Old Salem Museums & Gardens
Old Salem Museums & Gardens
Old Salem Museums & Gardens
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Old Salem Museums & Gardens is a historic site and museum combating food insecurity and exploring the stories of people, including Moravian, Black, and Indigenous peoples, in the American South. As one of America’s most comprehensive history attractions, our museums—the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), and the Gardens at Old Salem—engage visitors in an educational and memorable historical experience. The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) contains the finest collection of its kind in the nation, featuring architecture, furniture, ceramics, metalwork, needlework, paintings, prints, and other decorative arts made and used in the early American South.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,294 reviews
Excellent
828
Very good
356
Average
85
Poor
16
Terrible
9
schwartzme92
Charlotte, NC55 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
All-around highly recommend. Staff work in period dress. They are very friendly and knowledgeable. We spent about 3-hours walking around and didn’t get to see everything. The $27 ticket is for two-days and if we were staying longer we would definitely go back. A great afternoon of walking and learning! One note of caution, it is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.
Written 12 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mcdh4561
Fredericksburg, VA554 contributions
Sept 2021
This museum is the starting place for touring Old Salem. The building contains a few exhibits and restrooms. For 10 dollars you get a glossy fold-out map of the historic area and hints on touring the few open historic properties.
Written 22 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dmitri K
San Antonio, TX853 contributions
Jun 2022
You can park your car on the street and take a self-guided tour: there is a website with all the explanations on how to download and use the app. We went low-tech and just strolled up and down the neighborhood. Depending on how fast or slow you walk and whether you decide to visit museums and cites , it may take from 45 min to 1 hour 30 minutes to enjoy this visit. Charming, charming.
Written 18 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer N
Florida49 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Family of 4 with 15 yo HS daughter and 18 year old college son. Learned a lot walking uphill on Church Street to God's Acre cemetery seeing the Single Sister House Museum and Moravian Church and then downhill on Main Street hitting the Muddy Creek Cafe (for wraps and tuna sandwiches), the Winkler Bakery (don't miss the TikTok star there!) seeing the Miksch House, and Boy's House. Learned a lot about the Moravian culture and the African Americans enslaved and freed that lived in Salem.
Written 4 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate Illinois1
Illinois4,861 contributions
Apr 2023
We enjoyed the architecture of the buildings, docents in time period dress sharing their knowledge, demonstrations and purchasing treats from the bakery. It was a similar experience as Williamsburg offering education of the time period and settlers. Something for all ages.
Written 10 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
msu_mom
Troy, MI1,471 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
We were disappointed by our visit. The number of places open is very small and consists mostly of places to buy things. The only demonstrations were pottery and baking. We expected to find a lot more lively place, but it was pretty dead despite being a beautiful day. I'm not sure why the holiday price was $20 rather than the $18 price at
other times since there didn't seem to be any special holiday programming happening.
other times since there didn't seem to be any special holiday programming happening.
Written 20 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia C
Fort Worth, TX7 contributions
Jun 2023
Totally enjoyed the experience of touring Old Salem Village and learning about the history of it and about the Moravian Church. They have done a wonderful job of restoring and recreating the homes that were there, which are from the late 1700s through the 1800s. At different houses they have costumed interpreters who provide the history of the people who lived in the house and who also demonstrate their trades. The homes look as they did then. There is a pottery, bakery, schools, silversmith. It's really pretty extensive, so I would give yourself at least 4-5 hours to see it all. And wear walking shoes, there are cobblestones and some hilly streets, so be prepared. The gardens surrounding the homes are lovely. And stop in at the museum of Decorative Arts that is the first thing you encounter after your walk over the bridge to the village. It's a good start to your visit, not too big, and has very interesting furniture and pottery.
Written 10 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda H
3 contributions
Apr 2022
It is a nice place to ride through but not much is open. I loved the cemetery and thought it was interesting that Women and children were buried separately from the men. The Winkler Bakery had a very interesting Bee Hive Oven but the pastries were expensive and not very tasty.
Written 25 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
traveling_with_kathy
Lake Stevens, WA1,615 contributions
Dec 2022 • Solo
What a quaint section to explore in Winston Salem, especially during the holiday seasonI parked at the museum. Quickly fills up. There is street parking. Picked up the map at the museum and walked through the bridge to get to Old Salem. There were big white stars hanging from the ceiling making it festive.
