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Bored at Home? Here's a Massive List of Museums, Zoos, and Theme Parks Offering Virtual Tours

You can see Frida Kahlo at MoMA or visit the Shedd Aquarium without leaving the couch.

"Walk" through some of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions, like The Met and The American Museum of Natural History, then go for a "ride" on Disney's new Frozen rollercoaster with the kids. And regardless of your age, we think everyone will enjoy some live footage of pandas playing at the zoo!

• The Louvre: You don't have to book a ticket to Paris to check out some of the famous pieces in the world's largest art museum. The Louvre has free online tours of three famous exhibits, including Egyptian Antiquities.
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: The works of Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian , Jeff Koons, and Franz Marc are just some of the 625 artists whose work are a part of the Guggenheim's Collection Online .
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Move at your own pace through the 360-degree room-by-room tour of every exhibit in the museum .
• Van Gogh Museum: You can get up close and personal with the impressionist painter's most famous work thanks to Google Arts & Culture .
• Getty Museum: Los Angeles's premiere gallery has two virtual tours , including "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry," which is a closer look at food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
• The Vatican Museum: The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and Raphael's Room, are just some of the sites you can see on the Vatican's virtual tour .
• T hyssen-Bornemisza Museum: Madrid's must-see art museum has the works of some of the continent's most celebrated artists like Rembrandt and Dali available online .
• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: Six virtual exhibits are available online from this museum named for the "Mother of American modernism."
• National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City: Dive into the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico with 23 exhibit rooms full of Mayan artifacts.
• British Museum, London: The Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies are just a couple of things that you're able to see on a virtual tour of the museum.
• N ASA: Both Virginia's Langley Research Center and Ohio's Glenn Research Center offer online tours for free. Also, you can try some "augmented reality experiences" via The Space Center Houston's app .
• National Women's History Museum: Have a late International Women's Day celebration with online exhibits and oral histories from the Virginia museum.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art: Though the Met Gala was cancelled this year, you can still have a peak at the The Costume Institute Conversation Lab, which is one of the institution's 26 online exhibits .
• High Museum of Art, Atlanta: This museum's popular online exhibits include "Civil Rights Photography " — photos that capture moments of social protest like the Freedom Rides and Rosa Park's arrest.
• Detroit Institute of Arts: Mexican art icon Frida Kahlo is the focal point of two of the four available online exhibits .
• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Golden Age of Dutch art is highlighted in this museum which includes the work of Vermeer and Rembrandt .
• National Museum of the United States Air Force: You can't take a ride in Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential airplane, but you can check it out, in addition to other military weapons and aircraft, online in the Air Force's official museum .
• MoMA ( The Museum of Modern Art): New York's extensive collection is available for view online .
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The 16 virtual exhibits include a special section on 21st Century Designer Fashion.

Zoos and Aquariums

• The Cincinnati Zoo: Check in around 3 p.m., because that's the time the Zoo holds a daily Home Safari on its Facebook Live Feed .
• Atlanta Zoo: The Georgia zoo keeps a " Panda Cam " livestream on its website.
• Georgia Aquarium: S ea-dwellers like African penguins and Beluga Whales are the stars of this aquarium's live cam .
• Houston Zoo: There are plenty of different animals you can check in on with this zoo's live cam , but we highly recommend watching the playful elephants.
• The Shedd Aquarium: This Chicago aquarium shares some pretty adorable behind-the-scenes footage of their residents on Facebook .
• San Diego Zoo: With what may be the most live cam options , this zoo lets you switch between koalas, polar bears, and tigers in one sitting.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: It can be Shark Week every week thanks to live online footage of Monterey Bay's Habitat exhibit .
• National Aquarium: Walk through tropical waters to the icy tundra in this floor-by-floor tour of the famous, Baltimore-based aquarium.

Theme Parks

• Walt Disney World: Set aside some time, because there's plenty to see here. Virtual tours you can take include Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot, just to name a few. There are also unofficial YouTube videos that feel just like you're on famous rides like the Frozen Ever After ride , It's a Small World , Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! , and Pirates of the Caribbean .
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort: The Great Lego Race and Miniland USA are just two of the attractions you can check out in a virtual tour of the park .

As an Editorial Fellow for Good Housekeeping, Katie covers health, beauty, home, and pop culture. Outside of the office, you can find her killing it on the karaoke machine or listening to true crime podcasts.

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National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours

Access the tours.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. Visitors can also access select collections and research areas at our satellite support and research stations as well as past exhibits no longer on display.

Virtual Tour Tips

• To navigate between adjoining rooms in the tours, click on the blue arrow links on the floor or use the navigation map in the upper right of the presentation screen.
• Look for the camera icon which gives you a close-up view of a particular object or exhibit panel.
• Try zooming in as some of the images are stitched together from individual pictures in order to create very high resolution gigapixel images.

Please note: This tour and these presentations have been tested and should work on all common devices, browsers, and operating systems (using a desktop computer with Windows, Mac, Linux or a mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android). Functionality and appearance may vary as it will adjust automatically to accommodate the most visitors. While the virtual tour has no advertising, ad blocking software or browser settings that block JavaScript and/or XML may interfere with the functionality of the virtual tour. Please let us know what you think of the tour and how the experience can be improved. Send your feedback to the NMNH Web Team .

Site Credit: Imagery and coding by Loren Ybarrondo

Equipment Used: Professional Nikon digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera bodies and lenses. The photography is typically done using rectilinear lenses with minimized distortion and shooting equirectangular panoramas at 22K pixels on the long side.

Software Used: No authoring software is used. The tours are hand-coded in HTML5 and JavaScript using the krpano graphics library.

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The best virtual tours to explore the world from home

Oct 8, 2020 • 5 min read

The Sistine Chapel is just one wonder offering a virtual museum tour ©Rajesh Gathwala/500px

We live in an age of unprecedented access to digital technology – and with it, brand new ways of exploring the world around us.

While it's not quite the same as seeing, say, the Mona Lisa or Christ the Redeemer in person, some of the world’s most popular and remote destinations have created libraries of online images and video, as well as 360 degree virtual tours that let you virtually explore museums, galleries, world wonders and even national parks.

Here a just a few of the best digital tours that let you wander the world from wherever you may be social distancing.

See the seven wonders of the world

If there’s anything capable of whetting your appetite for world travel, it is the new seven wonders of the world:  the Great Wall of China , the ancient city of Petra , the Taj Mahal , the Colosseum , Machu Picchu , Christ the Redeemer , and Chichen Itza . Thankfully there are impressive virtual tours of each from The New York Times , AirPano , Google , and Panoramas .

With modern technology, you can even see the last standing wonder of the ancient world— The Pyramids of Giza . There are a few other wonders that might not make it into to the top seven but are still worth a digital peek, like the Alhambra , Seville's La Giralda , and even Easter Island.

Best virtual museum tours

In recent years, Google has partnered with over 2,5000 art museums to upload high-resolution versions of millions of pieces of art. Highlights include New York’s MoMA , DC’s National Gallery of Art , Chicago’s Art Institute , the Casa Battl ó, and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum to name a few.

In addition, The Louvre offers a virtual tour , as do The Vatican Museums , many of the Smithsonian Museums , the Russian Museum , the top-rated British Museum , the Minneapolis  Museum of Russian Art , and the Palace Museum in Beijing.

You may not be able to kiss the Blarney Stone right now, but you can tour the Blarney Castle from afar. You can also visit the Museum of Flight,  the Museum of Science, the Museum of Natural History,  the National Women's History Museum  and Boston's History of Science Museum .

While museums are often an inherently visual experience, there's a lot to be learned from archives of past lectures and tours like the ones preserved online by Nashville's Frist Museum , the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Smithsonian American Art Museum,  the Frick , and others.

You might also like:  Broadway might be closed, but here’s how to stream the best performances from your home

Explore national parks

While travel to National Parks is best avoided for the time being, you don't need to miss out on the scenery. Virtual Yosemite is absolutely stunning and one of the best, replete with audio. Both Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore offer virtual tours as well. 

Google has similar 360 degree audio-visual tours of five select national parks, including Kenai Fjords, Hawai'i Volcanos , Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon , and Dry Tortugas, as well as 31 more on Google Earth . You can also get an up-close look at almost 4,000 pieces of artwork, artifacts, and other treasures related to the history and culture of the national parks, and view online exhibits .

Digital safaris

Wildlife is a big draw for travelers, whether it's sighting some of the Big Five in Africa, glimpsing whales in North America, or introducing your children to new animals in person on a family safari . But if you're forays into the bush are grounded for now, many zoos and aquariums have created digital access to their habitats.

You can easily watch several live webcams of some of the nation’s greatest zoos and aquariums, including the  San Diego Zoo , Houston Zoo , Zoo Atlanta , the Tennessee Aquarium , and the Georgia Aquarium . Additionally you can see Canadian farm animals doing their thing , or you could watch Stella the Dog jump endlessly into huge piles of Maine leaves.

You may also like:  These nine wildlife web cams offer access to your favorite animals

Virtual hiking

Thanks to panoramic video, you can get a really good idea of what a hike looks like well before you arrive at the trailhead. For example, you can experience all of the following top-rated hikes right now from your computer or tablet:  Bryce Canyon , Grand Canyon , GR20 , Inca Trail , and the death-defying Angel's Landing . For even more great hikes, simply YouTube one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 treks or any other hike that suits your fancy. Bonus points if you follow along during a workout to enhance the realism.

Famous landmarks

You can visit many wonders of nature, including the Amazon Rainforest , Iguazu Falls , the Komodo Islands , or Table Mountain , using virtual tours. Or you can explore the Statue of Liberty , the Sahara Desert , Niagara Falls , or even a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower . For even more virtual tours, search your bucket list of adventures with  AirPano , Google Earth , or YouTube .

Travel to outer space

The moon hasn't made it to Lonely Planet's Best In Travel list (yet!), and even without self-isolation and shelter-in-place measures for COVID-19, many of us may never travel to space. But thanks to technology, now is as good of a time as any to do so virtually. Before blasting off, considering touring some of NASA’s offices first. Then relive the last lunar missions and moon walks in stunning HD. Or take a virtual tour of Mars with the help of Google. 

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This article was originally published March 2020 and was last updated October 2020.

This article was first published Mar 18, 2020 and updated Oct 8, 2020.

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60 Virtual Tours To Travel The World During The Coronavirus Pandemic

• Written by Post author: Chloe Smulian
• Post last modified: Updated on April 2, 2024

A comprehensive list of free virtual tours that will intrigue and delight all types of travel lovers. Discover the Seven Wonders of the World, visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites and iconic landmarks around the world from the comfort of your home! Experience your first virtual travel experience with us.

With extensive travel bans, citywide lockdowns and strict social distancing measures, it’s hard not to eventually let cabin fever weigh you down. This is especially true if you’ve got a healthy addiction to travel like us. So we’ve found a way around the problem – virtual travel!

Obviously it doesn’t replace the real thing, but it’s better than nothing. It’s also a great way to get travel inspiration and learn some interesting facts about the destination until we can travel again.

It will give you something positive to look forward to while we all do the responsible thing and #stayhome. Treat it like Facetiming the world!

It’s also a great thing to do with kids at home. They’ll especially love the wildlife live webcam feeds! This list is guaranteed to keep them occupied for days if not weeks!

So whether you love city escapes, exploring museums or learning interesting facts about the natural and man-made wonders around the world, there’s something for everyone.

Make sure you share this with your friends and family who love travelling too.

What Do You Need To Virtual Travel The World

Virtual touring the world is easy. All you need is a laptop, cellphone or tablet and an internet connection. You don’t need a VR set (virtual reality set), but if you have one it’s a bonus.

We recommend using Google Chrome web browser because some of these virtual tour websites are not in English. Chrome makes it really easy translating foreign languages to English or whatever language you prefer.

Lastly, have a little patience as some of these virtual tours take a bit longer to load.

New Seven Wonders Of The World Virtual Tour

Everyone’s heard of the Seven Wonders of the World. But did you know that there are two different lists for the 7 Wonders of the World?

No? We didn’t either. The list most people know is the New Seven Wonders of the World. But there’s also the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

Are you one of the those rare humans that can list all New 7 Wonders of the World?

1. Great Wall of China

Often cited as the only human-made structure that is visible from space. The Great Wall of China is probably the most well known Wonder of the World. It captures over 2,000 years of history and stretches more than 21,000 km across several provinces in China. That’s as long as 5 times the length of Australia!

This iconic landmark is usually teemed with tourists all year round. But you can visit it crowd-free on this Great Wall of China virtual tour.

2. Chichen Itza, Mexico

The ancient city of Chichen Itza is one of the most well restored Mayan sites in Mexico and also its biggest tourist attraction. El Castillo may be the most famous pyramid of Chichen Itza, but there are many other ancient ruins to explore.

If you love astronomy, you’ll love learning how each structure was intricately designed to align with specific planets and stars. Sounds fascinating?

You can virtually tour Chichen Itza and explore some of its most popular sites and facts right from the comfort of your own home.

3. Christ The Redeemer, Brazil

The cultural icon of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a symbol of Christianity across the world. The Christ The Redeemer statue is the largest art deco statue in the world. It stands 38 meters tall (around 13 storeys high) and stretches 28 meters wide.

It was built by the Roman Catholic community of Brazil following the end of World War I. The community was concerned about the growing ‘godlessness’ when Brazil officially became a republic and the church was officially separated from the state.

You can skip the 200+ step climb to the top on this stunning virtual tour of Cristo Redentor .

4. Petra, Jordan

Also known as the ‘Carved City’ or the ‘Lost City’, Petra is known as one of the oldest cities in the world. It is estimated that the city was established in the 4th century (312 BC) but was only discovered by Western civilisation in the 1800s.

Only 15% of Petra has been explored by archaeologists, so not much is known besides it being home to about 800 tombs.

