Destination Salem opened the doors to its new information center at 245 Derby Street on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
Located in the renovated South Harbor garage, the new information center is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and provide visitors with information on what to do, where to dine, where to shop and where to stay. Centrally located and convenient to both the waterfront and downtown districts, the visitor information center is in the first-floor space formerly occupied by Scratch Kitchen.
This is an exciting new direction for Destination Salem, which has served as Salem’s Office of Tourism & Cultural Affairs since 1998. The organization has always functioned behind the scenes, but when the pandemic shined a light on the City’s need for daily visitor information and year-round public restrooms, Destination Salem stepped forward to take a leadership role in providing visitor services.
“We are looking forward to this new role for the organization,” said Destination Salem Executive Director Kate Fox. “There is so much to do in Salem year-round, and we want to help visitors get the most out of their visit.”
The new visitor information center will be staffed with Information Specialists who can guide people to the city’s museums, attractions, tours, shops, restaurants, and special events. Visitors can pick up brochures, maps, and schedules of events. A gift shop and retail display are planned for later this year.
The City of Salem opened new public restrooms adjacent to the information center in August. They are open daily, year-round. The National Park Service continues to operate the regional visitor center in the Salem Armory, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Destination Salem Information Center is scheduled to take place on Monday, November 14 at 1 p.m.
For complete information about visiting Massachusetts, go to VisitMA.com.