Social distancing impacts many areas of our lives. Every day, more and more businesses shut down shop for a few weeks to help curb the spread of COVID-19. This has a huge effect on the museum world as well. While doors are closed, museum pros have been hard at work getting lots of digital content online so that folks can still get their museum fix.
Lucky for you, I started to compile a list of museums with digital resources since I know travel, weekend…and all plans have been upended. Bookmark this page and hang out with me on Instagram while we will visit some museums together.
Google Arts Culture has TONS of amazing virtual museum experiences from all over the world, but not all museums are on there. Also, many museums are creative with their offerings, so I recommend going directly to their website or Instagram. If you are looking for ideas for how to use Google Art Project, check out The Museumgoer which has activities for using the platform. If you want to engage in your artsy side beyond digital museum experiences, The Muse Life has some great tips for engaging with art at a safe and healthy distance.
A big thank you to folks who reached out on Instagram with suggestions to include your museums. I was excited to learn about new museums and I’m excited to share them with everyone. If you are wondering why some major museums are not listed, it’s because they are already included on Google Arts & Culture, which has lots of museums and a pretty easy search feature. This list is not at all comprehensive, so please let me know if you’ve seen an amazing museum virtual tour that should be on here.
Museums are categorized by subject matter. Some of the resources are designed for kids, but are still a lot of fun. I’ve also included their Instagram handles so you can give them a follow if you don’t already.
The Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Museums have a lot available – open access collections, podcasts, games, virtual tours….you name it. There are so many of them they have their own category!
Historic Houses and Sites
Carlyle House @carlylehouseva – fun Instagram videos – learn how to make butter, which is also a workout
Colonial Williamsburg – @colonialwmsburg – interactive timeline, recipes, quizzes, lots of fun stuff to time travel
George Washington’s Mount Vernon @mount_vernon – lots of digital resources, including an amazing virtual tour of George Washington’s home and a podcast series
James Madison Montpelier @jmmontpelier – podcast, blog, and more
Old Barrack’s House Museum @oldbarracksmuseum – online exhibit “When Women Vote”
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum @rbhayespres – virtual tours and a scavenger hunt
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello @tjmonticello – live virtual tours every day
History Museums
The Durham @thedurhammuseum – digital field trips
Kentucky Historical Society @kentuckyhistoricalsociety – take the virtual tour and learn all about the history of my home commonwealth (fun fact: Kentucky is not a state)
Museum of the American Revolution @amrevmuseum – a virtual tour of galleries and field trip
Virginia Museum of History and Culture @virginiahistory @vmhceducation – virtual tours, videos, and more
Art
The Met @metmuseum – so much available…blogs, games, courses, etc.
Minneapolis Institute of Art @artsmia – digital collection and lots of ways to explore at home
National Gallery of Art @ngadc – Instagram Tour
The Johnson Collection @thejohnsoncollection – digital art experience
Science
American Museum of Natural History @amnh – fun digital content
International
The British Museum @britishmuseum – a podcast
The Louvre @museelouvre – online tours, lots of fun digital resources
Rijksmuseum @rjiksmuseum – curate your own art collection
Victoria & Albert Museum @vamuseum – digital collections and exhibits
Don’t forget to support small museums. Just like small businesses, they will be hit hard by COVID-19 closures. You can support them with membership to visit in the future or by making a donation. Every dollar helps!
Even by the time this post is published, there will be new digital content available and I’ll do my best to keep it current. Check back in a day or so to see something new.
Is there a museum that you love that you don’t see listed? Send me a note and I will add it to the list. The more the merrier!
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