Hamilton Hall — Attraction in Salem

I'm a Salem resident and I am on a mission to tour all the local attractions AND historical places.

About this one:

I recently visited the Hamilton Hall during the Trails and Sails days - two weeks of free events here on the North Shore. I had never really realized before that the Hall is open to the public for tours besides being open for events!

What it is:

This historical location was built in 1805 and designed by Samuel McIntire. This district of Salem is called after him, who was one of the first renowned American architects, master of the Federal Style.

Hamilton Hall was originally built to be a meeting place for the Federal Party and then over the decades it has hosted banquets, balls, gatherings etc.

All three floors are open to the public for self-guided tours, including the big ballroom. Each room has small panels on the walls, but the core of the self-guided tour is an audio tour that you can listen to by scanning several QR codes placed everywhere in the Hall. Because of this, I strongly recommend to bring with you your headphones so you can quietly listen to all the audio files.

I found the visit very informative and interesting and I appreciated the focus on the Remonds, a family of free African-Americans who were the original caretakers of the place and well known for their social activism.

It is my understanding that at the Hall they welcome visitors for self-guided tours during their opening hours unless they are hosting events. The entrance for the general public is NOT on Chestnut Street but on Cambridge Street, the door under the white columns. That door leads to a small hallway and their offices on the left, where you will probably find someone welcome you and you can start your tour. Even if you are unsure if they are open or not, it's worth trying to see if they are, since touring this location makes a great addition to any trip to Salem.

If you listen to all audio files it will take about half hour to tour the Hall. Otherwise, it could be just a 10 minutes quick visit if you just walk through the rooms.

PROs

Visiting the Hall is extremely interesting both from an historical and architectural perspective. Since it's self-guided, you can spend as much time you want learning through the audio tour, but also make it, if needed, a quicker visit if you are for example visiting with children. Being a bit outside the usual tourist streets (but a very quick walk from them) I assume you won't find it crowded.

Pictures are allowed.

It's free!

CONs

No real cons here, just, it might not always be 100% clear - from the outside - when the building is open to visitors. And you might find it closed because...

Beautiful event venue. Quaint rooms. Wonderful service including working with you to call when room is ready since took red-eye and exhausted. Easy to change reservations for stay. Great restaurants with great food. Enjoyed breakfast in the main dining area and cheese plate and salads and light bites in the tavern. Try the watermelon salad in the tavern! Great cozy arm chair seating. The Grand ball room is an elegant venue for event especially wedding reception and second floor great area for gathering for cocktails and appetizers. The food is exquisite, very tasty, and very elegant. Lobster bisque is incredible. The oyster bar is incredible. Highly recommend this hotel and ask it's restaurants and venue for events. Great location to walk everywhere...

We had our wedding here on December 14, 2024 and it was absolute perfection. The Hall’s wedding planner, Robin, is fabulous to work with and incredibly knowledgeable about what works best in the space. Vinwood Catering, the exclusive caterer, is the best of the best. Our guests could not stop raving about the food, from cocktail hour all the way through to dessert. Hamilton Hall’s team of vendors helped us execute our vision flawlessly. We had 134 guests and were comfortable in the space, and loved that the dance floor felt full all night long. Could not recommend...