Live the History!
Visit: 239 South Lundy Mail: 208 South Broadway Ave Salem Ohio 44460
Events & News
Honoring Our Veterans
When: Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 10am to 1pm
Where: Freedom Hall, home to the our extensive military collection.
Who: Free and open to the public with a special invitation to Veterans to share their personal stories and experiences, helping to preserve Salem’s proud military heritage for future generations.
What: Our exhibits highlight the service and sacrifice of local veterans, including military uniforms from World War I through Desert Storm, a signed MIA flag, medals, photographs of Salem veterans, and other military artifacts.
Why: Stories shared by our veterans and servicemen are an essential part of our community’s history, and we hope many will join us in commemorating their service.
2026 Final Edition Calendar
Guided by America 250-Ohio’s monthly themes, our 2026 calendar showcases Salem’s contributions of many lesser-known but equally important chapters of our history. Created as a high-quality keepsake, this collector’s item is designed to both spark memories and share more stories of our community’s past.
These calendars are available at our Gift Shop or in our offices at a cost of $30 which includes tax. We are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9 to noon. Enter the museum at 239 South Lundy Ave.
You can request to have the calendar mailed to you at a cost of $35 to cover the postage. Please call us at 330-337-8514 or contact us. You can pay through our PayPal button at the bottom of the home page or send a check to us at 208 South Broadway Ave, Salem, OH 44460.
As an added feature, we have created coloring book pages to correspond with each month. These will be available to download from our website each month starting in January for children of all ages. We will also have the complete coloring book for sale in our Gift Shop.
Monthly Meetings
The next Monthly Meeting will be on
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 7PM.
“World War I – Stark County’s Global Contribution to Patriotism“
Presented by Mark Holland, Archivist McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
See more details on the calendar
Monthly Meetings are free and open to the public where you have the unique opportunity to hear from various speakers who love and share their knowledge of historical places and events.
Public Trolley Tours
Thank you to Kim Mitchell and those of you who participated in our Ghost Trolley Tours this year. It was a very successful season, and we trust enjoyed by all.
Our next public trolley tours will be the Christmas Light Tours scheduled for December. The trolley will visit the most decorated and beautiful homes in Salem. Passengers will remain in the warmth and safety of the trolley for the entire tour.
Please call us at 330-337-8514 with suggestions for specific homes you would recommend.
All public tours will be listed here as they are scheduled.
In the meantime, we do rent the trolley for private parties. There are some restrictions on distance and time involved. Call us for information and pricing.
Recipes Needed
We continue to gather recipes for a cookbook that we intend to publish in 2026.
All Society members, friends, and volunteers or anyone who has a connection to Salem are encouraged to send us a recipe via
- email (thesalemhistoricalsociety@gmail.com)
- postal mail (208 South Broadway, Salem, Ohio 44460), or
- in person (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday - 9am till noon).
Recipes of all types (non-alcoholic) are welcome. Please include the recipe with instructions, your name as you want it to appear, a short note on the background of the recipe, and your phone number if we need to contact you. Your phone number will not be published.
The recipe book will be available for sale in our gift shop and on our website as a fund-raiser.
We will try to use all recipes that are submitted, but if we get too many, we may have to publish a second edition!
Museum Grounds Adoption Program
Help Keep Our Museum Grounds Beautiful
Do you love the outdoors, gardening, or landscape design? Want to make a meaningful impact in Salem?
Join our Museum Grounds Adoption Program – Adopt-A-Space and become part of a team that helps keep our landscape vibrant, inviting, and environmentally friendly. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just passionate about plants, there’s a space for you!
Why Get Involved?
As a volunteer, you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Adopt a Garden Space – Choose an area (large or small) to care for.
- Work with a Master Gardener – Learn from and collaborate with Gordon Dunn, our expert gardener.
- Make a Visible Impact – Help with weeding, planting, pruning, watering, and more.
- Set Your Own Schedule – Maintain your adopted space at your convenience once it’s established.
Ready to Get Started?
We’d love to hear from you!
📞 Call us at 330-337-8514 to learn more or sign up.
Services
Museum Gift Shop
Museum Gift Shop
Museum Gift Shop
The Museum Gift Shop is located on the lower level of the Dale Shaffer Research Library at 239 South Lundy and is open during our regular hours or by appointment.
The gift shop offers Salem-related merchandise, some of which are exclusive.
Research
Museum Gift Shop
Museum Gift Shop
The Dale Shaffer Research Library has books and file cabinets full of articles, original documents, photos, and other archival material for almost any subject and many people related to Salem and the surrounding areas.
Our staff is knowledgeable and willing to help. Visit us during business hours or call to make other arrangements.
Membership
Museum Gift Shop
Trolley Tours
Join us! Benefits of membership:
- Subscription to the "BUGLE" quarterly newsletter
- Free access to our museum tours
- Opportunity to vote and serve as an elected official or trustee
Click here for more information or to make a membership payment.
Trolley Tours
Rent Us For Your Special Events
Trolley Tours
Each year, over 1,000 passengers including school children, out-of-town visitors, and residents take advantage of our various trolley tours:
- The Underground Railroad
- Ghost Tours
- Christmas Lights Tours
- Charles Burchfield.
The trolley participates in community events and is rented for weddings, birthdays, reunions, and other celebrations.
Museum Tours
Rent Us For Your Special Events
Rent Us For Your Special Events
We have hundreds of special artifacts on display and over 12 rooms in our four buildings that offer theme contents. Sunday tours begin 208 South Broadway.
Museum Tours are given from
May through the end of October on the 1st and 3rd Sundays from 1-4pm.
Both group and individual tours are also available by appointment.
Click here for more information and a Bird's Eye view of our campus.
Rent Us For Your Special Events
Rent Us For Your Special Events
Rent Us For Your Special Events
Our meeting room in the Dale Shaffer Research Library and the Quakertown Trolley are available for rent* at reasonable rates.
*The views, statements, or opinions expressed by individuals or groups renting any of the facilities of the Salem Historical Society are solely those of the individuals or groups involved and do not necessarily ref
Our meeting room in the Dale Shaffer Research Library and the Quakertown Trolley are available for rent* at reasonable rates.
*The views, statements, or opinions expressed by individuals or groups renting any of the facilities of the Salem Historical Society are solely those of the individuals or groups involved and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the Salem Historical Society. The Society’s mission is to preserve and present history as it is, factually and without bias.
We reserve the right to limit the use of our facilities at our discretion.
Call us at 330-337-8514 to get rates.
Our Partners and Supporters
Salem Historical Society is qualified to accept grants from Vanguard Charitable Donor Advised Funds