Peabody Essex Museum Arboretum

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) is unique among U.S. art museums for its rich and varied campus. The museum’s main building, offices, more than a dozen historic houses and associated gardens and greenspaces cover 4.1 acres in historic Salem, MA. These greenspaces are accessible to the public year-round and are fully integrated into downtown Salem’s rich and varied urban landscape. An additional 5.3 acre campus in Rowley, MA is home to PEM’s Hawkes Collection Center and its associated grounds.

Since launching the PEM FORWARD Strategic Plan (FY24-28), PEM’s Gardens and Grounds Department has been developing and improving the gardens and plantings on the museum’s two campuses. These greenspaces reflect horticultural efforts, spaning the 17th century up to the present day. Notable plantings include a 100-year-old copper beech tree at PEM’s Ropes Mansion Garden and a unique blend of species along the museum’s Axelrod Walkway property that includes Dawn Redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), Carolina Silverbells (Halesia carolina), Cryptomeria and Ginkgos.