Essex Street.

Street history

A clock that outlasted the store.

Almy’s ornate street clock was installed around 1910 outside the Almy, Bigelow & Washburn department store. The store closed in the 1980s, but its dark-green clock remains an Essex Street landmark, restored with its original-style lettering and face.

A smiling couple in a black suit and long black dress walk hand in hand across a brick-paved street.

A person in a red dress and embroidered black boots stands on a brick pedestrian street beneath autumn trees.

A person in a red dress and black boots looks back while walking along a brick street lined with storefronts.

A person dressed in black leans beside a tall green street clock, with brick storefronts lining the pedestrian street.

A couple dressed in black walks away hand in hand along a brick pedestrian street lined with sunlit shops.

A couple stands with a small dog beneath a large stone arch framed by golden autumn leaves.

A costumed portrait beside a brick column on Essex Street

A costumed portrait on a snowy brick path along Essex Street

A costumed portrait beneath string lights on Essex Street

Visitor details & sources

Essex Street, downtown Salem

Essex Street runs through downtown, continuing west past the Witch House and Ropes Mansion. Its central pedestrian stretch sits east of Washington Street.

Essex Street links Salem’s historic houses with the shops, museums and cafés of downtown. Its brick-paved pedestrian stretch is part of a longer street with centuries of city life.

Keep entrances and walking routes clear. October crowds, events and temporary restrictions can change the plan; check the city’s visitor information and any property-specific permission.

Brick paving, shopfronts and the movement of downtown make Essex Street a setting for a walking portrait session. Keep doorways and pedestrian routes clear.

Visitor information checked October 8, 2026. Stories checked October 13, 2026. Access and policies can change.

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