Salem Willows Park — Attraction in Salem

The place is very historical.

Salem Willows is a historic district in Salem, Massachusetts, and is home to Salem Willows Park. The district spans 100 acres and is located on Salem Neck, a peninsula in the northeastern section of Salem.

Most of the Salem Willows and Salem Neck area was used for firewood and cattle grazing during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Salem Willows area, which is named after the European white willow trees planted there in 1801, has two significant features: the Juniper Point neighborhood and the Salem Willows amusement park.

Salem Neck: In the 17th century, the residential area of the Salem Willows Historic District on Salem Neck was home to Mordecai Crawford, a fisherman who built a house near the causeway leading to Winter Island around 1677.

During the 18th century, a local tanner named John Ives owned a farm on Salem Neck. Ives sold 40 acres of this land in the mid-18th century to farmer Richard Derby Sr., who then built the Derby House on the property in 1758. The house was used as a tavern and still stands today at 5 Columbus Square.

In 1776, Fort Lee was built on what is now Fort Ave on Salem Neck to help defend Salem harbor against an attack by the British during the Revolutionary War.

structed at the camp in 1916.

The buildings at Camp Naumkeag were destroyed in a fire caused by a storm in 1931. These buildings were rebuilt the following year, and the camp was renamed the Salem Health Camp in 1934.

The camp was later used as a day camp by the Carpenter Street Home for Children and then the Salem Girls Scouts from the 1940s until 1964 when the Naumkeag Association formed and began operating it as Camp Naumkeag.

After a local businessman, John C. B. Smith died in 1925 and left some of his land on Fort Ave near Cat Cove to the city, his widow bequeathed $20,000 to the city of Salem in 1933 for the construction of a salt-water pool on the land as a memorial to her husband. A bathhouse was also constructed on the property, and the land opposite of the pool became a city park.

mained closed even after the war ended.

In 1949, a section of land that was once part of the City Farm at the Almshouse near Collins Cove was turned into an athletic field and park called Memorial Park.

In 1962, the bathhouse and summer houses at the Smith pool were demolished, but the pool remained.

The city then agreed to turn the Smith pool land over to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1963 in order to build a marine biology research facility.

The Block House Square Fire Station was built on Fort Ave in 1952.

In 1960, two acres of Memorial Park were transferred to the School Department for the construction of a school. The Bentley School, a public school building, was constructed the following year on the Memorial Park land on what is now Memorial Drive.

In 1970, the Cat Cove Marine Laboratory was built on the Smith pool land on Fort Ave.

Salem Willows Park: In August of 1639, the land at Pignal Point on the eastern shore of Collins Cove was granted to Thomas Pickton.

This four-acre lot was later owned by Daniel and Hannah Darling and transferred to their son William Rotch, a local whaler, on July 16, 1718 and became known as Rotch’s Point and later Roaches Point (Curley 2012.)

Got some pictures for you. I will recommend this park to families, friends, and...

My old stomping ground. When there is nothing to do, just drive to Salem Willows. I only walked twice and let me tell you, its an exercise, even from the Hawthorn Hotel. Anyway, as you drive down and meet the curve in the road you will see tennis courts to your left plus plenty of extra parking. Go straight into Arcade and food strip area on your right. Parking area was always kind of small to me. Especially now with an RV. I would drive around the half circle pass the motorcycle parking area and take a right to park along the tennis courts for bigger vehicles. There's a small beach area on that road too. The park has Men's and Women's bath houses. Plenty of benches and a few gazebos to sit. Walking to the pier is nice as well. Get ice cream, famous Asian pepper steak sandwich with rice on the side, famous salt water taffy and famous popcorn bars in many flavors. Those are my childhood go to items. Great for the kids and adults. Plenty of birds to feed. I think you can still grill there. Boat rentals to go to Misery Island and small Misery if I am correct. Yacht club, members only I think. I think there are rides outside now. Haven't gone in a while. Fire works usually before the 4th of July. Look it up and nice to walk around the neighborhood with water views. Spend the day, but night time is fun with all the...

My family goes here every year for our family cookout. This is my first time visiting the park. The park is very beautiful. There is so much to do. If I were you I would leave early because it's hard to find parking once it's packed. We left at a reasonable time, so we were able to park near the basketball court. You don't have to pay for parking even though signs are up, but that's only on the weekends that's when we went and one of the officers mentioned it. They do have a bathroom for boys and girls, but the bathrooms are very unsanitary and smell very bad. It is a dog friendly park, so you are allowed to bring your family Pet. They do have areas where you can bring your grill and cook out. Even if you don't want to bring a grill to cook out, they have food there it's a strip that has an arcade for the kids' great food like fried Oreos. They also have a little small restaurant there. All together, it's just a wonderful place to bring your family and hang out for the day better than the beach...