It’s simply one of those places that you have to see to believe that it exists in real life. Petra is still on our travel bucket list, but this virtual tour is probably one of our favourites!

5. Taj Mahal, India

One look at the Taj Mahal and it’s easy to see why it’s a wonder. It’s considered to be one of the most magnificent masterpieces of architecture in the world. Besides that, it’s also a symbol of love. Don’t believe us? See the Taj Mahal in VR for yourself.

The emperor built it in remembrance of his third wife who passed away giving birth to their 14th child. Today the couple remains buried together beneath the main inner chamber of the Taj Mahal.

It took more than 22,000 workers, 1,000 elephants and 22 years to build this incredible structure. Now there are concerns that it will crumble into pieces as its wooden foundations are rotting away.

6. Rome Colosseum, Italy

Did you know that Italy has the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world? There are a total of 51 World Heritage sites within Italy of which the Colosseum is the most famous.

Historically, the Colosseum was a place where gladiator fights and executions took place in Ancient Rome. Today it stands as a symbol of power and majesty of the Roman Empire. It’s also one of the most popular tourists attraction in the world.

7. Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is famous for being the Lost City of the Incas. It is believed that this is where the Incas escaped to when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century.

Besides its historical significance, Machu Picchu also showcases the Incas’ incredible mastery of stone. The stones used to construct some of the most beautiful structures in Machu Picchu were cut so precisely and wedged so closely together, that a credit card cannot be inserted between them.

Not only was this more aesthetically pleasing, it also has engineering advantages. The stones were designed to bounce through earthquake tremors and fall back into place. This was only possible because no mortar (or cement) was used and the reason why Machu Picchu still stands today.

Virtual Tours of Top UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Top unesco sites in africa.

8. The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most famous landmarks around the world. Its sheer colossal size and perfect symmetry makes you wonder how this world icon was constructed more than 4,500 years ago.

Today, the Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving members of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

9. Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania

Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes in the world and also home to Africa’s highest mountain.

If you love hiking as much as we do, then Kilimanjaro is probably on your bucket list too. Close to 35,000 people attempt to hike Mount Kilimanjaro every year. But only 40% of them successfully reach the summit and around 5 to 15 people die every year attempting it.

There isn’t a proper virtual tour of Kilimanjaro , but you can get some awesome 360 panoramic views using Google Map street views. Just drag the little yellow man to the circles on the map to ‘explore’ the area.

Save Me For Later

10. Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

Not only is the Drakensberg Mountains a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, it’s also a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. Drakensberg is culturally significant because it hides more than 20,000 San rock paintings inside its nooks and crevices.

These rock paintings are important because they represent the earliest form of human creativity. They also symbolise the beginning of art in the world today.

We’ve had the privilege of hiking the Drakensberg Mountains when we lived in South Africa. If you plan to hike it too, make sure you read our top Drakensberg hiking trails of the Royal Natal National Park . We also share tips on how you can hike the Drakensberg with children .

Since that’s not possible right now, you can enjoy the magnificence of the Drake nsberg on this beautiful virtual tour.

Top UNESCO Sites in Asia

11. Bagan, Myanmar

Bagan is known as the ‘sea of temples’ because it has the largest concentration of Buddhist temples in the world. There were originally 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries built here in the 1000s and 1100s. But only 2,000 of them still exist today.

Needless to say that the entire Bagan Archaeological zone is too vast to explore by foot alone. You can compliment your walk with a ride on old rickety bicycles, hot balloon rides or on this mind blowing virtual tour of Bagan .

12. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is famous for being the largest religious monument in the world. Yes, it’s even bigger than Bagan! Before the fall of Angkor Wat in the 15th century, it was actually the largest city in the world.

Unlike Bagan, most of Angkor Wat still exists today. It was built with durability in mind because it was designed and dedicated to the immortal gods.

13. Terracotta Army, China

This World Heritage Site isn’t a temple, but a mass grave. It’s the burial ground for the First Emperor of China and his world renowned Terracotta Army.

No one knows exactly how many terracotta warriors were made. But it’s been estimated that more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses were sculpted. And if that wasn’t amazing enough, each soldier has its own distinct facial features and were all built to life-size.

It took around 40 years to ‘build’ the entire army and its sole purpose was for protecting the emperor in his afterlife.

You can wander between these soldiers yourselves on this Terracotta Warrior virtual tour.

Top UNESCO Sites in Europe

14. Acropolis of Athens, Greece

‘Acropolis’ translates into ‘high city’ in Greek. Most cities in ancient Greece had their city centres built on a mound or a hill. This is where they would build their important temples and where citizens could retreat to if under attack.

The most famous acropolis of Greece is, of course, the one in Athens with the iconic Pantheon dominating its skyline. The Acropolis of Athens has withstood the test of time, including bombardments, earthquakes and vandalism. Yet it still stands today as a reminder of the rich history of Greece.

15. Stonehenge, United Kingdom

Also known as the Bronze Age Ring of Standing Stones, Stonehenge is one of the UK’s most unique sites and visited attractions. It’s a prehistoric monument steeped in all kinds of myth and speculation because no one knows its true origin or purpose.

Some believe that Stonehenge was a Druid temple, built by ancient Celtic pagans as a centre for their religious worship. Others believe it to have astronomical significance as the light from sunrise and sunset aligns with the stones during summer and winter solstice.

Why don’t you decide for yourself based on the interesting facts you’ll learn on this Stonehenge virtual tour.

Top UNESCO Sites in North and South America

16. Mesa Verde National Park, USA

Mesa Verde is the largest and one of the most spectacular archeological sites in the USA. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it encapsulates how Native Americans once lived by carving their homes into the cliff.

It’s one of the most well preserved ruins of the Ancestral Pueblo people in North America and you can virtually explore Mesa Verde right from the comfort of your own home.

17. Mayan Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala

At first glance, the Mayan Ruins of Tikal appears to be quite similar to the ruins of Chichen Itza. They were both major cities in the history of the Mayan civilisation and are both declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The biggest difference between the two is that Tikal is less visited and often less crowded compared to the more popular Chichen Itza. That’s because Tikal is located in the remote Guatemalan forests whereas Chichen Itza is much easier to access.

Some areas of Tikal remain unmapped or excavated too. So if you love hidden gems, make sure you visit the Mayan Ruins of Tikal , even if it’s only by virtual tour for now.

18. Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island is a Chilean island in the south Pacific Ocean. It’s famous for its 900+ giant statues known as Moais, which are scattered around the entire island.

It is believed that the Rapa Nui natives built these Moais to honour chieftains and important individuals from their village. They believed that by doing this, the spirit of the person would forever watch over the tribe and bring good fortune.

Today, Easter Island is believed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world. That’s why it’s also very expensive to get to. But have no fear, you can admire Easter Island virtually until then.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings Around the World

Some of the most iconic and recognised landmarks and buildings around the world that you can explore for free from home.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in USA

19. The White House, United States

Anyone can visit the White House free of charge. But you have to register and request a tour online and wait between 3 weeks to 3 months to visit. Skip the wait on this White House virtual tour.

20. Statue of Liberty, USA

More than 130 years ago, France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States to celebrate the friendship the two endured during the American Revolution. Today it represents freedom and democracy in the USA.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in the United Kingdom

21. Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom

The official residence of The Queen and a must-visit when in London. Skip the long 3 month wait and the €30 entrance ticket and see Buckingham Palace virtually.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in Italy

22. The Vatican, Italy

Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and the seat of government. More than 5 million people come to Rome every year to feast their eyes on the prized paintings and sculptures of the Vatican and to experience the most religious and cultural site in the world. Check out youvisit.com/tour/vatican for the tour.

23. Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most recognised landmarks in the world. The intention was to build the tallest bell tower for that era in order to show off Pisa’s growing wealthy and prosperity. The ‘leaning’ part of the equation was actually an engineering mistake.

24. Doge’s Palace, Venice

More than a 1,000 years ago, Doge’s Palace was the home to the ruler of Venice and the seat of power for the Venetian Republic. Today it is one of Venice’s must-see museums. Wander around the corridors of the Doge’s Palace or along one of its many surrounding canals on this beautiful virtual tour.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in Germany

25. Reichstag Parliamentary Building, Berlin

The Reichstag is one of the most important buildings in Berlin today. Built to symbolise the reunification of Germany. It’s one of the few parliamentary buildings in the world that allows the public to watch over government processions. Similar to the White House, it’s free to visit but you have to book months in advance for a tour. Wait no more as this virtual tour of the Reichstag is pretty awesome.

Wondering how travelling in Berlin and Germany has changed since COVID? Find out what it’s like to visit Berlin during the coronavirus pandemic .

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in France

26. Palace of Versailles, France

Did you know that the Palace of Versailles was a mere hunting lodge before it became the world’s largest palace? It’s one of the most important landmarks in French history because it symbolises the power and downfall of the French monarchy.

Explore its opulent, regal interior and admire its intricate details on this Palace of Versailles virtual tour.

27. The Louvre Museum, Paris

The Louvre use to serve as the royal palace for the French monarchy. It only became an art museum after the royal family moved their residence to Versailles. Today it is the world’s largest art museum and an iconic historical monument in Paris.

28. The Catacombs of Paris, France

It’s no coincidence that the word ‘catacombs’ rhymes with ‘tombs’. The Catacombs of Paris is the world’s largest underground burial site. The city was growing too fast for its cemeteries to handle the bodies of the dead. The solution was to move the bodies and bury them underground. Archaeologists estimate that around 6 to 7 million bodies were buried down there. Creepy…

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in Israel

29. The Holyland, Bethlehem and Jerusalem

Also known as the most sacred place on earth. It is here at The Holyland that the main religious faiths believe that God first entered into a relationship with the human race.

Virtual Tours of Top Natural Wonders and Attractions

30. Niagara Falls , Canada – see live video feeds of these world famous falls on EarthCam.

31. The Northern Lights , Canada – another great live webcam to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Remember to watch this in the evening Canadian time.

32. Victoria Falls , Zambia – a magnificent virtual tour of the world’s largest waterfall.

33. Sahara Desert , Africa – explore the world’s largest desert without getting sand in your eyes.

34. Mount St Helens , USA – travel back in time and witness the day Mount St Helens erupted back in 1980.

35. Mount Everest , Himalayas – the only way to trek the world’s highest mountain without training is going on this virtual tour. Remember to click on the arrows to explore around.

36. Cliffs of Moher , Ireland – discover the most beautiful natural landscapes of Ireland on this gorgeous virtual tour.

37. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , USA – one of our favourite virtual tours from the whole list. Not only is it mesmerising, but you can also learn so many interesting facts on this tour.

38. Grand Canyon , USA – enjoy a virtual hike and explore one of the most famous national parks in the USA.

39. Yellowstone National Park , USA – a nature lover’s paradise. Make sure you use Google Chrome for this tour.

40. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , China – otherwise known as ‘Avatar Mountain’. The mesmerising, otherworldly landscapes that inspired the ‘floating mountains’ in one of our favourite movies, Avatar.

41. Galapagos Islands , Ecuador – A scuba diver and nature lover’s idea of paradise! This is right on the top of our travel bucket list.

42. Raja Ampat , Indonesia – The epitome of utopia. Hundreds of jungle-covered islands as far as the eye can see and some of the best beaches, coral reefs and scuba diving spots in the world.

Virtual Tours From The Top: City Skylines

43. New York Skyline – New York, New York! Head up to the 102th floor of the Empire State Building on this virtual tour and admire the city that never sleeps from above.

44. Tokyo Skytree , Japan – Teleport yourself to the highest structure in Tokyo and admire the vibrant capital city of Japan from the top. We hope you aren’t afraid of heights because the Tokyo Skytree is 634 meters tall which is more than double the height of the Eiffel Tower.

45. The Eiffel Tower , Paris – Head to the top deck of the Eiffel Tower and marvel at the City of Love on this breathtaking virtual tour.

46. The Peak , Hong Kong – Ever heard the phrase ‘A New York minute is a Hong Kong second’ before? Discover one of the most populous and expensive cities in the world from its highest peak. When you’re ready to visit Hong Kong in person, make sure you read our 7 tips to travel Hong Kong on a budget before you go.

47. St Paul’s Cathedral , London – Admire London’s epic skyline from the top of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Free Virtual Museum Tours

You should download the Google Arts and Culture app to your phone if you’re a museum lover. You’ll find tons of stunning virtual tours and interesting things to learn from the arts and culture world. Here are some of our favourite free virtual museum tours.

48. The British Museum , London – The famous British Museum is dedicated to human history, art and culture. Their permanent collection consists of more than 8 million pieces of artwork. Making it one of the largest and most comprehensive compilations in the world.

49. Musée d’Orsay , Paris – If you love French art whether that’s paintings, sculptures, furniture or photography, you’ll love the Musée d’Orsay Museum.

50. Pergamon Museum , Berlin – Explore one of the largest and most visited museums in Germany. The Pergamon Museum is known for its antiquity collection and Islamic and Middle Eastern artworks.

If you love history and want to learn more about the story behind the Berlin Wall like why it was famous and so important. We’ve explained it simply (i.e. Story of the Berlin Wall for dummies) in our Berlin Wall by Bike guide.

51. Rijksmuseum , Amsterdam – The national museum of the Netherlands that holds some of the world’s most famous artworks from artists like Vermeer and Rembrandt.

52. Van Gogh Museum , Amsterdam – Another jewel from Amsterdam. The Van Gogh Museum needs no introduction.

53. The Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York – Also known as The Met. This is one of the largest museums in the world. You can easily spend days if not weeks here admiring everything from antiquities, paintings, sculptures to modern art and fashion. A museum that has something for everyone.

Live Webcam Feeds for Wildlife Watching and Scuba Diving

We saved the best for last. Watch wildlife and underwater sea life from home via live webcam feeds! If you didn’t know you could do that, now you know.

54. Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe , South Africa – The beautiful Madikwe Game Reserve is located on the edge of the South African border close to Gaborone, Botswana. They have a 24 hour live webcam looking over one of the water reservoirs where the animals come to drink.

