8 Virtual Museum Tours Sure to Inspire the Whole Family
In this day and age of social distancing, we've found a lot of ways to "escape." If you and your family are super into all things Disney, you guys have probably taken virtual Disneyland ride tours. If Mom and Dad are exhausted from all-day homeschooling, they've likely attended their fair share of virtual happy hours. And you folks who love a good laugh and a great movie have for sure watched your fair share of funny family movies. While all of that is well and good, it may be time to introduce the gang to a little, well, culture. Good news: If you can't currently buy a ticket and visit the most extraordinary museums in the world, those museums will come to you. Seriously! You can virtually tour the Louvre, Met, J. Paul Getty, and more—and see all the masterpieces found within those hallowed halls—without ever leaving the sofa. All you need for these fine art tours is a screen and a few hours!
The Louvre
The Paris landmark offers multiple virtual museum tours that make you feel as if you're exploring the galleries in-person. Yes, there's the Mona Lisa (who merits a virtual reality experience all her own), but you can also view Egyptian antiquities, remains of the Louvre's moat, and The Body in Movement, an exhibition of art relating to dance.
The J. Paul Getty Museum
The Los Angeles branch of the J. Paul Getty Museum is home to works from the eighth through the 21st century. Through Google's Arts and Culture feature, you can take in some of the most notable highlights of the collection, including Van Gogh's Irises. After your tour, take on the museum's challenge to re-create the most iconic artworks using household items.
The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum
If you'd like a more interactive virtual museum tour, point your browser to the online outpost of the Baltimore home of one of literature's most fascinating authors. The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum offers docent-led live, guided tours (via Zoom) where you'll learn about the author's life in Baltimore, the poems and stories he created there, and his mysterious death. The admission is "pay what you can," and you will need to reserve your time in advance.
The Art Institute of Chicago
You might be reminded of Pinterest as you browse the collection in the virtual museum tour. You'll start on a page with the most famous pieces in the collection (such as Grant Wood's American Gothic, Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grand Jatte and Edward Hopper's Nighthawks), but you also have the option to explore the collection by theme (like "animals" or "impressionism") or you can search for specific works. Also fun: The museum also offers virtual backgrounds ready to download for your next Zoom party.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Whether you'd like to take a close look at a Chanel gown or a Renoir, you'll find hundreds of masterpieces during this virtual museum tour (accessible through Google Arts and Culture). You can also explore the exquisite architecture of the museum itself with a Streetview tour.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
There are so many ways to virtually poke around the museum: 360-degree videos of notable locations, scroll-able walk-throughs of the British decorative arts galleries, playlists inspired by rock and roll's most famous instruments, and so much more. If you'd like to lose a (few) days to just looking around the collections, take a look through hundreds of thousands of items available to see through Google Arts and Culture.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Early in quarantine, you might have remembered the museum's Twitter account trending after a security guard was put in charge of social media duties to wholesome and hilarious results. However, the museum itself is just as noteworthy with its fascinating collection of Western art and artifacts. Check it out through Google Arts and Culture, then tweet them a howdy.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Rest your eyes while listening to interviews and performances from the museum's archives. Then, poke through the digital archive for a fascinating look into the history behind some of country music's greatest songs, albums and performers. Make sure to check back to catch live virtual events (like performances and songwriter sessions), too.
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