People strolling a beachfront strip of low shops and food stands under string lights at dusk, with the beach beyond

Salisbury Beach Boardwalk & Beach Center

When people search for the Salisbury Beach boardwalk they usually mean the Salisbury Beach Center, the town's beachfront strip at the top of Broadway, just north of the state reservation. It has the oceanfront stage where the summer concerts and fireworks happen, a Town of Salisbury Welcome Center with public restrooms, and paid town parking. The DCR reservation itself also has wooden boardwalks, but they are walkways over the dunes from the campground and lots to the sand.

At a Glance

The Beach Center at a Glance

WhereTop of Broadway, Salisbury Beach

Run byTown of Salisbury; events by the Salisbury Beach Partnership

RestroomsWelcome Center, daily 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Memorial Day–Labor Day

Town lotJames Hunt Memorial Lot, 228 Beach Road, 672 spaces

Lot rate$3/hour up to 3 hours, $35 for 3+ hours

Street parking$3/hour, 3-hour limit (Broadway); $7/hour Oceanfront South

Paid parkingMay 1–Oct 15, 8 a.m.–midnight, card or Passport app

Beach Center vs the State Reservation

The beach is one stretch of sand, but two public bodies run the land behind it. The Town of Salisbury runs the beach center around Broadway: the streets, the James Hunt Memorial parking lot, the Welcome Center and the parking kiosks. DCR runs Salisbury Beach State Reservation to the south: the campground, the day-use lot on State Reservation Road, the boat ramps and the beach in front of them. Parking paid at one does not cover the other.

Fireworks bursting over the ocean, watched by a crowd sitting on blankets on the beach

What's at the Beach Center

The Oceanfront Stage, where the Salisbury Beach Partnership holds free concerts and fireworks in summer. See concerts and fireworks.
The Salisbury Beach Welcome Center and public restrooms, with family and accessible restrooms and rinse stations.
Benches and picnic tables near the stage, which the Partnership mentions for concert nights.
Restaurants, beach pizza and ice cream, which the Partnership names as part of a summer night at the stage. This guide does not list businesses; check the Partnership's site.

Restroom Hours

The town gives these hours for the Welcome Center restrooms:

April 1 to Memorial Day: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting.
Memorial Day to Labor Day: daily, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
September to Columbus Day: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
After Labor Day to March 31: family bathrooms daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

More restrooms at the front of the James Hunt lot are open daily 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Parking at the Beach Center

Town paid parking runs from May 1 to October 15, 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week including holidays. The kiosks take credit cards only and work by license plate, so you need to know your plate; you don't display a receipt. You can also pay with the Passport Parking app.

James Hunt Memorial Lot, 228 Beach Road: 672 spaces, 15 of them accessible. $3 an hour for up to 3 hours, or $35 for longer.
Broadway, Driftway, Central Avenue, Shea Street and Railroad Avenue: $3 an hour, 3-hour maximum.
Oceanfront South and Ocean Street: $7 an hour.

For a full beach day, the state reservation's lot ($14 with Massachusetts plates) is cheaper than the town lot's $35. See parking and directions.

Getting There Without a Car

The Partnership says the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority runs buses to the beach center from Lawrence, Andover, Methuen, Haverhill, Amesbury, Newburyport and nearby towns. From Boston, take the MBTA Newburyport Line, then the MVRTA bus from Newburyport station.

A weathered wooden boardwalk with railings crossing low sand dunes to the beach

FAQ

Salisbury Beach Boardwalk & Beach Center FAQ

Is there a boardwalk at Salisbury Beach?

The beachfront most people call the boardwalk is the Salisbury Beach Center on Broadway, run by the town. The DCR reservation to the south has wooden boardwalks over the dunes to the beach.

Where are the public restrooms at Salisbury Beach?

The town's Welcome Center in the center of Salisbury Beach has family and accessible restrooms and rinse stations, open daily 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. in summer. DCR's reservation has its own restrooms and showers.

How much is parking at Salisbury Beach Center?

The town's James Hunt Memorial Lot is $3 an hour for up to 3 hours or $35 for longer; street parking on Broadway is $3 an hour with a 3-hour limit. Paid parking runs May 1 to October 15.