Christmas in Salem House Tour

Historic Salem, Inc. hosts its annual holiday house tour in downtown Salem Massachusetts! Few communities have the rich legacy of historic houses that Salem, Massachusetts boasts. These homes, spanning four centuries, help define the character as well as the appearance of the city.  Every year Christmas In Salem focuses on a different neighborhood, and some of the homeowners invite visitors into their homes fully decked out in holiday regalia, and to explore a series of unique histories and architectural tales.

Held annually the first weekend in December, Christmas in Salem inaugurates the holiday season, bringing thousands of visitors to see our homes and enjoy our city. The first Christmas house tour took place in 1979 under the combined auspices Historic Salem, Inc. and the Visiting Nurses Association of the North Shore.  Historic Salem, Inc has since assumed responsibility for the tour, and it is now the largest annual fundraising effort for Historic Salem, Inc.

• For families with children aged 6 and up.
• Infants in front carriers only - no strollers or backpacks!
• All tour guests must have a program book– including children over six.
• No pets allowed.
• Umbrellas and packages must be left outside the front door.
• Photos allowed unless otherwise specified.
•  Decorations and furnishings are to be looked at, not touched.
• No food or drink in houses.
• No use of private toilet facilities by tour guests. Restrooms are available at tour headquarters.
• No shoes with pointy heels.

Proceeds of the tours support Historic Salem's  mission to ensure that the historic resources of Salem, which are the key to its identity, its quality of life, and its economic vitality, are preserved for future generations and that new development complements the ​historic character of the city.  They also allow us to maintain and preserve the Nathaniel Bowditch House, a National Historic Landmark that serves as HSI’s headquarters.