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Real Pirates Salem Museum: Authentic Pirate Treasure Display
4.9
171 Ratings
Salem
Immerse yourself in the real-life stories of real pirates at the Real Pirates Salem Museum. Discover authentic pirate treasure, witness live archaeology, and become a pirate yourself through our interactive experiences.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Real Pirates Salem - Visitors tour an interactive exhibit featuring the story of real-life pirate “Black Sam” Bellamy and his fabled beloved Maria Hallett. Visitors will be able to see and touch real pirate treasure from the wreck of Bellamy’s ship, the Whydah Gally. The Whydah was a slave ship-turned pirate ship which wrecked off of the Cape Cod coastline in 1717 following a violent storm. Artifacts and real treasure have been pulled from the bottom of the ocean…surrounded by sharks…following the discovery of the ship’s bell in 1984 by famed underwater explorer Barry Clifford. The exhibit renews regularly with the discovery of new artifacts by onsite archaeologists which visitors can witness with their own eyes. A video, photo experience and retail gift shop round out the visit. Groups are welcome.
What's Included
- Digital Photo
- Audio Track
- Real Pirates - Interactive Historical Exhibit Ticket
Additional Information
Delve into the vivid tales of actual pirates, highlighted by the exploits of Black Sam Bellamy, one of the youngest and most successful sea bandits ever, and Maria Hallett, his beloved and the infamous ‘Witch of Wellfleet’. Get to know Sam’s adventurous squad, track their exploits across the vast oceans, watch their triumphant victories, and finally their ill-fated demise near Cape Cod shores.
Behold the only fully verified treasure hoard of pirate origin, complete with coins, jewels, and genuine weapons of maritime warfare, salvaged from an ancient wreck — the last to be man-handled by real pirates over three centuries ago.
Explore our Artifact Unearthing Lab showcasing real-time excavation activities performed by professional archaeologists!
Get transformed into an authentic pirate by partaking in our complimentary video and photocentric venture! Check out our souvenir shop for a prized memento of your visit.
- A local parking garage is situated nearby.
Location
Real Pirates Salem
Derby Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(171 Ratings)
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Michelle_l
Jun 14, 2024
A Pirates Life For Me! - This is by far the best experience we ever had at a museum. The staff was friendly and helpful. Our tour guide Jason went above and beyond to educate us in pirate life. It's a must see in Salem!!
Review provided by Viator
Nanzi69
Jun 11, 2024
If you go to only one pirate museum in Salem go to this one - Went on this because it was part of our City Pass tour so why not check it out. I had been to a pirate museum in Salem years ago and wasn't all that impressed. This one however was really interesting. Sure it had a lot of the typical shiver me timbers pirate stuff but the cool parts of this museum for me were the actual pirate treasure and artifacts that have been brought up from the depths. The history was excellent and fun and they even have an exhibit demonstrating how they clean up the artifacts that they have located. The person who started our adventure, Johnny Depths had a great sense of humor and really made the museum come alive.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cybergrrl
Jun 4, 2024
Fun and Educational for Whole Family - We loved this activity. Not only was the story interesting but the history of how pirates lived and operated was very different than what people have been taught. I would recommend this to anyone going to Salem. It's not just about witches. The museum and gift shop was also full of great facts and souvenirs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K3052mtrubyc
Jun 1, 2024
Wonderful experience worth every penny - This was a great experience. We booked the general admission but tagged along with a private tour (thank you and sorry!)
We didn’t pay for the private tour but we would if we had knew that it was an option.
The guide (I think is the director) Bill Golden, is so knowledgeable and knows the history of pirates and gave really detailed accounts about each artifacts. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you have the capacity, please book the private tour, it’s wonderful. Bill walked us through the museum and shared his experience and knowledge about each piece of artifact and it was FASCINATING!
I would recommend this tour to anyone who is genuinely interested in the history!!!
I would bring my family here again and we’ll be taking the private tour for sure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maeve_m
Jun 1, 2024
Unique ! - Everything about this exhibition is unique !! A lot to see and explore to our own pace. The closest you'll get real pirate stuff :)
Review provided by Viator
207minnie_
May 25, 2024
Amazing Experience! One of the highlights of my trip! - This was an amazing experience! It’s right in the middle of all the shops and restaurants, and we found it easily. The staff were extremely welcoming and understanding when we had to rush out to repack our car, and the experience was a mix of reading, seeing, and videos/audios. It’s kid-friendly, but also very historically related so adults will enjoy it as well, and it’s based on the intriguing story of the richest pirate in history as well as his diverse crew- and lover. The real artifacts were amazing to see and it was interactive in some aspects. Overall would definitely recommend, it’s definitely worth it. You also get free digital pictures and temporary tattoos for the kids!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Unibunnyq
May 25, 2024
YAYA - Sooooo cool went with my bestie had a great time the artifacts and coins were nice. I would recommend if ur in Salem. Got matching tattoos 😏
Review provided by Tripadvisor
269nicholec
May 22, 2024
Definitely worth a visit - Salem is best known for the witch trials, so we really appreciated learning about pirates that are a real part of the history of the area. We booked tickets to the Museum based on reviews, and heard great things from family in the area after we had booked- and the visit there met all of our expectations. We enjoyed the initial introduction video, viewing the exhibits about slave trade in the area, looking at the recovered artifacts and treasure from a real pirate ship, seeing the recreated scenes of pirate life, and practicing our sailor's knots at the interactive part of the exhibit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rxgirl2003
Jun 16, 2024
Nicely-done compact museum - Well done museum. My six year old enjoyed it quite a bit. Clearly the curators are passionate about the Wyddah and its story. Allot about an hour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katrinaar5013pj
May 28, 2024
Not worth the time - Not worth the price of the combo ticket. The reenactors would have been better if they weren't walking through the gift shop in their crocs before the tour. Also not winging around a fake firearm pointed at people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