55. Kruger National Park , South Africa – Have you always dreamt of going on safari? Wait no more! WildEarth is hosting daily safari rides, twice a day so you can see some of South Africa’s most beautiful wildlife live with their awesome rangers! This is definitely one of our favourite wildlife webcam feeds! Support WildEarth with a donation if you can during these difficult times.

56. African River Wildlife, Kenya – There are more than 10 live webcam feeds here so you’re spoilt for choice. Head over to Explore.org and enjoy ‘Facetiming’ these amazing creatures.

57. Virtual Dives with National Marine Sanctuaries – Discover the underwater world with virtual scuba diving! There’s a host of coral reefs waiting for you to explore. Just click on the video and use your mouse or VR set to look around.

58. Underwater Cave Diving – Even certified scuba divers like us are not allowed to explore underwater caves without the right technical qualifications and training. So whether you’re a scuba diver or not, you’ll most definitely enjoy this cave scuba diving virtual tour.

Want to learn how to scuba dive? Check out our Beginners Scuba Diving guide where we share how you can save time and money getting certified.

59. Georgia Aquarium – ‘FaceTime’ with the residents of Georgia Aquarium via their live webcams. See sea lions, puffer fish and even the elusive beluga whale.

60. Monterey Bay Aquarium – Another amazing aquarium with an array of live webcams. Spy on sea otters, jellyfish, penguins and even turtles and sharks.

Virtual Tours: How To Travel For Free From Home

We had a lot of fun looking for different ways to ‘travel’ the world from home. We hope you enjoyed your first experience of ‘armchair travel’. We’d love to hear which one was your favourite.

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Best virtual tours that you can take without leaving home

Need to get out of the house and go on vacation, but finances, health, or other circumstances have you staying at home? Virtual tours are the next best thing. They allow you to travel to exotic locations, including space, without ever leaving home. Here are some of the best ways to take a staycation getaway using virtual tours.

Best virtual tour app for Android

Best virtual tour app for iphone, best virtual tours online, best virtual space tours, best virtual tours of us national parks, best way to take a random tour, best global virtual tour, best zoo virtual tours, best aquarium virtual tours, best fine art virtual tours, best history museum virtual tours, best virtual nature walks.

The Seven Wonders app allows you to travel to the seven wonders of the world from your phone. The app supports the use of Google Cardboard but you don’t have to use it. You can just hold your phone up to your face — as you move the phone, you’ll see a 360-degree view of whatever location you’re visiting.

With the Sites in VR app, you can take tours around the world using a virtual reality headset or just your phone or iPad. You can choose from cities or countries to visit, or you can go inside famous landmarks, like the pyramids. There are even space panoramas for a little out-of-this-world entertainment.

AirPano is a free site that allows you to wander beautiful locations all over the world. The best features of these virtual tours are choosing to take a helicopter view over the landscape or a walking trail through the area. The site also has articles about the location you are visiting and allows visitors to leave comments. If you really like a tour, you can choose to buy it as a download.

Sometimes you just want to leave this planet behind. That’s where virtual space tours come in handy. The Exoplanet Travel Bureau , powered by NASA, is here for you. You can choose an exoplanet and travel around its alien surface. Of course, the planets are artist renderings, since we haven’t actually traveled there yet, but they’re fascinating just the same. NASA at Home has many more space-themed virtual and augmented reality tours, too.

The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks is a Google project that lets you explore five different U.S. parks, including Florida’s Dry Tortugas, Hawaiian volcanoes, the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns, and Utah’s Bryce Canyon. Each tour starts with a little history lesson about the area, and then you can dive into the 360-degree landscape. There are also audio tour guides that help you along your journey, explaining what you’re looking at and a little of its history.

Sometimes you don’t know where you want to go, and that’s OK. The Random Street View generator (powered by Google Maps ) is the answer. It will take you on a virtual stroll down a random street somewhere in the world. Be careful, though. Exploring random locations is a bit addicting. One minute you may be virtually walking down a highway in Michigan, and then with a click, you could be in an alleyway in Romania. The best part is that you get to see places that other virtual tour sites and apps don’t offer.

With Google Earth , you can go anywhere on our planet, from your hometown to the other side of the earth. You can use the website to take your journey, or use the app together with VR equipment to enhance your experience. Other than the awesome street views and ability to travel just about anywhere, you can also enhance Google Earth with your own videos and photos of places you have been in person.

If you’re an animal lover, there are many great virtual zoo exhibits that you can visit from your home. The San Diego Live Cams , for example, let you watch live footage of a wide range of animals, from baboons to penguins. Some other great animal cams can be found at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute , The Houston Zoo , and EarthCam .

There are plenty of ways to visit our fishy friends, too. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Georgia Aquarium, and The National Aquarium all have fantastic live webcams that allow you to watch sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and much more.

When it comes to fine art, it’s hard to do better than a virtual tour of the Louvre . The website has a variety of tours you can take throughout the gallery, including The Galerie d’Apollon, Louvre’s Petite Galerie, and the east side of the Sully wing. When you’re finished at the Louvre, check out the virtual tours of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea , the Musée d’Orsay in Paris , and the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in Brazil .

There are also virtual tours that can take you back in time, sort of. You can see amazing exhibits of curiosities from the past, like dinosaurs, Egyptian relics, Stone Age tools, and more at The Natural History Museum in London ,  The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History , and The British Museum .

Longing for a walk in the woods or a tour through habitats that rarely see a human? No problem. There are plenty of virtual tours to satisfy you. Conservation International, for example, has a 360-degree tour through the Amazon that is narrated by an indigenous guide. Other virtual hikes you might enjoy include a trip through the redwoods at Muir Woods National Park , a stroll through the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, and a tour of New Zealand’s Great Walks .

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As rival Apple is rumored to be eyeing an entrance into the metaverse, Microsoft, an early proponent of mixed and augmented reality applications, is criticized for its blurry vision behind the company's own HoloLens strategy. While HoloLens notched big early wins, including scoring a U.S. Department of Defense contract, subsequent delays, project cancellations, and high-profile executive departures may have resulted in the death of the HoloLens 3. Still, despite a scathing profile by Business Insider, it appears that Microsoft remains, at least publicly, committed to its HoloLens endeavors for now. The company has gone on record to refute the publication's reporting that HoloLens 3 has been killed.

There are a number of factors that may be causing Microsoft to pivot from its early bet on HoloLens, but the Microsoft profile cited internal divisions and the lack of a unified strategy among the top reasons for concern. As a result of the chaos, it appears that the largest collateral damage to Microsoft's infighting is the cancellation of its next-generation HoloLens 3 hardware.

Actronika, a startup company known for its HD haptics technology has a futuristic new product. Expected to be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2022 is Skinetic, a haptic vest that should make virtual reality experiences feel a lot more realistic.

Skinetic works much as you'd expect. The wearable vest makes VR feel more immersive by bringing life-like sensations and touch-like experiences to areas of the body like the chest when paired with a compatible headset. As reported by Business Wire, the technology "works with 20 patented vibrotactile voice-coil motors, capable of generating a wide range of vibrations that cover 100% of human vibrotactile perception."

It seems that virtual reality may be about to become even more real than ever before -- all thanks to a new VR headset. Pimax, a company that manufactures VR equipment, announced the upcoming release of a new 12K QLED VR headset that will feature technologies such as eye tracking, full-body tracking, and refresh rates of up to 200Hz. The headset, dubbed Pimax Reality 12K QLED, is part of the company's venture into the metaverse and a step toward bringing true realism to using VR.

During today's Pimax Frontier event, the company's representatives talked at length about the goals behind the product -- naturalness, self-awareness, and freedom. Pimax wants to bring these qualities into virtual reality and the metaverse, allowing people from all over the world to interact and explore virtual worlds together. While VR technology already allows for some of that to happen, Pimax wants to take it to the next level with its new invention -- the Reality 12K QLED VR headset.

Top 10 virtual tours: see museums and the world without leaving home

Stuck at home? You can still enjoy amazing sights and experiences

Many of the world’s most iconic locations now offer virtual tours, meaning you can visit museums, world heritage sites and other attractions from the comfort of your couch. You don’t need a VR headset , either, although some attractions do support virtual reality for a more immersive experience.

So if you’re looking for things to do at home, and in need of a change of scenery, simply grab your laptop, tablet or phone, and join us on a world tour filled with history, nature and – of course – technology.

1. Machu Picchu, Andes Mountains, Peru

A simply stunning UNESCO World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is a visual wonder that just has to be seen. You no longer need to fly all the way to Peru to see it in all its glory, however, as the virtual tour is comprehensive, immersive, and filled with fascinating insights.

With 360-degree views of the ruins of Inca settlements and lush green landscapes, you can visit every popular vantage point and learn more about the history of the famous site thanks to a helpful voice narrator. OK, you can’t feel the warm breeze around you, but if you turn on the heat and have a handy desk fan set to low, it’s almost as good as the real thing. Almost.

Behold the marvel : Machu Picchu

2. The Louvre Museum, Paris

An attraction visited by millions of tourists in person every year, the Louvre Museum has also created a selection of virtual tours based on its permanent collections. Explore Egyptian antiquities, the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the decorative arts of the Galerie d’Apollon. 

The tour is easy to navigate, with an expandable minimap that lets you highlight exhibits to view with just a couple of clicks. You can also find out more about each room in The Louvre, with detailed descriptions that will probably make the room you’re actually sitting in feel frightfully dull in comparison. 

Take a trip: Louvre Museum

3. The National Museum of Computing, Milton Keynes, UK

The National Museum of Computing contains the world’s largest collection of working historic computers. That means one of them probably runs Microsoft Vista and is still working...

The museum features a fantastic, intuitive, virtual 3D tour. You can zoom in on each exhibit’s details, and find out more about every aspect of computing history, such as the world’s oldest working digital computer. Impressive stuff.

Discover a digital treasure trove: The National Museum of Computing

4. Georgia Aquarium, Georgia, USA

Nothing beats the beauty of nature, so it’s good to know you can still get your daily dose of “aww” from the safety of your sofa. The Georgia Aquarium has over 50 species ranging from sea lions to underwater puffins, with many available to view via webcam. There’s also a daily and weekly livestream that’s aimed at piquing children’s interest in animals, and a great at-home educational tool if you want to entertain the little ones. 

Ever wondered what a Beluga Whale gets up to in its spare time? Just click on the link below and find out. Water-way to have a good time. 

Sea more: Georgia Aquarium

5. A 3-Minute Tour, Tokyo

What if we told you that you could ride in a Tuk Tuk, walk across the famous Shibuya crossing, win a Pikachu from a claw machine, and make friends with a robot… all in under three minutes. That might be physically impossible, but with VR it’s a breeze.

If you’ve ever wanted to take a whistle-stop tour of Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization has created a 360-degree virtual reality video that lets you do all of the above, and lots more. 

Simply put on a VR headset to experience a surreal thrill ride, where you’ll go from feeding a deer to facing off against a sumo wrestler in a matter of seconds. The video is also viewable in 2D, and well worth a look. 

Check it out below.

6. The British Museum, London

Home to a remarkable collection that spans over two million years of human history and culture, The British Museum has nearly 50 online exhibits to view. From Bonaparte and the Battle of Waterloo to exploring the history of LGBTQ, there’s plenty of informative content to delve into.

For a more interactive experience, check out the Museum of the World tour . You can browse through a large selection of exhibits that are dated by century, continent and category – such as trade and conflict or art and design. Each exhibit offers a detailed description as well as accompanying audio, which helps provide a fascinating backstory to each piece. 

Browse the exhibits: The British Museum

7. The Vatican, Rome

Filled with spectacular architecture and historic monuments, The Vatican is within your virtual reach, with a host of museums providing online tours. Step into the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms, which are adorned with simply sensational artwork. 

The tour is compatible with WebVR, so you can pop on a VR headset to get an even closer look at some of mankind’s most memorable creations. It’s truly breathtaking, even when viewed through a screen.  

When in Rome, visit: The Vatican

 8. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Located in the center of Paris, this historic museum was installed in the former Orsay railway station. It was originally built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, and displays collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914.

Take a leisurely virtual stroll through the opulent hallways and witness works from dozens of famous French artists, including Monet, Gauguin and Van Gogh. With no other visitors to contend with, you can soak up all the culture on display to your heart’s content – and there’s a lot to soak up. 

Take the tour: Musée d’Orsay

9. Athens Acropolis, Athens

A must-visit destination for history buffs, the Athens Acropolis includes the world-famous Parthenon, and is a cultural hotspot for tourists. Choose between popular sites such as the Theatre of Dionysus and enjoy in-depth videos that provide a fascinating and educational insight into ancient Greece. 

There are plenty of photographs to view and engrossing facts to learn, so don’t be surprised if you become an armchair expert in no time. Now, where’d you put that amphora of wine? 

Get to the Greek: Athens Acropolis

10. The Royal Academy of Arts, London

If you’re amazed by architecture, the Royal Academy of Arts has a virtual tour that will make you go “ooo” and “ahh” for hours. The Sensing Spaces exhibition uses high-quality 360-degree photography to give visitors a taste of its structures and remarkable exhibitions – it really does feel as if you’re actually there. 

Each exhibition is complemented by further information for users to read through, but you’re encouraged to come to your own conclusions, and think about what each space means to you.

Visit the exhibition: Sensing Spaces

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Adam was formerly TRG's Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.

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The 75 Best Virtual Museum Tours Around the World [Art, History, Science, and Technology]

Jarrod West

Senior Content Contributor

452 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 21 U.S. States Visited: 24

Keri Stooksbury

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Countries Visited: 50 U.S. States Visited: 28

Table of Contents

Google arts and culture, 50 art museums with virtual tours, 5 natural history museums with virtual tours, 10 science and technology museums with virtual tours, 10 history museums with virtual tours, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

You can now access collections from many of the world’s top museums without ever leaving home! We’ve put together an ultimate list of 75 world-class museums that offer virtual tours you can visit from the comfort of your couch.

