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11 immersive virtual travel experiences in North America

We may not be able to travel right now, but what we can do is enjoy this diverse selection of USA and Canadian virtual tours and experiences from the comfort of our homes…

North America offers an eclectic mix of travel experiences, from history and culture to outdoor adventure and wildlife. And the fun hasn’t stopped because of the coronavirus lockdown.

These virtual tours across North America allow you to fully immerse yourself in this part of the world. Soak up its history, watch its rare wildlife and get up close to incredible paintings in various art galleries.

Search based on your interests, or keep scrolling for the full guide…

Top virtual experiences for culture seekers

Top virtual experiences for wildlife enthusiasts

Top virtual experiences for foodies

5 top virtual tours for culture seekers

1. walk around art galleries in new york.

Troy Michie, Jimmy’s Blues, 2019 (Daniel Terna, courtesy the artist and Company)

New York’s art galleries have been closed due to COVID-19, but virtually, many of their doors remain open. Platform: New York is an online viewing room featuring 12 of the Big Apples’ most interesting galleries.

Featuring the work of many artists – some of which were due to exhibit their work in the museums in 2020 – the online viewing gallery allows you to study each work of art, and learn about their creators.

Take the tour

2. Vancouver Art Gallery

Virtually visit Vancouver Art Gallery (Shutterstock)

In Vancouver, Canada, life is also on hold. But you can still take a walk around Vancouver Art Gallery. This virtual hub simulates walking around Douglas Coupland’s exhibition within the museum.

Walk from room to room, admire the art from every angle, and if something catches your eye, click on it to read about the work, the story behind it and what inspired it.

3. Tour colourful murals in St. Pete Clearwater, Florida

Virtually explore the urban art murals of Downtown St Petersburg, Florida (Visit St. Pete Clearwater)

The streets of St Petersburg, Florida are certainly not boring. Practically every colour of the rainbow is splashed across the walls of this gulf coast city, depicting local stories in over 500 vibrant murals.

You can’t walk the streets in real life, but you can still get a taste of the colourful art on display here. This dedicated online gallery allows you to see the murals in all their eye-popping glory.

Click ‘learn more’ on a particular piece to delve into the background of the mural, its story, and find out who it is dedicated to.

4. Take a closer look at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Take a virtual tour of Mount Rushmore (Shutterstock)

With portrait-like faces of past US presidents cut into the sandy stone of the cliffs, Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic and certainly most recognisable sites in North America.

Now, this virtual tour takes you closer to the cliff-cut faces than ever before. The online platform features a ‘3D Explorer’ where you can click the cliff to see it at every angle.

The virtual tour puts your feet on the ground, allowing you to walk through the site at your own pace, taking in the history of this fascinating place, pulling out significant sections and important moments in history.

5. Virtually learn the story of Apollo 13 at Space Center Houston, Texas

Enjoy Space Center Houston’s virtual exhibits (Shutterstock)

The July 1969 Apollo 11 mission saw the first man walk on the moon, and that would not have been possible without the work inside NASA’s Mission Control in Houston.

But Space Center Houston tells the story of another mission, the less successful Apollo 13. Due to COVID-19, Space Center Houston has take then story online, bringing the Apollo 13 mission to life with videos, photos and models.

4 top nature and wildlife virtual tours

1. explore the grand canyon, arizona.

Virtually explore the Grand Canyon (Shutterstock)

Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, looking down at the expanse of copper-coloured rock, carved out over hundreds of years by the winding river far below, is an unforgettable travel experience. This virtual tour takes you pretty close to the real thing.

Whether you choose to virtually hike the Phantom Ranch Tour by flicking through photo galleries of the key sites you’ll see en route, or would rather take a geological tour by rafting down the mighty Colorado River, this online hub will help you understand why the Grand Canyon is on plenty of bucket lists.

2. Go on a cherry blossom walk, Vancouver

Go on a virtual walk to see Vancouver’s cherry blossom (Shutterstock)

In Vancouver, the start of spring is signalled by pink and white blossom bursting into life on trees across the city.

