Salem 1630: Pioneer Village

Pioneer Village, also known as Salem 1630: Pioneer Village, is a living history museum recreating the city of Salem as it was in the 17th century. Opened in June 1930, it was the first museum of its kind in the United States.

The village was created for visitors to experience the lives of early English settlers instead of reading about them. Visitors can see a blacksmith’s shop, a sawmill, a saltworks, gardens, fireplaces, a Dugout, a Wigwam, and thatched roof cottages. The featured attraction upon opening was the Governor’s House, a “fayre house” representing what the house might have looked like after it had been disassembled in Cape Ann, brought over to Salem, and rebuilt for Governor John Endicott in 1628. Dimensional details for the replica had been worked out by George Francis Dow.