{"id":7045,"date":"2020-11-20T14:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T14:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tiqets-blog-staging.local\/virtual-museum-tours\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T10:33:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T10:33:26","slug":"virtual-museum-tours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/virtual-museum-tours\/","title":{"rendered":"90+ Virtual Museum Tours You Can Enjoy from Your Couch in 2024","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2013 This post was written by Lauren Voges<\/strong> <\/strong>\u2013<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can still enjoy some of the most iconic exhibitions and artworks from around the world in the comfort of your own home? That\u2019s right, just because you can\u2019t elbow your way to the front of the crowd before the Mona Lisa and enjoy her over the shoulders and iPhone screens of other museum-goers doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t get to appreciate her at all! There are more ways to culture than you might think, and one of them is virtual museum tours and experiences. Keep reading to discover 90 incredible virtual museum tours, from the Guggenheim in New York to the Palace of Versailles in Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n

First, what are virtual museum tours?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Simply put, virtual museum tours offer simulations of a museum\u2019s physical space using a combination of video and images. This means visitors can browse a museum and its collection on their phone or desktop from just about anywhere \u2013 all they need is an internet connection. 

The term \u201cvirtual museum tour\u201d has been interpreted differently by museums. Some museums offer immersive 3D virtual tours of their collections. A 3D virtual tour gives you a 360\u00b0 view of the museum\u2019s premises, allowing you to click your way through corridors and rooms of the museum, as well as view the artworks on display. Google Arts & Culture has helped to bring a lot of these tours to life with its Google street views technology \u2013 thanks, Google! 

Other museums provide only the images of the artworks in their collection, categorizing them by room or era and offering explanatory texts to offer context to the visuals \u2013 just like you would have in the museum itself. And some other museums and attractions have created live tours for culture enthusiasts to enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Virtual museum tours don’t require you to be physically present at a museum. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n

How to become a virtual tourist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Now that you\u2019re all clued on the concept of virtual museum tours, it\u2019s time to become a virtual tourist. All you really need is your phone or desktop screen (the bigger, the more immersive), a solid internet connection, and some headphones (mainly to help you block out your real surroundings and the sound of your little brother watching cartoons). 

So get comfy on the couch, grab a cup of tea, put on some headphones, and start clicking your way through some of the most iconic museums in the world. Happy virtual touristing!
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Virtual museum tours around the world <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

1. The British Museum (London)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

The British Museum, which is dedicated to human history, arts and culture, has been experimenting with virtual tours since as early as 2015. With the help of Google Arts & Culture, you can take a 3D virtual tour of the entire British Museum<\/a>.  

In 2017, the British Museum started exploring with more VR tours like its Egyptian galleries tour and its sculpture tour. You can enjoy these tours through Facebook<\/a> or with the help of a Samsung VR headset. <\/p>\n\n\n

2. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington DC)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History also offers not one, but several virtual museum tours<\/a>! Browse their permanent, current, or past exhibitions and if you\u2019re truly invested in this virtual journey through time and history, keep going and check their support center and research stations. They\u2019ve also got a few other tours<\/a> to keep you happily occupied. You\u2019re going to need another cup of tea for this one.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A peek into the virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n

3. The Louvre (Paris) <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

We\u2019ve already mentioned the Louvre\u2019s stunning Mona Lisa VR experience<\/a>, but there\u2019s more. The Louvre also offers a virtual tour of its Egyptian Antiquities collection<\/a>; a peek at what the Louvre, which was initially a fortress built by King Philippe Auguste, probably looked like in medieval times<\/a>; and a tour of the Galerie d’Apollon<\/a>, which was destroyed in 1661 and then rebuilt by Le Vau. 

Top tip: <\/strong>Make sure that you\u2019ve got Flash Player installed to be able to experience these virtual tours.<\/p>\n\n\n

4. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

We can\u2019t all live in New York and be a stone\u2019s throw away from one of the most awe-inspiring museum collections on the planet. But thanks to yet another successful Google Arts & Culture partnership, we can browse The Met virtually. Relish 6 collections, 2 different 3D virtual tours, and over 200,000 artworks in this virtual museum tour of New York\u2019s Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a>. 

Highlights include:<\/strong> \u2018A New Look at Vermeer\u2019 <\/a>and Christian Dior: Ball Gowns<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

5. The Palace Museum (Beijing)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

Located in the imperial palace of two consecutive dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, Beijing\u2019s Palace Museum is both stunning and impressive. And you don\u2019t have to find your way to Beijing to appreciate some of its astonishing collections. With virtual tours of 15 of its exhibitions<\/a>, the Palace Museum is really only a click away. So, get your virtual tourist on and start discovering. <\/p>\n\n\n

6. The Guggenheim (New York)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

One of the most spectacular things about New York\u2019s Guggenheim Museum is the building itself. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943 and opened to the public for the first time in 1959, this eccentric building is one few would not recognize. And thanks to Google Arts & Culture, you can explore Guggenheim\u2019s extensive collection as well as its iconic spiral-themed interior<\/a>, all without putting a foot out the door. <\/p>\n\n\n

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