9 Famous Museums Offer Digital Tours You Can Take From Home

Staying home, whether you are in quarantine or just social distancing and not going to public spaces, can be isolating and boring. But it doesn’t have to be. Many of the world’s famous museums are offering virtual tours that you can take from the comfort of your living room.

According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture has made it incredibly easy to do by partnering with over 500 museums and art galleries around the globe. You can take a virtual trip to Paris and visit the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre. Go to Amsterdam to see the Van Gogh Museum, Street Art Museum, or Anne Frank’s Family Home.

You can take in a large variety of museums in New York City including the Met, MoMa, the Museum of Natural History or for quiet reflection take a virtual tour of the Cloisters collection of Renaissance tapestries. all without ever leaving home.

Goodnet has prepared a small selection of museums that you can check out but there really is something for everyone.

The Louvre – Paris, France

France’s iconic art museum has one of the largest collections in the world. The museum is now offering free online tours of some of its best-loved exhibits including the works of Michael Angelo and Egyptian Artifacts. You can see a 360-degree look at the museum and visit rare artifacts.

[#UnJourUneOeuvre]
Le groupe de Daphné par Guillaume Ier Coustou et d’Apollon par Nicolas Coustou illustre un passage des Métamorphoses, racontant la poursuite de Daphné par le dieu du soleil et sa transformation en laurier pour lui échapper
????https://t.co/Ffqdsj88td#Sculptures pic.twitter.com/N5CXqmBIsI

— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) March 1, 2020

British Museum – London, England

Located in the heart of the city, the museum allows virtual visitors to discover ancient artifacts like the Rosetta Stone, objects from the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and even dinosaur bones. Take the tour and see hundreds of archeological artifacts.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York City, New York

The Met is home to over 2 million works of art and you do not have to go to New York city to see them. The museum’s website features an online collection and virtual tours of Native American art, Arms and Armor, Met kids, fine art and much more at all three locations.

There is something to see for people of all ages. 

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Vatican Museums – Vatican City State, Rome

The museums of the Vatican feature a collection second to none of art and sculpture curated by the Pope’s over the centuries. You can take a virtual tour of some of the museum’s exhibits that includes the Sistine Chapel’s Michelangelo ceiling.  

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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History – Washington DC, US

The museum of Natural History is one of the most visited museums in the world. Virtual visitors are welcomed into the rotunda and can see a 360-degree walking tour of all the exhibits. Check out the Insect Zoo, Hall of Mammals and the giant dinosaurs in the Hall of Paleobiology. This is a must for kids of all ages.

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Van Gogh Museum – Amsterdam, Netherlands

This museum contains the largest collection of artworks by Vincent Van Gogh – this tragic Dutch artist – including 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters. Now you can take a virtual tour on Google. There are four museum views featured.

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National Museum of Anthropology – Mexico City, Mexico

This museum in Mexico’s capital is dedicated to archaeology and the history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic indigenous people. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with artifacts including some for the Mayan civilization. Take the exciting virtual tour into the past.

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The State Hermitage Museum – St. Petersburg, Russia

This is one of the largest museums in the world and one of the most beautiful. Featuring 3  million exhibits that range from antiquity, Russia, Western Europe, and even more. The museum dates back to 1754 when Catherine the Great purchased a large art collection and is housed in five buildings including the Winter Palace of the Tsars. Explore the epoch collection from the comfort of home.

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The Israel Museum – Jerusalem, Israel

This leading art and archaeology museum includes works from pre-history to the present including the Dead Sea scrolls – that are housed in The Shrine of the Book along with rare medieval manuscripts.  The collection includes fine art, and the Jewish Art and Life wings. You can take a street view virtual tour through Google.

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