Just in case, you are struggling to decide what to view next on TV or Netflix, we have something new that will keep you entertained amid the Coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has put a ‘full stop’ to our outdoor activities and social meetings already, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep on clicking the buttons on the remote control. Bearing in mind the circumstances, lockdown and self-quarantine, several museums across the globe have opened their doors for you through which you can take a tour and that too right from your laptop! So why wait further? Let’s find out which museums are offering free virtual tours.
Scottish National Gallery, Edinburg
Don’t let the small size of Edinburg deceive you into believing that there is nothing worth visiting here. Wrapped in the blanket of hilltops, Edinburg is home to Michelin-star restaurants, grand fairy-tale castles and world-class theatres alongside vibrant nightlife and urban setting against a serene sea view.
The Scottish National Gallery exhibits some of the greatest art in the world. You can find masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh and Gauguin amongst others. The building comprises of National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy both of which are designed by William Henry Playfair. The Gallery is now welcoming people, who are stuck at home owing to COVID-19, to view its fascinating displays through a virtual tour. You can now spend hours strolling around the peaceful setting and walk through the gallery to take a glimpse of masterpieces from renowned painters and artists. Moreover, you can read about the paintings and their representation in depth while taking the tour. If this doesn’t sound fun, what else would?
For virtual tour, click here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours/google-virtual-tour
MoMa, New York
The Museum of Modern Art, founded in 1929 in Manhattan was the first museum dedicated to the arts from the modern era. It has a rich and remarkable collection offering a panoramic overview of modern and contemporary art including most famous paintings in history, from the likes of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night to Rousseau’s The Dream among others. With more than 150,000 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, architectural models and design objects in its extensive library and archives, a virtual walk through MoMa is surely going to inspire the artist inside you.
For virtual tour of the museum, click here: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/moma-the-museum-of-modern-art
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
One of the history’s best painters, Vincent Van Gogh was an ingenious painter who was well ahead of his time. His rich artistic insight is reflected in his paintings and artworks that are studied by different schools of western arts. Call it a blessing or luck, you can now see Van Gogh’s greatest works at the comfort of your couch. Stepping into the museum is easy even when you at home, the museum has partnered with Google to provide a virtual tour to people who wish to see the phenomenal work of Van Gogh. The museum has over 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 750+ personal letters.
To take a tour, visit: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
Musée du Louvre, Paris
The famous Louvre Museum is offering a 360-degree virtual reality tour to art lovers who want to see some of the greatest collections of paintings and rare artifacts at the comfort of their home. Known to be Paris’s most iconic monument, Louvre Museum is home to Egyptian antiquities, the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, the decorative arts of the Galerie d’Apollon and works from Michelangelo. The tour is extremely easy to navigate. You can use a minimap to select what you’d like to see first. Moreover, you can know details of each room through this virtual tour that will make you feel like you are standing right there and gazing at the artifacts.
Click to take the 360-degree virtual reality tour: https://www.youvisit.com/tour/louvremuseum
British Museum, London
Situated in the heart of London, British Museum has opened up its doors to those interested in history, art and culture. You can take a glimpse of hundreds of artifacts from various periods of history including Egyptian mummies. The museum has teamed up with Google Culture Institute to offer a virtual tour to keep you immersed in two million years of human history and culture. Here’s a list of things you must watch when taking a tour: The Rosetta Stone, The Elgin Marbles, Samurai Armour, Easter Island Head, Colossal Granite Head of Amenhotep III and Oxus Treasure etc.
To take the tour, visit the website: https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Built in 1900, Paris’s Musée d’Orsay was a former railway station that now houses a great collection of artwork from 1848 to 1914. You can visit Van Gogh’s bedroom in Arles or Millet’s Gleaner virtually and soak up the vibes of the era. Its collections represent all expressive forms, from painting to architecture, sculptures to decorative arts and photography. The museum hosts the world’s largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces from Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir to Cézanne.
Click the link for a tour: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris?hl=en
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
If you’re familiar with history, you might be interested in walking past the Uffizi Gallery which was designed by Giorgio Vasari, a member of the powerful Medici family. The museum has made some of its collections and exhibits available online for people who want to get a taste of what the museum has to offer, including paintings from the 14th-century and Renaissance period. You can spot some absolute masterpieces from Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and Caravaggio.
Take a tour of the gallery through this link: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en
