Accessibility
The Crane & Lantern House was built in 1748, long before anyone thought about wheelchairs, and it has no elevator. We've done what an old house allows, and we would rather tell you exactly what that is than have you find out on the stairs.
If anything below doesn't answer your question, call us at (978) 555-0148 or email stay@cranelantern.example. Samuel Teague, our head innkeeper, has walked every inch of this house with a tape measure, and he'll give you a straight answer.
The short version
- Step-free: the parking area, the side porch ramp, the Apothecary (our accessible room), the Lantern Room breakfast room and porch, the front hall, the Library, The Ledger restaurant, the Great Hall, the garden paths and the Carriage House Suite (one low step at the door).
- Stairs only: every other guest room (second, third and fourth floors), the Undertaker's Parlor bar (three steps down), and the widow's walk.
- One accessible guest room: the Apothecary, with a roll-in shower. Book it early; there's only one.
- Service animals are welcome everywhere.
Arriving and parking
Our small lot has 10 spaces for overnight guests, and one of them, nearest the house, is a van-accessible space with a striped access aisle, held for guests with a disability placard. In October, when we run valet parking ($25 per night) because the city is so busy, we keep that space for you and you can park yourself.
The front door on Mercy Lane has four granite steps and a high threshold, and it is staying that way; it's a 1748 doorway. Instead, a brick path from the lot leads to the side porch, which has a ramp at a gentle grade (built in 2015, with handrails on both sides) and a wide door. Ring the bell there and someone will come. The ramp brings you into the Lantern Room, and from there it's a level walk to the front hall, the front desk and the Apothecary.
From Salem's train station it's about a nine-minute walk on city sidewalks, with curb cuts most of the way; a couple of the brick sidewalks in the historic district are uneven. We're glad to collect you and your luggage from the station if you let us know your train.
The Apothecary: our accessible room
The Apothecary is on the ground floor in the original house, Dr. Ezra Pell's apothecary shop from 1834 to 1871, with his wall of drawers still in place. When we rebuilt its bathroom in 2015 we designed the whole room around guests who use wheelchairs or can't manage stairs. In detail:
- Entry
- Level from the side porch ramp and the front hall; no steps
- Doors
- 36 inches clear, lever handles, a door that can be propped open
- Bed
- Queen, about 23 inches to the top of the mattress, open underneath for a lift, with space on both sides
- Bathroom
- Roll-in shower with a fold-down bench, handheld shower on a slide bar, grab bars at the shower and toilet, raised toilet seat, roll-under sink
- Turning space
- A five-foot turning circle beside the bed and in the bathroom
- Reach
- Lowered closet rod and shelves; light switches, thermostat and outlets at reachable height
- Alarms
- Visual and audible fire alarm; a bed-shaker alarm on request
- Phone
- A room phone with large buttons that rings the front desk directly
The Apothecary sits next to the front hall, where our Lantern Ghost Walk gathers at 8:00 pm from April to November; it's lively for a few minutes and then quiet. See the Apothecary room page for photos, rates and the peppermint story.
The other rooms
The Carriage House Suite is in a separate building across the garden, reached by a lit brick path about thirty yards long. Inside it's all on one level, with one low step (about three inches) at the door and a walk-in shower with a low curb. It isn't fully accessible (there are no grab bars, and the bathroom is too small for a wheelchair turning circle), but many guests with limited mobility find it comfortable. We can put in a portable shower seat and a portable ramp for the step on request.
Every other room is up stairs. The second-floor rooms (the Captain's Quarters, the Lady's Chamber and the Ledger Room) are up one flight of the main stair: seventeen steps, with a landing and a handrail. The third-floor rooms (the Widow's Walk Suite and the Nursery) are two flights up. The Garrets are three flights, and the last is the original garret stair, steep and narrow, with a handrail on one side only. The widow's walk itself is reached by a ship's-ladder stair of fourteen steps and is not accessible.
Older floors slope and some thresholds are raised. We'll always carry luggage for you, to any room, at any reasonable hour.
Eating, drinking and the public rooms
- The Lantern Room (breakfast) and its glassed porch are step-free from the side ramp, with movable chairs and tables at standard height. Large-print breakfast menus are at the host stand.
- The Ledger, our restaurant in the old chapel wing, is level with the front hall through a wide doorway. An accessible restroom is off the hall between the Lantern Room and The Ledger, the only accessible public restroom in the house.
- The garden terrace (summer dining) is reached by a firm, level brick path.
- The Undertaker's Parlor, the bar, is three steps down from the front hall, a quirk of the old viewing parlor's floor. There's no ramp. Anything on the bar menu can be served to you in the Library or The Ledger.
- The Library, where we hold the Thursday history talk, Tarot & Tea and private dinners, and the Great Hall are both on the ground floor and step-free.
Activities
- The Lantern Ghost Walk climbs the main stair to the second-floor landing and then walks three nearby streets, some brick and uneven. If you can't do the stairs, the guide can take you on a ground-floor route through the house and the streets; let us know when you book and we'll keep the group pace easy. There are benches along the way.
- The pickleball courts are reached by a firm gravel path from the carriage house. The courts themselves are level, and adaptive play is very welcome; Benny Ruiz has coached seated players and is happy to.
- The herb garden walk, candle-making in the old apothecary workroom, and the Thursday history talk are on the ground floor and step-free. Seats are always available.
- The widow's walk isn't accessible, including for elopement ceremonies. Couples with accessibility needs often marry in the garden or the Great Hall instead; our events director, Wren Halloway, can tell you more.
Hearing, vision, allergies and other needs
On request we can provide a bed-shaker fire alarm in any room, a visual doorbell for the Apothecary, a large-print copy of the house guide, and the Thursday history talk notes in print. Our ghost walk guides are happy to face you as they talk and to slow down. For breakfast and dinner, Chef Dee's kitchen handles allergies and dietary needs every day; tell us when you book, and tell your server.
The house is old, and parts of it are dusty in ways that resist even Maren's best efforts, especially the garrets and the Library shelves. We use fragrance-free cleaning products, but the lavender in the Lady's Chamber and the herb garden are a strong presence. If you have a sensitivity, tell us and we'll take the lavender out of your room.
Tell us what we missed
We know this house isn't perfect, and we'd rather hear how to do better than not. If something here was wrong or something got in your way, please write to stay@cranelantern.example or tell anyone at the front desk. The side ramp, the Apothecary's bathroom and the accessible restroom all came from guests who told us.
This page was last reviewed in spring 2025. Website accessibility: we're working to make this site work well with screen readers and keyboard navigation; if something doesn't, please let us know and we'll help by phone or email.