Immerse Yourself in the
Stories of Real Pirates!

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A Swashbuckling Family-Friendly Outing in New England

Museum Experience

Voyage through pirate history with a museum over 300 years in the making! Real Pirates Salem features real artifacts and treasure from the shipwrecked Whydah Gally. From lore to legendary find, see and touch the world’s only authenticated pirate treasure ever discovered – including coins, cannons, and weapons – recovered from the ocean floor by underwater explorer Barry Clifford.

Experience includes: Two free photo booth memory moments, so that you can download and take your journey home with you. Interactive stations to test your pirate abilities and a spot to touch real silver pieces of eight discovered at the Whydah wreck site. Exploration of the Discovery Lab to learn about the archaeological preservation process of centuries-old artifacts pulled from the depths.

Director’s Tour Experience

Everything included in the traditional museum experience, with the following special additions:

Personal guided tour of the museum with one of our knowledgeable pirates, who will give you the “ins and outs” of the museum – including facts that might otherwise pass you by. Gold coin for each member of your boarding party that secures you $5 off $10 or more in our Plundered Goods gift shop. Complimentary postcard with access to an audio tour of the shipwreck recovery narrated by discoverer Barry Clifford.

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Real Pirates Salem
Real Pirates Salem
4.9
Based on 1077 reviews
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Keenan LangstonKeenan Langston
17:06 02 Nov 23
Ren KapplainRen Kapplain
23:48 01 Nov 23
Danny McCormickDanny McCormick
22:06 01 Nov 23
Megan BicketMegan Bicket
18:13 01 Nov 23
This exhibit had a lot more to offer than the New England Pirate Museum in term of artifacts and information and while you aren't guided the entire time at Real Pirates, it is more entertaining, we thought.
Jenny McCormickJenny McCormick
16:59 01 Nov 23
Hannah BallouHannah Ballou
02:16 31 Oct 23
This was the first place we hit after getting off the commuter train. We were thoroughly impressed! The reviews didn’t lie when they said how awesome this museum is.First things first, this is about a particular ship which has helped to solidify a lot of pirate legends. They have incredible recovered artifacts, and a storyline right out of a novel. The electrolysis demonstration to remove said artifacts from concretion is even displayed which was fascinating (especially for us science nerds!).Highly recommend for anyone with any amount of interest in pirates!
Courtnee OCourtnee O
01:34 27 Oct 23
A friend and I went here and took the tour that has a guide to explain all the history. It was a great tour with more information than I expected to learn. Definitely a good experience for anyone wanting to learn more about the pirate life.
ChloeChloe
20:46 26 Oct 23
This museum is one of my best experiences in Salem. After being highly disappointed from the iconic Salem Witch Museum, The Real Pirates set the bar even higher. From a live presentation with a pirate in the beginning to a plethora of real artifacts full of history you won’t find anywhere else, this is a MUST-SEE IN ! (It was also brought to our attention just how prevalent pirates were vs witches)
Rebecca SosebeeRebecca Sosebee
14:16 20 Oct 23
The director here is so kind and the museum’s atmosphere is great. Easy to get to location, walkable to other food and attractions. The museum does a great job of being honest about pirate and slavery history. I loved being able to touch real treasure! The lighting and sound effects are awesome touches as well.
jem bricknerjem brickner
04:54 30 Jun 23
We were only here to touch real pirate gold: mission accomplished! It is a great story of finding gold/treasure hunting. The decor is great and the museum is well done (lots of great info to read but also some hands-on things to keep us all engaged). There is real, honest-to-goodness history taught here and it is fascinating. You can go at your own pace to learn about slave ships and pirates and a bit about life in the early 1700s. My youngest daughter was most excited to take a photo with "a real live pirate" (who obviously was a real, live person, not necessarily a pirate). This is actually a five-star experience in Salem!
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