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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  

How To Virtually Tour of Paris’ Louvre & See Every Masterpiece

If you’re an art enthusiast, the Louvre is probably at the top of your Paris or museum wish list.

As the world’s largest and most visited museum, it boasts an impressive collection of 35,000 artworks, ranging from the 6th century BC to the 19th century AD, all housed within a magnificent Renaissance palace.

However, as you might imagine, visiting the Louvre can be quite the experience.

It’s often packed with crowds, flashing cameras, selfie sticks, and people bustling around or trying to touch the art. This can make it feel a bit chaotic and overwhelming.

But there’s good news! You can now explore the Louvre from the comfort of your home, avoiding the hustle and bustle.

I’ll guide you through how to virtually visit this iconic museum and view all its must-see masterpieces. Get ready to enjoy your personal Leonardo or Michelangelo experience in peaceful solitude.

Layout of the Louvre

The Louvre is a U shape, divided into three wings: Denon, Sully, and Richelieu. Each of the wings has four floors.

The Denon Wing is home to the Louvre’s best known art work, including the world’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa .

The Sully Wing is known for its statuary and antiquities.

The Richelieu Wing houses the lavish apartments of Napoleon III and some famed Dutch art works.

Virtual Tour of Louvre Masterpieces

Let’s take an online virtual tour of the Louvre, wing by wing.

You can see all the must see masterpieces via 360 video tours, YouTube videos, or online tours on the Louvre Website itself. For a lengthy overall YouTube tour of the Louvre, click here .

The Denon Wing

The Denon Wing is the most visited part of the Louvre. It boasts the fabulously ornate Apollo Gallery, with high arches and frescoed ceilings.

It’s a shrine to Sun King Louis XIV. The paintings were begun by Charles Le Brun and completed by Eugene Delacroix.

1. French Paintings in the Denon Wing

The Denon Wing is most renowned for its iconic French paintings from the Neoclassical and Romantic periods of art history. The must see French masterpieces include:

• Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People
• Jacques-Louis David, The Coronation of Napoleon
• Theodore Gericault, Raft of the Medusa
• Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Grand Odalisque

You can take a virtual tour of the recently restored Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s website here . You can learn about the Coronation of Napoleon from this Louvre YouTuber .

You can take a virtual video tour of the world’s most famous French painting, Liberty Leading the People here . And learn about the Grand Odalisque here .

Via my blog, you can also explore the Louvre’s underrated masterpieces in the Denon Wing.

I also have a guide to what I think is the best painting in the Louvre , Gericault’s Raft of the Medusa , a then-scandalous painting based on a true story.

2. Italian Paintings in the Denon Wing

The Denon Wing also boasts treasures from the Italian Renaissance.

This is where you’ll find works by Sandro Botticelli , Leonardo da Vinci , Raphael , and Titian. The must see masterpieces include:

• Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa
• Leonardo Da Vinci, The Virgin and Child With St. Anne
• Titian, Pastoral Concert
• Raphael, Portrait of Baldasarre Castiglione
• Paolo Veronese, The Wedding Feast at Cana

You can take a virtual 360 tour of the Grand Gallery, which houses much of the Louvre’s Italian art.

If you’re a Mona Lisa fan, the Louvre is offering the museum’s first virtual reality experience , which brings to life the story of the enigmatic portrait. You can also take a virtual tour of the Mona Lisa here , with Smarthistory, an artsy YouTube channel.

In the Louvre’s busiest room, the Mona Lisa stares across at Veronese’s massive Wedding Feast at Cana . You can take a virtual tour and get the full scoop on the Louvre’s largest painting here .

You can virtually tour Raphael’s paintings, including Baldasarre , on Google Arts & Culture . Learn about Titian’s Pastoral Concert , which inspired Edouard Monet’s groundbreaking painting Luncheon on the Grass , here .

READ : 3 Day Impressionism Tour of Paris

3. Sculptures in the Denon Wing

If you prefer sculpture to painting, the Denon Wing has one of the world’s most magnificent sculptures — the Winged Victory of Samothrac e.

It also has a room on the ground dedicated to Italian sculpture, the Michelangelo Gallery. It’s one of my favorites spots in the Louvre.

It’s home to Michelangelo’s Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave , from 1513-15. These sculptures seem to struggle to escape the marble.

They were originally intended for the Tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome. But Michelangelo got distracted with the ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and could never finish the tomb.

READ : Masterpieces of the Vatican

You can also find Antonio Canova’s incredibly romantic Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss . It’s considered Canova’s master work.

You can take a virtual tour of Michelangelo’s Slaves here , a virtual tour of Canova’s work on Google Arts & Culture , and a virtual tour of Canova’s Psyche here . You can take a virtual 360 tour of the Winged Victory here .

2. The Sully Wing

In the Sully Wing, you’ll find some of the world’s most beautiful sculptures, antiquities, and the remains of the Medieval Louvre.

One of the Louvre’s greatest ladies, a Hellenistic masterpiece, is here — the Venus de Milo . Even without arms, Venus de Milo is considered the classical epitome of female beauty.

You can also see another masterwork, Sleeping Hermaphrodite , a mythological merger of a male and female body. The ancient sculpture was discovered in Rome near the Baths of Diocletian.

Cardinal Scipione Borghese commissioned the Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini to carve the mattress in 1619. He later sold the piece to the French when he was strapped for cash.

READ : The Bernini Trail in Rome

The Egyptian Antiquities are a well loved highlight of the Sully Wing. The collection features the 12 ton Great Sphinx of Tanis, model ships, ancient sculptures, a massive statue of Ramses II, and a sarcophagus room.

The medieval Louvre is also a fascinating place. Originally, the Louvre was a 12th century fortress built by King Philippe Auguste.

The lower levels are all that remain. Archeologists discovered and excavated the underground medieval remains during the construction of I.M. Pei’s pyramid in 1983-85.

You can take a virtual tour of all the Louvre’s Roman Antiquities here , the Venus de Milo here , and the Sleeping Hermaphrodite here . You can take a virtual tour of the famed Egyptian Antiquities here and walk around the Medieval Louvre here .

3. The Richelieu Wing

In Richelieu Wing, you can admire the Louvre’s Mesopotamian Antiquities, Napoleon III’s Second Empire rooms, sculptures, and some amazing Dutch masterpieces.

The Richelieu Wing boasts the spectacular Cour Marly, a spacious glass roofed courtyard.

It’s stuffed with 17th and 18th marble and white stone sculptures, many commissioned by Sun King Louis XIV and Louis XV. There’s also a magnificent Fountain of Diana, dating from 1550.

Perhaps the most famous part of the Richelieu Wing is the Napoleon III apartments. They were built between 1852-57 to accommodate visiting dignitaries. They’re sumptuous.