I didn’t realize that there are private residences mixed in with the other buildings. It was a nice couple hours just wandering the streets taking pictures. With the holidays there were musicians playing music on the street. There were two horse drawn carriages providing tours.
A stop at the bakery is a must. Co-workers had told me to be sure to pick up some of the sugar cookies. Delicious.
Lots of walking, but do it at your own pace. Several benches are along the streets to provide a nice break. There are restrooms near the main square. Also several in the museum.
Highly recommend.
I didn’t realize that there are private residences mixed in with the other buildings. It was a nice couple hours just wandering the streets taking pictures. With the holidays there were musicians playing music on the street. There were two horse drawn carriages providing tours.
A stop at the bakery is a must. Co-workers had told me to be sure to pick up some of the sugar cookies. Delicious.
Lots of walking, but do it at your own pace. Several benches are along the streets to provide a nice break. There are restrooms near the main square. Also several in the museum.
Highly recommend.
Written 11 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deborah H
Jefferson, MD370 contributions
Jun 2023
Enjoyed visiting the homes and businesses that were on our tour. Very knowledgeable docents in each place. I learned a lot about the Moravians. My only comment would be that senior citizens, like myself, probably need to drive & park along the way. We started out parking by the Museum and found that walking way up hill was a bit of a challenge on a hot June morning!
Written 19 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have a party of five. 4 adults and I child. The child is age 15. Is it possible we could all go on one ride together?
Written 2 November 2024
1207k
Asheville, North Carolina
We are staying at the Marriott. Can we walk to the Old Salem shops?
Written 22 February 2020
Thank you for your answer, Heather! Apologies for our delayed response. Heather is correct--it is about a mile walk from the Marriot to the heart of the historic district. You can take the Strollway, which is the paved greenway running from downtown Winston-Salem through the historic district.
Written 10 August 2021
Are children the same price as adults? Is there a half day ticket option? Anyone have "must see" buildings we should visit with children? Thanks!
Written 16 December 2019
Hello all! We are currently running on a donation model for the next few months as we gradually reopen. With a recommended donation of $10, you can visit select venues which are open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. We will continue to update our website as more venues open and our ticketing resumes. Learn more on our website. Thank you!
Written 10 August 2021
Where are the tickets purchased? Do they take credit cards? Any ideas for a restaurant for lunch? Thanks!
Written 11 December 2019
Hello! We are currently running on a donation model for the next few months as we gradually reopen. With a recommended donation of $10, you can visit select venues which are open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. We will continue to update our website as more venues open and our ticketing resumes. Although the Tavern Restaurant is closed for renovations, Muddy Creek Café is open for lunch and is conveniently located under T. Bagge Merchant. Learn more on our website. Thank you!
Written 10 August 2021
Please explain the $80.00 dual ticket prices. Do you have to be related to take advantage of this deal? Are there extra charges for special events?
Written 17 November 2019
Hello all! We are currently running on a donation model for the next few months as we gradually reopen. With a recommended donation of $10, you can visit select venues which are open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. We will continue to update our website as more venues open and our ticketing resumes. Learn more on our website. Thank you!
Written 10 August 2021
Is there a place nearby to have a picnic lunch. Need several tables
Written 21 December 2018
Yes, if weather is good. Just before you cross the main parking area road (not main road)to enter the Visitor’s Center there is a huge clump of trees (to your left). There is a picnic table underneath them (it looks almost hidden). I do not know if it is more than one, I might call the Visitor’s Center. If you are leaving the Visitor’s Center it will be to your right after you cross. A family on our field trip was having a picnic lunch there in November.
Written 22 December 2018
What is it like during Christmas time? Is there greenery on doorways, cider, or anything festive or is it just the same as the rest of the year? Specifically looking for the daytime not one of the evening baking activities.
Written 29 October 2018
Christmas at Old Salem us beautiful. It's definitely not the same as it is during the rest of the year.
Written 30 October 2018
I paid $27 few weeks ago. Good for two days entry to the Museum plus all houses, etc. well worth it.
Written 25 August 2018
They do, just call for arrangements, dress for the cold weather.
Written 13 December 2017
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