Exhibition
Salem Stories
Ongoing
Today's hours:
10 am–5 pm
Monday
10 am–5 pm
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
10 am–5 pm
Friday
10 am–5 pm
Saturday
10 am–5 pm
Sunday
10 am–5 pm
Monday
10 am–5 pm
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
10 am–5 pm
Friday
10 am–5 pm
Saturday
10 am–5 pm
Sunday
10 am–5 pm
Salem Stories presents an A–Z array of 26 vignettes about the people, places and events that make Salem, Massachusetts, the city it is today.
The “Witch City” is known around the world for what happened in 1692. However, Salem is a city with many stories, from the local to the global. Salem Stories features more than 100 works drawn from PEM’s vast collection, including board games, a homemade protective charm, vintage witch-themed souvenirs, photographs, natural history specimens, clothing and even a murder weapon. Follow the letters of the alphabet around the gallery for an accessible and entertaining way to engage with Salem’s history.
Start with “A is for Always Indigenous” to learn about the Native communities who have lived for millennia on the land where the museum now sits. End with “Z is for Zoology” to see a longtime visitor favorite, a huge leatherback turtle specimen dating from 1885. Alexander Graham Bell completed the first successful long-distance telephone call from Salem in 1877. Parker Brothers produced Monopoly here. And in 2013, President Barack Obama signed legislation recognizing the city as the birthplace of the United States National Guard. At 400 years and counting, the city’s story continues to evolve.
Share your impressions with us on social media using #SalemStories.
Time to explore: Plan for 30–45 minutes.
Salem Stories is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation, Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Kate and Ford O'Neil, Henry and Callie Brauer, and George and Isabel Shattuck provided generous support. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.
This exhibition is part of Salem 400+ celebrations. Explore all of PEM's Salem 400+ activities at pem.org/salem400.
Parker Brothers, Inc., Monopoly, about 1940, Paper, paperboard and wood. Gift of the North Shore Children’s Hospital Thrift Shop, 1984. 136184. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
Artist in the United States, Naumkeag Steam Cotton Mill, Salem, about 1850. Oil on canvas. Gift of American Textile History Museum Collection. 2017.9.1.
Artist in the United States, witch weathervane, about 1900. Iron and paint. Museum purchase, 1985. 136517. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
Haida artist, pipe, about 1842. Wood, glass, pigment, stone, ivory. British Columbia, Pacific Northwest Coast, Canada. Gift of Captain Isaac Needham Chapman, 1849. E3492. © 2020 Peabody Essex Museum. Photo by Kathy Tarantola/PEM.
Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), 1885. Collected off Rockport, Massachusetts. Donated by Mr. Parsons, 1885. FIC2012.929.1. Photo by Bob Packert/PEM.
Virtual Gallery Tour
Click the image to embark on a 360° tour of Salem Stories. Just click on the rings to move throughout the space and use your mouse or keyboard to zoom in/out and to look all around.
Keep exploring