Crystal chandeliers glitter, gilded furniture gleams, and the ceilings sport beautiful frescos — all set amid red velvet and red drapery. The Rococo state dining room could seat almost 100 people.

You can virtually tour the Cour Puget here and the Cour Marly here . You can take a virtual tour of Napoleon’s Apartments here .

The Richelieu Wing is also home to some unmissable Dutch old master paintings, including:

• Johannes Vermeer, The Lacemaker
• Johannes Vermeer, The Astronomer
• Rembrandt, Bathsheba at Her Bath.
• Hieronymous Bosch, Ship of Fools
• Georges de la Tour, The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds

From the Louvre’s website, you can see and get an education on The Lacemaker here , Bathsheba here , Ship of Fools here , and The Cheat here .

If you’re a Beyonce fan, her recent music video featured pieces from the Louvre. Now, you can follow the Beyonce Louvre Trail on the Louvre website.

The Louvre is also featuring an Artwork of the Day . If you’re interested in the history of the Louvre, here’s my guide .

Tickets For The Louvre

Naturally, if you decide to visit the Louvre in person, it’s essential to p re-book a skip the line ticket . If you take your art seriously, you may want to  book a guided tour .

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to taking a virtual tour of the Louvre. You may enjoy these other Paris travel guides:

• 3 day itinerary for Paris
• 3 day art weekend in Paris
• 5 day itinerary for Paris
• Hidden gems in Paris
• Guide to the Latin Quarter
• Guide to Montmartre
• Best museums in Paris
• Monet guide to Paris
• Louvre survival Tips
• Tourist traps to skip in Paris
• Guide to the Musee d’Orsay

If you’d like to take a virtual tour of the Louvre from home, pin it or later.

1 thought on “How To Virtually Tour of Paris’ Louvre & See Every Masterpiece”

Good day. I was wondering if you would recommend the Louvre at night . Is there a significant difference in terms of avoiding crowds, the lighting for pics and access to different wings?

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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Leslie Livingston

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Not Heading To Paris This Summer? The Louvre Has Digitized 482,000 Artworks

The Apollon Gallery at the Louvre museum in Paris on Jan. 14, 2020. Stephanie de Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The Apollon Gallery at the Louvre museum in Paris on Jan. 14, 2020.

One of the world's most massive museums has announced an encompassing digitization of its vast collection.

"The Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the least-known," said Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Musée du Louvre, in a statement on Friday . "For the first time, anyone can access the entire collection of works from a computer or smartphone for free, whether they are on display in the museum, on loan, even long-term, or in storage."

Coronavirus Live Updates

France's louvre reopens most of the museum — sans big crowds.

Some of this is hyperbole. The entire collection is so huge, no one even knows how big it is. The Louvre's official release estimates about 482,000 works have been digitized in its collections database , representing about three quarters of the entire archive. (The museum's recently revamped homepage is designed for more casual visitors, especially those on cellphones, with translations in Spanish, English and Chinese.)

"It's just overwhelming," says Andrew McClellan, a Tufts University professor and author of Inventing the Louvre: Art, Politics and the Origins of the Modern Museum . The strategy of putting nearly everything online is in keeping with the Enlightenment ideals that shaped the museum after the French Revolution, he says: "collecting the world's knowledge together under one roof, and then making it available for researchers and the general public."

Major institutions have been digitizing their collections for many years, but the Louvre's online archives required especially exhaustive labor. Every image, according to the museum, is accompanied with scientific data: "title, artist, inventory number, dimensions, materials and techniques, date and place of production, object history, current location and bibliography. ... These documentary entries, drawn up by museum curators and researchers, come from two museum collection databases, and are updated on a daily basis."

Given the expense of running those databases, McClellan and other observers have wondered whether the Louvre may find ways to monetize some of these images, and whether the online collection will affect real-life attendance. ( " I am sure that this digital content is going to further inspire people to come to the Louvre to discover the collections in person," the museum's director said in his statement.)

'The Louvre Is Suffocating': Museum Closed As Workers Strike, Citing Overcrowding

It's also unclear how many of the online images may be of sacred objects, from countries other than France, and not meant to be casually viewed. The digital catalog includes items that may have been plundered — by Nazis or colonial forces — in a separate album titled "MNR" works , which stands for Musées Nationaux Récupération, or National Museums Recovery.

"This has to be coming up against these questions around restitution and repatriation and thinking about what the digitization of cultural heritage means within a context that is contested," observes Suse Anderson, a professor of Museum Studies at George Washington University , who studies the impact of digital technology on museums. She's generally impressed, she says, by the Louvre's online expansion, especially since it steers visitors beyond the obvious marquee works of art such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo .

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Landmark at the louvre: the pyramid turns 20.

"I'm a serendipitous browser," she says. "I'm not the person seeking the hero works. They're so easy to find. I'm the person who wants to find the unexpected."

Like the actual museum, the Louvre's online collection provides pathways towards new discoveries, Anderson says. "It helps you see things you might not otherwise. It helps you find surprises. And that's where I think you often get the connection to your own life, is when you find something that resonates, that isn't the thing you went looking for."

And online, you can ... Louvre ... the jostling crowds of tourists far behind.

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18 Free Online Museum Tours To Enjoy Without Leaving Your Couch

Culture up your day without leaving the comfort of your home with these free online museum tours from around the world.

As the history of museums is entering its digital age, more and more art institutions are choosing to expand their online services. Most large museums today offer online access to their collections. Other online resources such as videos, podcasts, games, etc, are also quite common. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, virtual tours of museums have become a popular substitute for physically visiting museum exhibitions. As a result, free online museum tours are becoming more and more available to the international audience.

From Paris to Seoul, and from Moscow to Mexico City, this is our list of 18 free online museum tours. For additional online art experiences, don’t forget to check our 9 Amazing Online Art Resources To Enjoy At Home .

Free Online Museum Tours

1. the louvre museum, france.

The Louvre’s Petite Gallerie offers virtual tours in the famous museum of Paris. This is the best way to explore the architecture, the exhibits, and the history of France’s leading museum without leaving the comfort of your home.

You can also watch 800 Years of History , a short documentary on the history of the museum, or a series of YouTube videos offering guided tours. In addition, the Louvre offers a VR experience of the Mona Lisa as well as a closer look at its masterpieces through multiple audiovisual supplements.

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Please check your inbox to activate your subscription, 2. musée d’orsay, france.

See works by famous Impressionist and Expressionist artists like Monet , Renoir , Van Gogh , Degas , Claudel and so many more with a virtual visit at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay.

Worth exploring is also the research program The digital worlds of Orsay, where historian Pierre Singaravélou offers a new text three times a week on famous or unknown works from the museum’s collection.

3. Rijksmuseum, Netherlands

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is one of the leading museums in Europe offering a rich variety of online resources . At the center of its home services, lies the Rijkstudio , which allows you to dive into the museum’s vast collection of 707,967 works of art.

