For Memorial Day weekend, we wanted a calm outing that nonetheless got us out of town. Brainstorming places we had not been, we decided to head to Old Salem Museum and Gardens, a living history museum of a Moravian village from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Smaller than Colonial Williamsburg but with similar charm, Old Salem is easily visited in a day or so. We purchased tickets that allowed us one day, "all stops" access--but there are options for memberships that are reasonably priced if you are visiting for multiple days or across the year. Like Williamsburg, you can walk the street for free--but you will need tickets to enter buildings.
The walk through town is delightful on a temperate day--you'll begin by leaving the visitors' center across a covered bridge built in 1998 but that nonetheless sets an historic tone. You "land" in Old Salem right at MESDA, a small decorative arts museum that will make you feel like you are living in a particularly classy episode of Antiques Roadshow. We stopped off to see the interior of the tavern for non-Moravian visitors and the Single Brothers' House, both of which provided pretty fascinating glimpses into Moravian life of the time and associated trades. The Single Brothers' House is particularly interesting: it's where single boys and men, aged 14 - at least upper 70s, lived in community and completed work until they were earning enough money to support a family and marry if they chose. Keep walking out to God's Acre, an active Moravian Cemetery that is simple in tone and a beautiful reminder of the design of the Moravian community. One strange aside you can find--a marker for the site of the first Krispy Kreme (it's gone), right in the middle of this historic district. You can also see Salem College.
If you go with kids (as we did), consider going on a day when Old Salem is having a special event. The special events, which range from seasonal visits with Santa to small-scale performances, add a little something extra to visits with children. We visited on History Meets Horsepower day, so with the price of our tickets, the kids also got to try out a M & M NASCAR racing simulator, and we all got a free covered wagon ride. There are many of this type of event on their calendar of events feature on their website--click links for more detailed information than you will receive if you navigate to special events in other ways. Check these details to see what will be included in your ticket price. In our case, the special event did not add substantively to crowds. For food, it would be easy to pack a picnic and eat on the grass in the town square, or you can eat at The Tavern in Old Salem or gorge on sweets and breads at Winkler Bakery where you can see a wood-fired oven in action for cooking cakes. Be prepared for walking on hills and uneven sidewalks, expect stroller parking to be outside of historic buildings, and check operating hours--if they say they close at 4:30, they mean 4:29. If you are staying in the area overnight, Marbles children's museum is not too far away.
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