Virtual Tours for When It's Too Hot to Go Anywhere
I’m in Denver, Colorado, it’s 97 degrees out, and fuel prices are so high that it doesn’t make sense to book a flight or roadtrip to somewhere cooler. So, I’m hanging out in the AC and trying not to doom scroll.
If you're feeling the same way, check out this collection of world-class digital museum tours, historical wonders, and immersive science centers accessible online.
Cultural & Art Museums
- The Louvre (Paris): Louvre Official Tour – Explore Egyptian antiquities and historic gallery architecture.
- The British Museum (London): British Museum Timeline – Walk through an interactive, visual grid of global history.
- Vatican Museums (Vatican City): Vatican 360° Rooms – View the Sistine Chapel ceiling and Raphael's rooms in high resolution.
- National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C.): Smithsonian Virtual Tour – Take a self-guided, room-by-room trek through the fossil and mammal halls.
Historic Landmarks & Wonders
- Great Wall of China: Great Wall Digital Walk – Experience a 6.5-mile virtual hike from Jinshanling to Simatai.
- Machu Picchu: Machu Picchu 360° – Access high-definition aerial and ground perspectives of the ancient Inca ruins.
Science & Space Exploration
- NASA’s Johnson Space Center: NASA Space Center Tour – Go behind the scenes of rocket displays and space station training mockups.
Botanical & Estate Gardens
- Smithsonian Gardens: Smithsonian Digital Gardens – Tour specialized orchid exhibitions and capital landscape displays.
- United States Botanic Garden: USBG Conservatory Tour – Walk through historic national glass houses and outdoor plant exhibits.
- More Gardens, including Kew Royal Botanic Gardens: Kew Virtual Highlights – Explore massive Victorian glasshouses and rare global plant ecosystems.