25+ Virtual Tours You Can Take in Quarantine—for Free!
We found virtual tours of the Louvre, SeaWorld, the Winchester Mystery House and more.
Right now, many of us are experiencing a touch of cabin fever. Instead of going out, we’re relying on grocery delivery (learn if you should wipe down the packaging before opening and eating) and activities that can boost our wellbeing, but we’re all a bit weary of staying indoors. Thanks to these virtual tours, though, you won’t have to leave the comfort of your bed to visit the zoo, enjoy the Louvre or experience the spooks of the Winchester Mystery House firsthand.
These are all the best virtual tours to take during your downtime. The only question is: Which one should we take first?
Free Museum Tours
British Museum, London
Explore ancient history from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceana in this totally interactive virtual tour. This museum also features the Rosetta Stone!
Detroit Institute of Arts
Get your fill of modern art, realism, impressionism and more with Detroit Institute of Arts’ online exhibits. There’s also an exhibit that features Frida Kahlo.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Five virtual exhibits walk you through the inspiration behind Georgia O’Keeffe’s greatest works, from modernism to watercolors. She’s affectionately dubbed the “Mother of American Modernism,” and these pieces truly take our breath away.
Getty Museum
With two online exhibits, the J. Paul Getty Museum is loaded with color, history and life lessons we can all take home.
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
Atlanta is home to some of America’s most fascinating history. Walk through the passionate story of the Civil Rights Movement with this online exhibit.
The Louvre
France’s most famous museum is offering four virtual tours: The Advent of the Artist, Egyptian Antiquities, Remains of the Louvre’s Moat and Galerie d’Apollon.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
This tour offers a 3D experience as if you’re actually walking through the museum. Explore 26 exhibits in one sitting, featuring iconic paintings from even more iconic artists.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
For all things fashion—and all things art—the 16 virtual exhibits by the Museum of Fine Arts are definitely worth a look. This is another interactive tour that guides you through the museum without ever needing to leave your couch.
The Museum of Modern Art
You can see MoMA’s full Sophie Taeuber-Arp collection courtesy of this walkthrough guide.
NASA
Get the full experience of being in the Houston Space Center with an app that offers augmented reality. You can also use the virtual gallery to get a 360-degree view of the galaxy.
National Museum of the United States 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.
National Women’s History Museum
These online exhibits feature some of the most influential women in amazing detail, from Harriet Tubman to the brave ladies of the Suffrage Movement. There’s a lot of history here worth spending an hour or two on.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
This museum is chock-full of some of the most beautiful paintings to grace walls, and it’s available for touring via Google Arts & Culture.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Have your own night at the museum—pun intended—with this interactive tour that leads you through the winding hallways of the world’s most interesting historical artifacts.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
You can find the full collection from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum including videos and interviews on their website.
Van Gogh Museum
Go for a walk through Van Gogh’s collection of famous art pieces with this virtual exhibit.
The Vatican Museum
Take a trip to Vatican City without even leaving your house with this virtual tour featuring Raphael’s Rooms, the Sistine Chapel and the New Wing.
Winchester Mystery House
Built by Sarah Winchester in 1884, this spooky house features stairways to nowhere and bricked-up doors. You can find the full video tour, complete with a guide, on the Winchester Mystery House website.
No word on a virtual tour of the Pizza Hut museum, but we’ll keep you posted.
Free Theme Park Tours
Legoland Florida Resort
This virtual tour of Legoland in Florida is just like actually being there. Marvel at everything that can be done with the blocks, and definitely invite the kids to the couch for this trip.
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld’s interactive virtual tour starts out high in the sky, giving you a full view of the park before diving into some interactive rides and activities.
Editor’s Tip: If you click around the map long enough, you can find Legoland and Disneyland, too.
Walt Disney World
If you’re missing Disney as much as we are, this 360-degree panorama is just like a walk through Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and more. Psst…You can also find plenty of videos of the full rides to share with the kids on Youtube.
Free Zoo and Aquarium Tours
Atlanta Zoo
Have some pandas keep you company with Atlanta Zoo’s all-day Panda Cam.
Cincinnati Zoo
The daily Home Safari, a Facebook live stream that typically airs around 3 p.m., fills you in on the happenings at the Cincinnati Zoo. Plus, the Facebook page features The Fiona Show, a 4-season diary of the life Fiona, a baby hippo.
Georgia Aquarium
If you’ve ever wanted to spend the evening with a beluga whale, Georgia Aquarium provides live feeds to improve your downtime.
Houston Zoo
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
Keep an eye on the aviary, coral reef, kelp forest and so much more with Monterey Bay’s 24-hour live cams. 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. Warm up with tropical fish or cool down with penguins in the snow.
San Diego Zoo
Live cams give you a sneak peek into all kinds of exhibits, featuring apes, elephants, giraffes, polar bears, tigers and more 24/7.
Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium’s Facebook page shares all kinds of videos with a whole cast of bubbly characters, like Wellington the penguin and Nickel the sea turtle.