History Alive, Inc. Salem, MA

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History Alive, Inc. Salem, MA

History Alive creates original theatre and events about local history. Become a fan to learn more. History Alive, Inc.

is an independent non-profit organization in Salem, MA. We make theatre about local history, travel to schools, contract with film and television companies, and create historically based special events for other non-profits.

05/24/2026

We are working hard at costuming and prepping actors to portray 40 historical Salemites for the 400+ parade. Want to help us bring one to life? DM us to learn more about how you or your business can sponsor a historical figure!

05/22/2026

These are the historical figures we'll be portraying in the August 1st parade. Believe it or not, it was difficult to narrow down!

To sponsor any of these Salemites in the parade, please DM us here or email [email protected].

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05/20/2026

Happy Birthday Rose Hawthorne Lathrop! Rose was the daughter of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne. As a child, she and her family lived abroad in several cities. She married George Parsons Lathrop in 1871. He published her serialized novel, Miss Dilletante, in the Boston Courier. Rose also published a book of poems, Along the Shore.
As their marriage suffered, due to the death of their son and family quarrels over Nathaniel Hathorne’s legacy, Rose found purpose in the Catholic faith and charity. She founded the Servants of Relief for Incurable Cancer, an order of nuns specifically devoted to caring for patients with cancer, which at the time were turned away by hospitals as they could not be treated. She received awards for this work from the National Institute for Social Sciences, Bowdoin College, and the Rotary Club of New York.

05/18/2026

Love your Salem! (Love, your Salem) had a wonderful opening weekend! Lots of you lovely folks stopped by to admire costumes and props, craft doves, find out who you'd be in another century, and chat about Salem's storied 400+ years!

We can't wait to do it all again this week! Stop by Thursday 4-7pm or Fri-Sun 12-4 for more history.

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05/12/2026

Starting this week, we are open! Our hours are Thursdays from 4pm-7pm, and Fridays-Sundays from 10am-4pm. Come nerd out with us!

Stop by any time to learn more about 40 key Salemites from history, learn how to make a City of Peace dove, and more!

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05/05/2026

Today we feature Anne Dudley Bradstreet in celebration of Salem 400+. Anne Bradstreet was the first published poet in America. Her poems give us a candid glimpse at life as a wife, mother, and women in 17th century Puritan Massachusetts.

She married Simon Bradstreet at the age of 16 in England and then moved two years later with her husband and parents to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They arrived in Salem in June of 1630 before moving on in an effort to improve their situation. The transition to the Massachusetts Bay Colony was difficult. Anne, and her family, gave up material pleasures and comforts that they were accustomed to in England, for the harsh and uncertain life on a new frontier.

Though not formally schooled, Anne was incredibly well read and developed a strong passion for writing. She wrote her poems while rearing eight children. Anne’s poetry revolves around internal religious conflict, domestic life, and love for her husband.

We have included an excerpt from one of our treasured Bradstreet poems and would love to hear yours! Drop your favorite Bradstreet poem in the comments!

05/01/2026

April showers bring… improper frolicking? While the Puritans did not celebrate May Day (in fact, they were known to chop down a May pole in their time), we hope you’ll take a moment to stop and smell the roses!

Image: Adelia Belle Beard (1857-1920)|May Pole Dance, 1887|The American Girls Handy Book: How to Amuse Yourself and Others by Lina Beard and Adelia B. Beard (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887): 71. https://rockwellcenter.org/essays-illustration/maying/

04/30/2026

Looks like they’ve been cried out upon (again). We’re halfway to Halloween! Enjoy this rare Bridget Bishop and Borah () sighting to tide you over.

Photo credit: Carlos Fruzzetti

04/27/2026

Something Salem this way comes! We are hosting a free, interactive exhibit in Old Town Hall to celebrate 400+ years of Salem, MA! From May 10th-28th, stop by to learn about 40 key figures in Salem’s history, past productions from History Alive (the history of History Alive, if you will…), take a history-based personality quiz, learn a craft (to be featured in this August’s parade) and more!

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04/19/2026

Today History Alive remembers Bridget Bishop and all those whose lives were permanently altered by the Salem Witch Trials. We tell Bridget's story, but she is one of many. Let us all hear the stories of the past, respect those we have lost, and look forward to creating a more accepting and loving future.

Address

32 Derby Square
Salem, MA
01970

Website

http://www.historyalivesalem.com/

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