The Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, is the oldest continuously operating museum in America and one New England’s finest attractions. Its collection of work by professional artists and myriad unknowns, with pieces from around the globe spreading pure beauty and everyday use, the Peabody has a cosmopolitan spirit, but a wonderfully local and personable atmosphere.

Honoring Salem’s maritime roots, the Peabody-Essex Museum celebrates centuries of the seafaring life; from early exploration, to the heydays of whaling off the East Coast, to the golden age of ocean liners through art by painters, craftsmen, and seamen themselves. The museum’s tall, open forum evokes the maritime history in its very architecture with shapes reminiscent of rigging and the hulls of ships. The large, glass roof makes the museum even more inviting.

Most of the first floor is occupied by permanent exhibits following the same theme: There is every kind of model ship, ranging from bottle-size to large enough for a small child to sit aboard (not that this is allowed, of course). Many of these models are intricately and perfectly rigged and built by sailors who actually crewed the vessels. A few are whaling ships are carved from scrimshaw, the very bones of the animals the sailors hunted.

In addition, the museum boasts an impressive collection of historical paintings and posters. There are many paintings depicting naval battles from the revolutionary and civil wars, and one section is devoted to turn-of-the-century ocean liners. A model of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, that is well over 12-feet long, is surrounded by art nouveau advertisement posters of the period.

The first floor is also home to many historical items from ships themselves. A beautiful collection of ships’ furniture in one area abuts an inspiring array of ship figureheads, all hand-carved. There are also examples of age-old navigation instruments, including a Hoppe Sextant that is the only surviving instrument of its style.

But despite the Peabody’s renown as a maritime museum, a significant portion of the space is something else entirely. One the of the museum’s main attractions is Yin Yu Tang, a 19th-century Chinese house imported directly from China and assembled into the layout of the museum itself. Guests can explore virtually the entire two-story house, from the open, stone courtyard to the bedrooms of ancient residents. The Peabody cleverly sprinkled communist propaganda material from the 1950s throughout and even included some vintage newspapers that a visitor is free to read, or at the least admire. Along with this, there are several rooms full of traditional Chinese farming tools and other artifacts from the time, and a nearby room of Korean and Japanese art.

The museum also has several galleries for moving exhibits. This spring, Surfland, a collection of tintype black-and-white photos of surfers with their boards occupies one exhibit hall. A large upstairs gallery is currently hosting traditional and contemporary Indian art, as well as folk piece about native Hawaiian culture. An exhibit featuring art made from trash opened on June 20th and will stay open until next May.

Although the Peabody-Essex Museum is small enough to fit in Salem, it’s too big for the careful explorer to see in a single day. You’ll hardly get lost among myriad passages like many big-city art museums, but that’s part of the Peabody’s appeal: every piece has its own personal charm and is certainly worth spending time admiring. For anyone on a tour of New England, it’s a must see attraction in a must see town.