One of the adversities of covid19 is the inability to travel, far and wide, to go on planned vacations and get new experiences. Hence, this article has put together a list of 13 world-class incredible free virtual museums online.
Excitingly, from the coziness of your sofa, experience these 3D-animated incredible museums as though you were there live, as exhibits, walk-throughs, and close-up scrutiny of each artwork and crafts, are made possible through virtual tours online, thanks to Google Arts and Culture.
1. Albertina, Wien Austria
This former palace of Habsburg Monarchy in the heart of Vienna is an incredible masterpiece of art and flair. With a winged-shape roof, the museum is replete with prehistoric art collections spanning over 130 years, with a European collection of international modern art.
Albertina has 21 European-style furnitured rooms, housing one of the world’s most important graphic art and crafts. Art collections ranges from Neo-classicism, French impressionism, to modern-day artistry.
How To Visit Albertina Virtual Museum online
The Online tour is free and opens 24 hours a day, all year round. It opens daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, but extends to 9 PM closing time on Wednesdays, including holidays.
Visit at: https://eventland.eu/en/event/35214/albertina-virtual-tour-online-collection/
Ticket Prices
Adults: €11
Senior citizens: €9
Students: € 8
Children and young people (under 19): free
More details on tickets?, visit: https://upgradedpoints.com/best-virtual-museum-tours/
2. Benaki Museum, Greece
Founded in 1930 by Antonis Benakis as a memorial, the Benaki Museum is home to prehistoric & modern Grecian artworks, including a vast collection of Asian art. Refurbished from 1989 to 2000, the incredible Museum seats on one of the most attractive neoclassical edifice in Athens.
The Grecian culture exhibition and artifacts are arranged in a diachronic order from prehistory to the 20th century. The museum doesn’t open on public holidays:
How to visit Benaki Virtual museum online
The entire building can be toured virtually by clicking:
- https://www.benaki.org/virtual/kentriko/ground_floor/
- https://upgradedpoints.com/best-virtual-museum-tours/
Tickets
Full Admission: € 12
Temporary Exhibition: € 8
Discount
Students, Persons above 65, Teachers, Conservators, Archaeologists, Chamber of Fine Arts, Hellenic Ministry of Culture cardholders, EU youth Cardholders
Full Admission: € 9
Temporary Exhibition: € 6
Journalists: € 1
There is free entry to museum friends & staffs, disabled persons, and unemployment cardholders below 22yrs on Thursdays, 6 pm – 12 am.
- For more info, visit: https://www.benaki.org/index.php?option=com_buildings&view=building&id=11&lang=en
3. The Vatican Museums
Established by Pope Julius II in 1506, Vatican virtual museums online comprise three structures, including the Sistine Chapel, decorated by Michelangelo, for public art and crafts. The museums display artworks from the large Catholic collections of over 70,000 sculptures and Renaissance Art’s through the centuries.
Virtually tour Vatican virtual museums online via:
- https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html
- YouTube link: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DO1e99fnjarM&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiQoLzokrDvAhXDPOwKHSBwC20QtwIwAXoECAgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2H3FIAwLUrctf9PWnyKSVS
Ticket
- St. Peter’s Basilica (on foot) – €8
- Using elevator – €10
- Standard ticket – €17
- Children – free
- Purchase ticket at: https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en.html
4. Virtual Tour of Australian Dinosaur Museum
With 23 complete skeletons and about 300 displays of single fossils, the Australian National Dinosaur Museum, established in 1993, keeps expanding its collection and information depth. It is the largest permanent collection of dinosaurs and other pre-ancient fossils in Australia.
Get close with interactive virtual museums online tours and experience 3D variegated dinosaurs and life-size T-Rex. The museum has many animatronic dinosaurs that make sounds and moves when their sensors are activated.
The museum opens every day 10 am – 5 pm. So, skip the queues, and leap straight into the Jurassic, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods by getting online tickets at: https://nationaldinosaurmuseum.com.au
Tickets
- Children under 3yrs – free
- Age 4 to 16 – A$11
- From 17+ – A$18
Discounts
- Students – A$13 (ID required)
- Family (of four) – A$50
- Days: Saturdays & Sundays
5. Louvre Museum, Paris
Established in 1793, the museum inhabits the Louvre Palace, which is the world’s biggest art museum and historic sepulcher in Paris.
The Louvre is encompassing, with 60,500m² floor space and about 35,000 Art’s and crafts, it’s the world’s most visited museum, boasting roughly 10million annual visits.
As the museum restarted activities last July, after many months of covid19 lockdown, visitors are mandated to observe all safety guidelines and book all tickets online.
Visit Louvre Museum online at: Visit virtually at https://www.youvisit.com/tour/louvremuseum
Tickets
- Standard Ticket – 15 €/ person at the entrance
- Online – 17 €.
