The museum has a range of accommodations for visitors that are available by reservation and on a first-come, first-served basis. Please make your reservation two weeks in advance using the Accommodation and Accessibility Form to ensure availability of the following assistive devices and options: manual wheelchairs, child strollers, rollator walkers, KultureCity sensory bags, sign language assistance for tours and public programs.

For visitors with sensory sensitivities

PEM is certified Sensory Inclusive™ and 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 one in six 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.

Prior to your visit, adults and children can download the free KultureCity app to view the available sensory features and how to access them. A limited number of sensory bags, equipped with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools and verbal cue cards, are available at the coatroom.

All of our event pages include sensory considerations (for example, noise levels or strong smells).

For visitors with limited mobility

Wheelchairs
All public areas of the museum are wheelchair accessible; our historic houses are not. Museum staff at the Information desk will be happy to discuss accessible routes and amenities. Wheelchair-accessible bathrooms are located throughout the museum. Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home offers limited wheelchair accessibility. Wheelchair-friendly seating is available in Morse Auditorium.

A limited number of wheelchairs (standard and wide) are available for visitors to borrow from the coatroom.

Elevators
Elevators are available from the ground floor.

Seating
Benches and seating are located throughout the museum.

Strollers
All visitors are welcome to borrow strollers from the coatroom. Please note: Strollers and large bags are not permitted inside Yin Yu Tang, a Chinese Home. Our staff at the entrance of the house can look after strollers.

Parking
Accessible parking is available in the paid garage on New Liberty Street, across from the National Park Service Visitor Center. The New Liberty Street and Charter Street entrances are available for wheelchair drop-offs. All street-level doors can be operated with a push button.

For visitors who are blind or have low vision

Braille brochures about PEM’s history and the history of Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home are available for guests. Large-print transcripts of guides to select exhibitions and Yin Yu Tang are also available.

For visitors who are color blind

Through a recent partnership with EnChroma, PEM offers glasses with specially-engineered lenses to enable color-blind guests to see artworks in vibrant hues. Check out a pair at the coatroom.

For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing

Assistive listening devices are available for public programs in Morse Auditorium. Requests for an ASL interpreter for a tour or public program should be made at least two weeks before your visit by filling out the Accommodation and Accessibility Form.

Service animals

Service dogs are allowed at PEM, provided they are leashed and under the control of their owner, as required by law. In compliance with Massachusetts ADA regulations (MGL, C. 272, s. 98A), visitors with dogs may be asked if their dog is a service animal and what service/work/task they are trained to perform. At no time will the answers require disclosure of medical information.

Other Resources

Restrooms
There are two gender-neutral family restrooms, and a nursing room, on the ground level. Most restrooms have changing tables.

Lockers & coatroom
The coatroom is open and lockers are available for visitors on a first-come, first-served basis, at no charge.

All parcels, including handbags, brought into the museum are subject to search. Parcels 18 x 13.5 x 10 inches or larger may not be brought into the galleries without a security inspection and pass. Backpacks and backpack baby carriers may not be worn on your back in the galleries. If permitted to carry your bag, you will be asked to wear it on the front of your body.

Painted faces, costume masks, large-fitting costumes, protruding objects (costume accessories) and large brimmed hats are not permitted on adults or children.

Umbrellas are not permitted in the galleries and must be left in the coatroom or a locker.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA)

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are distinct, interlinked, and critical values that support individuals and communities as they experience the arts, humanities, and sciences at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM).

As a museum that celebrates creativity to advance our shared humanity, we aspire to be an inclusive, equitable cultural organization that motivates, connects, and empowers people through inquiry, empathy, and dialogue. We strive to create and sustain a sense of belonging and to nurture our ability to build bridges.

We acknowledge that the role of global trade in PEM’s predecessor organizations warrants careful consideration. We commit to being aware and appreciative of differences in order to prevent overlooking, hurting, or excluding anyone. We will continue to work purposefully to remove barriers, whether physical, emotional, or social, so that PEM offers everyone welcoming spaces and experiences where they feel seen, heard, and treated with dignity and respect.

Everyone at PEM has a role to play in bringing this commitment to life. We will use this commitment statement as a guide in our ongoing work, which includes sharing the accomplishments, setbacks, and challenges of our DEIA journey.

We welcome comments and suggestions about how we might continue to improve our programs and services for visitors. Please share your feedback in the form below.

Questions? Email information@pem.org or call 978-542-1623.