With lockdown in place, the city didn’t want people to miss out on walking by such natural beauty, so they’ve brought the blossoms to us. These virtual tree walks feature blossom walks from six neighbourhoods, allowing you to admire the prettiest spots, and bringing a breath of fresh air into your home.

3. Watch Canada’s wildlife

Livestream Canada’s polar bears (Shutterstock)

Canada has a huge array of wildlife – big and small – across its many national parks, and is one of the main reasons so many visitors take a trip to Canada. Don’t let coronavirus stop you from seeking out these incredible creatures.

Luckily, Canada’s national parks are speckled with many hidden webcams, meaning you can bring Canadian wildlife into your home. From spotting bison in Grassland National Park to getting up close to polar bears in Northern Manitoba, it’s a dream for wildlife watchers.

4. See orcas in British Columbia’s Johnstone Strait

Livestream orcas in British Columbia’s Johnstone Strait (Shutterstock)

The waters around Vancouver and Vancouver Island are known for their pods of resident killer whales. Dive into the Johnstone Strait to see majestic orcas swish past your computer screen, by accessing these strategically-placed underwater webcams.

2 top virtual experiences for foodies

1. make your own burger, florida style.

Burgers are an icon of North America in their own right. And perhaps the most accessible given the current COVID-19 lockdown.

Try this mouth-watering recipe, which comes straight from the beachside burger bar of Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill in Clearwater Beach. This stacked fish sandwich is bursting with flavour, and will transport you to Florida with just one bite.

See the recipe

2. Sip wine in Napa Valley, California

Virtually sip wine in Napa Valley (Shutterstock)

California’s Napa Valley is famous for its vineyards, and is a popular spot with travellers. To make up for the fact that COVID-19 has paused all travel plans for the time being, many of the wineries are offering virtual tasting sessions. While some of these require you to have bought a home tasting kit in advance from them, others are open to all. The Valley’s website has a handy list of the wineries and what they are offering.

As well as wine tastings there are also a range of cooking classes, cook-alongs, concerts and other events happening in the Napa; check the calendar on the excellent website.

See the calendar

Explore more virtual tours:

Our favourite virtual tours & experiences to try right now, check out our virtual travel guide to latin america.

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31 Historic Places Across America That You Can Tour Virtually

SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto

Historic Virtual Tours Across the U.S.

While most of us in the U.S. are sheltering in place at home , travel seems like a distant memory (or wishful thinking) these days. But social distancing doesn't mean you can't explore historic places across the country  and discover something new about our nation's incredible history and culture along the way. Experience virtual tours of cultural institutions, history museums, landmark music venues , beautiful national parks, space shuttles, and more from the comfort of your own couch right now.

Ellis Island

New York Embark on an interactive virtual tour of New York's Ellis Island , where many families started their adventure in America as immigrants. Scholastic's virtual field trip  and interactive tour  will even walk you through the immigration process with historic photographs and videos, so you can hear the stories of people who've passed through the former immigration inspection station and learn about the many challenges they faced while coming to America.

San Antonio The Battle of the Alamo (Feb. 23 - March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Take a 360-degree virtual tour of The Alamo Shrine and grounds  in San Antonio to learn about the history behind Texas' war for independence from Mexico. You can also check out a digital version of The Alamo Battlefield  as it looked in 1836 and tour the nearby riverwalk  and other attractions in San Antonio.

Alcatraz Island

San Francisco Explore Alcatraz Island  through a virtual tour of the island and infamous federal penitentiary. You can browse objects made by notorious inmates of "The Rock" like gangster Al Capone and Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz," historic photographs and documents, escape materials, and inmate artwork as well as military prison and federal penitentiary correctional materials used by officers, and learn about the American Indian occupation of 1969 to 1971.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Cleveland Music fans can connect with Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame  and tap into the history of rock music and their favorite songs and musicians from their own living rooms. Take a virtual tour of the museum, watch induction ceremonies, and browse artists who've been inducted into the Rock Hall vault. There's even a special section for teachers and students, Rock Hall EDU, for access to lesson plans, videos, and other activities.