Take a free online tour of the museum through Google’s Art and Culture project. Worth exploring is also the Discover Masterpieces virtual tour which takes you through the most prized exhibits of the Dutch museum.

Among the museum’s most famous artworks is without a doubt Rembrandt’s Night Watch.  The Rijksmuseum offers a virtual tour explaining all the details you need to know about the famous painting.

You can also play Key Challenges , an interactive game set in the museum’s main exhibition.

Rijksmuseum from Home is a series of videos where museum employees share their favorite objects from the collection.

If you are still not satisfied with these tours and resources, then have a look at “10 ways to visit Rijksmuseum without leaving home.”

4. Van Gogh Museum, Netherlands

One of Europe’s most popular attractions, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a true monument to the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh . Take a full virtual tour of the museum’s exhibition and immerse yourself in the post-impressionist art of Van Gogh.

If you are a fan of the Dutch painter, you should also check out Van Gogh Worldwide , the most complete resource of Van Gogh paintings and archival material.

5. Vatican Museums, Vatican

The Vatican Museums consist of 54 galleries or sale. These received 6 million visitors in 2019 making the Vatican Museums the third largest museum in the world.

You can explore the galleries at the Vatican Museums website . The institution also offers 360 virtual tours of some of its most iconic monuments like the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms with painted decoration by Michelangelo and Raphael respectively.

6. Uffizi Galleries, Italy

Florence’s leading museum that started as the collection of the Medici family in the Renaissance , is home to some of the most famous artworks in the world.

If you visit the museum’s website you will be able to explore its online collections and take a free virtual tour of its new gallery, as well as other exhibitions like the one on Saint Francis. The Uffizi can also be explored via Google Art and Culture .

7. Reina Sofia, Spain

If you like 20th-century Spanish artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali , then the Reina Sofia in Madrid is the museum for you. However, if Spain is out of your reach, why not check out this virtual tour and the museum’s online resources.

Reina Sofia’s Rethinking Guernica is an online space devoted to material related to Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica. Also, the museum’s Gigapixel is a project offering a selection of hi-resolution artworks by artists like Dali, Miro, Mason, Picasso, Santos, and more.

Other multimedia like podcasts, lectures, and short video documentaries on the Reina Sofia are available here .

8. Acropolis Museum, Greece

The Acropolis Museum is home to the archaeological treasures of the Acropolis of Athens . The museum offers a series of online activities and resources.

You can browse through its collection and discover the history of the Parthenon marbles thanks to the museum’s collaboration with Google Art and Culture .

Also, the museum offers a series of online interactive games that are ideal for young explorers interested in the secrets of classical antiquity.

9. The State Hermitage Museum, Russia

The Hermitage in St Petersburg is one of the richest museums in the world with more than three million items in its collections. The museum’s exhibition includes everything from Egyptian and Greek, to Renaissance and Modern art.

You can visit all of the museum’s rooms with a virtual tour and experience the Hermitage without wearing your wintertime clothes to go to Russia.

10. Pergamon Museum, Germany

Berlin’s world-famous institution offers a comprehensive range of online and virtual material. You can take a virtual tour of the museum or play around with a 3d model of the Pergamon altar , the jewel of the museum and a marvel of Hellenistic art .

Worth seeing is also the colorful Ishtar Gate from Babylon.

11. British Museum, United Kingdom

The British Museum grew out of the cabinet of curiosities of the British collector Hans Sloane and now includes a massive collection of more than eight million items.

There are many ways to experience the museum online. The best are to take a virtual tour  or visit its virtual galleries .

The British Museum also offers other resources like online access to its collections, podcasts, audio tours, videos, and more.

If you are interested in finding more ways to explore the British Museum from the comfort of your home, then you should read this British Museum blog .

12. Tate Britain, United Kingdom

Tate Britain houses one of the largest collections of J.W. Turner’s paintings which you can now explore with this virtual tour.

The museum’s website provides audio tours of the museum and various online tours on various themes.

13. National Museum Of Anthropology, Mexico

The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City is devoted to the history of Mexico’s prehispanic civilizations.

Explore the past of the American continent and take a virtual walk at the museum’s rooms with this free online virtual tour .

14. The Met, U.S.A.

The Metropolitan Museum is another institution that has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to offer free online museum tours to a worldwide audience.

Also on the museum’s website, you will find multiple online resources like The Met 360° , a series of six short videos inviting viewers to virtually experience the Met’s architecture and art.

Worth exploring is also the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History offering more than 1,000 essays on art and global culture using the Met’s collection as a point of reference.

15. MoMA, U.S.A

New York’s leading institution on modern and contemporary art is also offering free online museum tours and resources.

There is a comprehensive virtual tour of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) available on Google Arts and Culture.

Furthermore, the museum has a series of online resources and projects available on its website that allow you to explore its collections and exhibitions. An absolute highlight is the 3D model of Van Gogh’s Starry Night .

16. J. Paul Getty Museum, U.S.A.

Los Angeles is only a second away. Just click here and you will immediately teleport to the virtual tour of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Take a look at the museum’s website for other online resources and access to its collection.

17. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea

Dive into the history of Korean modern art with this virtual tour of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and travel to Seoul without buying a plane ticket.

Don’t forget to check the Online Museum section at the museum’s website which offers interviews with artists and curators, exhibition guides, and more.

18. Museu National, Brazil: A Virtual Tour Against Destruction

Brazil’s National Museum made headlines in 2018 when a good part of its building was destroyed in a fire.

However, thanks to a Google Arts and Culture virtual tour , you can still travel in space and time to take a virtual peek at the museum and its collections before the destruction of 2018.

History of Museums: A Look at The Learning Institutions Through Time

By Antonis Chaliakopoulos MSc Museum Studies, BA History & Archaeology Antonis is an archaeologist with a passion for museums and heritage and a keen interest in aesthetics and the reception of classical art. He holds an MSc in Museum Studies from the University of Glasgow and a BA in History and Archaeology from the University of Athens (NKUA) where he is currently working on his PhD.

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The 13 best virtual museum tours in the world

By Jo Ascherl

Hands up – who is missing art ? While in early 2021 we can only dream of visiting exhibitions in far-flung destinations, we can experience the next closest thing: being transported to world-class museums and galleries, via European courtyards and faraway sculpture gardens, and lose ourselves in virtual tours and talks. Google Arts and Culture has also collaborated with a whole load of venues to place viewers right at the heart of the action. Here are the 13 virtual museum tours to take now.

