Salem’s location on the waterfront made it a seafarer’s town. The area is now a waterfront shopping and dining area with a number of restaurants featuring fresh seafood and outdoor dining in warmer months. The wharf’s main attractions are its masted ships.

Fame, a schooner, sails three times a day from Memorial Day through Halloween, while Hannah Glover is another tall ship that visitors can enjoy sailing on the Atlantic. Both ships provide narrated tours of Salem and Marblehead Harbors, as well as lighthouse tours and live music events.