Many of the virtual tours include exhibit walk-throughs and the ability to examine some of the world’s best paintings, sculptures, and other pieces up close and personal. These virtual tours are jam-packed with enough details to make you feel like you’re really visiting the museum. The experiences are sure to entertain the whole family, an art or history buff, or even those who want to imagine the joys of travel!

We’ve broken our list into 4 easy-to-review sections, including art, natural history, science and technology, and history museums. So whether you prefer to take in a painting at the Van Gogh Museum, check out an SR-71 Blackbird at the Museum of Flight, or gaze upon the Rosetta Stone, this list has it all!

Many of the virtual exhibits in this article are offered through a collaboration with Google Arts and Culture. If you’re not familiar, Google Arts and Culture is an online platform that showcases high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from more than 2,000 museums throughout the world. You can zoom in and out of images in great detail and view some of the best pieces of artwork ever created without leaving your couch.

The platform is available in 18 languages and has been praised internationally for increasing access to art to those who may have not had the opportunity otherwise. It’s available for web , iOS , and Android .

1. The Albertina Museum (Vienna, Austria)

Year Opened:  1805

The Albertina Museum features one of the most important European collections of international modern art and houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and 1 million old master prints. Hundreds of the works housed in the museum, like “Study for the Last Supper” by Da Vinci and “The Water Lily Pond” by Monet, can be viewed online thanks to a partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

To view the online exhibits, click here .

2. Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)

Year Opened: 1879

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the U.S., hosting approximately 1.5 million people annually. Its collection features more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world and contains more than 300,000 works of art in 11 curatorial departments.

The online tour allows you to view major pieces from the museum’s collection, such as “American Gothic,” “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” and “Nighthawks.” The site also offers projects to get creative at home, educator resources, and JourneyMaker, a digital tool that allows visitors to create unique, personalized tours of the museum.

To view the online tour, click here .

3. Benaki Museum (Athens, Greece)

Year Opened: 1930

Established in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis, the Benaki Museum houses Greek works of art from prehistoric to modern times and an extensive collection of Asian art. It also hosts periodic exhibitions and maintains a state-of-the-art restoration and conservation workshop.

The entire museum can be viewed virtually in great detail.

To view the online virtual tour, click here .

4. The Broad (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 2015

The Broad is a contemporary art museum named for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. The Broad houses a nearly 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, featuring 200 artists including works by Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. Notable installations include Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room” (pictured above) and Ragnar Kjartansson’s expansive 9-screen video “The Visitors.”

The Broad has put together a series of YouTube videos to give you a first-hand look at the museum.

5. Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)

Year Opened : 1977

The Centre Pompidou, named after the president of France from 1969 to 1974, is the largest museum for modern and contemporary art in Europe and the second-largest in the world. The museum has more than 12,000 pieces of artwork on display, including works by Kandinsky, Dalí, and Valadon.

The Centre has dozens of videos available on its YouTube channel that provide walk-throughs of the museum and explanations of its most important works.

To view the video tours, click here .

6. The Dalí Theatre-Museum (Figueres, Spain)

Year Opened : 1974

Dedicated to the life and work of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, the Dalí Theatre-Museum displays the single largest and most diverse collection of works by the artist. In addition to Dalí paintings from all decades of his career, there are Dalí sculptures, 3-dimensional collages, mechanical devices, and other curiosities from Dalí’s imagination. Through the website, guests can take a virtual tour in 360-degree of the entire museum.

To view the virtual tour, click here .

7. Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan)

Year Opened: 1885

With more than 100 galleries covering over 658,000 square feet, the Detroit Institute of Arts has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the U.S. Its collection features works spanning from ancient Egypt and Europe all the way to modern contemporary art.

The museum has put together “ At Home With DIA ” to offer school field trips from home, weekly film screenings, senior resources, and home projects. DIA also has a partnership with Google Arts and Culture to provide online exhibits including:

• Frida Kahlo in Detroit
• Ordinary People by Extraordinary Artists
• Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry
• Self Portrait on the Borderline between Mexico and the United States

8. Frick Collection (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1935

Located in the Henry Clay Frick House, the Frick Collection houses the art collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The collection features some of the best-known paintings by major European artists, including Bellini, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, as well as numerous works of sculpture and porcelain.

The entire museum can be viewed virtually.

9. Galleria dell’Accademia (Florence, Italy)

Year Opened : 1784

The Galleria dell’Accademia, while small compared to other museums featured, is still the second most visited museum in Italy. Its command of visitors is in large part due to its display of perhaps the most famous sculpture in history — Michaelangelo’s statue of David.

You can view a short, video-guided tour of the museum, which includes 360-degree viewing, allowing you to get a close look at the museum’s offerings.

To view the video tour, click here .

10. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Sante Fe, New Mexico)

Year Opened: 1997

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe and her contributions to American Modernism. The museum’s collection includes many of O’Keeffe’s key works, ranging from her innovative abstractions to her iconic large-format flower, skull, and landscape paintings, to paintings of architectural forms, rocks, shells, and trees. Initially, the collection was made of 140 O’Keeffe paintings, watercolors, pastels, and sculptures, but now includes nearly 1,200 objects.

The museum website offers creative activities, stories, and education about Georgia O’Keeffe’s life, along with several virtual exhibits available through Google Arts and Culture, including:

• Georgia O’Keeffe
• American Modernism
• United States

11. Grand Palais (Paris, France)

Year Opened : 1900

The Grand Palais is a large historic site, exhibition hall, and museum dedicated to the organization of exhibitions, publishing books, art workshops, photographic agency, and hosting major fairs and events. The museum receives 2.5 million visitors each year. The partnership with Google Arts and Culture brings extensive online exhibits to life, from the construction of the building to the masterpieces that lie within it.

12. Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Year Opened : 1764

The Hermitage Museum is the second-largest and eighth-most visited art museum in the world. The Hermitage has more than 60,000 pieces of artwork on display, including the “Peacock Clock” by James Cox, “Madonna Litta” by Leonardo Da Vinci, and works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Antonio Canova.

The online tour is extremely comprehensive and allows you to virtually walk through all 6 buildings in the main complex, treasure gallery, and several exhibition projects.

13. High Museum of Art (Atlanta, Georgia)

Year Opened : 1905

The High Museum of Art offers over 15,000 works of art in its collection and is the leading art museum in the southeastern U.S. The museum focuses on 19th- and 20th-century American art, historic and contemporary decorative arts and design, European paintings, modern and contemporary art, photography, folk and self-taught art, and African art.

The museum’s partnership with Google Arts and Culture also offers online exhibits for viewing including:

• Bill Traylor’s Drawings of People, Animals, and Events
• How Iris van Herpen Transformed Fashion
• Incredible, Innovative, and Unexpected Contemporary Furniture Designs
• Photos From the Civil Rights Movement

14. The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 1953

The J. Paul Getty Museum is made up of 2 campuses — the Getty Center and Getty Villa — that receive more than 2 million visitors per year. The Getty Center features pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts and photographs from the 1830s through present-day from all over the world. The Getty Villa displays art from Ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

The museum has put together online resources like art books, online exhibitions, podcasts, and videos, all viewable on its website .

It has also partnered with Google Arts and Culture to showcase online exhibits including:

• 18th Century Pastel Portraits
• The Art of Three Faiths: Torah, Bible, Qur’an
• Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
• Getty Museum Acquisitions 2019
• Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well

To view the online galleries, click here .

15. Kunsthaus Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland)

Year Opened : 1910

The Kunsthaus Zürich features one of Switzerland’s most important art collections from the 13th century to the present day. While the museum places an emphasis on Swiss artists, including Alberto Giacometti, you’ll also find work from the likes of Monet, Picasso, and Warhol.

The museum’s partnership with Google Arts and Culture has digitized several of the museum’s best collections for viewing.

16. La Galleria Nazionale (Rome, Italy)

Year Opened: 1883

La Galleria Nazionale displays about 1,100 paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries — the largest collection in Italy. It features work from famous Italian artists including Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni, Alberto Burri, and foreign artists including Cézanne, Monet, Pollock, Rodin, and Van Gogh.

It has teamed up with Google to offer 16 virtual exhibits for online viewing.

17. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 1910

LACMA is the largest art museum in the western U.S., attracts nearly a million visitors annually, and holds more than 150,000 works spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present.

The website (click LACMA @ Home ) includes exhibition walkthroughs, soundtracks and live recordings, online teaching resources, and courses.

To view the LACMA’s online virtual tour from Google Arts & Culture, click here .

18. Mauritshuis (The Hague, Netherlands)

Year Opened : 1822

The Mauritshuis is home to some of the best Dutch paintings from the Golden Age of Art. The museum consists of 854 works by artists like Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt Van Rijn, and Jan Steen. Famous works include “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (pictured above) and “View of Delft” by Vermeer, and “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by Rembrandt.

The museum has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring several of its best works to life for virtual viewing.

To view the Mauritshuis’ online exhibits, click here .

19. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1870

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as “The Met,” is the largest art museum in the U.S. and the fourth most visited museum in the world with more than 6 million visitors each year. The permanent collection contains more than 2 million works from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from nearly all of the European masters (including Monet’s Water Lillies), and an extensive collection of American and modern art. It also has extensive holdings of African, Asian, Oceanian, Byzantine, and Islamic art.

The museum has extensive different online exhibits available for viewing through Google and its own Art at Home website .

20. Musée du Louvre (Paris, France)

Year Opened:  1793

The Louvre Palace, which houses the museum, began as a fortress under Philip II in the 12th century to protect the city from English soldiers that were in Normandy. It wasn’t repurposed as a museum until 1793. Now, the Louvre is easily one of the most historic art museums in the world. Not only is the Louvre the largest art museum in the world at 782,910 square feet (72,735 square meters), but it also had 9.6 million visitors in 2019, making it the most visited museum in the world as well. Featured masterpieces include “Mona Lisa,” “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” “Venus de Milo,” and “Hammurabi’s Code.”

The Louvre has several virtual galleries on display, including:

• The Advent of the Artist, including works from Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Tintoretto
• Egyptian Antiquities, featuring collections from the Pharaonic period
• Remains of the Louvre’s Moat — visitors can walk around the original perimeter moat and view the piers that supported the drawbridge dating back to 1190
• Galerie d’Apollon, destroyed by fire in 1661 and recently rebuilt for viewing

To view the Louvre’s virtual tour page, click here .

21. Musée d’Orsay (Paris, France)

Year Opened: 1986

The Musée d’Orsay is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It is one of the largest art museums in Europe and had more than 3.6 million visitors in 2019. It houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, including works by Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Sisley, and Van Gogh.

The museum allows you to virtually walk through one of its popular galleries, featuring hundreds of paintings from French artists.

To view the Musée d’Orsay online gallery, click here .

22. Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened : 1819

The Museo Nacional del Prado is considered to have one of the greatest collections of European art in the world and offers guests the single largest collection of Spanish art. The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures. Well-known works include “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, “The Third of May 1808” by Francisco De Goya, and “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch.

The museum’s online gallery allows you to get a close look at over 10,000 different pieces of art. The Prado also offers a 1-hour live show on Instagram every morning at 4 a.m. EST.

To view the online gallery, click here .

23. Museo Frida Kahlo (Mexico City, Mexico)

Year Opened: 1958

The Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Blue House due to its blue walls, is a historic museum dedicated to the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The building was Kahlo’s birthplace, the home where she grew up, lived with her husband Diego Rivera for many years, and where she later died in a room on the upper floor. The museum contains a collection of artwork by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and other artists, along with the couple’s Mexican folk art, pre-Hispanic artifacts, photographs, memorabilia, personal items, and more. Find out more in our guide to the best museums in Mexico City .

24. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened: 1990

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, also called the Museo Reina Sofía, is one of the most popular art museums in the world. The museum includes large collections of Spain’s 2 most popular artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Famous works on display include “Guernica” and “Woman in Blue” by Picasso and “Cubist Self Portrait” by Dalí.

You can view collections of artwork at the Reina Sofía through its partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

25. Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil)

Year Opened: 1947

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is Brazil’s first modern art museum. The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art, as it’s considered the finest museum in Latin America and all of the Southern Hemisphere. The museum primarily features Brazilian art, prints, and drawings, as well as smaller collections of African and Asian art, antiquities, decorative arts, and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces. MASP also has one of the largest art libraries in the country.

You can now take a virtual tour of online galleries the museum has to offer, including:

• Art from Brazil until 1900
• Art from Italy: Rafael to Titian
• Art from France: from Delacroix to Cézanne
• Art in Fashion
• Histories of Madness: The Drawings of Juquery
• Picture Gallery in Transformation

26. Museum of Broken Relationships (Los Angeles, California and Zagreb, Croatia)

Year Opened: 2010

The Museum of Broken Relationships is dedicated to failed love relationships. Its exhibits include personal objects left over from former lovers, accompanied by brief descriptions. The museum was founded by 2 Zagreb-based artists, film producer Olinka Vištica and sculptor Dražen Grubišić, after their 4-year relationship came to an end.

The virtual tour includes a close-up collection of dozens of the museum’s most interesting pieces.

27. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

The 17th largest art museum in the world, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) hosts one of the most extensive art collections in the U.S. It houses over 8,000 paintings, surpassed only by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and exceeds 1 million visitors each year. Pieces by world-renowned artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Monet are featured alongside sculptures, mummies, ceramics, and other artifacts from ancient civilizations.

There are currently 16 online exhibits available for viewing.

28. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, Texas)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is one of the largest museums in the U.S., and its collection features over 64,000 works from 6 continents. The collection places emphasis on pre-Columbian and African gold, Renaissance and Baroque painting and sculpture, 19th- and 20th-century art, photography, and Latin American art. Read our guide to the best museums in Houston for more information.

The museum has 14 online exhibits available for viewing in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture.

29. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1929

Regarded as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world, MoMA’s art collection features an overview of modern and contemporary art, including works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated books, and artist’s books, film, and electronic media. MoMA’s holdings include more than 150,000 individual pieces including Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans” and Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” in addition to approximately 22,000 films and 4 million film stills.

MoMA’s website offers 86,000 works of art that can be viewed online, along with a partnership with Google Arts and Culture to create a virtual display of its Sophie Taeber-Arp exhibit.

To view the website’s collection, click here . To view the Google exhibit, click here .

30. National Gallery (London, England)

Year Opened : 1824

The National Gallery features more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900, including works such as “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, “The Virgin on the Rocks” by Da Vinci, and “The Arnolfini Portrait” by Jan Van Eyck.

Its website offers a few virtual tours, showcasing many rooms in the museum, the Sainsbury Wing, and a Google Virtual tour.

31. National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 1937

The National Gallery of Art and its attached Sculpture Garden are located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and are open to the public free of charge. The museum was privately established in 1937 for the American people by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress.

The National Gallery is widely considered to be one of the greatest museums in the U.S. It ranks second in total visitors of all American museums, 10th in the world, and features incredible pieces including Jackson Pollock’s “Number 1,” Leonardo da Vinci’s “Ginevra de’ Benci,” and Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged 14.”

The museum has put together a collection of educational resources on its website for teachers, families, and children. It also features online exhibits through Google Arts and Culture including:

• American Fashion — highlights from 1740 to 1895
• Johannes Vermeer — Dutch Baroque painter

To view the National Gallery of Art online collection page, click here .

32. National Gallery of Victoria (Victoria, Melbourne, Australia)

Year Opened: 1861

The National Gallery of Victoria is Australia’s oldest, largest, and most visited art museum. The museum offers a wide variety of international and Australian art in its collection, including paintings, drawings, photography, and sculptures.

The online tour includes walk-throughs of exhibits, including highlights from the NGV Triennial 2020 and Chinese Collection, as well as exhibits featuring Goya and KAWS.

33. National Museum of China (Beijing, China)

Year Opened : 2003

The National Museum of China covers Chinese history from 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Notable works include the “Houmuwu” Rectangle Ding, a rectangular bronze sacrificial vessel made in the late Shang Dynasty, the heaviest piece of ancient bronze ware in the world, and a Han Dynasty jade burial suit laced with gold thread. It is one of the largest museums in the world, and the second most visited art museum in the world, just after the Louvre.

The museum has virtual exhibits available for 360-degree viewing including:

• Resplendence of the Tang Dynasty
• Sunken Silver

34. National Museum of Korea (Seoul, South Korea)

Year Opened : 1909

The National Museum of Korea is the top museum of Korean history and art and has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.

The museum’s virtual tour provides a 3D walk-through of exhibits, including 1,000 years of Korean design and 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty.

35. National Museum, New Delhi (New Delhi, India)

Year Opened: 1949

The National Museum, New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India. The museum has around 200,000 works of art, both of Indian and foreign origin, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, ancient texts, armor, and decorative arts ranging from the pre-historic era to modern works — covering over 5,000 years.

The museum has partnered with Google to bring its online exhibits to life, including:

• Art of Caligraphy
• Cadence and Counterpoint
• Indian Bronzes
• Nauras: The Many Arts of the Deccan
• Pottery from Ancient Peru
• Treasures of National Museum, India
• Radha and Krishna in the Boat of Love

36. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul, South Korea)

Year Opened: 1969

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art was first established in 1969 as the only national art museum in South Korea, accommodating modern and contemporary art of Korea and international art of different time periods. The museum features over 7,000 pieces of artwork, including works of contemporary Korean artists such as Go Hui-dong, Ku Bon-ung, Park Su-geun, and Kim Whan-ki.

Google’s virtual tour takes you through 6 floors of contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

37. National Palace Museum (Taipei, Taiwan)

Year Opened : 1965

The National Palace Museum has a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks. The collection encompasses 8,000 years of history of Chinese art, including jade, paintings, bronzes, and porcelain that were formerly held in the Forbidden City of Peking.

The museum offers 360-degree virtual tours of many different exhibits.

To view the virtual tours, click here .

38. National Portrait Gallery (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened : 1962

The National Portrait Gallery has a collection of over 21,000 works of art. The collection focuses on images of famous Americans and how they’ve shaped U.S. culture. A major attraction of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection is the Hall of Presidents, which contains portraits of nearly all American presidents. It is the largest and most complete collection in the world, except for the White House collection itself.

The museum has several collections featured on Google Arts and Culture, but also offers digital workshops, and distance learning resources for children and teachers.

To view the online resources, click here .

39. Pergamonmuseum (Berlin, Germany)

The Pergamonmuseum houses monumental buildings, such as the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, and the Market Gate of Miletus reconstructed from the ruins found in Anatolia, as well as the Mshatta Facade. The museum is subdivided into the antiquity collection, the Middle East museum, and the museum of Islamic art. It is visited by over 1 million people every year.

The museum has dozens of structures and other artifacts that can be viewed online.

40. Picasso Museum (Barcelona, Spain)

Year Opened: 1963

The Picasso Museum, located in the heart of Barcelona’s Latin Quarter, is visited by millions every year. They come to marvel at the best works of Picasso, perhaps the most famous painter of all, but stay to marvel at the best-preserved medieval architecture in Barcelona. With 4,251 works by the painter exhibited, the museum has one of the most complete permanent collections of his works.

The online tour offers a large selection of Picasso’s finest works, as well as virtual tours of the museum’s beautiful courtyards.

41. Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1798

The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1798 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened in 1885. The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history from the years 1200 to 2000, and a total collection of 1 million objects. The museum features masterpieces including Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and “The Jewish Bride,” plus works by Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer, who are known to have been major contributors to the Golden Age of Dutch art.

Google offers a street view tour of some excellent art pieces located in the museum, and the museum has put together an entire virtual tour of all of the museum’s masterpieces viewable on its website.

To view the Google street view tour, click here . You can also view the museum’s From Home microsite and masterpieces tour .

42. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, California)

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is composed of over 33,000 works of art spread throughout 7 gallery floors and 45,000 square feet of space. Following a 3-year closure for expansion, the museum reopened in 2016 and is now one of San Francisco’s must-see destinations.

SFMOMA’s website is updated regularly with videos and articles regarding current exhibits, projects, and artist showcases and provides behind-the-scenes looks of the museum. 

To view the museum’s multimedia features, click here .

Read our guide to the best museums in San Francisco to find out more.

43. Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museums (Vatican City)

Year Opened: 1483

The Sistine Chapel, located inside of the Apostolic Palace (the official residence of the pope in Vatican City), is easily the most popular chapel in the world. The chapel is famous for its magnificent ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, and is considered to be one of the best artworks to come out of the Italian Renaissance. The primary panels of the ceiling showcase 9 scenes from the Book of Genesis, of which “The Creation of Adam” (pictured above) is the best known and most recognized.

Its website offers a virtual tour of the chapel’s most stunning sites, including the ability to marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling from the comfort of your couch.

44. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1939

The Guggenheim Museum was established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1939. It is the permanent home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions throughout the year.

Google’s  Street View feature lets you tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase and some of its art pieces. It also offers a handful of online collections on its website .

45. Tate Modern (London, England)

Year Opened: 2000

Tate Modern is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world, consisting of art dating from 1900 until today. The gallery receives over 5 million visitors a year, making it the sixth most visited art museum in the world and the most visited in the U.K.

The Tate Modern has published dozens of videos on its YouTube channel that give you an in-depth look at many of its exhibits, including the Andy Warhol exhibit and the Aubrey Beardsley exhibit.

To view the Tate Modern’s YouTube channel, click here .

46. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened: 1992

Located in Madrid, the Thyssen has over 1,600 paintings inside its walls and was once the second-largest private collection in the world after the British Royal Collection. It includes works from the Italian primitives, the English, Dutch, and German schools, Impressionists, Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the 20th century. It also features pieces from the continent’s most celebrated artists including Rembrandt and Dalí.

The virtual tour includes a detailed look at the permanent collection, along with exhibits including the Rembrandt and Impressionist galleries.

47. Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo, Japan)

Year Opened : 1872

The Tokyo National Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in Japan, and one of the largest art museums in the world. At the museum, you’ll find a collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, ancient and medieval Japanese art, and Asian art along the Silk Road.

The museum has teamed up with Google’s Arts and Culture to provide an inside look at what the museum has to offer.

48. Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy)

Year Opened: 1581

The Uffizi was designed by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de’ Medici, whose family members were by far the largest patrons of art in Renaissance Italy. The museum now spans over 139,000 square feet with 101 different rooms that house its art pieces, including famous pieces such as “The Birth of Venus.” Over 2 million people visit the Uffizi each year, making it the most viewed art museum in Italy.

The museum has teamed up with Google to showcase online galleries including:

• Piero di Cosimo, Perseus Freeing Andromeda
• The Santa Trinita Maestà, Cimabue
• The Creative Process Behind Federico Barocci’s Drawings
• Drawings by Amico Aspertini and other Bolognese artists

49. Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1973

The Van Gogh Museum is dedicated to perhaps one of the most famous artists of all time — Vincent Van Gogh. The museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters. The museum has over 2 million visitors each year and is the 23rd most visited art museum in the world. Find out more in our review to the best museums in Amsterdam .

The museum has teamed up with Google to create online exhibits on Vincent Van Gogh’s love life and the books he loved to read. You can also visit the museum’s website for a selection of things to do for young children, including school lessons and coloring pages.

50. Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England)

Year Opened : 1852

The Victoria and Albert Museum collection spans 5,000 years of art from Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa. The collection of ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewelry, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints and printmaking, drawings, and photographs is among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

The virtual tour, in partnership with Google Arts and Culture, offers several online exhibits ranging from fashion to surrealism.

1. American Museum of Natural History (New York City, New York)

Year Opened : 1869

One of the largest natural history museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History contains 34 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts.

The museum’s 360-degree virtual tours offer an up-close look at permanent exhibits, current exhibits, past exhibits, and research stations.

2. The British Museum (London, England)

Year Opened: 1759

The British Museum is one of the largest in the world and houses over 8 million works within its walls. Established in 1759, it was the first public national museum in the world. Visitors can tour the great court and view some of the most famous objects in history, like the Elgin Marbles of Greece and the Rosetta Stone of Egypt.

The Museum is the world’s largest indoor space on Google Street View and you can go on a virtual visit to more than 60 galleries.

The British Museum also has virtual galleries on display, including:

• Prints and Drawings

To visit the British Museum’s virtual tour page, click here .

3. National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City, Mexico)

Year Opened: 1964

The National Museum of Anthropology is the largest and most visited museum in all of Mexico. The museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the Aztec Xochipilli statue.

The museum has made more than 100 items available for Google visitors to explore from home.

To view the museum’s online collection, click here .

4. National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C.)

Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is the 11th most visited museum in the world and the most visited natural history museum in the world. With over 325,000 square feet of exhibition space, the museum’s collections contain over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts — the largest natural history collection in the world. Highlights of the collection include the Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia Sapphire.

You can view all of these specimens from the comfort of your home as the museum has dozens of different online exhibits that can all be accessed on its website.

To view the museum’s virtual tour, click here .

5. Natural History Museum (London, England)

Year Opened: 1881

Undoubtably one of the best Museums in London , the Natural History Museum in London showcases 80 million life and earth science specimens of great historical and scientific value, even housing pieces collected by Charles Darwin. There are 5 categories within the museum: botany , entomology , mineralogy , paleontology , and zoology . Over 5 million people visit this museum each year, making it the most visited natural history museum in Europe.

One of the museum’s most prominent displays is the skeleton of an 82-foot long blue whale named Hope, which you can learn more about through a self-guided virtual tour, along with several other galleries. 

1. London Science Museum (London, England)

Year Opened : 1857

The London Science Museum holds a collection of over 300,000 items, including famous items such as Stephenson’s Rocket, Puffing Billy (the oldest surviving steam locomotive), the first jet engine, some of the earliest remaining steam engines, and documentation of the first typewriter.

Thanks to Google Street View, guests can take a virtual tour of the entire museum, or watch curator gallery guides on the museum’s YouTube channel.

To view the virtual tour or videos, click here .

2. Museo Galileo (Florence, Italy)

Dedicated to the scientist and astronomer Galileo Galilei, the Museo Galilei is housed in an 11th-century palace known as the Palazzo Castellini. The museum has a collection of over 5,000 ancient scientific instruments dating back to the 13th century, and among its most notable items is the telescope Galileo used to discover the satellites of Jupiter.

Visitors from around the world have the opportunity to explore the inside of the museum and can access more than 1,000 permanent exhibition objects through the online catalog.

3. The Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington)

Year Opened: 1965

The Museum of Flight is the largest private air and space museum in the world and attracts over 500,000 visitors every year. The museum has more than 150 aircraft in its collection, including the Lockheed Model 10-E Electra (the aircraft Amelia Earhart was piloting when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean), Boeing 747s, and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (pictured above).

The museum offers 360-degree tours that let you step inside dozens of these iconic aircraft.

4. The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium (Brussels, Belgium)

Year Opened: 1846

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium is dedicated to natural history and is part of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world’s largest museum hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs, and its most important pieces are 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart.

It has partnered with Google to set up virtual exhibits for viewing, including:

• 360-degree guided tour
• The Bernissart Iguanodons
• From Salehanthropus to Homo Sapiens
• Over 250 Years of Natural Sciences
• Past, Present, Future: The Marvels of Evolution

To view the museum’s online exhibits, click here .

5. Museum of Science, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

Year Opened: 1830

The Museum of Science, Boston, receiving over 1.5 million visitors annually, is a museum and indoor zoo with more than 700 interactive exhibits and over 100 animals, many of which have been rescued and rehabilitated.

The museum offers a phenomenal virtual tour full of digital exhibits, videos, and audio presentations.

6. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Washington, D.C.)

NASA, founded in 1958, was created by the federal government to develop the civilian space program, as well as to conduct aeronautics, space, and astrophysics research. Since its inception, NASA has been responsible for historic space missions including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the space shuttle.

NASA has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring many online exhibits to life to showcase the beauty of space exploration.

7. National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened : 1946

The National Air and Space Museum is a center for the history and science of aviation, spaceflight, planetary science, terrestrial geology, and geophysics. It is the fifth most visited museum in the world (the second most visited in the U.S.), and contains the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, the Friendship 7 capsule, the Wright brothers’ Wright Flyer airplane, and Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis.

The virtual tour offers a 360-degree walk-through of the entire museum.

8. National Museum of Computing (Bletchley Park, England)

Year Opened: 2007

The National Museum of Computing is dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems. The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of working historic computers dating back to the 1940s, including a rebuilt Mark 2 Colossus computer, alongside an exhibition of the most complex code-cracking activities performed at the Park.

In the 3D virtual tour, viewers can move around the galleries looking at the machines and their descriptions with the added bonus of hyperlinks to video and text explanations providing further detail and history of the exhibits.

9. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Riverside, Ohio)

Year Opened: 1923

Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Riverside, Ohio, the National Museum of the United States Air Force is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display.

The virtual tour allows visitors to take a virtual, 360-degree, self-guided tour of the entire museum by navigating from gallery to gallery.

10. Oxford University’s History of Science Museum (Oxford, England)

Year Opened: 1683

Oxford’s History of Science Museum holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

The museum, ever ahead of the times, has offered virtual tours since 1995. You’ll get to explore the fantastic exhibits and artifacts of some of the most important scientific discoveries in science history.

1. Acropolis Museum (Athens, Greece)

Year Opened : 2009

The Acropolis Museum is centered around the archaeological findings at the site of Athens’ most important structure — the Acropolis. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.

The museum has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring the museum to life virtually. Now you can view rock, marble, and sculptures certificates, all of which are thousands of years old, all from the comfort of your couch!

2. American Battlefield Trust Virtual Battlefield Tours

The American Battlefield Trust Virtual Battlefield Tours offers the incredible opportunity to experience 360-degree virtual tours of more than 20 American Revolution and Civil War battlefields. You can explore Gettysburg, with 15 different stops, each of which features icons that discuss in great detail the history and significance of the battle.

3. Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1957

What was once the house where Anne Frank went into hiding during WWII is now a museum dedicated to increasing awareness of Anne’s story and life in the attic. The Anne Frank House was established in cooperation with Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, and now welcomes over 1 million visitors from around the world each year.

The museum’s website offers a virtual reality tour of the annex, along with other educational resources about Anne’s life.

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York)

Year Opened: 1941

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum holds the records of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. president (1933 to 1945). The museum showcases the history behind FDR’s story, his presidency, New Deal policies, assassination attempt, and wartime decisions.

The 360-degree online tour gives you a close look at original documents, artifacts, and videos from FDR’s life.

5. National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 2003

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history, and culture. It was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African-Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts.

The museum website offers more than 15 different online exhibits covering African American history and culture.

Check out its online virtual tour  and digital resources guide .

6. National Museum of American History (Washington, D.C.)

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has more than 1.8 million objects that highlight the history of the U.S — including the original Star-Spangled Banner, Julia Child’s kitchen, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Indiana Jones’ fedora and whip, and more!

The museum offers about 100 online exhibits from its encyclopedic collections, each with a mix of photos, video, graphics, and text on topics ranging through the nation’s entire history.

7. National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Year Opened : 1866

The National Museum of Scotland is dedicated to Scottish antiquities, culture, and history. The museum contains artifacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures. Popular items from the collections include Dolly the Sheep, the Arthur’s Seat coffins, and the Cramond Lioness sculpture.

The Museum’s galleries have been captured digitally in partnership with Google Arts & Culture, along with a virtual walk-through thanks to Google Street View.

8. National Women’s History Museum (Alexandria, Virginia)

Year Opened: 1996

Founded in 1996 by Karen Staser, the National Women’s History Museum researches, collects, and exhibits the contributions of women to the social, cultural, economic, and political life of our nation in the context of world history.

Its website currently features 29 different online exhibits!

9. Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum (Xi’an, China)

Year Opened: 1974 (created third century B.C.)

The Terracotta Army at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210 to 209 B.C. to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The sculptures include warriors, chariots, and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the 3 pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum.

The online experience allows you to get up close and personal with the sculptures in a full 360-degree experience!

To view the online virtual experience, click here .

10. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 1980

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is the country’s official memorial to the Holocaust. It is located on the National Mall alongside other monuments dedicated to freedom. Each year, the museum encourages its 1.6 million visitors to promote human dignity, confront hatred, prevent genocide, and strengthen democratic values. The museum’s collection includes millions of archival documents, artifacts, photographs, footage, and a list of over 200,000 registered survivors and their families, among other historical items.

Its website offers a wide selection of educational resources, including a virtual tour, and is available in 16 languages.

There you have it — 75 amazing #MuseumsAtHome options filled with one-of-a-kind artifacts covering art, science, history, and natural history, all of which can be “visited” virtually while you lounge in your pajamas! So whether you’re a massive fan of art, looking for an educational experience for your children, or simply need a way to keep yourself entertained, you can’t go wrong with a virtual tour of any of these world-class museums.

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These 15 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take from Your Couch

Experience the best museums — from London to Mexico City — in the comfort of your own home.

If you're a dedicated art lover, you likely go to great lengths to visit renowned museums and galleries. But even when you’re not traveling, you can still get a taste of the masterpieces, artifacts, and architecture at many famous institutions — and get inspired for future trips while you're at it.

Google Arts & Culture teamed up with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to create a collection of online exhibits and virtual tours . Other museums have their own virtual tours, too, such as the Vatican Museums and the Louvre , which features a selection of exhibitions on their websites.

Top 5 Can’t Miss

• View legendary artifacts like the Rosetta Stone on a virtual stroll through the British Museum.
• Gaze up at the Sistine Chapel’s divine ceiling without the crowds at the Vatican Museums.
• The Met’s immersive 360-degree VR videos are arguably the best virtual museum tours.
• Get a glimpse of the four locations of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, on a Google Street View tour.
• Peruse some of Van Gogh's most iconic works in the artist's namesake Amsterdam museum.

The British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court, which was given a striking contemporary redesign in 2000. Move through other galleries to discover ancient artifacts like the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.

Vatican Museums

MihaiDancaescu / Getty Images

The next best thing to an after-hours tour , the Vatican Museums offers virtual access to more than a dozen of its galleries and richly decorated spaces. Explore the sumptuous murals of Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, where you can zero in on Michelangelo's famous ceiling.

The Met, New York City

While you can explore highlights of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's encyclopedic collection — including the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur — via Google Arts & Culture , the institution offers its own virtual reality tours. The Met 360° Project comprises six videos that can be viewed with a VR headset for an immersive experience, complete with ambient soundtracks.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

Don Eim/Travel + Leisure

One of Korea's popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google's virtual tour gives you a taste of the museum's four locations with Street View visits and online exhibits. For a deeper dive, check out the museum's website for video walk-throughs of select exhibitions, including immersive VR versions.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who's a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close ) by virtually visiting this museum, home to the largest collection of art by Vincent van Gogh. Check out some of his most iconic paintings, including "Sunflowers" and "The Potato Eaters."

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This renowned American art museum offers three online exhibits through Google. An overview of American fashion from 1740 to 1895 features watercolors of garments from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. You can also browse through works from Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer and other Dutch genre painters of the period and take an in-depth look at an early work by Leonardo da Vinci.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

If you can't get to D.C., take a stroll among the historic planes, rockets, and other craft on display at the country's top air and space museum . Check out the Wright Brothers' first bona fide plane, the Wright Flyer, which took to the skies in 1903, and astronaut Neil Armstrong's spacesuit from the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Guggenheim, New York City

NurPhoto / Getty Images

Google's Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the impressionist, post-impressionist, modern, and contemporary eras.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the eighth century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular museum that houses dozens of famous French works from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Get a peek at paintings and sculptures by Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Rodin, among others.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany's largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer — even if you can't physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you're actually wandering its halls.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Housed in a purpose-built 16th-century palace, the Uffizi Gallery showcases the art collection amassed by the wealthy and powerful de' Medici family. Today, anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world to view world-famous works like Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus."

MASP, São Paulo

The nonprofit Museu de Arte de São Paulo was Brazil's first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear, raised frames make it seem like they're hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City

Getty Images / Andrew Hasson

Enter the world of 20th-century artist Frida Kahlo with a Street View tour of several spaces in Casa Azul, the modest, vivid blue-painted house where she was born, now the Frida Kahlo Museum . You can tour her studio and peek into other personal spaces like the kitchen and lush courtyard garden as well as view works by Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera.

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Online Virtual Tours: The 69 BEST to Explore

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: July 17, 2024

You found our list of the best online virtual tours !

Virtual tours are online experiences that enable visitors to experience museums, zoos, national parks, landmarks, and attractions. These tours use methods such as 360 pictures, satellite imagery, virtual reality, or video conferencing to bring famous sites into living rooms or classrooms. The purpose of these tours is to inspire, entertain and educate audiences. These experiences are also called “online tours.”

These tours are popular virtual field trips and can be fun online classroom activities .

This post includes:

• virtual museum tours
• online tours of national parks
• virtual zoo tours

So, here is the list!

List of virtual museum tours

Here is a list of online museum tours that are perfect for both adults and kids. We also have a list of virtual museum scavenger hunt templates for you to use.

1. Smithsonian

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History offers a self-guided virtual tour of current and past museum exhibits. This experience includes narrated components, accessible via computer or smartphone. The Smithsonian also offers virtual experiences for its other institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Visit the Smithsonian .

2. British Museum

The British Museum hosts an online “Museum of the World” that enables visitors to browse exhibits by area of origin, era, and subject matter. For example, you can search the collection by themes like “power and identity” or “art and design.” Each digital exhibit includes a picture, description, audio file, and links to related artifacts.

Visit British Museum .

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3. Auschwitz

This virtual tour of Auschwitz offers a panoramic birds eye view of the camps, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau, along with clickable descriptions of each area. Online visitors can also switch to an illustrated map of the grounds to better understand the scope of the concentration camps. The online tour is available in both English and Polish.

Visit Auschwitz .

4. Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House welcomes visitors from around the world with digital experiences such as video, virtual reality, 360° photos of the Frank home, and translations of the diary in over 20 languages. Virtual visitors can also browse a pocket gallery by downloading the app.

Visit Anne Frank House .

5. 9/11 Memorial & Museum

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum website has a learn and explore feature which includes live, guide-led panoramic virtual tours of the rebuilt center, interactive videos, and webinar stories. The site also recommends activities to do at home with children to simulate the museum’s activity stations.

Visit 9/11 Memorial & Museum .

6. Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums provides an online experience consisting of 360° high resolution photos of over a dozen features such as the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms. The website also grants web access to archaeological areas, various departments, and a searchable online catalogue.

Visit Vatican Museums .

7. Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien in Austria hosts a digital museum consisting of an online collection, artist talks and lectures, podcasts and Spotify series, and high resolution images of works and galleries. The museum also has its own app that enables online walk-throughs, including specialty tours for children.

Visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien .

8. National Museum (New Delhi)

New Delhi’s National Museum, often called the National Museum of India, displays the largest collection of art and artifacts in the country. The institution’s Museum at Home web portal consists of dozens of videos depicting sculptures, artifacts, and customs, with accompanying cultural analysis from curators. The site also links to several 360° and 3-D virtual galleries that enable online walk-throughs of the building.

Visit the National Museum (New Delhi) .

9. National Palace Museum & the Forbidden City (Beijing)

The National Palace Museum sits in the heart of Beijing and houses centuries worth of art and history. The museum building is a monument to classic Chinese architecture, as is the surrounding palace complex, the Forbidden City. Virtual visitors can tour works inside the museum and stroll through the outer courtyards by indulging in interactive and immersive virtual and VR tours. Both options give viewers the opportunity to explore the grounds up close without navigating the crowds.

Visit National Palace Museum and the Forbidden City .

10. Pergamonmuseum

Pergamonmuseum in Berlin contains a wealth of art and archaeological treasures, and curators give home viewers a glimpse into the collections through several online exhibits on Google Arts & Culture. The collection includes over 1,000 images of objects made of clay, metal, copper, and gemstone, originating in regions such as Iran, Spain, Turkey, and Germany.

Visit Pergamonmuseum .

11. National Museum of Australia

The National Museum of Australia offers free one hour digital excursions to schools that cannot visit the museum in person. The tours are available on weekdays between 9:30-10:30 am or at other times by request, and accommodate groups of 10 to 30 students. Classes meet with museum staff via Zoom and complete missions based around themes like the fight for indigenous rights. Virtual exhibition gallery tours are also available on occasion.

Visit the National Museum of Australia and check out these Indigenous Peoples Day ideas .

The Louvre virtual tour consists of 360° panoramic views of exhibit halls such as Egyptian Antiquities and the ruins of the Louvre Moat. By downloading a special app, visitors can also experience Mona Lisa in virtual reality. The museum website hosts multimedia online exhibitions of famous works such as Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour and Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss.

Visit the Louvre .

13. Guggenheim

The Guggenheim museum offers staff facilitated online tours for students ranging from kindergarten to grade 12. Educators can book interactive, real-time tours for classes that engage students and enable question and answer sessions. Tours are no cost for New York City public schools. For other districts the tours are less than $100, and discounted rates are available. Tours have a maximum of 30 participants, meaning groups are sure to receive an intimate experience.

Visit Guggenheim .

14. Musée d’Orsay

The Google Arts tour of the Musée d’Orsay includes background and history on the museum building, as well as images, descriptions, and details of some of the museum’s most famous works. For example, the collection includes Van Gogh’s Self Portrait , James McNeill Whistler’s Whistler’s Mother , and Bartholdi’s Liberty .

Visit Musée d’Orsay .

15. Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is a Dutch National Museum that hosts an impressive array of art and history. Rijksmuseum’s virtual tour, which includes a Rijksmuseum from home series, consists of high definition pictures, videos, and audio narration that details seminal works inside the museum. The experience also includes interactive components such as a “find the key” challenge and creative tutorials.

Visit Rijksmuseum .

16. Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City launched a virtual views series which enables website visitors to browse rotating online exhibits. As part of the series, the MoMA site also hosts virtual events with components such as live Q&A sessions with artists and curators, readings and theatrical performances, 3-D renderings, and interactive games.

Visit MoMA .

17. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met 360° Project is a collection of six wide-lens videos compatible with both virtual reality systems, or regular computer screens or smartphones. Virtual viewers take a point-of-view tour of museum areas such as the Great Hall, the Met Cloisters, and the Arms and Armor Gallery, set to a soundtrack of instrumental music. The Met website also hosts an Art at Home series that offers up close virtual access and analysis to famous works, as well as videos of conservation projects and instructions for art projects.

Visit the MET .

18. Paul J. Getty Museum

The Google Arts & Culture online tour of the Getty Museum spans dozens of exhibits with thousands of digital artifacts. Pieces span as far back as the eighth century until modern times, with notable pieces including The Virgin Mary with Saints Thomas Aquinas and Paul , Rembrandt Laughing , and Irises .

Visit the Getty Museum .

19. Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago facilitates online visits consisting of virtual video and audio tours, searchable online collections, digital publications, as well as online lesson plans and art projects. There is even an “Ask an Educator” form that enables parents or teachers to communicate with museum staff who hand-pick resources to assist with lessons planning.

Visit the Art Institute of Chicago .

20. National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.)

The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. website hosts digital perspectives, virtual exhibitions, and digital collections. The online experience also includes streamable films visitors can watch online.

Visit the National Gallery of Art .

21. The National Gallery (London)

The National Gallery of London offers immersive virtual tours accessible via smartphone, computer, or virtual reality headset. Through three different remote tours, virtual visitors can explore multiple wings of the museum, 18+ rooms, and 300+ paintings. The Gallery’s robust social media presence promotes further interaction with online art.

Visit The National Gallery .

22. Uffizi Gallery

The Google Arts & Culture Tour of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence explores four online exhibitions and hundreds of pieces of arts and artifacts, many in the Renaissance style. Notable pieces include Birth of Venus by Botecelli, Portraits of the Duke & Duchess of Urbino by Piero Della Francesca, and Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael.

Visit Uffizi Gallery .

23. Frida Kahlo Museum

The virtual tour of the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City is one of the most colorful museum tours online. Virtual visitors tour various areas of the grounds in a 360°, up close experience. The colors of the architecture and artifacts are works of art in themselves, and are sure to brighten viewers’ days. The website offers additional resources including downloadable photos, videos, quotes, and even recipes.

Visit Frida Kahlo Museum .

24. Russian Museum

The Virtual Russian Museum is a web portal consisting of several digital resources such as online lectures, virtual 3-D walk through tours of the museum complex with accompanying audio, and a multimedia center. The multimedia component of the virtual branch includes digital content and displays, broadcasts and video conferencing, and interactive web workshops.

Visit Russian Museum .

25. Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum contains artworks and antiquities dating back several centuries, and displays over 100 digital images of textiles, clay-ware, ceramics, and similar artifacts on its Google Arts & Culture tour. During this remote museum tour, virtual visitors peruse Asian art and conduct Google Earth walk-throughs of museum galleries.

Visit Tokyo National Museum .

26. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

This online tour of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea enables web visitors to explore the country’s unique culture and heritage. The tour includes multiple online exhibits, hundreds of pieces of modern artwork, and several floors of the building, including sections of the outdoor sculpture garden.

Visit the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art .

27. MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo has an impressive online presence with over 1,000 images of paintings, photographs, and objects in its Google Arts & Culture collection. Online visitors can delve into South American art and culture by exploring online exhibits and browsing through digital collections. The Google App also enables virtual reality tours of the museum via smartphone.

Visit MASP – Museu de Arte de São Paulo .

28. Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston offers free interactive virtual learning experiences like an online Apollo 13 exhibit, video series, and an app that offers mobile tours plus augmented reality and virtual reality experiences. The center also occasionally hosts virtual stargazing camp-outs and suggests at home science experiments and games. Plus, the website is a wealth of online outer space resources.

Visit Space Center Houston .

29. American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History suggests several options for virtual visits. These options include virtual field trips, an “inside the museum” high resolution picture tour, guided tours on Facebook live, and an expedition app experience that includes quizzes and exhibit highlights.

Visit American Museum of Natural History .

30. Oxford University’s History of Science Museum

The Oxford History of Science Museum website displays past exhibits so virtual visitors can learn more about concepts such as antibiotics, the human brain, and the Transit of Venus. The format of each online exhibit varies, but most contain, at minimum, sample images and descriptions.

Visit Oxford University’s History of Science Museum .

31. The National Museum of the United States Air Force

The National Museum of the United States Air Force provides digital resources such as podcasts and videos. The site also supplies lesson plans broken down by grade level, with extras like aircraft coloring pages and word searches.

Visit The National Museum of the United States Air Force .

32. The National Museum of Computing

The National Museum of Computing offers a comprehensive 3D virtual tour of the entire museum, with multiple touch-points explaining the significance of fixtures. The online walk-through enables a point-of-view, clickable dollhouse tour of the entire building, with a wealth of supplemental materials like videos, audio files, and documents. For a fee, the museum also arranges curated virtual tours that form a more personalized experience.

Visit The National Museum of Computing .

33. Boston Museum of Science

Boston’s premier science museum presents a Museum of Science at Home experience consisting of virtual exhibits, daily live streams, podcasts, town halls, and family STEM activities. The museum provides digital programs for both adults and children, with highlights including live social events, an ant colony webcam, and stimulating multimedia content.

Visit the Boston Museum of Science .

34. Glazer Children’s Museum

The Glazer Children’s Museum website hosts virtual experiences such as digital field trips and weekly facilitated live Zoom play sessions. These sessions have educational themes like music and movement or STEM. The site also publishes content designed for anytime learning, such as instructional videos and blog posts that lead visitors through at-home art projects, science experiments, and story-time.

Visit Glazer Children’s Museum .

35. Children’s Museum Houston

The Children’s Museum Houston advertises an ongoing all-time access program. This program provides regular content such as 3-D digital field trips, virtual adventure camps, daily broadcasted project tutorials, webinar workshops, and video call-in shows. The museum also has a free smartphone app for additional at-home adventures.

Visit Children’s Museum Houston .

36. Children’s Museum Indianapolis

Children’s Museum Indianapolis provides a museum at home experience including ongoing virtual events, digital museum programs, follow-along hands-on activities, and virtual birthday parties. The museum also creates holiday-themed downloadable activity bundles and resources for teachers.

Visit Children’s Museum Indianapolis .

37. The Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong museum in Rochester, NY, examines the history of playtime throughout recent history. Its online exhibits follow fun themes such as “Pinball in America”, “The History of Valentines”, and the Oregon Trail computer games. The online collection hosts a staggering 77,000+ images, many of which are designs for games throughout the decades.

Visit The Strong National Museum of Play .

38. Boston Children’s Museum

The Boston Children’s Museum website provides learning resources including weekly activitiy emails, Mad Libs, and links to mini digital museums and interactive apps. This section of the museum’s website has many tools to keep kids occupied for hours.

Visit Boston Children’s Museum .

List of online national park tours

Here is a list of national parks to visit online.

39. Joshua Tree

A virtual tour to Joshua Tree includes video, readable web content, photos and other multimedia. To captivate younger visitors, the park posts digital scavenger hunts, a junior ranger program, and guest speaker series. Educators can schedule virtual field trips with park rangers centered around topics such as plants and animals, rocks and minerals, and weather and erosion.

Visit Joshua Tree .

40. Zion National Park

An online visit to Zion National Park includes virtual hikes and shuttle tours, along with a free app that launches a historical exploration of the region. Web visitors explore the canyons in virtual reality from multiple vantage points, exploring the terrain from the comfort of the couch.

Visit Zion National Park .

41. Yosemite

Virtual Yosemite provides an aerial view of the park with zoomable scenic spots. The remote park tour also features a panoramic index for easy navigation to various locales within the preservation, but visitors can also click through and rotate the views to explore more organically. Virtual Yosemite presents high resolution images of a variety of landscapes, highlighting the geographical diversity of the land.

Visit Yosemite .

42. Bryce Canyon

While not an immersive experience, the Bryce Canyon virtual tour provides pictures and descriptions of locations along the trail so that virtual visitors can imagine hikes and plan future trips. The points of the online tour outline the landscape variety of the canyon, describing sights like Mossy Cave, Swamp Canyon, and Natural Bridge.

Visit Bryce Canyon .

43. Death Valley

This 360° online tour of California’s Death Valley National Park allows visitors to pan around the attraction’s various landscapes, from dunes to craters to canyons. Each spot contains a short description of the geography. The high resolution images create a virtual reality experience that immerses viewers in the environment.

Visit Death Valley .

44. Grand Canyon

This virtual tour of the Grand Canyon consists of 3D satellite images via Google Earth. Virtual visitors can rotate or click through trails, view the canyon from above, and navigate to photos of notable landmarks like Yavapai Point and The Abyss. High resolution pictures enable cyber sightseers to take in the views without the fear of falling.

Visit the Grand Canyon .

45. Redwood National Forest

Redwood National Forest facilitates virtual reality experiences via smartphone or computer, where online visitors take in 360° canopy tours for a panoramic view of the forest. The site also hosts multimedia presentations that include narrated videos, documentaries, songs, and other educational materials.

Visit Redwood National Forest .

46. Hot Springs National Park

Exploring Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park from home is possible thanks to a collection of photography, suggested readings, and an aerial digital map. The latter presents a birds eye view of the bath house district with clickable panoramic views inside the buildings. These resources enable virtual visitors to learn about the region’s rich cultural past and recent scientific research.

Visit Hot Springs National Park.

47. Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis provides a series of short pre-recorded videos exploring the history of the region and the exhibitions within the park, along with livestream webcam views from the top of the arch. The park website features historical analysis and photo galleries too, along with a virtual stamp for visitor’s National Park Passport books.

Visit the Gateway Arch.

48. Niagara Falls

You can visit Niagara Falls virtually, taking online tours of area destinations such as the butterfly conservatory, botanical garden, and behind the falls. These experiences put you in the POV of having an adventure at these world wonders, without having to leave the house.

Visit Niagara Falls .

49. Everglades National Park

The Everglades National Park provides a robust selection of virtual experiences. The options include a 24/7 live wildlife webcam, short documentaries and educational videos, audio narrated virtual tours, and an official digital photography collection. The park website offers a free curriculum for distance learning programs as well.

Visit the Everglades .

50. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

This online multimedia presentation guides virtual viewers through the islands and volcanoes of Hawaii. The experience includes audio, video, and panoramic photography of volcanic cliffs, caverns, and rainforests. Web visitors can also explore an active volcano by joining a digital helicopter flyover and watching an eruption from the 1950s.

Visit Hawai’i Volcanoes .

51. Table Mountain and Kruger National Park

South Africa has stunning national parks. Discover Africa enables visitors to explore the sights of South Africa via immersive video and interactive panoramic photography accompanied by narration. Virtual visitors choose from five attractions, including Cape Town’s Table Mountain and Northern South Africa’s epic Kruger nature preserve. The digital experience constitutes a virtual safari that lets viewers experience the country’s diverse landscapes.

Visit Table Mountain and Kruger National Park .

52. Mount Everest

This digital rendering allows website visitors to scale the peaks of Mount Everest from behind a screen. The website is a 3D geographic model of the mountain with clickable descriptions for key peaks. While many folks will never climb Everest in person, they can explore the range through this immersive cyber expedition.

Visit Mount Everest .

53. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Phong Nha-Ke Bang in Vietnam contains one of the world’s largest caves alongside lush rainforests. Digital visitors trek through caves, viewing high resolution images and listening to realistic background sounds. The result is an immersive experience that simulates the sensation of navigating the caves in person.

Visit Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park .

54. Zhāngjiājiè National Forest Park

For much of the world, Zhāngjiājiè National Forest Park in China is more recognizable by sight than by name. The park’s steep, wooded cliffs appear in movies like Avatar, and the landscape looks more like a film set than a natural occurrence. Website visitors navigate between explorable panoramic views to the sounds of instrumental music for a simultaneously captivating and calming web experience.

Visit Zhāngjiājiè National Forest Park .

55. Namib Desert

This digital tour of the Namib Desert in Southern Africa gives viewers birds eye perspectives of dunes, parched plains, and rolling mist, plus vast starry skies. The high quality, panoramic images constitute virtual hikes through the vast landscape, without the scorching heat of day or the freezing chill of night.

Visit Namib Desert .

56. Banff National Park

A remote tour of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada consists of dozens of 360* videos showing scenes like snowy canyons, serene lakes at sunset, and mountainous trails. Though short, the videos enable you to pause and take in the scenery, and watching the playlist gives online visitors the benefit of viewing the park during multiple seasons.

Visit Banff National Park .

57. Cinque Terrehttps://www.banfflakelouise.com/virtual-360%C2%B0-tours

Cinque Terre is a coastal region of Italy renowned for its colorful hillside houses. In this experience, online visitors take a panoramic photo tour of the coastline at various angles and times of days, set to a backdrop of calming music. The site also includes educational descriptions and an additional photo gallery.

Visit Cinque Terre .

List of virtual zoo tours

Here is a list of virtual zoos and aquariums that enable up-close online animal encounters.