LOUVRE, PARIS

Initially hesitant to take part in the Covid-induced digitisation that many galleries around the world have launched over the past year, the Louvre has finally succumbed to demand. While not technically offering a virtual tour, the world’s biggest museum has put almost its entire collection online – that’s more than 480,000 works of art. They're available to view for free on the new platform, Louvre Collections, which is updated on a daily basis. Explore by collection and filter to discover some of the world’s most precious paintings, as well as sculptures, inscriptions, objects, textiles and artists until we are able to travel to France and re-experience the museum in all its 4D glory. collections.louvre.fr

Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Rome

It may just be that you had always intended to go to Rome and marvel at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling masterpiece, instead of seeing it endlessly replicated in the media, but you somehow never got round to it. Here you can place yourself in the chapel, which is inside the pope’s official palace residence, and get a more complete impression of how it would be for real. You can even take a tour guide option to wander around the Vatican City and really ramp up the virtual experience. museivaticani.va

NASA, Washington DC

Who isn’t fascinated by NASA and space? Short of getting on a plane to Washington DC (which you can’t do even if you wanted to), this experience gives a glimpse into how the US government agency that deals with National Aeronautics and Space Administration operates. There’s some incredible video footage on it’s website’s Galleries page of test-firing launch systems and missions to the moon, plus you can see a number of exhibitions online via Google Arts and Culture. artsandculture.google.com

Natural History Museum, London

There’s pretty much something for everyone at the Natural History Museum: a 360-degree tour of the Fantastic Beasts exhibition, a gallery full of extraordinary Photographer of the Year images, as well as an up-close experience with Hope the blue whale – with audio guides by the reassuringly knowledgeable Sir David Attenborough . Our top tip: every Tuesday at 3pm you can spend time with a scientist online, and take part in interactive discussions. nhm.ac.uk

The National Gallery, London

If you missed the much-talked-about Titian: Love, Desire, Death exhibition when the National Gallery reopened its doors after the first lockdown in 2020, now is your chance to see the glorious works of the Italian Renaissance painter. There are also video highlights from the gallery’s considerable British collection with The Wonderful Everyday tour. While you’re there, sign up for the family half-term Zoom session (Monday 15 February 2021) on decoding paintings with the help of clues. nationalgallery.org.uk

The Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City

Frida Kahlo’s eventful life has been well documented – along with her eyebrows – but so have her unmistakable colourful masterpieces, from brilliant self portraits to original clothing designs. There is no place more fitting to view her work than in the house where she spent most of her years: La Casa Azul (the Blue House), which was set up as a museum after her death, as she wished. Through this virtual tour, which will transport you straight to Mexico , its possible to explore the house and gardens , as well as view a selection of Kahlo’s art. museofridakahlo.org.mx

Picasso Museum, Barcelona

A very uplifting way to bring a piece of Spain into your living room. Picasso was born in Málaga, but he spent many of his formative years in Barcelona , so many of his most important pieces are housed in this museum. A heady virtual stroll takes in works from his Blue and Rose periods, as well as his series of insightful reinterpretations of Velázquez’s Las Meninas . There are separate tours of the place’s pretty, plant-strewn courtyard and the various places where Picasso lived and worked. bcn.cat

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, USA

Big, bold flowers will forever be associated with O’Keeffe, along with her other distinctive American modernist works including paintings, sculptures and objects, in this collection entirely dedicated to the artist. You can take a virtual tour, and there are also some excellent online lectures and classes, such as drawing with colour, which is suitable for ages 12+, but make sure to book in advance. okeeffemuseum.org

The British Museum, London

No stone (literally) has been left unturned when it comes to exploring the British Museum from home, with a staggering 60-plus galleries to visit via Google Street View. Virtual collections on the museum site cover Oceania, with art and artefacts from the South Pacific islands , and a large selection of prints and drawings. Special online shows worth seeing, meanwhile, include the recent Arctic: Culture and Climate exhibition. artsandculture.google.com

Marti Buckley

Sarah James

Jessica Puckett

Eleanor Aldridge

Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, Spain

So in early 2021 you can't hop over to San Sebastián for some pintxos on a trip to Bilbao , but you will can see this brilliantly designed Frank Gehry museum with an interactive tour that shows a mesmerising video of a photographer catching a free runner scaling the outside of the building before exploring its outstanding modern art collection, with paintings by greats from Mark Rothko and Yves Klein to Willem de Kooning and Anselm Kiefer. artsandculture.google.com

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

This powerhouse of a gallery is home to too many Renaissance greats to mention, but its selection of curated tours goes some way to conjuring up the magic of the Uffizi experience – and the upside is you don’t have to queue behind hordes of visitors to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation or Botticelli’s The Birth Of Venus . You can look up paintings or take a virtual stroll through various parts of the museum, and there are also video stories on lesser-known artists and educational projects. uffizi.it

The Vasa Museum, Stockholm

The behemoth Vasa ship, seen on entering this museum in Stockholm in real life, is one of the most striking pieces of history in the city, and it remains the best preserved example of a 17th-century vessel worldwide – retrieved after it sank in harbour waters in 1628. The audio guides online go through the history of the ship, along with realistic background sounds of the moment it sank, as well as up-close images and a historical timeline of events. stockholm360.net

Anne Frank House, Amsterdam

Anne Frank’s name is indelibly inked in history books as a result of her evocative World War II diaries, published after her death. This is a fascinating, if unsettling, tour around the museum dedicated to her attic hiding place, where she stayed to escape from the Nazis – something she managed until she was found and transported to a concentration camp, aged just 15. The site also has photographic footage of her childhood, along with extracts from her diaries. annefrank.org

MOMA, New York

Manhattan ’s awe-inspiring museum of modern art has a huge online display of work, from paintings and design to sculpture, architecture and film, including virtual views of Van Gogh’s Starry Night , the Surrealist Women exhibition and the gallery's Sculpture Garden. The New York, Open City video is a must for an immersive and historic NY experience. If you sign up to MOMA’s newsletter you can be updated on specific virtual events and live Q&As. moma.org

Now watch a tour around Milan's Fondazione Prada:

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You Can Now Explore the Louvre’s Entire Collection Online

A new digital database features 480,000 works from the Paris museum’s holdings

Nora McGreevy

Correspondent

When cultural institutions around the world were forced to shutter last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic , even the most popular art museum in the world felt the effects. The Louvre , home to such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa , welcomed just 2.7 million visitors in 2020—a 72 percent drop from 2019, when 9.6 million people flocked to the Paris museum.

But even as physical museums remained closed, art enthusiasts continued to seek inspiration in new ways : In that same pandemic year, 21 million people visited the Louvre’s website, according to a statement .

Thanks to a major website redesign and a new online collection database, browsing the historic museum’s holdings from home is easier than ever, reports Alaa Elassar for CNN . For the first time ever, the Louvre’s entire art collection is available to search online. The updated catalogue boasts more than 480,000 entries, from rare items stowed away in storage to the iconic Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace . (Though the digital database is free to browse, offerings are not open access , meaning users cannot directly download, share or reuse the images.)