To round out the experience, music lovers can also find virtual tours of landmark music venues like Carnegie Hall , Radio City Music Hall , and Red Rocks Amphitheatre .

Gettysburg National Battlefield

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Take an interactive tour of Gettysburg National Battlefield  home to some of the most historic and scenic Civil War sites. Follow in the footsteps of soldiers who fought at such iconic places as Culp's Hill, The Peach Orchard, Wheatfield, Devil's Den, Little Round Top, and Cemetery Ridge to learn more about the battlefield. You can visit more American battlefields and historic sites through the American Battlefield Trust's array of virtual tours .

The Museum of Flight

Seattle Explore one of the world's largest air and space museums, The Museum of Flight , from home through digital photos, history lessons, and 360-degree tours. Step inside the Seattle museum's famed aircraft like Air Force One, Concorde, B-17, Boeing 747, a NASA space shuttle trainer, and other rare aircraft. Complete your history lesson with flight facts, podcasts, and STEM activities.

Want even more aviation action? Aircraft aficionados should also check out virtual tours of the National Museum of the United States Air Force , Space Center Houston , and NASA's Langley Research Center , and Glenn Research Center .

Library of Congress

Washington, D.C. Tour the Library of Congress , our nation's oldest federal cultural institution. You can visit the Thomas Jefferson Building, James Madison Memorial Building, and John Adams Building via online tours. Virtual visitors can discover the rich history behind each by browsing through exterior and interior photos of the buildings, accompanied by informative descriptions.  

U.S. National Parks

Nationwide Experience our incredible national parks through the U.S.National Park System's crowd-free virtual tours . Follow rangers to hidden pockets of many parks and explore panoramic views  of astounding landscapes. You can roam around Yosemite  and discover the history of America's first national park, kayak through Alaska's glaciers and fjords, fly over an active volcano and explore a lava tube in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, trek through cave formations in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, ride horseback through Bryce Canyon, and dive into the underwater world of Florida's Dry Tortugas National Park.

Related: 18 National Park Webcams Where You Can See the Wilderness from Home

Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Dearborn, Michigan What started as Henry Ford's personal collection of historic objects has expanded into themed collections and interactive exhibits paying homage to some of our nation's most innovative thinkers and doers. Visit the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation's  iconic collection of artifacts online, including the Rosa Parks Bus and the Lincoln Chair, automobiles, locomotives, aircraft, antique machinery, pop culture items, and more. Explore online exhibits, visit the Ford Rouge Factory Tour , and take your own virtual Model T tour  on the road past the many historic structures in Greenfield Village.

Related: Muscle Memories: 15 Ford Cars That Defined a Generation

Salem Witch Museum Witch Trial Sites

Salem, Massachusetts The Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts chronicles a time in American history in which a series of accusations, investigations, and prosecutions ultimately led to more than 200 people being accused of practicing witchcraft — the Devil's magic — and the execution of 20 convicted "witches" in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. Those fascinated by this witch-hunt period plagued by paranoia and injustice can explore key Salem witch trial sites online , including original houses, foundations, grave sites, and sites marked by historic markers.

Walt Disney World Resort

Orlando, Florida For many Americans and others around the world, Disney symbolizes childhood fun and entertainment. Experience some of the ultimate vacation destination's magic from home through Visit Orlando's interactive virtual tour of Walt Disney World Resort  to explore the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, waterpark, and more. Disney Parks also previously launched a series of 360-degree panoramas  featuring Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and you can experience some of the rides virtually with Theme Park Insider . 

Illinois to California You don't have to hop in the car to travel along the historic Route 66 , America's first all-weather highway which covers more than 2,400 miles across eight different states in the U.S. Thanks to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you can experience "The Mother Road" from Illinois to California. Photos and descriptions of landmarks from the old route like motels, service stations, food stops, and other roadside attractions in towns along the way will transport you back to a bygone era.

Related: Route 66: Then and Now

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Washington, D.C. National Museum of African American History and Culture — the first major museum to open online before completing a physical structure — made history when it finally opened its doors to the public in 2016 with a ceremony led by President Barack Obama. Today, visitors can scour the museum's vast open-source collections of historical artifacts, archival documents, and works of art online — and absorb American history and culture through the lens of the African-American experience.  

