There’s absolutely no need to rob yourself of the excitement that comes with browsing a museum or art gallery while stuck at home. Especially since indulging in a little culture can keep you mentally active as well as emotionally refreshed. That being said, it use to be difficult to indulge in such delights without literally walking over to your nearest gallery and purchasing tickets at the booth. However, now, with the motivation to do so, art galleries, museums and zoos alike have opened their doors for the first time virtually. Now you can experience all the newest exhibits and interact with different parts them in ways you couldn’t have done before, and all this without actually leaving your home.
According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to bring virtual tours.
British Museum, London
This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum’s virtual tour.You can explore ancient history from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. This museum also features the Rosetta Stone!
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you’re actually wandering its halls.This museum is full of some of the most beautiful paintings to grace walls.Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
It is the official museum of the US Air Force. The official virtual tour of the National Museum of the United States Air Force includes a stroll through the cockpit as well as models of America’s earliest aircraft.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts is definitely worth a look. This is another interactive tour that guides you through the museum without ever needing to leave your bed.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
You can walk through the inspirational work of Georgia O’Keeffe’s from modernism to watercolors. This museum shows Georgia O’Keeffe and her contemporaries, related regional histories, and Modernism. She’s affectionately dubbed the “Mother of American Modernism,” and these pieces truly take our breath away.
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. The rooms are filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization. It offers one free virtual “walk-through” exhibit.
Museu Picasso
Now you can visit Spain and watch for yourself the most inspirational pieces of art. The Picasso Museum offers a virtual tour , also an interactive map of Barcelona. It is the first museum dedicated to Picasso’s work, showing a timeline of his upbringing, his first studios, and bars and galleries.
Free Zoo and Aquarium Tours
Atlanta Zoo
Founded in 1889. Have some pandas keep you company with Atlanta Zoo’s all-day Panda Cam. It offers endless hours of entertainment and fascination.
Cincinnati Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the fifth-oldest zoo in the United States. The daily Home Safari, a Facebook live stream. Furthermore, the Facebook page features The Fiona Show, a 4-season diary of the life of Fiona, a baby hippo.
Georgia Aquarium
It is a public aquarium in Atlanta. If you’ve ever wanted to spend the evening with a beluga whale, Georgia Aquarium provides live feeds to improve your downtime.
Houston Zoo
The zoo houses over 6,000 animals from 900 species. Plenty of habitats at the Houston Zoo include a live webcam, so you and the kiddos can enjoy watching every four-legged creature frolic, from gorillas to rhinos to ants.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Their Live cams give you a sneak peek into all kinds of exhibits, featuring apes, elephants, giraffes, penguins , jellyfish, polar bears, tigers and more.It gives a chance to explore coral reef, kelp forest and so much more . There’s even a shark cam for those who love to live on the edge.
National Aquarium
The National Aquarium in Baltimore offers an interactive virtual tour of all of their exhibits, one floor at a time. Enjoy an underwater view of fish or cool down with penguins in the snow.
Shedd Aquarium
Discover marine life with shedd. Shedd Aquarium’s Facebook page shares all kinds of videos. You can find all different types of cheesy characters there including ; Wellington the penguin and Nickel the sea turtle.
The pandemic can seem overwhelming, but everyone can play an individual role to flatten the curve.The utmost urge is to practice social distancing. Many museums and zoos are playing their inspirational role by cooperating with GOOGLE ART GALLERY. This positive action can lead to acquiring knowledge as well as entertainment.
Sources
- “15 Ways to Leave Home without Actually Leaving the Couch, from Virtual Zoo Exhibits to Museum Gallery Tours.” TheSatoriReport. March 16, 2020. https://thesatorireport.com/lifestyle/15-ways-to-leave-home-without-actually-leaving-the-couch-from-virtual-zoo-exhibits-to-museum-gallery-tours/.
- “22 Ways to Leave Home without Actually Leaving the Couch, from Virtual Zoo Exhibits to Museum Gallery Tours: News Break.” News Break New York, NY. https://www.newsbreak.com/new-york/new-york/news/0OStO2m5/22-ways-to-leave-home-without-actually-leaving-the-couch-from-virtual-zoo-exhibits-to-museum-gallery-tours.
- “Coronavirus, Social Distancing and Self-Quarantine.” Coronavirus, Social Distancing and Self-Quarantine | Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-social-distancing-and-self-quarantine.
- “Experience From Home.” Norton Public Library. https://www.nortonlibrary.org/experience-from-home.html.
- Romano, Andrea, and Andrea Romano. “Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch.” Travel Leisure. https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours.
