Best of Boston

2015 Best Museum, North

Peabody Essex Museum

The key to the PEM’s brilliance is its diversity. In the past year alone, it put on exhibits from titans such as Alexander Calder and J.M.W. Turner; displayed worldly treasures, from abstract Indian art to imperial Chinese ceramics; and stayed true to its New England roots with a survey of 18th-century local furniture maker Nathaniel Gould. The coming year promises shows covering Dutch kinetic sculptures, Native American fashion designers, and everything in between. And with a $650 million expansion under way, this Salem institution is only going to get better.

East India Square, Salem, 978-745-9500, pem.org