Colonial Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Virginia Immerse yourself in the sites of Colonial Williamsburg  from anywhere in the world through virtual tours and webcams highlighting the historic district. You'll learn how the buildings were reconstructed and what artifacts adorn their walls as you explore the living-history museum in 360-degree virtual tours. Go on a virtual tour of the Governor's Palace or watch a series of webcams  overlooking sites like Merchants Square. 

National Baseball Hall of Fame America

Cooperstown, New York Baseball fans can explore the National Baseball Hall of Fame America's  online exhibits and virtual tours of the museum's unparalleled collection of photographs, documents, posters, signed baseballs, videos, and more — all dedicated to America's favorite pastime. Online exhibits include a snapshot of the museum's photograph collection, a colorful history of the baseball uniform, and the history of the single-season home run record.  

Castillo De San Marcos

St. Augustine, Florida Go on a virtual tour of Castillo De San Marcos , the oldest masonry and only remaining 17th century fort in North America. Located in St. Augustine, the U.S.' oldest city, this tour leads visitors through the exterior features from the City Gates to the seawall of the best-preserved example of a Spanish colonial fortification. Walk through the structure's interior rooms with 3D models to explore along the way, and upstairs to the upper gun deck for a bird's-eye view of the surrounding landscape and grounds.

National Women's History Museum

Online Explore a wide array of virtual exhibits through the National Women's History Museum , the largest online cultural institution sharing the stories of trailblazing women who helped shape American history. For two decades, the museum has documented women making waves in politics, sports, civil rights, science and technology, and more through its impressive collection of online exhibits, biographics, oral histories, and digital classroom resources.

While it's not a bricks-and-mortar landmark just yet, the House of Representatives recently voted  to establish a comprehensive national women's history museum under the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Springfield, Illinois Lincoln's home in Springfield has drawn crowds of visitors since it first opened to the public in 1887. Constructed in 1839 and restored to its 1860 appearance, the 12-room, Greek Revival house was Abraham and Mary Lincoln's home before he departed to serve as president of a nation on the verge of Civil War. Tour the house and artifacts that tell the story of the Lincoln family through the virtual Lincoln Home National Historic Site , which focuses on Abraham Lincoln's political and legal careers, his home, and his family.  

Museum of the American Revolution

Philadelphia Take an immersive 360-degree virtual tour of the Museum of the American Revolution , located in Philadelphia's Old City area, for the fascinating story of the bloody revolution that gave birth to the United States more than 200 years ago. Highlights include George Washington's Headquarters Tent, the replica of the Boston Liberty Tree, and nearly 500 artifacts from the earliest days of America's independence.

Educators and parents can also take Scholastic's virtual field trip  to the museum and download a Beyond the Battlefield classroom kit for young students. Additionally, virtual trips to many historic Philly spots like the Liberty Bell Center, Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and even the "Rocky Steps" at Philadelphia Museum of Art are possible through You Visit .

The White House

Washington, D.C. Take a peek inside the White House , the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge. The Google Arts & Culture virtual tour lets the curious explore the elegant rooms, offices, art and decor, and manicured grounds of the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. There's also a tour of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the castle-like building next to the White House that houses many staff offices.  

Frank Lloyd Wright Sites

Chicago and across the U.S. You can now video tour  historic sites designed by America's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Step inside the iconic architect's most influential works in the Chicagoland area — home to his largest collection of designed structures — and across America. Video tours include Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio  in Oak Park, Illinois, and even two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the beautifully restored Unity Temple and the Robie House. The virtual classroom  also offers free lessons and educational activities for K-12 students.

Plimoth Plantation

Plymouth, Massachusetts Through Scholastic's "The First Thanksgiving" virtual field trip , you can step aboard a reproduction of the Mayflower, get a glimpse of the simple but taxing life of the Pilgrims as well as the indigenous people who were part of the Wampanoag Nation, and join the Pilgrims and Wampanoag as they discuss the first Thanksgiving.

