By: Michelle Jones, Follow South Jersey Corresponding Writer
Editor’s Note: As part of the commemoration of Salem City’s 350th Anniversary, Follow South Jersey and the Follow Salem Podcast will offer 350 stories about the past, present, and future of Salem throughout 2025. We’d love to hear your story. Please contact Dean Johnson, Editor-in-Chief of Follow South Jersey at dean@hopeloft.com.
SALEM, N.J. — As you stroll through the City of Salem you cannot help but notice that the streets are chock full of American history. From the houses, to the churches, to even the sidewalks. But there is one place in this city that is an absolute must see for anyone interested in American history.
The Salem County Historical Society Museum and Research Library is located in two interconnected houses: The Alexander Grant House and The Rumsey Building on Market Street. Inside you can take a tour of twelve exhibit spaces full of objects and paintings from a collection of almost 10,000 artifacts. Once finished in those rooms you can then tour three of four out buildings on the property.
The exhibits range from historical toys in an upper room, to a collection of hand carved cameo miniatures, to a collection of artifacts from the Lenni-Lenape, as well as a large barn containing wagons, a hearse, a sled and even the Salem City curfew bell!
Perhaps you are interested in tracing your genealogy. If so, the museum offers a research library which is open to the public. This library is home to family genealogies, historical house files, church files, cemetery files, subject files, and microfilms.
But the museum’s gifts to the community do not end there. The Historical Society also sponsors historian lecturers, fundraisers, and a bi annual open house which is open to the public. There is also an annual luncheon by invitation only for its large membership.
Starting in October of 2025 there will be a year long exhibition on the 350th anniversary of the establishment of Salem City alongside a second exhibit commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States!
There is an admission fee of five dollars or you can purchase an annual or even lifetime membership. These funds are used to maintain the facility and its artifacts and to provide a variety of services for the community at large.
The Salem County Historical Society is located at 83 Market St. in Salem and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12-4 p.m. For tour information, special events and complete hours of operation you can go to www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com.
- What’s Good in South Jersey? Chris the Barber
- Stockton Hosts Annual Lines on the Pines Event
- Rowan University Virtua Health Opens Research Center
Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.
