Events

Join mycologist Jana Harris from Essex Forays for a guided mushroom walk at Great Misery Island. Explore the fungi of Great Misery Island. Join us for a guided mushroom walk for all those interested in discovering fungi growing on the Misery Island of the coast of Beverly/Salem. This unique island environment hosts conifer and hardwood...

Discover special places in your backyard during Trails & Sails! Be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in cultural experiences of all kinds. Find what makes Essex County like nowhere else. All events included in this series take place in various locations throughout Essex County and are completely...

Tour the sites of the Great Salem Fire, October 6, 1774 with retired park ranger, Curtis White.Tour the site of the Great Salem Fire, October 6, 1774 with retired park ranger, Curtis White. The fire destroyed shops, a meeting-house, dwellings, and the Custom House. Was the fire a diversionary tactic to deter the arrest of...

Free event, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE On October 7, 1774, ninety chosen representatives met at Salem in defiance of General Gage’s order. They elected John Hancock to serve as chairman. They resolved to form themselves into “a Provincial Congress...to take into consideration the dangerous and alarming situation of public affairs in this province,...

Join us for a morning of networking & regional engagement! The meeting will be held at Greater Lawrence Community Boating (1 Eaton Street, Lawrence) on Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 am. Attendees are welcome to arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 am for networking and coffee. The agenda will include an update on what's happening in...

Please join us for this FREE education forum as we spend the morning exploring innovative offerings and education partnerships at Historic Beverly. Network with other professionals in the region as we learn more about timely initiatives such as the museum’s new standing exhibit, Set at Liberty: Stories of the Enslaved People in a New England...

Join us at the Pickering House -- the oldest house in Salem and America’s oldest home, for our next Heritage Friend Event hosted by the Pickering Foundation. Built in 1660 by English settlers John and Elizabeth Pickering, this historic house has changed drastically over the last 350 years, including the addition of gables and gothic peaks....

Come celebrate the talented winner's of the 2024 Essex Heritage Photo Contest during a special reception on Wednesday, February 12th at 5:30 pm at the Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center in Salem. Light refreshments will be available and the winning photos will be on display. There will be a brief awards ceremony beginning at 6:00...

Join us to learn about the often overlooked parts of local Black history and culture in the 18th century through objects, games, and dance! Join Essex Heritage and Krystina Yeager of Historic Beverly at the Salem Visitor Center to hear the stories of local Black residents in Essex County based on new research that’s been...

On the 250th Anniversary of Leslie's Retreat, this National Park Service exhibit will explore why Crown soldiers under Lt. Col. Alexander Leslie came to Salem on February 26, 1775, who were the major players in the event, and how this event has been remembered and celebrated in Salem in the last 250 years. This free...

****THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT**** Join us for a lecture by Historian Alex Cain, followed by drilling demonstrations performed by reenactors from Danvers & Lexington. In October 1774, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress ordered the towns across the colony to prepare for war with England. In response, Essex County entered a wartime phase that included creating...