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Tours
Welcome! The tours below are designed for you and a friend or family member to explore at your own pace, and are overviews of popular collections at PEM.
Historic House Walking Tours: Brick by Brick
Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour featuring architectural treasures from PEM’s collection! We offer the only walking tours in Salem that include entry into historic buildings, covering five centuries of happenings and characters from Witch City — including the infamous trials of 1692. Choose Brick by Brick: Salem's Hidden Architectural Stories for an in-depth look at architecture across downtown Salem, from a millionaire’s mansion to a working-class sailor’s house.
Historic House Walking Tours: Sinister Streets
Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour featuring architectural treasures from PEM’s collection! We offer the only walking tours in Salem that include entry into historic buildings, covering five centuries of happenings and characters from Witch City. Follow our expert guides into the dark side of Salem history with Sinister Streets: Witch Trials, Murders and Literary Legends, and walk through landmarks of the infamous trials of 1692, plus the site of a gruesome murder that made headlines in 1830 and inspired Edgar Allan Poe.
Ropes Mansion
Located at 318 Essex Street, the Ropes Mansion was built in the Georgian style from 1727-1729 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the home’s furnishings depict the lives of the three sisters who renovated it in the 1890s. Self-guided tours will resume in May 2025. Garden open year-round.
Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home
Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old Chinese house, was relocated to the Peabody Essex Museum from southeastern China in 2003. Explore the stately 16-bedroom home that offers a glimpse into the daily life of the Huang family. Included with museum admission.
PEM in an Hour
Director Lynda Roscoe Hartigan shares her favorite objects. Rosario Ubiera-Minaya, Executive Director of Lynn’s Raw Art Works, narrates the Spanish version of this new audio tour. Included with museum admission. This tour is generously supported by the George S. Parker Fund.
The Salem Witch Trials Audio Walking Tour
Learn about the infamous events of 1692. PEM curators and experts share a behind-the-scenes perspective of some of the most compelling stories in Salem.
This tour starts inside the museum and is included with museum admission. Please note: A Wi-Fi enabled device is needed and use of headphones is recommended. Some of this material may be difficult for younger audiences. This tour is generously supported by the George S. Parker Fund.
PEM Walks: Historic House Audio Tours
Explore PEM Walks, an audio tour series that takes you by 15 remarkable buildings in Salem with PEM’s Content Producer Dinah Cardin and Manager of Historic Structures Steven Mallory. Included with museum admission.