Salem Maritime National Historic Site is a unit of the National Park System, one of more than 400 parks that are important examples of our national and cultural heritage. The purpose of Salem Maritime National Historic Site is to preserve and interpret resources along the waterfront of Salem, Massachusetts, that explain the nation’s settlement, its evolution into a maritime power and its development as a major industrial force.

Established on March 17, 1938 as the first National Historic Site in the United States, the site consists of nine acres of land and twelve historic structures along the Salem waterfront, as well as a downtown visitor center. The site includes the Custom House, Public Stores, Scale House, Hawkes House, Derby House, West India Good Store, Pedricks Store House, a lighthouse, and three historic wharves. The park also maintains and operates a replica East Indiaman, Friendship of Salem.