Italian · $$$
Tuscan KitchenGift cards
The flagship of Tuscan Brands, below The Artisan Hotel. House pastas, crudo and the tableside Tagliatelle al Tartufo.
19 Via Toscana(603) 952-4875
The guide to Salem, New Hampshire
New Hampshire starts hereExit 1 · I-93
Tax-free shopping, a lakeside amusement park turning 125, a village on the old racetrack and a holiday season worth the drive.
Plan your day
What are you in the mood for?
Salem is small enough to see in a day and big enough to fill a weekend. Pick a starting point.
ThrillsCanobie at 125A trolley park in 1902. A beyond-vertical coaster today.
The villageTuscan VillageLake Park, 15+ restaurants and a main street built on the old racetrack.
EatWhere to eatThirty-three local favorites, filtered your way.
ShopShop tax-freeAbout 140 stores at the Mall, plus Tuscan Village next door.
HistoryThe Rock to the GrandSeabiscuit raced here. The Rockingham Grand opens mid-2027.
Outdoors & historyMore to exploreAmerica’s Stonehenge, a 1741 common, five miles of rail trail and the parks.
Holiday 2026
The season starts here
Six weeks of holiday shopping by the lake, a 50-foot tree, a parade down Main Street and no sales tax on a single gift.
–Days
–Hours
–Minutes
until the next event
- Nov. 6 – Dec. 24Holiday Shoppes openNearly 50 wooden booths of local gifts, crafts and treats at Tuscan Village. Nov.: Fri 3–8, Sat 11–8, Sun 11–6; Dec. adds Thursdays.
- Sat., Nov. 21Tuscan Village tree lightingStay as night falls to watch the 50-foot tree light up the village. Time to be announced.
- Fri., Nov. 27Black Friday, tax-freeThe Mall and Tuscan Village, no sales tax. The Holiday Shoppes open 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 28Small Business SaturdayShop Salem’s own: local shops, diners and the makers at the Holiday Shoppes.
- Sun., Nov. 29 · 1 p.m.Salem Holiday ParadeThe 55th parade, “Willy Wonka’s Winter Wonderland,” from Main and Policy streets to Salem High School.
The math
Shop tax-free
New Hampshire has no general sales tax. See what you keep compared with Massachusetts' 6.25%.
$
You keep
$93.75
That’s the Massachusetts sales tax on $1,500. In Salem, a gift costs what the tag says. (Massachusetts exempts most clothing under $175; New Hampshire’s 8.5% tax still applies to meals and hotel rooms.)
Find your way
Salem at a glance
Tap a pin. Everything here sits within a few miles of I-93 Exits 1 and 2.
Map: NH DOT roads, OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), U.S. Census TIGER.
From the magazine
Stories from Salem
Holiday 2026
Black Friday, tax-free
Two shopping districts, one exit and no sales tax. Your plan for Thanksgiving weekend in Salem.
Tuscan Village
A village on the old track
How a racetrack became a place to spend the whole day, and why locals now call it downtown.
Canobie Lake Park
125 Summers on the lake
It opened in 1902 as a trolley company's lakeside garden. A century and a quarter later, it's where New England kids measure themselves against the height sign.
Holiday 2026
Gifts from Salem
Wrap up a summer at Canobie, a cooking class or a night at The Artisan. Or shop by who is on your list.
History · What's next
From the Rock to the Grand
Seabiscuit raced here. Now Churchill Downs is building the Rockingham Grand, opening in mid-2027.
The dining guide
Where to Eat
Red-sauce institutions, a rooftop bar, a 1950s diner and a steakhouse on the old racetrack. Thirty-three places to start.
Shopping
Shop tax-free
New Hampshire has no sales tax, and Salem is the first exit over the line.
Beyond the big three
More to explore
A disputed stone site, a 1741 common, a rail trail and a year of events.
The dining guide
Where to eat
Red-sauce institutions, a rooftop bar, a 1950s diner and a steakhouse on the old racetrack.
Cocktails · small plates · $$$
The Rooftop at The Artisan
Creative cocktails and shareable plates above the village.
Atop The Artisan Hotel(603) 458-3028
Southern Italian · $$
The Colosseum
Chef Annibale Todesca's family restaurant, on North Broadway since 1987.
264 N. Broadway(603) 898-1190
New American · $$$
Copper DoorGift cards
Upscale comfort food and steaks from New England farms, plus Sunday brunch.
41 S. Broadway(603) 458-2033
Grill · seafood · $$
Black Water Grill
Chef-owned, with seared scallops, a deck and live acoustic music on Friday and Saturday nights.
43 Pelham Rd.(603) 328-9013
Lebanese · Mediterranean · $$
Sevmar Mediterranean BistroGift cards
Mezze, seafood and Gaby's Signature Kabobs, with live music on Thursdays.
401 Main St.(603) 870-0018
The magazine
Visit Salem, in print
A free, full-color guide mailed to 100,000 homes in and around Salem, four times a year. The Holiday 2026 issue lands in mid-November.
100KHomes per issue
4×Issues a year
16Pages, 8.5 × 11
Advertise
Reach 100,000 homes from
2.5¢
per home. Only 20 ads per issue, so yours gets seen.
- Back cover21¢
- Inside front cover18¢
- Full page14¢
- Half page8¢
- Quarter page4¢
- Eighth page2.5¢