Old Salem Museums and Gardens is open year-round except for January each year.
Regular operations and the administration office are closed for following holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Junteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), Christmas Eve (December 24th), and Christmas Day (December 25).
Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (excluding special events)
All-In-One Tickets are available on-site (at the Visitor Center, the Frank L. Horton Museum Center, and Winkler Book & Gift.) and can be purchased in advance here. Tickets give visitors:
Regular Advance All-In-One Tickets are $30 per adult, $16 per student/child (undergraduate students must show a college ID), plus tax; free entry for children 0-3 years old. The tickets are valid February 7 to November 9, 2024.
Click here to purchase Advance All-In-One Tickets (valid February 7 to November 9, 2024)!
Two-Stop Tickets are available on-site only at the Visitor Center and the Frank L. Horton Museum Center. Two-Stop Tickets give visitors access to two ticketed venues, including the Self-Guided Galleries in the Frank L. Horton Museum Center. Two-Stop Tickets (valid February 7 to November 9, 2024) are $22 per adult, $10 per student/child (undergraduate students must show a college ID), plus tax; free entry for children 0-3 years old.
Old Salem Visitor Center
900 Old Salem Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Frank L. Horton Museum Center
924 S. Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Winkler Bakery (2nd Floor)
521 S. Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
All pricing is subject to change. Old Salem Inc. reserves the right to make adjustments to ticket pricing and product & service offerings.
Old Salem Visitor Center
Heritage Bridge
Galleries in the Frank L. Horton Museum Center (including The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) Open for research and collection studies by appointment beyond regular operating hours. Tickets required for entry.
Timothy Vogler Gun Shop Tickets required for entry.
Salem Tavern Museum Tickets required for entry.
St. Philips African Moravian Church Tickets required for entry. Temporarily closed, but re-opening soon!
The Blum House Joinery Workshop Tickets required for entry.
John Vogler House Tickets required for entry.
Single Brothers’ House Tickets required for entry.
Boys’ School Tickets required for entry.
Miksch House & Garden Tickets required for entry.
Doctor’s House Tickets required for entry.
Horticulture Education Building Tickets required for entry.
Old Salem, Inc. and Salem Congregation Announce Real Estate Deal Closing
Old Salem, Inc. announced on January 31, 2024, that it has purchased three historic properties from the Salem Congregation, the religious and charitable non-profit representing 13 Moravian churches in Forsyth County.
Old Salem will now own the Single Brothers House (one of two National Historic Landmark buildings in Old Salem), the Boy’s School on Salem Square, and Dr. Vierling’s House on Church Street. Old Salem had previously leased the properties, staffing them with interpreters as part of the Old Salem visitors’ tour.
“A lot of people may be surprised to learn that we did not own these buildings all along,” said Terry Taylor, president of Old Salem, Inc. “While we do have substantial real estate holdings, we also share the historic district with Salem Academy & College, Home Moravian Church, the Salem Congregation and private residents. The City of Winston-Salem owns and maintains the streets, street lamps and sidewalks.”
Old Salem purchased the properties at an undisclosed price. Funding comes in part from the sale of properties Old Salem owned west of Marshall Street, including the 1929 Coca-Cola bottling plan now being re-developed as a restaurant and event space. Those properties were less relevant to its mission than the ones purchased.
The arrangement by which Old Salem leased buildings from Salem Congregation and other entities dates to the 1950s founding of Old Salem, Taylor said. At that time, local leaders came together to save historic structures from ruin, and Old Salem, Inc. was formed as a nonprofit to manage the restoration. Through a close collaboration with Home Moravian Church and Salem Congregation, Old Salem over the decades raised most of the money for restoration and interpretation.
“In those early years, efforts to restore the historic town of Salem focused on saving existing buildings, removing non-conforming structures and reconstructing lost buildings to create the most authentic representation possible,” Taylor said. “As funds allowed, Old Salem, Inc. began buying and accepting donated properties, but some of the most important structures in Salem were owned by Salem Congregation literally from the date they were built.”
The most recent lease, which lasted 25 years, expired in 2023, prompting Old Salem and the Salem Congregation to look at new possibilities, he said.
“Old Salem and the Salem Congregation have worked diligently for more than a year to achieve a mutually positive outcome. Old Salem’s leadership team and a special leases committee appointed by the Old Salem Board of Trustees worked on proposals for a path forward. The committee consisted of legal counsel and current and past board members. Joint meetings with Salem Congregation representatives were honest, transparent and productive and, in the end, an agreement was reached that is beneficial and a win-win for both organizations.”
Barry Self, president of Salem Congregation, said: “Old Salem and Salem Congregation have had a good working relationship with the leased properties since the 1950s. Old Salem had completed extensive renovations at the Dr. Vierling House and the Boys School and had constructed the Single Brother’s Workshop to enhance the visitor experience in Old Salem. When the offer to purchase was made, there were some concerns about selling properties that have been owned since the 1700s, but the Salem Congregation boards viewed the offer with open minds and considered what would be in the best interest for Old Salem and Salem Congregation. To determine a fair value for the property, a historic property appraiser was hired and valuation of each of the properties were made and provided to Old Salem. A sales price was mutually agreed upon and an agreement was reached to allow Home Moravian Church to continue to hold Candle Tea in the Single Brothers House. The sales agreement is beneficial to Salem Congregation and Old Salem and will help preserve the history of the Town of Salem for generations to come.”
