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January 2024 by Maryellen Funaro
A hidden gem in the Boston area but well worth our half hour trip to Salem. It is a fairly small museum so we could see most of it that day. They do have a cafe but we went out to lunch and were able to re-enter afterwards on our one ticket. Interesting permanent exhibits, a fabulous exhibit on bats (natural history and cultural impact and live ones to see). The Chinese house that was moved piece by piece and reconstructed was fascinating. We liked that they had timed tickets to it (free w/ admission) so it wasn't crowded.
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January 2024 by Valentina O.
I'm a Salem resident and I am on a mission to tour all the local attractions, museums and places of relevance.About this one:The Peabody Essex museum is the oldest continuously running museum in the United States!With its permanent collection and temporary exhibits, it offers an eclectic variety of artifacts and art/design pieces. Its temporary exhibits in particular tend to often focus on matters of social equality and on environmental issues. It spreads through three floors and, even though it's not gigantic, it is a pretty big museum.PEM's jewel is definitely the Yin Yu Tang, a complete Chinese house originally built in the 1600s in southeastern China, moved to the museum and reconstructed as it was when the family last inhabited it in 1982. You can walk the courtyard and corridors, enter its furnished rooms, learn through the recorded audio guides. It is actually pretty amazing.It requires a timed reservation that I recommend to get online in advance.My favorite rooms are the Maritime Art one, the American Art exhibit ("Being and belonging in America") and the fashion and design display in the new wing.PEM is free for Salem residents and a constant source of new exhibits, workshops and events.If you are visiting Salem, PEM is a wonderful Museum to tour. Please keep in mind that the scope of its exhibitions goes way beyond Salem itself, as it shows artists from all around the world. If you are looking for something local, you should check out "Salem Stories" on the second floor, and a few art pieces and artifacts connected to the Salem Witch trials and to Salem architecture inside the American Art display that I mentioned above. They also sometimes offer temporary exhibits about Salem history, especially during tourist season.PROsThis is an amazing museum, very modern in the way things are presented to the public - in a way that is engaging and thought-provoking.CONsNo real cons to mention!Just, if you visit the Yin Yu Tang house during winter, be aware that it is COLD inside the house!Also, again a reminder that PEM is strongly connected to the local community but it is not a museum about Salem.
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January 2024 by Dave Dent
Lots of people will like it. I found it super boring.
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January 2024 by Dane Badman (Badmaniac)
Always a breathtaking experience, with a magnificent array of art from all around the world, with special exhibits cycling throughout the year. My favorite exhibits have to be the India, Japan, and Maritime exhibits, but honestly, the whole building is full to the brim with awe-inspiring art, as well as a garden and recreated chinese architecture to boot. Definitely recommended!
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December 2023 by Doreen Dilger
The Peabody Essex Museum is a wonderful place to explore art and culture. Three floors to explore which you can access by stairs or elevator. Some exhibits have solo walking tour you can do at your own pace. They also have a little cafeteria and two gift shops. We brought our grandson and although there were a few things he found exciting I wouldn’t recommend for younger children.
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December 2023 by Helena Andújar
I actually liked the PEM better than the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I was pleasantly surprised by its eclectic nature. The collections are powerful, thought-provoking and attractive. I would describe the spirit of this museum as joyful. Of course, my favorite piece was All the Flowers Are for Me.
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November 2023 by Angela DeCesare
Loved this experience. Between the bats, Asian art contributions, and art from other parts of the world, this museum is highly recommended. We had only 2 hours to explore and it was not enough. It was a fantastic example of heritage. I will not post many photos as to preserve the integrity of this magical place, but some necessary contributions are included.
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November 2023 by Jessica Z
It's a one time in a lifetime experience. I feel since the museum is in the heart of Salem. There should be more exhibitions on the witch trials. I loved that there were rooms with beautiful art. The museum is beautifully built and the gift shop was great. The food at the location was great, too. I was just disappointed that the exhibition for salem Witch trials was so dull. They only had like 3 rooms connected. They should have added color to match the theme of the trials to know and feel what it was like for the victims.
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November 2023 by Kristin Knowlton
I'm so happy to see that the PEM has diversified their offerings. The cure t exhibits are stunning. My favorite element was music through 3 gallery installations. So wonderful to see and hear the art, when touching certainly isn't allowed. Looking forward to returning outside of October (Halloween madness makes me want to stay away next time).
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October 2023 by R S
I would describe the PEM as a relatively unknown gem. We hadn't heard anything about it until we visited Salem in October. We went there originally to visit the Witches Museum, but since it was sold out for the day, we decided to try the PEM instead. The variety and quality of exhibitions was really good. The entire family enjoyed it.
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October 2023 by Cindy Rotermund
As usual....a great museum experience. Maritime displays were excellent. There was a painting of the Town of Victoria & Hong Kong Harbor from 1861....after I took a picture of it I looked up a current photo of the exact same spot....Amazing to see how different it is.....The PEM should display a "now" photo next to it...I think most people would be amazed! A little mixed feelings about the "hair flags".....a little creepy. Enjoyed the glass display. Their temporary exhibit of the Salem Witch trials was very informative.....learned a lot more about the accusers which was a perspective I had not known much about. The museum is quite large so if you have young children you might just want to pick out the exhibits they might enjoy ahead of time....planning is key for the kiddos!! Also - plan ahead for the china house exhibit. You have to reserve a tour time. Well worth it though. I visit family every year up in Salem and we always visit the Peabody.....until next year!
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September 2023 by Stephanie Freas
What a beautiful museum. I was particularly fascinated by the Native American exhibits. What a beautiful variety of pieces throughout history to today that gives you a better understanding of the history of America that we weren’t told in schools. Highly recommended- if you like museums, I’d plan for 4-5 hours. They say two, but we didn’t get through half of it in two hours. The arrangement is a little confusing, but I think it’s likely because the museum has just been added onto for years. That said, the staff were helpful!
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September 2023 by H W
I do agree with a previous review that there did seem to be a lot of empty space. I did think that the museum had some interesting displays and exhibits. In particular, I enjoyed the fashion/design section and the Gu Wenda United Nations series. Pricing was pretty standard for museum entry in the northeast, $20 for adults, $12 with a student ID. And we went in summer (not Salems busiest season) and were able to purchase tickets on site and enter immediately. However, I’m sure if you go September - November, advance tickets would be the way to go.
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July 2023 by Deb Clif
It’s a nice museum I just felt like there was a lot of empty space. Maybe I’m just used to NYC museums. Very nice display of art. A couple of areas were closed because they were putting in new exhibits. But we also thought there was more than we usually see in a museum. The museum itself is very pretty. There are some older areas and the obvious newer areas such as when you walk in.
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July 2023 by Shena Talbert
Loved PEM! It's just the right size for a partial day excursion. The exhibits are eclectic and inclusive. The affordability is nearly unmatched for this area. 16 years and under are free. Adults $20. The total for myself and my 3 young teens...$20. The parking garage is just across the road and my parking fee was $2.50. I'm used to my parking fee in Boston being $24 for 3 hours, so this felt like a steal. I'll be recommending this to area families!