“Today, the Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the least-known,” says the museum’s president, Jean-Luc Martinez, in the statement. “… [A]nyone can access the entire collection of works from a computer or smartphone for free, whether they are on display in the museum, on loan, even long-term, or in storage.”

Martinez adds, “The Louvre’s stunning cultural heritage is all now just a click away.”

Viewers can also click through an interactive map of the museum, virtually walking through the cavernous halls of the Renaissance castle or the sleek steel-and-glass pyramid designed by American architect I.M. Pei in 1989.

Previously, the public only had access to about 30,000 listings of works in the Louvre’s collections, reports Vincent Noce for the Art Newspaper . Per France24 , more than three-quarters of the entries in the Louvre’s online collection contain images and label information. The museum plans to continue to expand and improve the database in the coming months.

The archive also includes the collections of the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix , which is run by the Louvre, and the nearby Tuileries Garden , as well as a number of Nazi-looted artworks that are in the process of being returned to their original owners’ families.

According to the new online catalogue , about 61,000 works stolen by the Nazis were retrieved from Germany and brought back to France after World War II. Of these works, 45,000 have been returned to their rightful owners. A number of others were sold by the French state. The remaining 2,143 unclaimed works were categorized as National Museum Recovery (MNR) and entrusted to French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, for safekeeping.

Despite the Louvre’s involvement in repatriation efforts, lingering concerns remain that Nazi-looted art may have made its way into the Louvre’s permanent collections during the war. Since hiring curator Emmanuelle Polack to lead a wartime provenance research project in January 2020, the Louvre has checked nearly two-thirds of the 13,943 works it acquired between 1933 and 1945, Martinez tells the Art Newspaper .

In the future, the museum plans to debut the findings of this research project on its website. The director notes that he has instructed curators to conduct a similar investigation of the thousands of artworks in the Louvre’s collections that hail from countries formerly under French control, such as Algeria, Tunisia, Syria and Lebanon.

The goal of this long-term project, he says, will be to identify which items in the Louvre’s encyclopedic collections were obtained through looting or colonial violence.

“Our collections are mostly archaeological and come from digs shared with the countries of origin,” Martinez tells the Art Newspaper , adding that the museum often obtained new archives through “bilateral” legal agreements.

At the same time, Martinez adds, “[M]useums like the Louvre served imperial ambitions and we have to deal with this history.”

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Nora McGreevy | | READ MORE

Nora McGreevy is a former daily correspondent for Smithsonian . She is also a freelance journalist based in Chicago whose work has appeared in Wired , Washingtonian , the Boston Globe , South Bend Tribune , the New York Times and more.

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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Explore the Palace of Versailles and relive its temporary exhibitions remotely, with our collection of 360° virtual tours. 

Horace vernet 

Find all the artworks in this exhibition in a unique setting using 360° photo technology. An immersive experience, to discover the world of Horace Vernet. A key figure at Versailles during the reign of  Louis-Philippe , the artist produced, over period of 13 years, some of the most beautiful paintings in the  Historical Galleries , making Versailles home to the largest collection of his works today.

Curator:  Valérie Bajou, General Curator at the National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon.

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louis xv passions of a king exhibition (2023)

Discover all the works of this exhibition in a unique scenography thanks to the 360° photo technology. An immersive experience, to discover the passions of Louis XV.

Curators : Yves Carlier, Chief Heritage Curator at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Hélène Delalex, Heritage Curator at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.

the king's animals exhibition (2021-2022)

The Palace of Versailles, located in the heart of a huge forest in Île-de-France, has fostered the development of a new relationship with the animal world. From the object of study and collection to the animal as a political attribute and symbol of power, what relations did the Court have with pets, wild and exotic animals?

Exhibition curators : Alexandre Maral, Curator General, Head of the Sculpture Department of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon and Nicolas Milovanovic, Head Curator of the Paintings Department of the Louvre Museum.

hyacinthe rigaud or the sun portrait exhibition (2021)

The palace of Versailles presents the first major monographic exhibition dedicated to the work of  Hyacinthe Rigaud . This most famous portraitist of the Sun King dominated portraiture for nearly a century and set new codes in the discipline.

Exhibition curators : Laurent Salomé, Director of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Élodie Vaysse, Curator of Heritage and Ariane James-Sarazin, Curator General of Heritage, Deputy Director of the Musée de l'Armée.

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versailles revival exhibition (2020)

The exhibition «Versailles Revival» shows the enthusiasm and passion for the Versailles of the Ancien Régime, which developed a hundred years after the French Revolution through 350 works, documents and photographs. In parallel, the Republic gathers its assemblies and receives foreign sovereigns, gardens attract tourists and large waters become a popular destination. 

Exhibition curator : Laurent Salomé, Director of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon et Claire Bonnotte, scientific collaborator of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.

the king is dead exhibition (2015-2016)

The exhibition explores the role of the king’s death in the monarchical imagination and court society, placing the death of Louis XIV in the context of the funeral rituals of European rulers from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. It presents major works of art and historical documents, some of which have never been exhibited before, relating to the survival of this ritual after the French Revolution .

Exhibition curators : Béatrix Saule, Director and Head Curator of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, assisted by Hélène Delalex, Conservation Officer at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon

versailles and the ancient exhibition (2012-2013)

A political and aesthetic ideal, antiquity was glorified in all the courts of Europe since the Renaissance and the Greek and Roman remains were collected with passion by the princes and powerful. But with the reign of Louis XIV, this admiration took on a completely different dimension. To impose in the eyes of all the advent of the absolute monarchy and the power of France, the Sun King conceived his palace as a new Rome dedicated to the cult of Apollo, as well as a sanctuary for his prestigious collection of statues, busts, vases, cameos and medals.

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wardrobe of LOUIS xvi

The wardrobe cabinet , made in 1788, is considered the masterpiece of Versailles royal art. It is a small cabinet of about 13 m2, located in the interior apartment of Louis XVI and accessible through a hidden door. The white and golden woodwork is unique in Europe and represents a peak of French decorative art of the 18th century.  

napoléon rooms

The Napoleonic collections are now presented in several spaces in the palace: in the Coronation Chamber showcasing Napoleon 's rise to become Emperor ; in the rooms known as the « Revolution Room », the « Consulate Room » and the « Empire Room », on the ground floor of the South Wing, presenting the most important moments in Napoleon's rise and his reign in the political, military, diplomatic and dynastic domains ; and in the Gallery of Battles , on the first floor of the same wing. On the second floor, known as the Chimay and South Attics, the story of Napoleon is illustrated by other works, accompanied by many portraits of the Emperor's entourage and the society of his time.

Voyage d’hiver 2017-2018

10 Tips For Visiting The Louvre (Paris, France)

T he Louvre, a treasure trove of art and history nestled in the heart of Paris, is a must-visit for any art enthusiast or traveler. With its vast collection spanning centuries and cultures, exploring the Louvre can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. To ensure you make the most of your visit, here are 10 essential tips to navigate this iconic museum.

