Salem Common, like the more famous Boston Common, began as the town's common pasture land, to which each Salem citizen could bring a cow to graze.

The Common is now Salem's large, pleasant central park (map), with the Hawthorne Hotel at its southwest corner.

MA Route 1A passes right along the edge of the Common via the streets named Washington Square North and Washington Square West.

Another of Salem's pretty park is Salem Willows Park, 1.5 miles northeast of the Common on Salem Neck.