Related: The 40 Best Places in America to Travel Back in Time

Freedom Trail

Boston Take a photographic tour of the 16 official stops along Boston's Freedom Trail . Learn about historic sites like the Old State House, the oldest surviving public building in the city; the Boston Massacre site; Faneuil Hall, which hosted America's first Town Meeting; the Paul Revere House; Old North Church (the site that launched the American Revolution); the USS Constitution; Bunker Hill Monument; and the Boston Common, the oldest city park in the United States. If you're pressed for time, this video tour  will breeze through all the sites in five minutes.  

Biltmore Estate and Gardens

Asheville, North Carolina The Biltmore Estate  in Asheville, North Carolina, has created a series of virtual tours on YouTube  showcasing the timeless architecture of America's largest home, renowned gardens and grounds, breathtaking views, and the 8,000-acre estate's storied history in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  

New York Public Library

New York Uncover the hidden details of the massive New York Public Library's spectacular interior via a guided video tour  by Architectural Digest and scour the stacks and other iconic rooms through a 360-degree panoramic tour . The public library has digitized more than 890,000 items from its collections — from old New York City prints and scrapbooks to scanned vintage children's books. For families in need of a little educational entertainment, NYPL also hosts an online storytime  for kids.  

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

Santa Fe and Abiquiú, New Mexico The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum  preserves the artistic legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe — one of the most significant artists of the 20th century and one who was inspired by the New Mexico landscape — through the Santa Fe museum's art and archival collections and her historic home and studio in nearby Abiquiú. Learn more about her life and career, homes in New Mexico, and specific artworks through free gallery tours via the museum tour app . Dig into online collections  featuring her art, photographs, archives, homes and belongings, and artist's library, and catch a live view of Georgia O'Keeffe's garden through the Abiquiú garden webcam .

Mount Vernon Mansion

Mount Vernon, Virginia Stroll the plantation grounds and rooms of Mount Vernon Mansion , the estate of George Washington and his wife, Martha, situated on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia. Inside the first U.S. president's mansion, you can experience 360-degree views of each room and even select objects in the room to learn more about their history.

Related: 19 Virtual Tours of Famous Homes

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Washington, D.C. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum  in showcases dynamic and deeply moving online exhibits. Visitors can virtually tour themed galleries filled with photographs, videos, timelines, and backgrounds: Americans and the Holocaust; State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propoganda; Anne Frank The Writer: An Unfinished Story; Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936; Life Reborn: Jewish Displaced Persons 1945-1951; and more. You can also listen to Holocaust survivors  who've shared their personal stories.  

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

Appomattox, Virginia Take a 360-degree virtual tour of Virginia's Appomattox Court House  buildings and grounds, where Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865, ending the Civil War. Stay connected to the historic park from your home through social media , podcasts  that tell in-depth park stories, photos of the historic village , and a variety of digital resources  for engaging young people with history.

The Museum of Modern Art

New York As one of the world's largest and most influential art museums, The Museum of Modern Art 's  ever-evolving modern and contemporary art collection includes almost 200,000 works — and more than 86,000 works are currently available online . Virtual art highlights include Claude Monet's "Water Lilies," Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night," and Pablo Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," as well as more recent works by Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Murray, and others. MoMA's YouTube channel  also offers a peek inside exhibits and live events.

Field Museum

Chicago Chicago's Field Museum  annually draws 2 million visitors as one of the world's largest natural history museums, but you can satisfy your curiosity from the comfort of your own home. The museum and its collections, which originated from the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, has swelled to 40 million artifacts and specimens — with exhibits featuring the earliest fossils and current world cultures. Follow the museum on Twitter  for more ways to engage with the museum from home — from shenanigans with SUE the human-sized T-Rex to online learning and games.

Washington D.C.'s world-class National Museum of Natural History  also offers a 360-degree virtual tour, allowing you to see its amazing exhibits like the Hall of Mammals, Insect Zoo, and Dinosaurs and Hall of Palaeobiology from the comfort of your own home.

