Winter Island Park - Function Hall
Salem, MA
| Venue type | Park & Pavilion |
| Location | Salem, MA |
| Published price | $400 to $500 |
| Setting | Indoor |
| Event type | Ceremony and reception possible |
What the venue publishes
City of Salem, Winter Island Park fee table, "Function Hall": Salem Resident (6 hours) $400, Salem Resident Additional Hour $50; Non-Resident (6 hours) $500, Non-resident Additional Hour $75.
The source publishes a range of $400 to $500, so which end applies depends on the options the source lists.
Base rate covers a 6-hour block. "All special events held in the Function Hall and the outdoor Pavilion must end by 8 pm, at the latest." Winter Island is a Salem waterfront park with a Coast Guard station and lighthouse. Guest parking is charged separately ($15 weekday / $25 weekend or holiday per vehicle unless holding a prepaid recreation permit sticker). The City may require a $1,000,000 per-incident Certificate of Insurance as a condition of any park/facility use permit.
Published on salemma.gov, checked August 2026. Fee schedules change, so confirm before booking.
Where this price sits in Boston
$400 is the 22nd lowest published starting price of the 32 venues listed in the Boston metro. The metro median starting price is $300, and 10 of the 32 listings publish a higher starting price than this one.
Among the 16 park & pavilion listings in the metro it ranks 15th lowest, against a median of $225 for that type.
Cheaper published prices in Salem
This listing in Salem publishes a starting price below $400.
| Venue | Published price | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Salem Common (Park Open Space Event Permit)Salem, MA · Park & Pavilion | $150 to $300 | not published |
Other park & pavilion listings in Boston
Same venue type, prices closest to this one.
| Venue | Published price | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Stage Fort Park - GazeboGloucester, MA · Park & Pavilion | $300 | not published |
| Good Harbor BeachGloucester, MA · Park & Pavilion | $300 | not published |
| Wingaersheek BeachGloucester, MA · Park & Pavilion | $300 | not published |
Marriage license in Essex County, MA
The venue fee above does not include the license. Salem sits in Essex County, MA, and these are the terms that county publishes. Checked September 2026.
| Issuing office | City or town clerk of the municipality where the notice of intention is filed; Massachusetts has no county marriage license officeBeverly City Clerk, 191 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915; Gloucester City Clerk, City Hall, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930; Newbury Town Clerk, 12 Kent Way, Suite 101, Byfield, MA 01922; Newburyport City Clerk, 60 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950; Salem City Clerk, 93 Washington Street, Salem, MA 01970 |
| License fee | Fees are set per municipality, so there is no single Essex County fee. Beverly: 'The fee for a marriage license is $25.' Gloucester: 'Fee: $40.00 (includes one complimentary certified copy of the marriage certificate - cash or check payment accepted).' Newbury: 'the fee in the Town of Newbury is $25.00. This fee entitles you to 2 free copies of your marriage license, after the wedding.' Newburyport: 'The fee for a Marriage License is $30.00.' Salem: '$40 (as of August 1, 2020, fee includes one certified copy of your marriage certificate).' |
| Waiting period | 3 days |
| License valid for | 60 days |
| Who must appear | Both parties, in person |
| ID required | valid photo identification or other proof of age; Newbury and Easton note a birth certificate may be required to show proof of age |
| Apply online | In person only |
| Same-day issue | Not issued the same visit |
| Ceremony at the office | OfferedVaries by municipality. Newburyport: justice of the peace services by appointment inside City Hall during regular hours, usually in City Council Chambers with a maximum of 8 people, 'The fee for this service is $100 payable by cash or check.' Beverly: 'The City Clerk's Office has two justices of the peace who can perform marriage ceremonies,' with no fee published. Gloucester, Newbury and Salem do not publish a clerk ceremony service. Gloucester separately issues a $300 Parks Department wedding permit for city beaches and parks, which is a venue permit and not an officiant service. |
| Witnesses | None required by statute |
Source: salemma.gov, gloucester-ma.gov, cityofnewburyport.com, malegislature.gov
The three day wait falls between filing the intention and picking up the license, not between the license and the ceremony; Gloucester publishes the pickup table (sign Monday, pick up Thursday). Both parties must appear together in all five municipalities, with narrow exceptions for active duty military, incarceration, and in Newburyport a doctor's verification of impending death.
How the metro prices out
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Other space at Winter Island Park
Winter Island Park rents 2 spaces for weddings and each is priced separately, so booking this one does not get you the others.