Skip to content
Byway
Museum · Massachusetts

Custom House

Custom House from directly overhead

Custom House is a museum in Massachusetts, at a modelled elevation of 3 m. Burrill Hill stands 87 m to the west-southwest, 5.5 miles off. The nearest named place is Public Stores, a museum less than a tenth of a mile away. Essex Coastal Scenic Byway passes 9.4 miles off.

Exhibits on the tools of the Custom Service, the work of the Customs inspectors, and the office of Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose three-year-long stint in the Salem Custom House inspired his classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.

The record

What the record says

Built
1819
Visiting

What to expect

Operated by
Salem National Historic Site
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates42.52163, -70.88719

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Museums
Parks
  • Hatches Wharf: 0.1 mi
  • Swiniuch Park: 0.1 mi
  • Central Wharf: 0.1 mi
  • Salem Common: 0.2 mi
  • Armory Park: 0.2 mi
Attractions
Historic sites
  • World War II Memorial: 0.2 mi
  • The First Muster: 0.2 mi
  • Roger Conant Statue: 0.2 mi
  • Washington Arch: 0.2 mi
  • Salem Witch Trials Memorial: 0.2 mi
Artworks
Beaches
Gardens
  • Salem Community Gardens: 0.5 mi
  • Ropes Garden: 0.6 mi
  • Pickman Park Community Garden: 1.8 mi
  • Community Gardens: 5.2 mi
  • Herb Garden: 7.2 mi
Peaks
  • Ledge Hill: 1.1 mi
  • Gallows Hill: 1.4 mi
  • Coddon Hill: 1.7 mi
  • Green Hill: 2.1 mi
  • Burial Hill: 2.1 mi
Nature reserves
Cliffs: 51
Picnic sites: 22
  • Pinetops Picnic Area: 7.7 mi
  • Pine Knoll: 18.1 mi
  • Oak Lea: 18.2 mi
  • Nature's Pavilion: 18.3 mi
  • Babcock Arboretum: 18.4 mi
Lighthouses: 20
Rest areas: 5
  • Commissioners Landing: 14.7 mi
  • Rest Area I-495 (North Bound): 21.4 mi
  • Rest Area I-495 (South Bound): 21.8 mi
  • Salem Rest Area and Welcome Center: 23.4 mi
  • I 95 SB Salisbury Rest Area: 24.7 mi
Waterfalls: 4
  • Cascade Falls: 11.0 mi
  • Newbury Falls: 15.9 mi
  • Wamesit Falls: 22.2 mi
  • Rock Falls: 23.0 mi
Springs: 4
  • Quarry Spring: 12.6 mi
  • Rail Spring: 16.6 mi
  • Lion's Spring: 23.3 mi
  • Pakomet Spring: 23.5 mi
Ghost towns: 2
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 7.6 miles of Custom House. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Burrill HillWSW 247°87 m5.5 mi
Mount GileadWSW 248°77 m5.8 mi
Mount HermonWSW 250°76 m5.0 mi
Mount MoriahWSW 245°74 m6.2 mi
Waldens HillWNW 282°70 m6.7 mi
Witch HillNNW 333°70 m7.5 mi
Uptons HillWNW 291°69 m7.1 mi
Weetamoo CliffWSW 254°68 m5.8 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:4818:1918:56
June solstice05:0719:4220:25
September equinox06:3218:0618:43
December solstice07:1115:2816:14

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F272935455564716963524233
Precip in3.83.54.74.33.54.13.53.33.65.04.14.7

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Marblehead, 2 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

National Register of Historic Places, reference 66000048OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element way/100079201

More museums in Massachusetts

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore museums
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Custom House.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens