You Can Take Virtual Tours of the World's Coolest Museums Right Now
In these anxiety-inducing times, some of us reach for the nearest book, seek an online concert, or just want a brain-teasing puzzle. But for others, there's nothing a little art can't fix. And thanks to 21st century technology, social distancing can't stop you from exploring some of the world's most famous galleries and museums.
From Paris's Louvre, to The Vatican, and the MET, there are a variety of museums offering interactive virtual tours. That means you can travel from continent to continent from the comfort of your home, while perusing the finest art and artifacts in your pajamas. Not to mention, they're also a great activity to entertain your kids.
Below we detail the virtual museum tours that'll take you away on an instant adventure.
The Louvre
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The Paris historical monument is the world's biggest museum (and home to the Mona Lisa) and is currently offering tours of four exhibits: The Advent of the Artist, Egyptian Antiquities, Remains of the Louvre's Moat, and Galerie d'Apollon.
The Guggenheim
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The museum will hold its interactive family tours on select Sundays despite the fact that this New York institute is currently closed. You can also peruse selections from their 8,000-piece artwork collection.
The National Gallery
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London's National Gallery has a Google virtual tour of its Renaissance collection, the Sainsbury Wing which contains more than 270 paintings, and look at 18 other fascinating rooms.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington, D.C's National Museum of Natural History provides a room-by-room virtual tour of the entire building, including the main rotunda where you're greeted by a beautiful elephant, the butterfly pavilion, and "Sea Monsters Unearthed."
Hirshhorn Museum
Enjoy relaxing nature views, with a side of art, thanks to virtual tours of the grounds' two sculpture gardens and a close look at the building's exterior.
National Portrait Gallery
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In addition to its main hall, London's National Portrait Gallery includes virtual tours of art from six galleries, including the English kings of the 15th century Tudor period and pieces created during Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901.
National Museum of Asian Art
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In addition to 13 online exhibits and 36,750 items in their collection available to view online, there are indoor and outdoor virtual tours of the Freer and Sackler Galleries, which make up the National Museum of Asian Art.
National Air and Space Museum
The most-visited museum in the country currently has 49 online exhibits, 1,971 items to view in its online collection, and virtual tours of the first and second floors, and its companion facility, the Udvar-Hazy Center's first and second floor at the Washington Dulles International Airport.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Located in NYC, and the biggest museum in the United States, The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides six quick videos that give 360° views of key parts of the grounds, including the great hall.
Musée d’Orsay
Displaying art from 1848 to 1914, the Parisian museum offers a free virtual walking tour and a 278-piece online collection.
The Vatican Museum
Comprised of art collected by the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church over centuries, you can treat yourself to seven free online 360° tours, which include the famed Sistine Chapel and the Pio Clementino Museum.
Van Gogh Museum
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Virtually travel to Amsterdam and view the celebrated Dutch painter's largest collection of works with the help of Google Arts and Culture.
Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam's arts and history museum allows access to 14 multimedia tours if you download their app, available in the Apple Store and Google Play.
The J. Paul Getty Museum
The Los Angeles art museum has two online exhibits—Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well and Eat, Drink, and Be Merry—in addition to more than 15,000 pieces in an online collection and a virtual look at the grounds.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
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Dedicated to the life and legacy of the renowned "Mother of American modernism," the New Mexico facility offers six online exhibits.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Spain's premiere art gallery offers "immersive virtual tours" for those with access to smart phones and virtual reality glasses, in addition to tours of their extensive permanent collection and 10 temporary exhibitions of past and present.
NASA
NASA offers a variety of interactive virtual tours through both their site and app, from a look at their flying observatory to the Hubble Space Telescope.
High Museum of Art
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View the Atlanta museum's four online exhibitions, including the enlightening Photos from the Civil Rights Movement and How Iris van Herpen Transformed Fashion.
Museum of Fine Arts
The Boston gallery has 17 virtual collections, with an extensive look at 20th and 21st century designer fashion, photography, and works by African American artists.
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