We’ve all heard of “living history” museums, where life exists, as if in a bubble, with old methods, costumed interpreters, etc. going about their days, as if it was days gone by. The point is to show us what life was like in a different time. Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is similar, only it’s first and foremost a neighborhood! And, yes, there are costumed interpreters who are doing real work, making real money, in old buildings, right alongside neighbors who are in their current clothes, getting in their cars and going to work. It’s a remarkable and fascinating blend of old times and new times co-existing for the benefit of the people who live in this neighborhood, and for those of us who get to visit and inhabit their world(s).

Read our recent Editor’s Choice article about a weekend in Winston-Salem, and also listen to this podcast that provides some very interesting history and relevance to Old Salem in current times.

Tools of the trade in the wood turning shop.

The side of Winkler Bakery in Old Salem, North Carolina.

The Tavern lets you dine in history.