1. Plan Ahead

Begin your Louvre adventure by planning ahead. The museum is colossal, and attempting to see everything in one visit can be daunting. Research the Louvre's layout, highlight the must-see artworks, and create a personalized itinerary. Prioritize your interests, be it Renaissance paintings, ancient sculptures, or Egyptian artifacts, to tailor your visit accordingly.

2. Purchase Tickets in Advance

Save valuable time by purchasing your tickets online in advance. The Louvre is immensely popular, and the lines can be exceptionally long. Opting for skip-the-line tickets allows you to breeze through the entrance and dive straight into the cultural wonders awaiting you inside.

3. Visit Off-Peak Hours

To maximize your enjoyment and minimize the crowds, consider visiting during off-peak hours. Early mornings or late afternoons on weekdays are ideal times to explore the Louvre with a bit more tranquility. You'll have a better chance to appreciate the masterpieces without the hustle and bustle.

4. Take Advantage of Guided Tours

Engage in the expertise of a guided tour to gain deeper insights into the Louvre's vast collection. Knowledgeable guides can provide historical context, fascinating anecdotes, and help you navigate the expansive museum efficiently. Some tours even offer exclusive access to certain areas, enhancing your overall experience.

BOOK NOW: Top Rated Louvre Skip The Line Guided Tour

5. Wear Comfortable Attire

Prepare for a day of walking and exploration by wearing comfortable clothing and footwear. The Louvre's sheer size requires a fair amount of walking, and comfortable attire will ensure you stay energized and focused on the art rather than discomfort.

6. Focus on the Highlights

With over 35,000 pieces on display, it's crucial to focus on the highlights to avoid feeling overwhelmed. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace are among the Louvre's star attractions. Identify your must-see artworks and plan your route accordingly.

7. Bring Snacks and Stay Hydrated

Exploring the Louvre can be a time-consuming endeavor, and hunger or dehydration can dampen your experience. Pack some snacks and a reusable water bottle to keep yourself fueled and refreshed throughout your visit. There are designated areas where you can take a break and enjoy a snack.

8. Respect Art Etiquette

While admiring the masterpieces, it's essential to observe proper art etiquette. Refrain from touching the artwork, use flash photography, or creating disturbances. Respectful behavior ensures a pleasant experience for you and fellow art enthusiasts.

9. Explore Beyond the Obvious

While the Louvre's iconic pieces are undoubtedly breathtaking, don't hesitate to explore beyond the obvious. Wander through lesser-known galleries and hidden corners to discover hidden gems and lesser-known treasures. You might stumble upon artworks that resonate with you on a personal level.

10. Reflect and Relax

After immersing yourself in the richness of the Louvre, take some time to reflect and relax. Find a peaceful spot in the museum's expansive courtyard, the Cour Carrée, or nearby Tuileries Garden. Absorb the cultural magnitude of your visit and savor the memories created within the walls of this historic institution.

Conclusion:

A visit to the Louvre in Paris is an unforgettable journey through time and art. By planning ahead, utilizing skip-the-line tickets, and embracing these tips, you can transform your Louvre experience into a seamless and enriching adventure. Navigate the labyrinth of artistic wonders with confidence, and let the Louvre's magnificence leave an indelible mark on your travel memories.

RELATED READ: Must Have European Travel Essentials To Buy Before Your Visiting France

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Get closer to the British Museum collection and immerse yourself in two million years of history, across six continents.

Collection online allows access to almost four and a half million objects in more than two million records. High definition images can be enlarged and examined in detail which will enable you to view the incredible workmanship on the Royal Game of Ur , or the intricate carving on this African hunting horn – just a few of the thousands of highlights to discover. 

Enjoy exploring the collection – from some of the earliest objects created by humankind to works by contemporary artists. Or choose from the curated collections below, which reveal the fascinating stories that transcend time.

Desire, love and identity

Death and memory, collection highlights.

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Amazing Virtual Zoo Tours & Museums to Explore on Your Couch

1. Smithsonian's National Zoo

2. cincinnati zoo virtual tour, 3. san diego zoo, 4. monterey bay aquarium, 5. georgia aquarium virtual tour, 6. new england aquarium virtual tour, 7. barnes foundation: online art classes, 8. google arts and culture, 9. smithsonian national museum of natural history, 10. the louvre, 11. the british museum: history connected, 12. vatican museums, 13. national gallery of victoria, 14. nasa's kennedy space center, 15. pharaoh ramesses vi tomb virtual tour.

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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, zoos, theaters, museums, and other culture venues have stepped up with free virtual tours and online shows for those stuck at home or unable to travel. You will be surprised by the spectacular things you can enjoy from the safety and comfort of your own abode. Given the upheavals in all of our lives, you might as well take this chance to interact online with cherished works of art or adorable animal friends. Here are some of the most popular free virtual tours available to try right now.

Check back from time-to-time as more institutions join this growing trend.

Free Virtual Zoo Tours

Two words: panda cam! Through the Smithsonian National Zoo's giant panda cam, you can watch giant pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang chomp on bamboo and tumble in the grass. You can also help your little ones explore the amimal cams using the activities designed to engage K-5 students in thinking about the animal behavior and habitats. Tap the link in the photos below to check it out.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden rolled out an innovative series of "Home Safari Resources" for your enjoyment last year. Now that the zoo has reopened to the public, you can still find the home safari archive on their website. This collection of videos shows a wide variety of species and are curated by zoo staff. Check it out by tapping the photo below!

The San Diego Zoo is widely recognized as a leader among conservation organizations and was an pioneer in the development of more humane, cage-free enclosures. It remains the most visited zoo in the United States. The zoo has a number of fun animal cams with live video feeds and a large archive of recordings from their previous giant panda residents Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu. Tap the photo below to browse their offerings.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has thrilled visitors from around the world since first opening in 1984. With its focus on local marine life around the Monterey area, the aquarium has garnered widespread attention for its exhibits as well as its important conservation work. Now you can relax to videos of swimming jellyfish as they move mesmerizingly through the water or find yourself delighted by the playful behavior of sea otters. Check it out at the link below.

Georgia Aquarium is home to hundreds of marine and other species. When it opened in 2005, it was the largest aquarium in the world. Georgia Aquarium offers a range of virtual guided tours that take you around to explore the various exhibits and animal residents. The clever and interactive videos are a great companion for your little ones. Check out the offerings and book your virtual tour today. Just tape the link in the photo below.

Ready to get wet? By now you've probably seen the adorable videos of penguins exploring empty aquariums as zookeepers take them around to "visit" the other animals. If this sight melted your heart like it did ours, we think you'll enjoy the digital programs offered by the New England Aquarium in Boston. Aquarium staff post new educational presentations where they introduce viewers to different animals and tackle some of your frequently asked questions. Find a wealth of educational activities to try at home. These are perfect for families with kids or people who are just kids at heart. Check out the link in the photo below.

