Immersive and thought–provoking entertainment can be hard to come by during quarantine. If you find yourself missing the experience of visiting a museum and walking through the exhibits, learning something new in each room you enter, then this list is for you. Broaden your horizons this spring with these 10 virtual venue tours.
Remember Museums? These 10 Virtual Tours Are the Next Best Thing
You can visit some of the world’s best museums from the comfort of your couch.
Photo: The Trustees of the British Museum
The British Museum —
Browse the British Museum’s various exhibits with the virtual tours available on their website. View ancient European artifacts dating back to 10,000 BC or curated collections of ancient Greek and Roman life – all from the comfort of your own home. For an even more thorough experience, listen to their audio tours available on YouTube Music and Apple Music.
Photo: Anna Torres
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History —
Want to live out your Night at the Museum dreams? Walk through the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils or the O. Orkin Insect Zoo at this Washington, D.C.–based museum. They offer virtual walk–through tours of select exhibits and collections, research areas and research stations, directly from your desktop or mobile device.
Photo: Museo Larco, Lima
Museo Larco —
Learn about the exciting and extensive history of ancient Peru at Trip Advisor’s #1 Museum in South America. To showcase some of their exhibits, including Textiles from Ancient Peru and Ritual Warfare and Music, Museo Larco offers online experiences like virtual exhibits, an interactive map of the museum and a 360° virtual tour.
Photo: Nikos Daniilidis
Acropolis Museum —
“Walk” on the porcelain–white tiles and through the halls of the Acropolis Museum that is home to more than 3,000 artifacts from the Athenian Acropolis. Browse their collection of awe–inspiring sculptures through a virtual tour powered by Google Maps or by watching the video tours on their website.
NASA at Home —
Become an astronaut with NASA’s virtual experiences, ranging from tours in 4K video, 360° adventures and even 3–D excursions. Walk on the Moon, accompany the Mars Perseverance rover or float through the International Space Station, all from your desktop or mobile device. Look the part with the NASA Selfies app, where you can put your photo in a virtual spacesuit.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada —
Go below sea level with Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada’s virtual tour experiences. The tours accommodate big and small groups via Zoom. Groups can watch pre–recorded footage on the various galleries and have a live Q&A session. Visit two galleries, or the whole aquarium or even add on a live, behind–the–scenes adventure.
Google Arts & Culture —
Using Google Maps technology, Google has partnered with 2,000 museums worldwide to create a curated collection of virtual experiences, including museum tours, 360° videos, scavenger hunts and augmented reality activities. The next three virtual experiences are part of the Google Arts & Culture collection.
CyArk —
This non–profit organization is dedicated to digitally recording cultural landmarks and historical artifacts worldwide. In 15 years of operation, they’ve recorded over 200 monuments on all seven continents, which are accessible via your desktop or mobile device.
Photo: Anne Frank House - Cris Toala Olivares
Anne Frank House —
The Anne Frank House museum is a permanent exhibition dedicated to preserving the legacy and place of refuge of Anne Frank during World War II. The museum, located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has partnered with Google Arts & Culture to offer the immersive and educational experience online.
Museum of Brands —
One of the most unconventional experiences on this list is the Museum of Brands, which focuses on how the most popular brands we know have evolved over time. It features 150 years’ worth of brands, packaging and advertising and their role in the modern world. View their Time Tunnel exhibition and the products within it on Google Arts & Culture.