Although travel may not be possible right now, you can still experience many places virtually, all from the comfort of your own home. There are loads of virtual tours that you can take, including viewing some amazing national parks and experiencing some culture with virtual museum tours.
Whether you’re an art lover, a student or you like to visit museums on your travels, don’t despair. Now you can get a little culture and ‘go to the museum’ without leaving your house!
There are over 2500 museums that you can tour online – wow!
We’ve listed 25 of these virtual museum tours here. There are some well known museums to start with, but keep scrolling down to see some other interesting museums from around the world. Be sure to pin this for later!
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
The Museum of Modern Art in New York, or MoMA, was the first museum devoted to modern art. Collections now include over 150,000 paintings and works of art, including highlights such as Monet’s Water Lilies, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and with more recent works by Andy Warhol. Visitors can view 129 items online here or browse individual collections here. Each week the museum also releases a new exhibit or favourite artwork here.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
This museum boasts the largest collection of artwork by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings and over 750 personal letters. Learn more about Van Gogh and explore the collection here or take a 360 degree virtual tour here.
The Uffizi Gallery, Italy
Located in Florence, Italy, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the world’s oldest galleries. Originally designed in 1560 to house the art collection of the prominent Medici family, it’s now a museum open to the public and known for the famous David sculpture by Michelangelo. Tour the online exhibits here.
Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Brazil
MASP is Brazil’s first modern museum and is home to the most important collection of modern and classical western art outside of Europe and North America. What makes this museum so unique is the ‘crystal easels’ or glass panels that the art is displayed on, to make it seem like the art is floating in midair. Take a look for yourself on this virtual tour.
British Museum, England
Located in the heart of London, the British Museum proudly declares itself a place for ‘all studious and curious persons’. With over four million objects online, there is something for everyone! Virtual visitors can explore ancient history from around the world, discover the Rosetta Stone and learn about Egyptian mummies. Here are a few different ways to visit the museum virtually, including this interactive virtual tour.
National Gallery of Art, Washington
This American museum in located in Washington, USA. You can learn about current exhibitions at the museum here or view two online exhibits, one of American fashion from 1740 to 1895 and the second of paintings by Vermeer here.
Louvre, Paris
The world’s largest art museum is also one of the most famous, and an essential attraction in Paris, France. The Louvre is home to some of the most famous works of art in the world, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. They offer a virtual tour of several famous exhibits, including the Egytian Antiquities.
Musee D’Orsay, Paris
Also in Paris, the Musée d’Orsay has the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works in the world. A virtual tour lets you walk through the gallery that houses famous works from French artists, such as Monet, Cézanne, Degas and Renoir.
National Gallery, London
Home to 2,300 paintings, watercolours, drawings and other European art from the 13th to mid-20th century, the National Gallery has one of the finest collection of European paintings in the world. Explore these paintings as you step inside the Gallery with thes virtual tours.
Guggenheim, NYC
One of five Guggenheim museums in the world, this one in New York City is often referred to as “The Guggenheim”. It houses a large collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and contemporary art, as well as featuring special exhibits throughout the year. Explore the online exhibits or take walk through the museum with a 360 degree view here. Although not free, they also offer family programs for children to explore the museum from home and virtual art classes for kids of all ages.
Guggenheim, Bilbao
Built more recently, the Guggenheim, Bilbao was constructed in 1997 and is said to be one of the most admired works of contemporary architecture. You can view the museum from different angles here. The museum contains a collection of modern and contemporary art, including Andy Warhols’ Marilyn Monroe. Learn more about the museum and take a virtual tour.
ROM, Toronto Canada
The Royal Ontario Museum is one of the world’s leading museums of national history and world cultures. Located in Toronto, it made our roundup of 17 Virtual Tours in Ontario. Google Arts and Culture offers two online exhibits or you can browse the online collections here.
National Art Museum of Ukraine
The National Art Museum is dedicated to Ukrainian Art and is the oldest museum in Kyiv, Ukraine. You can browse individual works of art on their website or check out this unique virtual gallery launched by UN Women. HeForShe Arts Week features female artists from the collections of the Museum. Some of these paintings are not part of the permanent exhibition so this may be the only opportunity to see them.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum has a vast collection of over 1 million works of art, including art by Dutch masters, such as Vermeer, Van Gogh and Rembrandt. You can browse the online exhibits here or check out multimedia tours here.
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea
Known as the MMCA, this museum is actually made up of three – soon to be four – locations in Korea. The gallery in Seoul is an impressive six story building, filled with modern and contemporary art from Korea and around the world. This virtual tour takes you through several online exhibits and lets you explore the different locations.
Botero Museum, Bogota, Colombia
With one of the most important international art collections in Latin America, the Museo Botero is one of the must-see museums in Bogota. Fernando Botero is a well-known Colombian artist, famous for his distinctive paintings and sculptures of oversized characters. In 2000, he donated over 200 pieces of art, including over 100 of his own, to start the museum. Browse his paintings, sculptures, and other artwork here, including a parody of the famous Mona Lisa.
The National Museum, Prague
The National Museum is the largest museum in the Czech Republic. Its collections include many items relating to science and natural history. Their many online exhibits include different aspects of Czech history as well as a section with activities for kids.
Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, Canada
The RAM is a museum of human and natural history in Edmonton, Canada. It’s the largest museum in western Canada and one of the top museums in Canada. Explore the collection in 3D on this virtual tour or check out some of the at-home activities here.
Picasso Museum, Barcelona
The Museu Picasso in Barcelona houses one of the largest collections of art by Pablo Picasso. Picasso was a Spanish artist who invented collage and who was also famous for helping to create Cubism. This virtual tour takes you around some of the main works in the museum.
National Museum in Krakow, Poland
The National Museum in Krakow was created in 1879, when Poland was divided as a country and under different rules of Prussia, Russia and Austria. The museum has become a symbol of national pride and its mission is to collect, protect and promote the national and cultural heritage of the Polish people. Explore the different online collections here.
The Australian Museum, Sydney
As the oldest museum in Australia, its mission is to inspire exploration, understanding and care for the world. The museum is known for its collections and exhibitions of natural history and anthropology, featuring the flora, fauna and cultures of Australia and the Pacific. View the online exhibits here or explore the museum with a 360 virtual tour.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is known for modern and contemporary art. It features an extensive collection of modern Scottish art, as well as cubist paintings, including paintings by Matisse and Picasso. You can view their online collections here.
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
The Israel Museum is among the world’s leading art and archaeology museums. Its collections feature archaeology of the Holy Land and Jewish Art, European and Israeli contemporary and modern art, as well as housing the Dead Sea Scrolls and other artefacts discovered at Masada. You can take a virtual tour of the museum here.
Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada
The largest art gallery in Western Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery has a large collection of photographs and paintings. The collections feature works by local Vancouver artists, historical landscapes as well as a significant collection of paintings by Canadian Emily Carr. Take a virtual walk through the museum here.
Tokyo Fuju Art Museum, Japan
The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum is one of the largest private museums in Japan, featuring over 30,000 works of art from Japan and around the world. The museum’s motto is “to create bridges around the world” and they regularly sponsor exhibitions from other international museums. You can explore the museum virtually or view the online collections here.
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I am a huge art lover and have been to many of these, and I can’t wait to share them with my kids! Thank you!
This is a good post definently going to be using this list this summer. Thanks
My son and I have enjoyed visiting zoo’s so far virtually. Thank you for the excellent suggestion of including museums as well. I’m excited to do some themed lessons, based on the museums you’ve provided.
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy the tours!