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      Families

      At PEM, we want to make it easy for you and your family to connect with art and culture.

      Our Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center has a variety of hands-on activities, discovery drawers, games and computer stations. Whatever you choose to do while you’re here — listen to a story during PEM Pals, make a drawing or check out The Pod — we want your visit to be relaxing and enjoyable.


      Family Amenities

      • Youth 16 and under are free
      • The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center and The Pod, located on the ground level, are easily accessible for strollers.
      • The Atrium Café offers several delicious child-friendly food options.
      • The coatroom is just inside the museum entrance. A limited number of strollers are available for use.
      • Key-operated storage lockers are available in the museum for small bags and personal items.
      • Baby-changing stations are located in most restrooms on the ground level.
      • A room for nursing parents is located in the Art & Nature Center.
      Two children looking at a computer screen and a wall full of Art objects in the Art & Nature Center
      PEM is Certified Sensory Inclusive™

      The Peabody Essex Museum partners with KultureCity to promote an accessible and positive experience for visitors with diverse sensory needs. Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are experienced by 1 in 6 individuals, including people with autism, dementia, PTSD and other conditions.

      The annual KultureCity certification process ensures that PEM staff members are trained on how to recognize and best serve guests with sensory needs, including how to appropriately and safely handle a sensory overload situation. A limited number of sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools and verbal cue cards, are available at the coatroom for any visitors who may feel overwhelmed by the museum environment. Prior to your visit, adults and children can download the free KultureCity app to view the available sensory features and how to access them.

      Family-friendly events

      Tree-Free Paper Nature Journals

      Drop-In Art Activity

      Tree-Free Paper Nature Journals

      Fridays | March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29

      Rainbow Sun Catchers

      Drop-In Art Activity

      Rainbow Sun Catchers

      Weekends and Mondays | Select dates in March

      Animal Planters

      Drop-In Art Activity

      Animal Planters

      Fridays | April 5, 12 and 26

      Animal Tracks Stamps

      Drop-In Art Activity

      Animal Tracks Stamps

      Weekends and Mondays | Select dates in April

      Mini Earth Moss Balls

      Drop-In Art Activity

      Mini Earth Moss Balls

      Saturday, April 20, Sunday, April 21 and Monday, April 21 from 1-3 pm

      Keep exploring

      Learn & Play

      Art

      The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center

      Exhibition

      The Pod

      Ongoing

      Blog

      Curator Jane Winchell outlines the art, science and surprises on view in Bats!

      5 Min read