Virtual Museum Tours

The Barnes Foundation may not be super well known to the public; however, it is quite the name to Impressionist art aficionados. Located in Philadelphia, Barnes offers a slate of online courses for you to enjoy from home. Scholarships are available and new classes are starting up all the time. If you’ve ever fancied dabbling with pen and paper, there's never been a better chance to give it a try and follow your passion. Even if you're not an inspiring artist, you can enjoy the Barnes Takeout video lecture series where curators, scholars, and educators offer their perspectives on works in the foundation's impressive collection. Follow the link in the photo below to learn more.

Google has built up an online gallery of more than 2,500 museums. You can explore masterpieces online with a simple click including at places like Musee d'Orsay, The Museum of Modern Art, the Van Gogh Museum, Uffizi Gallery, the National Gallery of Art, and more. Wandering around Versailles or virtually strolling through MoMA is a great way to spend some time when you're stuck indoors. Check out the offerings in the link below.

You could explore virtual exhibitions and collections with this 360 degree virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. As one of the most popular of the Smthsonian museums, the National Museum of Natural History is a delight to visitors of all ages. Discover why you when you follow the link below to start the tour.

The world's most visited museum offers a collection of virtual tours that you can enjoy at home. With updating content, you can discover more and more of the exciting works of art housed at the world's foremost museum. Get started today by following the link below.

The British Museum has collaborated with Google to bring you this fascinating virtual tour through history. Interactively explore various world cultures and civilizations as you move around on the timeline. You can sample artifacts from the British Museum's collections from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Check it out below.

The Papal enclave in Rome houses some of the most important artwork in the Western canon. You can explore their magnificence without needing to stand elbow-to-elbow as people crane their necks looking up at Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel. The 360-degree movable panoramas allow you to approximate walking through the many collections. On offer include Sala Alessandrina, the Profane Museum, the Pio Clementino Museum, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. Check it out below.

The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia has loads of virtual tours. Navigate through the gallery in 3D virtual space where you can see recommended works, hear the audio guide, and move around using the dollhouse view. Experiencing a gallery in this manner is quite nice as you can get a sense for how the artists and curators work together to develop the space in its entirety.

Other Virtual Tours

Who doesn't love the idea of space exploration? From the Apollo moon landings to the Space Shuttle program and Mars rovers, NASA has pioneered space exploration for over 60 years. Now kids can come along on a series of virtual field trips that explore NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They'll learn about various mission successes and failures. These educational videos provide loads of great entertainment for adults and kids alike. Blast off today at the link in the photo below.

The Egyptian Tourism Authority has an online tour of the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses VI. The 3D virtual experience allows you to feel as if you're walking into famous the tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Murals decorating the tomb appear in striking clarity and the online interface allows you to explore objects up close, something you can't do in real life. If you have an interest in archeology, then this virtual tour is for you. Tap the hieroglyphics below to get started.

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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

No permission slips needed.

Virtual field trips are a game changer. Not only do they fill in for real field trips when budgets and other roadblocks prevent in-person options, but virtual field trips also open doors to educational experiences all over the country and the world, both past and present. No fundraising or permission slips required!

(Note: For anyone who needs it, YouTube offers a closed-captioning option. Just click the CC button in the bottom right-hand corner.)

1. Amazon Career Tours

Amazon Career Tours are free virtual field trips that inspire students to pursue careers of the future. Tour whenever, wherever on Kahoot! Each tour comes with a Teacher Toolkit that includes a facilitation guide and student worksheets.

• (New!) Amazon Music: Careers Behind the Beats : From studio to streaming, check out how computer science and amazing professionals make listening to your favorite songs possible.
• Amazon Fulfillment Center Tour : Explore how packages get delivered at lightning speed and how computer science, engineering, and real people work together to make the magic happen. 
• Data Center Tour 1: Uncovering Cloud Computing : Do students know what “the cloud” actually is? Find out how we went from renting movies at the store to streaming them from anywhere at any time.
• Data Center Tour 2: Keeping Data Safe and Sustainable : Discover the infrastructure that keeps your information safe and sustainable while diving into data careers of the future.
• Space Innovation Tour : Students will learn about the amazing technology on board the Orion spacecraft in NASA’s Artemis I flight test and hear from the engineers who made it all possible.

There are so many amazing online options when it comes to zoos that we couldn’t narrow it down to just one. Most zoos have live webcams in some of their most popular exhibits, such as the KC Zoo Polar Bear Cam and the Giant Panda Cam at Smithsonian’s National Zoo . However, some zoos offer a more in-depth look. You’ll definitely want to check out the San Diego Zoo as their site for kids includes behind-the-scenes videos and stories, as well as a variety of printable activities and online games. Check out our full list of virtual zoo goodness.

3. The Aquarium

It’s a similar story with aquariums. You have your pick of live webcams, but our favorites are the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager webcam (wait for the whale shark!) and the “Jelly Cam” at Monterey Bay Aquarium (so soothing). The Seattle Aquarium even has a 30-minute video tour . Want more under-the-sea fun? Here’s our ultimate list of virtual aquarium field trips.

4. The Farm

The classic preschool field trip goes online! You can have your pick of dairy farm field trips, but we like this one from the Dairy Alliance  and this one from Stonyfield Organic . Farm Food 360 gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Canadian farm and food tours—from raising pigs to making milk and cheese. We’re also loving these virtual egg farm field trips from the American Egg Board.

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5. An Art Museum

We found 20 art museums with virtual tours , including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s # MetKids and its awesome Where’s Waldo? setup. And you can’t miss the world-famous Louvre in Paris (no passport needed!). Check out the current virtual tours: Traveling Materials and Objects, the Advent of the Artist, the Body in Movement, and Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader!

6. A National Park

From webcams at Hawaii volcanoes to a virtual run along the rim of the Grand Canyon , you have tons of options here. Our top pick would have to be Yellowstone. The interactive maps are a great way to see the Mammoth Hot Springs and Mud Volcano, but we think kids will be psyched about the Old Faithful Geyser livestream and the opportunity to make their own predictions for its next eruption . Check out everything the National Park Service has to offer virtually.

7. A Planetarium

Through Stellarium Web , kids can explore over 60,000 stars, locate planets, and watch sunrises and solar eclipses. If you enter your location, you can see all the constellations that are visible in the night sky in your corner of the world.

8. A Recycling Center

Take your students on a virtual field trip of a recycling center and a modern landfill . Plus, there’s a full-on curriculum that includes lesson plans, take-home handouts, and more.

9. Slime in Space

Nickelodeon teamed up with two astronauts on the International Space Station to demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity and had kids reproduce those same demonstrations back here on Earth. It makes for an amazing 15-minute virtual field trip .