- Audio Guides – additional 5€ per person on the official website: https://tourscanner.com/s/paris/i/louvre-museum?myks_source=blog&myks_medium=tkd&myks_campaign=Louticeng
Discounts:
- Under of 18yrs
- Disabled people and & their assistance
- EU Residents between of 18-25yrs
- Art’s or history tutors at all levels (proof needed)
- French public school tutors (primary & secondary levels)
- Unemployed persons/ income supporters (proof needed)
- For these categories, ID is required
6. British Museum, London
Established in 1753, the museum largely concentrates on artifacts collected by the Irish scientist and physician, Sir Hans Sloane. British colonization greatly affected its expansion over the past 250 years, resulting in the creation of many branch institutions. The graphical tour of the free virtual museum online is astonishing, like intergalactic waterways, via musical guides to several continental artworks.
Prices And Schedule
Apart from charges on special exhibitions, admission to the British Museum is free for all ages, though a token of £5 is recommended as a donation.
First, book online at https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/285709-british-museum
Opening Times
Open daily from 10 am to 5.30 pm. Open late on Fridays until 8.30pm
British Museum Virtual Tour
Visit: https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com
- Use Google Street View
- Keep exploring the virtual galleries
- Get more from Museum Podcast
- Utilize the audio tours
- Get geeky on YouTube
- Attend online events and Stay in touch
For more information, visit:
- https://www.timeout.com/travel/virtual-museum-tours
- https://blog.britishmuseum.org/how-to-explore-the-british-museum-from-home/
7. Solomon Guggenheim Museum, New York City, NYC
The Museum, often known as The Guggenheim, is an art museum sited at 1071 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City. It permanently houses a growing collection of impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art, special exhibition all year.
The Museum is a Frank Wright architectural masterpiece that makes an incredible virtual tour. Right on your sofa, tour the modern designed UNESCO site, lauded works, and listen directly from in-house staff via audio guides.
Read more on Guggenheim virtual tour at:
- Viator.com – https://www.viator.com/blog/article/guggenheim-from-home-virtual-experience/l192?mcid=56757
- https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/hours-and-admission
Virtual tour of Guggenheim Museum
Visit the museum’s multiple floors virtually, with over 600 artworks, zoom in and rotate 360 degrees from the safety of your home via:
Tickets and fees:
- Adults – 13€ Online / 15€ Admission desk
- Students (ages 18-26) – 6.5€ Online / 7.5€ Admission desk
- Elderly (>65 / Pensioners) – 6.5€ Online / 7.5€ Admission desk
- Children and youths under 18 – Free
- Museum Members – Free
- ID is required at the admission desk for Retirees and students under 26)
8. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Founded in The Hague on 19 November 1798, the museum moved to Amsterdam in 1808. It has 8,000 objects of art and history on display, spanning from 1200 – 2000 AD, with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer Asian collections, and pavilions.
Get personal with this Oasis of debonair Dutch art, and the 17th-century porcelain artifacts with virtual exhibitions, fastened with interactive guides and close-up Night watch series.
Access Rijksmuseum Virtual tour at:
- https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/rijksmuseum
- https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio?ii=1&p=0&from=2021-03-12T15%3A12%3A09.3804068Z
Ticket Prices
- Adult ticket (19+ years) -€17.50
- Kids 18 years and under – free.
- 50% Discounts for EYCA card holders
- 100% discount for current and intending IAmsterdam card holders
Click here to learn more about rijksmuseum tickets
9. Musée d’Orsay, Paris
The Orsay is a world-class art museum, known for rich collections of 19th-century art crafts and Impressionism.
To view the interactive galleries featuring works from van Gogh, Cézanne, Degas, etc, plan a virtual tour to the incredible Musée d’Orsay, and experience classic European art collections of 19th & 20th-century, all in this former grandiose rail station of 1898 to 1900.
Click here to visit Musée d’Orsay virtually
Free Entrance and fees
- Ticket fee ranges from £14.00 – £174.00 for adults depending on the type of tour
- Tourists and visitors below 25yrs – free
- EU member state visitors u der 25 – free
- Click here to book your tickets online
Opening schedule
Beside Mondays, Labour day (1 May) & Christmas day the museum opens by 9 pm – 6 pm.
Click here to take a virtual tour of the Musée d’Orsay
10. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Established in 1581, The Uffizi Gallery is a renowned art museum sited near Piazza Della Signoria in the Historic heart of Florence, Italy. One of the most visited and incredible Italian museums, it houses vast collectibles of Italian Renaissance artifacts.
Uffizi Gallery Virtual Museum
Comprising of 55 artworks, the tour can be viewed from different angles. Click on the info panels for specific details when touring online
Tickets:
- Single reservations – from €2 – €20
Annual passes:
- Singles – €70
- Family – €100
There are special discounts for specific visitors to Uffizi, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens.
