Salem, MA – On June 15, Saturday of this year’s Father’s Day weekend, Essex Heritage kicks off the summer season with guided boat tours to Bakers Island Light Station in Salem Sound. Visitors can enjoy a special day on the water with Dad while exploring the historic 60-acre Bakers Island. Upon landing, visitors can take a guided tour of the property, learn about its history, hike trails, play lawn games, have a picnic, or relax and enjoy the view. Bakers Island Light Station is only accessible to the public on Essex Heritage’s landing craft Naumkeag. Boat tours run from June 15 through September 2, Labor Day.
“We are thrilled to launch the fifth season of tours to Bakers Island Light and welcome back our volunteer light keepers, Tara and Brian,” said Annie C. Harris, Essex Heritage CEO. “We look forward to another exciting year as we expand our programming to include Misery Island Castaway Tours and Island Hops Tours. We will also continue to offer special tours throughout the season that focus on wild edibles, bird-watching, shipwrecks, and more.”
Regular trips to Bakers Island Light Station depart at 10:30 a.m. on Friday and at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. All tours leave from the dock adjacent to the Salem Ferry Landing at 10 Blaney Street, just past the House of the Seven Gables. Free parking is available next to the dock.
Naumkeag is a large, open landing craft with a bow front that drops down so passengers can walk directly onto the stone beach (not landing at a dock). No private landings are allowed on the site at Bakers Island.
Don’t miss the boat! Tickets are available for purchase online and at the National Park Service’s Regional Visitor Center at 2 New Liberty St. in Salem.