Hero photo by John Parker Bach

Stuck at home and eager to get out? This is the perfect opportunity to take a virtual tour through national wonders, museums, aquariums and national parks around the world while we’re all practicing social distancing and staying indoors. Explore and learn different subjects, history and discover new things and interests – here’s to some inspiration for your next destination and add to your list of next places to visit! 

AQUARIUMS

Monterey Bay Aquarium: dive in and check out all the various live webcams that span from sea otters, penguins and sharks!

Waikiki Aquarium: check out the Monk seals exhibit through the LIVE webcam!

MUSEUMS 

Google Arts and Culture partnered with over 2,500 museums and galleries around the world to offer virtual tours of their spaces. 

Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA): has a YouTube channel, which has videos of presentations, staff favorites and other goodies cultivated over the years.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met): Take a virtual tour through this famed museum in New York City and check out all their unique exhibits.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: you can go floor to floor and check out exhibits currently on display like the FossilLab. Exhibits no longer on display are also available to explore virtually!

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: check out this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building virtually – view works of postmodern, conceptual and installation art

The British Museum (The Museum of the New World): A cool, interactive museum that provides audio descriptions while you “browse” through the various exhibits! 

The Louvre: the virtual tours of this world famous museum allow you to literally ‘walk through’ the halls, and view the work of Rembrandt, Delacroix, Egyptian antiquities and other artists you may know like the famous Mona Lisa painting.

The Vatican: the 360 tours allow you to view the intricate Roman sculptures and Renaissance paintings on display, including the Sistine Chapel. 

Van Gogh Museum: take a virtual tour and scroll through all the famous paintings – you may recognize a few 🙂

NATIONAL PARKS

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Located in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico, this popular park has over 100 caves. Explore the rock formations, caves and check-out simulation and experience life as a bat. 

Craters of the Moon National Monument: Located in Central Idaho, explore this magnificent land that contains a diverse array of volcanic features including volcanic rifts, cinder cones, spatter cones, shield volcanoes and lava tube caves.

Grand Tetons National Park: Climb the grand tetons from the comfort of your couch

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii: Get your Hawaii fix and explore active volcanoes and a lava tube up close and personal!

Yellowstone National Park: Take a virtual tour of Yellowstone through their various webcams in the park – explore geysers (including Old Faithful) and scope out wildlife.

Zion National Park: Explore this wondrous park and discover Angels Landing and The Narrows!

NATURAL WONDERS

The Northern Lights: here’s one thing to check-out, a day and night live stream of this spectacular view of The Northern Lights, the world’s amazing light show. 

TAKE A TRIP TO HAWAII!

With the help of Google Earth, users can take a tour of some of Hawaii’s beautiful landmarks, such as Waikiki Beach, North Shore and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Google’s Arts & Culture project also features the Big Island’s biggest attraction, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Check out this virtual tour of the volcano with 360-degree views of the park with a park ranger to guide you too!