Peabody Essex Museum

About Us

Founded in 1799 by Salem sea captains, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) shares a global array of art, science, history and culture, including a 200-year old Chinese home. PEM is the only museum in Salem that holds authentic objects from the Salem Witch Trials.

Today the collection includes 1.8 million objects, many of which are the finest of their kind.
Asian Export Art: the largest and most comprehensive in the world
Chinese Art: reflects the breadth of China's visual culture over the centuries
Fashion, Costumes and Textiles.
Indian Art: the preeminent collection of Indian art from post-colonial times to the present
Japanese Art: begun in 1799, one of the first assemblages of Japanese art in America
Maritime Art and History: the finest collection of maritime art in the nation
Native American Art: the oldest, most comprehensive ongoing collection in the Western hemisphere
Photography: more than 1 million rare and vintage images and nearly every photographic format and process
Phillips Library: one of the largest collections associated with an American art museum and one of the regions major research libraries
Historic Houses: 24 properties and Yin Yu Tang: a 200-year-old house, the only example of Chinese domestic architecture in the United States

Shopping and Dining: The museum offers an award-winning Museum Shop as well as an Atrium Café.