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    Old Burying Point Cemetery

    4.6 (53 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Michael C.

    Really liked this experience, it was kind of moving to see people that were founders of our country and here they are in real life I'll be at deceased but still very much a part of living history. Also don't forget to pay a respects to the which memorial next door very awesome

    Tanya J.

    You can feel the energy of people's lives through the roots and branches of the trees. What a powerful place that's well preserved.

    Jason M.

    I was walking around Salem taking in the sights when I passed by the Old Burying Point Cemetery. It looked like an interesting place to visit, and I noticed that signage out front had a QR code to purchase tickets - since I had only loosely planned by day in the city, I thought it would be interesting to visit the cemetery. Needless to say, I booked a reservation and a few hours later made my way back to check it out. The Old Burying Point, also called the Charter Street Cemetery, is the oldest cemetery in Salem, and one of the oldest in the country. While admission is free, advance reservations are required which you can make on Eventbrite. Once you enter, there is no time limit you have to stay - depending on how long you want to explore you can see everything in about 30 to 60 minutes. There are a few notable people buried here - a handful of Nathaniel Hawthorne's family and some who had ties to the Salem Witch Trials. The dates of death range from the early 1700s to the early 1800s, and it's interesting to see how the gravestone designs changed over time. The skull headstones are the oldest, followed by the cherub, then the urn and willow being the more recent ones. The cemetery is located in close proximity to several other sights, and due to its self-guided nature it's a great place to stop and take in a bit of the city's history. I really enjoyed my time here and would recommend it to anyone visiting Salem.

    Emily L.

    If you are coming during peak times (October) then make sure you book your time slot ahead of time! They do not let everyone walk through and look around. You have to sign up you and your party and boy did they fill up fast! Don't worry if you don't get a spot though! You can get a very good view of the cemetery from the Salem Witch Trials Memorial.

    Betsy S.

    Certainly a very interesting cemetery on Charter Street. It is behind the Peabody Essex Museum and next to the Witch Trials Memorial.It is the burial ground of judges involved in the Salem Withc Trials of the 1690s and Revolutionary War victims. it tarted in 1637 and is also known as the "Charter Street Cemetery". It is the oldest cemetery in Salem. May early and famous Salem residents are buried here such as John Hathorne, a judge in the Salem with trials of 1692 and Samuel McIntire, Salem's great woodcarver. It was a private cemetery of the Wade family, acquired by the town of Medford in May of 1717. The oldest headstone is from 1683 with the latest marked 1881. For 45 years, the land was used as a private farm and plantation! There are more than 50 slaves buried at the cemetery as well as numerous Revolutionary War soldiers laid to rest here. There is no fee to go in; of course, donations are accepted. It is nice to walk through and read the tombstone.

    Abel R.

    A cemetery with graves dating back to the 17th century. Free entry to explore around. Gravestones are fragile and you are urged to remain on path. Lots of historical people are buried here, including the Salem Witch trials as well as some Mayflower passage individuals.

    Laura E.

    Lots of super old graves here with very rich history! We loved exploring this cemetery and reading the things in the stones. We were glad there were people outside reminding visitors of proper etiquette to preserve these graves.

    Jeremy J.

    My family and I stop in Salem last week we decided to hit up all the tourist attractions and sites and sceneries at the sea city has to offer. And this was one of the cooler places we saw that had the Salem witch trials memorial next to it and they had a bunch of unmarked or older graves or you can't see who is buried there anymore but it just brought a lot of earring is saying just memorial in history alive so it's really cool to see

    Meghin D.

    A must see in Salem. The sacredness of this cemetery is mind blowing to see all of the old tombs and tombstones. It has so many gravesites and some are so old you can just barely see an inscription. Also with this cemetery, there is a walk around to see the victims of the witch trials, like a marker of their names, date of death, and what they weree accused of, and how they died. It is so eye opening to see the cemetery and to read the inscriptions and how old and historical this whole area is. I hIghly recommend going to this area more than oNce. Most of the tours will go by here at night, so take lots of pictures to try to catch any orbs. Give it a few tries and really open your eyes and mind to it. It has so much history to be learned and to keep from happening again.

    Annette J.

    I love an old cemetery and they don't get much older than the ones you find in Massachusetts. Old Burying Point Cemetery is noteworthy for being the place where many of the players in the Salem Witch Trials were buried as well as the final resting place of one of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Tombstones from that era are beautiful and kind of ghoulish, my favorite combination. Adorned with skulls, cherubs, plants, etc depending on the year of death (there were trends in tombstone art by decade), they are many names and death dates to take in here. There are a few loose maps and historical markers that show some of the more significant burial plots but they can be hard to find. I just enjoyed walking through and reflecting on a beautiful summer evening, just before sunset when the light was just right. I didn't do a formal tour but I did overhear one of the walking tours in town come through there which had some fun facts that I'd be interested to learn more about. If we come through I'd definitely do one because I'd love to know more about who was laid to rest there and the history of that burial place. But it's worth a visit even if you're just walking and exploring on your own.

    Jon R.

    An interesting walk thru Salem's residents last resting place! Viewing the head stones and reading descriptions and variety of years on these head stones.

    sara and i.
    Kris W.

    we visited here yesterday. i was part of a paranormal group, they allowed me to come along. the leader of the group sara was vary nice. her mother catherine was there also. a big thank you to sara and her mother for being so nice.

    AKA: Charter Street Cemetery
    C S.

    So very Interesting... AKA: Charter Street Cemetery They seem to be restoring the cemetery very often to keep the tombstones in preserved. The history of this town is absolutely amazing.....

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    Beautiful tribute. Peaceful and thoughtful m. We loved stocking through, leaving flowers

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    4 years ago

    It's a lovely small cemetery. I really enjoyed wandering around and reading the headstones.

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    Here lies a Mayflower pilgrim (the Mayflower people!) and an ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne...

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    O'Donnell Cremations Funerals Celebrations - O'Donnell Cremations Funerals Celebrations
84 Washington Square
Salem, MA 01970

    O'Donnell Cremations Funerals Celebrations

    (10 reviews)

    My wife passed away from a long fight with cancer in July 2025.  I was devastated.  But I found the…read moreperfect place to honor and celebrate her - at O'Donnell's.  I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but O'Donnell's made it a reality and helped to fill in all of the important details to help her soul shine (she never needed any help with that in life). She touched so many people's lives and I knew we needed to find a special place - beautiful, open, intimate - befitting her spirit, but also large enough to accommodate the hundreds of people who would come to celebrate her life.   The facility was more like a beautiful event space than a dreary funeral home - it was warm and bright with lots of open windows - it just has a different vibe...   With their help, we planned a celebration of life that allowed us all (our family, friends & co-workers) to honor and remember Marissa the way she wanted.   They helped with the digital tribute and even did a second extremely personalized video tribute that we shared during her service.   They presented many options and choices but never forced us into anything and they were great listeners in helping us create the type of memorial that was just what we needed.   There were plenty of staff there to assist, we never worried about a thing. They let us focus on our friends and family as all the details were taken care of.   After the service they have been reaching out to check on me and help with all the people to notify. No one ever wants to do this - but Anthony and the team treated me like we're family.   They were professional but not stuffy... helpful but not bothersome.  They followed up but just enough... I want to especially thank Anthony O'Donnell, Brianna, and Diane for their compassion, kindness, and attention to detail.  I highly recommend O'Donnell's if you experience a loss like my own.

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    Old Burying Point Cemetery - funeralservices - Updated June 2026

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