The Salem Witch Trials

For more than 300 years, the complex drama of the 1692 Salem witch trials and its themes of injustice and the frailties of human nature have captivated and fascinated the public imagination. The extraordinary crisis involved more than 400 people and led to the deaths of 25 innocents — men, women and children — between June 1692 and March 1693.

The Peabody Essex Museum holds the world’s largest collection of Salem witch trials materials, including some 500 original documents on deposit from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. While these light-sensitive materials can only be displayed intermittently for their protection, the museum is committed to telling this important story in new ways to honor the victims of this tragedy and explore themes of tolerance and persecution that are timeless and relevant to today.