a hilltop stone site whose age people still argue about, and two shopping districts with no sales tax. Here are 25, sorted by type. Hours change with the seasons, so check before you drive.
Getting here is easy. Salem is 34 miles north of Boston and about 21 miles from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. New Hampshire has no general sales tax, though restaurant meals and hotel rooms carry an 8.5% state tax. If you’d rather not drive, MeVa Route 28 runs a fare-free bus from Lawrence, Mass., to Tuscan Village.
Attractions: the big things to do in Salem NH
1. Canobie Lake Park
A trolley company opened Canobie on the shore of Canobie Lake in 1902, and it is still Salem’s biggest draw. Ride the Yankee Cannonball, a wooden coaster that has run here since 1936, or Untamed, with its 97-degree drop. Don’t skip the Antique Carousel, carved in 1903 and still played by a 1922 Wurlitzer band organ. In summer, the Castaway Island water park is included with admission. The 2026 season runs through Oct. 31. Tickets are sold online only, prices vary by day and parking is free. 85 N. Policy St. Read our Canobie Lake Park tips and the Canobie rides guide before you go.
2. America’s Stonehenge
Stone chambers, standing stones and walls cover a hilltop in North Salem. The site says its oldest work dates back about 4,000 years and lines up with solstice and equinox sunrises. Mainstream archaeologists dispute an ancient origin. Robert Stone opened it to visitors in 1958, and his family still runs it. Walk the half-mile loop, which takes about an hour, and decide for yourself. There are also nature trails, a bluebird sanctuary and, in snowy winters, snowshoeing. Open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.), closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adults $19, kids 4–12 $12. 105 Haverhill Rd. Our America’s Stonehenge guide has more.
3. Lake Park at Tuscan Village
The pond at the center of Tuscan Village has become the town’s gathering place. It hosts live music, outdoor movies and, at festivals, gondola rides on the water. Around it are fire-pit lounges, outdoor chess, a playground and a dog park. Parking is free.
4. A movie at Cinemark
Cinemark Rockingham Park and XD, at 15 Mall Road next to the mall, has 12 screens, reserved seating, heated recliners and an XD large-format auditorium. It opened in 2020, bringing movies back to Salem after 17 years without a theater. The concession stand pours beer and wine.
5. A class at the Cooking School
The Cooking School at Tuscan Market, run with Williams Sonoma, holds hands-on cooking classes, mixology classes and wine tastings. During the Parmigiano Reggiano Festival in October it runs free demos. 9 Via Toscana.
Shopping, with no sales tax
6. The Mall at Rockingham Park
The mall opened next to the racetrack in August 1991 and became the largest in northern New England. Today it has about 140 stores, with Macy’s, JCPenney and DICK’S House of Sport. 2026 arrivals include Carter’s, New Balance, POP MART and Rowan. In mid-2027, Churchill Downs plans to open the Rockingham Grand casino in the former Lord & Taylor. 99 Rockingham Park Blvd. See our guide to the Mall at Rockingham Park.
7. Tuscan Village shops
L.L.Bean, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Arhaus, The Container Store, Nike, Athleta, Free People, Ulta Beauty and Warby Parker line a walkable main street on the old racetrack grounds. The village counts more than 15 restaurants and 33 businesses. Parking is free, in dozens of lit lots.
8. Tuscan Market
Part grocer, part food hall: house-made pasta, Neapolitan pizza, a butcher counter, imported cheeses and pastry. You can eat inside or on a heated, enclosed patio. 9 Via Toscana, open daily from 8 a.m.
9. Groceries for the drive home
Whole Foods Market opened its first Salem store at Tuscan Village on July 22, 2026, down the road from Market Basket. Stock the cooler before you head south.
Food and drink
10. Tuscan Kitchen
Joe Faro opened Tuscan Kitchen in Salem in 2010; his Tuscan Brands later created Tuscan Village. Today it sits on the ground floor of The Artisan Hotel. Order the Tagliatelle al Tartufo, finished tableside with shaved black truffle. 19 Via Toscana, (603) 952-4875.
11. The Rooftop at The Artisan
Cocktails and shareable plates on top of The Artisan Hotel, with a 24-seat bar, lounge nooks built for year-round use and views over the village.
12. Dinner on North Broadway
Three local favorites share a short stretch of Route 28. The Colosseum has served Southern Italian food since Chef Annibale Todesca opened it in 1987. Grand India is known for its biryani. Dreo Food & Drink pours about 35 house cocktails next to plates such as Dreo Fire Shrimp. Our full dining guide lists more.
13. Breakfast at MaryAnn’s Diner
A 1950s-style diner with Elvis and Marilyn on the walls, big breakfasts and milkshakes. The Salem location, the chain’s third, opened in 2016, and it opens at 6 a.m. every day. 3 Veterans Memorial Pkwy.
