Nothing beats the musty smell of centuries-old tapestries hanging from gilded walls, stepping along ornately tiled floors, a work of art in themselves, and gazing upon paintings created by the art masters.
But when borders close to outsiders and public gatherings are discouraged, a virtual museum visit complete with state-of-the-art close-up images and clever guided video tours are not an unwelcome distraction for anyone staying closer to home.
Here is a list of places you’ll find free virtual museum tours of some of the world’s most stunning museums and their exhibits.
The Louvre, Paris
The Egyptian Antiquities collections, Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the Galerie d’Apollon are on display via a virtual tour on the Louvre’s website. www.louvre.fr
National Gallery of Art, Washinton, DC
Watch video tours of exhibitions, see highlights of the current collection, and enjoy online learning opportunities, audio and video recordings of lectures by artists and curators, and more. https://www.nga.gov
The Vatican Museums
The Vatican Musems are offering seven 360 degree tours including the Sistine Chapel. www.museivaticani.va
Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture offers high-resolution images of artworks housed in over 2500 museums around the world. Using Google’s Street View technology, visitors can explore the halls of museum galleries as well as view high-resolution images of featured art pieces. https://artsandculture.google.com