58. San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo streams live cams of animals including polar bears, tigers, penguins, baboons, and koalas, and as well as hosting highlight archive footage of past panda cams. For a fee, the zoo also offers virtual programs that enable private online encounters with animals. The website also hosts an online directory of zoo animals and plants so that virtual visitors can learn more about the zoo’s exhibits from home.

Visit the San Diego Zoo .

59. San Antonio Zoo

The San Antonio Zoo arranges online meetings between virtual visitors and animals like hippos, giraffes, and rhinos for a fee. During these Wild Meetingz, an animal will join your video conference call while a zookeeper facilitates a Q&A with your group. Best Zoom meeting ever? Maybe!

Visit the San Antonio Zoo .

60. Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo website includes a variety of live webcams with stars such as rhinos, gorillas, flamingos, and elephants. Cameras are live between 7AM and 7PM CT. The zoo website also has plenty of fun resources you can use to create an online experience. Notable digital offerings include a Cameo video greeting to send to a friend.

Visit the Houston Zoo .

61. Cincinnati Zoo

The Cincinnati Zoo offers a home safari consisting of videos recorded during Facebook Live streams. Website visitors can browse through over 50 animal encounters and learn facts about creatures like red pandas, parrots, zebras, and orangutans. Online modules also include activities such as homemade birdfeeders and balancing exercises so kids can participate more fully in the virtual experience.

Visit the Cincinnati Zoo .

62. Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo streams live between 10AM and 4PM ET, showing off visitor favorites such as sea lions and lemurs. The zoo also books out virtual wild encounters with creatures like cheetahs, alpacas, sloths, and warthogs, for prices ranging from $80 to $150. Each session takes place over Zoom and allows virtual visitors to get up close to animals while asking caretakers questions.

Visit the Bronx Zoo .

63. Alaska Zoo

The Alaska Zoo presents a distance learning experience through its virtual animal encounters and arctic discovery programs. Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes and costs $150. These experiences include interactive presentations and virtual visits with animals such as tigers, gray wolves, polar bears, or seals. A scheduled visit ensures the animals are unlikely to be camera-shy, creating a memorable and intimate online experience for students.

Visit the Alaska Zoo .

64. Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo proposes a variety of e-learning options designed to enrich virtual classrooms. The website modules sort experiences by grade level, making it easy to choose an experience appropriate for your classroom. Students can explore topics such as zoology careers, reptile habitats, and African wildlife.

Visit the Singapore Zoo .

65. Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo offers several video series where viewers can learn about different animals. While they no longer offer interactive live video experiences at current time, there are plenty of ways to engage groups online.

Visit the Oregon Zoo .

66. Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium hosts ten live webcams featuring critters such as penguins, jellyfish, sharks, and sea otters. The variety of exhibits means that teachers can switch between streams when a particular camera is not live. The aquarium also facilitates narrated feeding times on certain webcams during weekdays, with the feeding schedule posted on the site.

Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium .

67. National Aquarium (Baltimore)

The National Aquarium in Baltimore offers an interactive virtual map folks can navigate for an online tour. Virtual visitors can follow the arrows for a walk-through experience, or can click a menu of creatures like dolphins and sharks to instantly view anticipated animals. The aquarium website also hosts three 24/7 webcam livestreams , and offers guided virtual programs too.

Visit the National Aquarium .

68. Georgia Virtual Aquarium

The Georgia Virtual Aquarium allows visitors to book a 10 to 20 minute guided online tour. Participants select a tour, receive viewing instructions via email, then enjoy up-close views of animals with educational insight. Participants get to view oceans, rivers, or sea creatures within an immersive virtual environment.

Visit Georgia Virtual Aquarium .

You may not be able to jet around the world at a moment’s notice. However, you can still visit famous parks, zoos, or museums by taking an engaging, interactive online virtual tour.

These online experiences enable you to stare as long as you like, avoid crowds, learn more about a subject or piece instantly, and enjoy other benefits. Not to mention, at home experiences are a great way to educate and teach children, coworkers, and yourself!

Next, check out our list of virtual family reunion activities and this one with online volunteering ideas .

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FAQ: Virtual Tours

Here are some of the common questions we see about virtual tours of museums, zoos and parks.

What are virtual tours?

Virtual tours are online galleries of famous attractions such as zoos, national parks, and museums. These experiences often consist of online exhibitions, videos, 360 degree and satellite photography, and virtual reality elements. Some tours may also include a facilitated live experience with a guide.

What are the best virtual tours?

The best virtual tours tend to include an interactive element. For example, the tour could be a live experience led by a guide and include trivia, polls, or other forms of engagement. These online tours are the best because they focus on the visitor experience.

How much do virtual tours cost?

Virtual tours are available at a variety of costs, ranging from free to $5 per person, $50 per person and upwards. We recommend starting with some of the free tours to see what your group likes and benefits most from. Then, you can invest in one of the paid options.

How do virtual tours work?

Virtual tours take place on online platforms such as Zoom, Google Street View, or custom software. Users login solo or as a group, and follow along with either a live or automated guide to learn about the tour stops.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour

Virtual Travel

A Smithsonian magazine special report

At the Smithsonian | March 18, 2020

How to Virtually Explore the Smithsonian From Your Living Room

Tour a gallery of presidential portraits, print a 3-D model of a fossil or volunteer to transcribe historical documents

Meilan Solly

Senior Associate Digital Editor, History

Beyond the brick-and-mortar buildings that make up the 19 museums at the Smithsonian Institution, there is much available in the digital sphere, making it easy for armchair travelers, creatives and lifelong learners alike to experience this vast organization's offerings from the comfort of their homes.

To help readers narrow down their search, Smithsonian magazine has compiled a list of virtual experiences that cater to an array of interests. Whether you’re in the mood to peruse the National Portrait Gallery’s presidential portrait collection , explore the engineering marvels of the Inka Empire or remix one of the 2.8 million images available through Smithsonian Open Access , this roundup has you covered.

Online Tours and Exhibitions

Nothing quite compares with the feeling of standing in front of an artistic masterpiece or a towering Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, but virtual exhibitions and museum tours are about as close as you can get to recreating the experience. Science lovers can survey the National Museum of Natural History’s permanent , current and past exhibitions, including the Butterfly Pavilion , the Deep Time Hall of Fossils and the Hall of Human Origins , while arts and culture fans can tour the Smithsonian American Art Museum , the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of Asian Art . Other options range from founder James Smithson’s Smithsonian Castle crypt to the Enid A. Haupt Garden , the Smithsonian Marine Station Wet Laboratory and the National Air and Space Museum ’s Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center .

In addition to highlighting virtual views, many Smithsonian museums offer exhibitions optimized for digital audiences. The National Museum of the American Indian has exhibitions on “ The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire ,” “ Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections ,” and “ Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces ,” among others. You can also check out the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s “ A Look at the Black Fashion Museum Collection and Designer Peter Day ,” the National Portrait Gallery’s “ One Life: Marian Anderson ” ASL tour and “ Outwin: American Portraiture Today ” portal, Smithsonian Libraries’ “ Exploring the Meaning of Place in ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro ,’” the National Museum of American History’s “ Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life ,” the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s “ Willi Smith Community Archive ,” the Air and Space Museum ’s “ Outside the Spacecraft ,” the Smithsonian Latino Center’s “ D.C. Latino Street Murals ,” and the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service’s “ Men of Change .”

These online exhibitions vary greatly in scale and style. The National Portrait Gallery’s “ Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence ” exhibition, for instance, is typical of many Smithsonian offerings found on Google Arts and Culture: Users click through a slideshow-esque narrative, reading short blurbs on suffragists like Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone and Victoria Woodhull, as depicted in images from the gallery’s collections. Others, like the National Museum of the American Indian’s “ Americans ” show, require more digital bandwidth to fully appreciate their immersive interactives.

See museums’ websites or Google Arts and Culture pages—many of which feature online exhibits , subject-specific compilations and browsable collection records —for more options, or search the Smithsonian’s main collections catalog .

Sparking Creativity

Thanks to Smithsonian Open Access , anyone with an internet connection can not only browse, but “use, transform and distribute” some 2.8 million high-resolution images from the collections without restrictions. Among the artifacts highlighted on the Open Access portal are Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B plane , a portrait of Pocahontas , a chunk of Smithsonite and the Apollo 11 command module . For inspiration on remixing these and other artifacts in the public domain, visit the Open Access Remix page, which lists projects including Georgetown University students’ laser-cut clocks, a three-part sculpture titled Mediated and the How to Make a Collagasaurus workbook.

Another option for makers and creatives is the Smithsonian’s 3-D digitization portal, which features interactive models from a pantheon of fields . Take a closer look at Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit , a pair of boots from Broadway musical The Wiz and fossils found on National Park Service lands , then print your very own scale models of a T. rex skull , a coral skeleton and a “ Cosmic Buddha ” sculpture. For tips on 3-D printing from home, check out Smithsonian magazine’s November 2019 guide , which features historical background on various digitized offerings, tips for printing specific models and more.

For those in search of low- or no-tech activities, consider the following: Interview family members and friends to record their oral histories, as outlined in the Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide ; volunteer to transcribe historical documents and biodiversity data with the Smithsonian Transcription Center ; join virtual meditation sessions hosted by the National Museum of Asian Art (to participate, visit this link at 12:15 p.m. every weekday besides Wednesday); or download free coloring pages from Smithsonian Libraries.

Learning Resources

The Smithsonian’s virtual presence comprises millions of educational resources for learners of all ages. Younger students (and their teachers or caregivers) can visit the Smithsonian Learning Lab’s newly launched distance learning resources hub , which highlights offerings from STEM games and simulations to American Women’s History Initiative’s Because of Her Story articles and comprehensive lesson plans .

Find the latest updates by checking the #SmithsonianEdu hashtag, and browse Smithsonian magazine’s roundup of educational resources for ideas on where to start. Though many of these tools are geared toward pre-K-12 students, older learners will also find them engaging; examples of adult-friendly activities circulating on social media include reading “ rare and notable editions ” of classic books via Smithsonian Libraries’ Digital Library , checking out the National Museum of Natural History ’s Ocean and Human Origins portals, and watching a collection of narrated short stories from around the world.

Other avenues of exploration include the Smithsonian Transcription Center’s database of ongoing and completed projects, from “personal diaries and scientific fieldbooks to playbills and sound recordings,” and the Because of Her Story campaign, which draws on articles, quizzes, videos and book excerpts to “create, disseminate, and amplify the historical record of the accomplishments of American women”—a mission that holds particular resonance during Women’s History Month. The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Collection Stories , meanwhile, invites staff to “share their interpretation of the collections they find most powerful from a variety of perspectives.”

Podcasts, videos and lecture recordings also hold valuable lessons for listeners. The Hirshhorn Museum has an “Artist Talks” lecture series, while the Air and Space Museum offers an archive of recorded lectures like “ Women of Apollo ” and “ The Future of Lunar Exploration .” Five seasons of the Smithsonian’s “ Sidedoor ” podcast, including episodes on the “ worst video game of all time ” and underwear in outer space , are available for streaming at any time. Other Smithsonian podcasts range from the Museum of American History ’s “History Explorer” and “Prototype Online: Inventive Voices” shows to “ AirSpace ,” “ Portraits ” and “ Freer Thinking . The Smithsonian Channel has a diverse catalog of television and web series—among others, “ Spy Wars With Damian Lewis ,” “ Wild Inside the National Zoo ” and “ Humboldt: Epic Explorer .”

Finally, every Friday at 11 a.m., visitors can tune in via the National Portrait Gallery’s Facebook page for Open Studio lessons with artist Jill Galloway. Storytime for children ages 3 and up will be livestreamed on Facebook Wednesdays at 11 a.m.

Currently, to support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, all Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. and in New York City, as well as the National Zoo, are temporarily closed. Check listings for updates.

Get the latest on what's happening At the Smithsonian in your inbox.

Meilan Solly | | READ MORE

Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's senior associate digital editor, history.

Online tours - Enjoy the Louvre at home!

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Virtual tours Enjoy the Louvre at home! Online tours

Virtual tours, louvre at home.

Visit the museum rooms and galeries, admire the palace architecture and enjoy the views!

From afar. Travelling Materials and Objects

Through materials and objects, this exhibition describes exchanges between distant worlds – exchanges often far more ancient than the explorations of the 16th century.   From deepest antiquity, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony and ivory circulated along trade routes...

Launch virtual tour  

The Advent of the Artist

For its 5th edition, the Petite Galerie takes a closer look at the transition from the typically anonymous craftsman of the classical period to the artist of the Renaissance, featuring works by Delacroix, Rembrandt, Tintoret and more.

Power plays

This third Petite Galerie exhibition focused on the connection between art and political power, from antiquity to the present day.

The Body in Movement

In its second season, the Petite Galerie explored one of the performing arts: dance. How did artists use different materials and techniques to represent movement?

Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader

The very first Petite Galerie exhibition looked into how illustrators, sculptors, painters, puppeteers, filmmakers, and musicians around the world have drawn inspiration from myths, given them form, and brought them to life.

What activities does the Louvre offer that can be enjoyed from home?

Events at the auditorium (in French)  

Podcasts (in French)  

Louvre Kids  

“Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass” virtual reality experience  

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Tour Questions

Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission for any questions. 

Front Desk: 408-554-4700 Email: [email protected]

Book your group visit to Santa Clara University. Group visits are only available for groups of 10-60. 

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Living at mcmaster, move-in 2024: virtual maps, move-in 2024: move-in maps.

Welcome to campus! If you’re joining us for McMaster University’s undergraduate Move-In on August 24-25 2024, click below to find a virtual map for your residence. Each has directions for entering campus, unloading, and parking!

More information about having a successful Move-In can be found in the video to the right! If you use WhatsApp or Instagram , be sure to follow us for day-of updates.

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Saturday, August 24 Move-In

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Sunday, august 24 move-in.

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