10. Nature Lab

The Nature Conservancy has a brand-new virtual field trip entitled “You’re the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs & Cicadas.” Check out their full library of videos on topics like climate change and water security.

11. Discovery Education

Discovery Education hosts a variety of virtual events —each with a companion guide with hands-on learning activities. Current offerings include “Making a New Life: The Courage of a Refugee” and “The Future Is Now” (architectural and engineering innovations). Stay tuned for their upcoming civics virtual field trip, “The American Ideal.”

12. The Great Lakes

This virtual field trip from Great Lakes Now has three components: coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon. Each video is a quick five minutes long.

13. The Strong National Museum of Play

Explore online exhibits and discover the history and evolution of play. Check out board games that changed play, sports video games that shaped digital play, and the making of Monopoly to name a few.

14. U.S. Census Bureau

Kids can learn about the most recent Census and how census data is collected and used. This virtual field trip also features interviews with subject matter experts and an interactive challenge.

15. National Constitution Center

The “Museum of We the People,” the Constitution Center serves as a “headquarters for civic education.” Check out the Interactive Constitution section , and be sure to watch the virtual tour .

16. The Johnson Space Center

Houston, we have a virtual field trip. Three, actually. All with companion educator guides. The star of the show is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Center .

17. Birthplace of Music

Boise State put together this fully interactive virtual field trip with text, photos, audio, and video about the history of music. The four featured music locations are: Vienna, Austria; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia.

18. Colonial Williamsburg

This living-history museum provides a look into life in an early American community. The website offers five different webcams featuring areas such as the tavern and the armory.

19. Mount Vernon

This virtual experience of George Washington’s home is incredibly well done. Enter the different buildings—from the opulent mansion to the chilling slave quarters—and click on different items for video and text explanations.

20. Mount Rushmore

This virtual tour comes with a real tour guide! Blaine Kortemeyer is the Assistant Chief of Interpretation and Education, who lends his expertise on the building of this national monument. The 3D Explorer is also an excellent tool.

21. The Manhattan Project

Take a visit to the National WWII Museum for “a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb.” Don’t forget to download the classroom guide!

22. The White House

For a look inside the iconic building, check out the 360° tour of some of the most historic rooms of the People’s House, from the Situation Room to the Oval Office. Examine each room and check out the contents up close.

23. The Smithsonian

The National Museum of Natural History’s virtual experiences are self-guided, room-by-room tours of permanent, current, and past exhibits. Be sure to send kids to the second floor Bone Hall so they can take a look at all different kinds of skeletons.

24. Google Arts & Culture

A collaboration with over 1,200 leading museums and archives, Google Arts & Culture is an incredible storehouse of monumental works of art. We recommend the Street View and Play sections.

25. 360 Cities

Boasting the world’s largest collection of 360° image videos, 360 Cities provides kids with the opportunity to see stunning panoramas across the globe, including their video of the ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland.

26. Buckingham Palace

It’s the official residence of the Queen of England, and boy, is it opulent! Get a peek inside the gorgeous Grand Staircase, White Drawing Room, Throne Room, and Blue Drawing Room.

27. The Great Wall of China

See one of the wonders of the world with this amazing, thousands-year-old fortification system known the world over. This virtual tour has four scenes available (you have to pay to get access to all 14). The bird’s-eye view of Mutianyu pass is a highlight.

28. Easter Island

Most of us recognize the giant stone statues of Easter Island, but what’s the story behind them? Nova’s online adventure “Secrets of Easter Island” delves into the mystery with a virtual tour.

29. Son Doong Cave

National Geographic lets you explore the world’s largest cave, located in Vietnam. Use the interactive map to enjoy the fully immersive experience (sound on!).

30. Ancient Egypt

You don’t need a time machine! Discovering Ancient Egypt has a ton of free resources, but it’s the interactive pyramid map and 3D temple reconstructions that really give it a field trip feel.

31. Back Through Time

Virtually visit Turn Back the Clock , a museum exhibit that ran for two years at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Through compelling personal stories, innovative interactive media, and pop culture artifacts, the exhibit takes guests through seven decades of history—from the dawn of the nuclear age to significant policy questions our leaders face today.

No, really! You can absolutely “go” to the red planet. With Access Mars , you can see the actual surface of Mars, recorded by NASA’s Curiosity rover. Trust us—don’t skip the intro. And if your kids liked that, check out this 4K tour of the moon . These may go down in history as some of the best virtual field trips your students get to experience.

33. The Battleship New Jersey

Take a virtual tour of this historical battleship located on the Camden waterfront. This battleship has traveled more miles than any other!

34. The Vatican

No need to travel to Rome! Take in the amazing art and architecture located in the Vatican Museums with these 360-degree views.

35. Space Center Houston

Download the app and climb aboard the virtual tram line! Take a virtual walk through the Space Center Houston with informational stops along the way.

36. The Louvre

Virtually visit museum rooms in the famous Louvre located in Paris. Even check out The Louvre kids’ site for student-friendly galleries and stories. You can’t visit The Louvre without seeing the Mona Lisa , so check out their immersive Mona Lisa experience available in the app store.

37. Ellis Island

This interactive tour of Ellis Island lets students explore places like the Baggage Room and the Stairs of Separation through short stories, historical photographs, videos, and audio clips. Students can also hear the stories of real kids who recently immigrated to the United States, explore colorful charts and graphs with immigration data, and watch a 30-minute movie that includes a Q&A with National Park Service Rangers who explain what coming to America was like for many immigrants.

38. Plimoth Patuxet Museums

Travel back to the 17th century with options for free, on-demand, digital resources or a live, 1-hour virtual school program led by a Plimoth Patuxet Contemporary Indigenous Museum Educator. Students explore Wampanoag daily life and history; discover the real history of Thanksgiving and the legend behind it; meet a 17th-century Pilgrim; get an interactive sneak peak into 17th-century wardrobes; and learn about simple machines and water power at the Plimoth Grist Mill. There are also options for virtual hands-on history workshops, including Wampanoag Pottery and Write Like a Pilgrim.

39. Children’s Museum Houston

When you can’t visit the museum in person, 3D virtual field trips to the Children’s Museum Houston are the next best thing. All videos are produced and curated by museum educators and feature hands-on activities that can be done in the classroom. Topics include nutrition, math, states of matter, forces and properties of water, and more.

40. Museum of the American Revolution

Beyond the Battle Field is a virtual field trip for grades 2-8 hosted by Lauren Tarshis, author of the I Survived historical-fiction series for kids. Students will meet a museum educator as well as the museum curator, and explore artifacts and documents from the American Revolution. Plus they’ll hear the stories of teens who served during the war. There’s also a Classroom Kit available with a vocabulary list and discussion questions by grade level.

If you liked this roundup of the best virtual field trips and want more resources like this, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters.

Plus, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too) ..

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