Salem can be explored through two distinct themes: city parks and a history brought to life in exhibitions and themed tours. If you’re looking for a vacation rental for your stay, first consider whether you’d like to focus more on nature and recreational activities or on Salem’s historical topics. The places and activities here offer some concrete points of reference.
Parks and Recreation in Salem
The city’s park system encompasses more than 375 acres of land and water. Salem’s recreation programs are open to everyone who wants to take part; availability may vary. Two parks offer distinct opportunities to spend time outdoors.
Centennial Park is Salem’s oldest park, established in 1906. It features a nine-hole disc golf course, as well as a 410,000-gallon Olympic-size outdoor swimming pool and a splash pad. Seasonal operating hours for the outdoor pool may change. If swimming is important to your stay, check before your visit whether it will be open on your travel dates.
Waterworth Memorial Park has a one-mile nature trail. Wildlife there includes deer, waterfowl, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and many bird species. The parks therefore offer different experiences: Centennial Park has options such as disc golf and water activities, while Waterworth Memorial Park offers a different perspective on Salem’s parks with its nature trail and wildlife.
The Orashan Memorial Civic Center is also part of the recreational scene: it hosts Salem’s annual summer concerts. Dates can be important for planning, so check whether a concert falls during your travel period.
History, Exhibitions, and Tours
In April 1850, the first women’s rights convention in Ohio was held in Salem. The Salem Historical Museum offers another way to explore historical topics, with hundreds of unique artifacts on display. Freedom Hall displays artifacts related to the abolitionist movement and the women’s rights movement. This offers a view that ranges from a specific convention to artifacts representing two historical movements. Salem is also home to a monument to Coppock.
For exploring the city, Burchfield’s Footsteps is a walking tour through downtown Salem. Visitors can see many buildings painted by Charles Ephraim Burchfield. The Salem Historical Society’s Underground Railroad Trolley Tour was included in the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The two tours have different focuses: Burchfield’s Footsteps centers on buildings he painted, while the trolley tour’s title points to the history of the Underground Railroad.
Planning the Timing of Your Stay
When planning your trip, it’s helpful to distinguish between seasonal offerings and the various historical topics. If the outdoor pool, a summer concert, or a recreation program is a key part of your visit, check operating hours or dates for your travel period. This can also help you choose when to book a vacation rental in Salem. The historical exhibitions, monument, and themed tours offer other options if you’d like to focus your stay more on history.
Discover more destinations: Wellsville, East Liverpool.
For the broader travel guide: Columbiana County.
