The Salem Witch Trials Walk

Founded in 1799, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts is the country’s oldest continuously operating museum. PEM provides thought-provoking experiences of the arts, humanities and sciences to celebrate the creative achievements and potential of people across time, place and culture. The museum is in the heart of Salem, a community that must reckon with a dark history. The Salem witch trials are a defining example of intolerance and injustice in American history. The extraordinary series of events in 1692 led to the deaths of 25 innocent women, men and children. Centuries after this storied crisis, the personal tragedies and grievous wrongs of the Salem Witch Trials continue to provoke reflection, reckoning and a search for meaning. This self-guided audio walking tour takes visitors inside the galleries and outside the museum to learn more about the infamous events of 1692. As visitors view authentic objects and stop at key sites around Salem, PEM curators and experts share a behind-the-scenes perspective of some of the most compelling stories in Salem. The objects create a portal to understanding 1692 and the culture in which these events happened.