Here in Salem, the Peabody Essex Museum holds 1.3 million pieces. This institution is the successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799, and it combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem — which acquired the Society's collection — and the Essex Institute. You can feel the weight of history: PEM is one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States and holds one of the major collections of Asian art in the country.
Its total holdings include about 1.3 million pieces and twenty-two historic buildings. After opening newly expanded spaces in 2019, PEM now ranks in the top 10 North American art museums in gallery square footage, operating budget, and endowment. More than 840,000 works span maritime, American, Asian, Oceanic, and African art, including Asian export art, while two large libraries hold over 400,000 books and manuscripts.
Nearby, East India Marine Hall, built in the 1820s and now a National Historic Landmark, remains embedded within the museum's facilities; its collection was acquired by the Peabody Academy of Science — later the Peabody Museum of Salem — in 1867. Notice the façade and the cluster of twenty-two historic buildings that make up this museum.