14. Lawn games and drinks outside
At Tuscan Village, the Sun Cruiser Social Club serves drinks from open-air container bars beside fire pits and lawn games, and the Sam Adams Pavilion beer garden sets out cornhole and giant Jenga.
15. A glass of New Hampshire wine
AV Wine Bar, from Derry’s Appolo Vineyards, pours New Hampshire-grown wines with small plates. 16 Artisan Dr.
Outdoors
16. The Salem rail trail
The Salem Bike-Ped Corridor follows the old Boston & Maine line for 4.95 miles. It is paved from the north end at North Broadway to Main Street and unpaved south of Main, where it suits walkers and mountain bikes. When it is finished, it will link the Windham and Methuen rail trails as part of the planned Granite State Rail Trail. See our Salem rail trail guide.
17. Field of Dreams Park
A volunteer-run park at 48 Geremonty Dr. with a playground and toddler area, a fitness trail, hiking trails and a stage. In summer it holds free Friday-evening concerts and free movie nights. The 2026 concerts ran June 26 to Aug. 14, with headliners at 6:40 p.m.
18. Hedgehog Park
Swim in Hedgehog Pond from Memorial Day to Labor Day, when the park is staffed 9 a.m.–7 p.m. It also has a small playground, a basketball court and a walking path around the pond. There are no lifeguards, and in-season parking costs $10 a day for residents and $20 for non-residents. 53 Lowell Rd. More in our Salem parks guide.
19. Salem Town Forest
Wooded trails for walking, running, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding and leashed dogs, open from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The trailhead is on Shadow Lake Road.
20. Golf at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands
A public, 18-hole, links-style course with a driving range, open since 1994 on 135 acres of old farmland. The family-owned club has a bar and grill, a pro shop and lessons. The 2026 season ends Sunday, Nov. 22. 79 Brady Ave.
History
21. Salem Common and Old Town Hall
The common was laid out around 1741 and is now a National Register historic district. The Salem Historical Society runs the town museum in the 1738 Old Town Hall and Schoolhouse No. 5. Look for the Canobie memorabilia, the Military Room and, in the one-room schoolhouse, an 1873 flag with 37 stars. In December, the Salem Lions Club lights a tree at Veterans Park on the common. 310 Main St. Call (603) 890-2280 for hours.
22. The old depot
The Salem Depot Transportation Museum fills a restored Boston & Maine station on Main Street, right on the rail trail.
23. The racetrack story
Tuscan Village stands on Rockingham Park, the track that ran from 1906 to 2016. In 1933 it became the first track in New England with legal pari-mutuel betting, and Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936. It closed on Aug. 31, 2016, after 110 years. Read the full story in From the Rock to the Grand.
Seasonal
24. Fall at Tuscan Village and Screeemfest
The free Parmigiano Reggiano Festival fills Tuscan Village on Oct. 10–11, 2026, with ToscanaFest and its 30-plus vendors on Sunday. At Canobie, Screeemfest brings six haunted houses to fall weekends through Saturday, Oct. 31. See our Screeemfest guide.
25. The holidays
The Holiday Shoppes market, nearly 50 wooden booths of gifts, kettle corn and mulled wine, runs Nov. 6–Dec. 24 at Tuscan Village, and the village’s 50-foot tree lights up on Saturday, Nov. 21. The 55th Salem Holiday Parade steps off down Main Street on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. See Christmas in Salem.
Plan the trip. Put it together with our Salem NH weekend itinerary, keep costs down with free things to do, or pick by who is coming: Salem with kids, date night or a rainy day indoors. Coming from out of state? Make sure your GPS says Salem, NH; our Salem, NH vs. Salem, MA guide explains why. Official sites: canobie.com and stonehengeusa.com.
Questions people ask
What is Salem, NH known for?
Canobie Lake Park, which opened in 1902; Tuscan Village, built on the old Rockingham Park racetrack; the Mall at Rockingham Park; and tax-free shopping at the Massachusetts line.
Is Salem, NH the same as Salem, Massachusetts?
No. Salem, NH is a town of about 30,000 people on I-93 at the Massachusetts border. The witch-trial history belongs to Salem, Massachusetts.
How far is Salem, NH from Boston?
About 34 miles, or roughly 45 minutes without traffic. Allow more time at rush hour.
Does Salem, NH have sales tax?
New Hampshire has no general sales tax. Restaurant meals, hotel rooms and car rentals carry the state’s 8.5% meals and rooms tax.
When does Canobie Lake Park close for the season?
The 2026 season ends Saturday, Oct. 31, with Screeemfest hours of 3–11 p.m. The park reopens in spring; the 2026 season opened May 16.
Get the weekend in your inbox
Every Thursday morning: the best things to do in Salem this weekend, one place worth eating at, and what’s coming up. Free.
Keep exploring
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.
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.