Click here to access the tickets
11. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, U.S
This is a nature-based museum located in Washington D.C, established in 1910, it was among the first Smithsonian buildings designed to house national collections and research equipments.
The museum houses over 145 million natural specimens, fossils, minerals, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. Smithsonian museum is considered the largest natural museum worldwide.
Entry is free but regulated by a system of timed-entry tickets which can be accessed
Click here to access the site.
How to Get Timed-Entry Tickets
Book for the Timed-entry ticket three months prior visit date.
Visitors may apply for new releases every first Wednesday, monthly at 9 a.m.
Virtual tour of Smithsonian museum
- Click here to visit the website
- Click on the blue arrow on the floor to navigate between showrooms
- Locate the camera icon for close-up views of objects
- Zoom in on the high-resolution images
- Click here to visit the YouTube link
12. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
The “Met” was founded in 1870 mainly for art and art education, is the biggest museum in the U.S, with over 2 million works in its permanent collections and made up of 17 curatorial sections.
It has three separate buildings, with the main building at eastern Manhattan, the biggest art galleries. The galleries are adorned with incredible interiors from 1st-Century Rome to modern American decors.
The “Met” Virtual Tours
- Get a 45 – 60mins online tour, weekdays at 10 am – 3 pm (ET)
- Only special appointments are available on weekends
- Access the tour by clicking here
- Click here to access the YouTube link
General Tickets
- $25 for adults; $17 for seniors; $12 for students
- Free for Patrons, museum members & children under 12
- Free entry for caregivers assisting a disabled visitor
- Click here to get the tickets online
13. Holocaust Museum
In 1961, a group of Hollywood survivors outside Europe and Israel took steps to memorialize victims of the grim Holocaust experience and established the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.
The museum’s first exhibition constituted of memoirs’ records and photos by these survivors themselves. Except on Yom Kippur & Christmas Day, the museum opens year-round 10 am- 5:20 pm.
Tips to Navigate Holocaust Museum Online
- Use arrows at bottom of the screen to scroll through all nine museum scenes
- Explore items on each scene at 360 degrees by just clicking, and dragging
- Get info on each scene by Clicking the (i)icon.
Admission Tickets
- Tickets are free, but reservation tickets online attract a $1 fee.
- Click here to access the virtual tour & tickets
- Click here to access the YouTube link
NOTE: Most of these musuems are temporarily closed To help reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
Benefits of virtual Musuem
Research shows that 70% of people visiting museum websites are likely to plan visiting the real museum after visiting the websites.
Click here to visit the website
Thus, virtual musuems draw in more visitors to a museum building. Other benefits are:
- Digital tours, and exhibitions in Musuems allow users immerse themselves in global artworks irrespective of geographical boundaries
- Provides escape means for covid19 lockdown victims
- Provides cheap and reliable virtual tours and viewing choices for museum collectibles
- Google collaborates with musuems round the world to launch Google Arts and Culture, bringing virtual experiences of the best galleries globally
- Virtualization brings more freedom, insight, and immersion into art
- It eliminates time and location constraints
- Valuable artworks that need conservation can be digitized – allowing them to be showcased, while still under conservative measures.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS A MUSEUM AFFILIATE
An affiliate program in a museum means you earn by recommending, sharing links, and when an item is purchases via a website. Here are the 10 Top earning Musuem affiliate programmes.
Note: You don’t necessarily need a “niche website” before applying for these programs.
1. TheMet Online
Earn commissions when visitors click the museum’s website through the links and banner ads placed on your website. It’s that simple and free!
- Get 5% standard commission
- 30 days cookie duration
For more information, email: [email protected]
2.Tiqets
Tiqets aims to be the largest global marketplace for attraction tickets.
Commission: 4-6%
Cookie period: 30 days
3. New York Pass
This online museum affiliate programme gives you free access for over 100 New York attractions sites
Commission: 6%
Cookie duration: 45 days
4. CityPASS
Since 1997, CityPASS is a museum affiliate program that assists travelers save up to 50% entry fees to amazing attraction sites.
Commission: 6%
Cookie duration: 90 days
5. Mini Museum
The online affiliate program helps gather unique specimens for your own private museum
Commission: 5%
Cookie: 30 days
6. Trusted Tours and Attractions
With their discount prices, this affiliate program ensures you spend your vacation time wisely.
Commission: 5%
Cookie duration: 45 days
7. Madame Tussauds
They offer stellar experiences with their megastar figures
Commission: 5%
30days cookie duration
8. Viator
This affiliate program takes the lead as a resource-base for global booking and research experiences
Commission: 4%
Cookie Duration: 30days
9. Monticello Shop
This museum online affiliate program donates to Thomas Jefferson home, the National Historic Landmark Monticello.
Commission: 8%
Cookie: 30 days
10. Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
The museum affiliate program has over 90 years experience of entertaining visitors
Commission: 10%
Cookie Period: 60 days