National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours

Access the tours.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. Visitors can also access select collections and research areas at our satellite support and research stations as well as past exhibits no longer on display.

Virtual Tour Tips

• To navigate between adjoining rooms in the tours, click on the blue arrow links on the floor or use the navigation map in the upper right of the presentation screen.
• Look for the camera icon which gives you a close-up view of a particular object or exhibit panel.
• Try zooming in as some of the images are stitched together from individual pictures in order to create very high resolution gigapixel images.

Please note: This tour and these presentations have been tested and should work on all common devices, browsers, and operating systems (using a desktop computer with Windows, Mac, Linux or a mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android). Functionality and appearance may vary as it will adjust automatically to accommodate the most visitors. While the virtual tour has no advertising, ad blocking software or browser settings that block JavaScript and/or XML may interfere with the functionality of the virtual tour. Please let us know what you think of the tour and how the experience can be improved. Send your feedback to the NMNH Web Team .

Site Credit: Imagery and coding by Loren Ybarrondo

Equipment Used: Professional Nikon digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera bodies and lenses. The photography is typically done using rectilinear lenses with minimized distortion and shooting equirectangular panoramas at 22K pixels on the long side.

Software Used: No authoring software is used. The tours are hand-coded in HTML5 and JavaScript using the krpano graphics library.

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Tours at the U.S. Botanic Garden

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While the USBG has continued altered operations, on-site tours are suspended. Please explore the online virtual and video tour offerings.

Online Virtual and Video Tours

Explore interactive virtual tours and video tours on our Virtual Tours page .

Guided Tours

Free 45-minute highlight tours of the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory may be available on the day of your visit. Please check at the Visitor Information Desk upon your arrival.

Tours on specialized topics or temporary exhibits are scheduled seasonally. Please check our calendar of events to see what may be available as you plan your visit.

Group Tours

Groups of 10 to 15 adults may reserve a free 45-minute guided tour of the Conservatory at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reservations must be made at least four weeks in advance. To arrange a group tour, please email [email protected] or call (202) 226-2055.

Due to high visitation and traffic flow throughout the Garden, no group tours are scheduled during the Cherry Blossom Festival, National Peace Officer’s Memorial (May 15 th ), days immediately preceding and following Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day through the end of the USBG’s holiday show Season’s Greenings (end date for Season's Greenings is the Sunday following New Year's Day). However, groups are more than welcome to visit the Garden during this time.

Due to the group-size limitations and the in-depth nature of our tours, the U.S. Botanic Garden does not offer tours for children or school groups. Please visit our Field Trips & Resources section for more information about planning a trip to the USBG, including age-appropriate activities.

Cell Phone / Smartphone Audio Tour

Use your cell phone to learn more about the gardens and plants at the U.S. Botanic Garden:

Phone call option

To get started, call (202) 730-9303.

Enter a stop number to hear a story about the Garden. You may hang up and redial the tour at any time. During the tour, you can control the audio by pressing 1 to rewind the recording, 2 to pause/play the recording or press # to skip the recording. Normal fees apply to your call.

Smartphone / Web option

Smartphone users can stream audio tour stops by visiting usbg.oncell.com .

Sample audio tour stops:

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The first amendment, virtual tours.

Welcome to the National Constitution Center’s virtual museum experience. Here, you can discover exhibits—both past and present—that were created by the National Constitution Center. From the constitutional conflicts of the Civil War to the vision and ambition of Alexander Hamilton, there’s plenty to learn right from your home!

Explore Our Exhibits Virtually

Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality

Explore this permanent exhibit to learn how the constitutional clashes over slavery led to the Civil War. The exhibit continues through the postwar period known as Reconstruction and highlights the three new amendments added to the Constitution—the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments—as the nation worked to fulfill its promise of freedom and equality. Join National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Exhibition Developer Elena Popchock on a video tour to learn about this critical period in American history.

American Treasures: Documenting the Nation’s Founding

Trace the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and the addition of the first 10 amendments—the Bill of Rights. Learn about important but lesser-known Founding Fathers like James Wilson and Gouverneur Morris. Featuring original drafts of the U.S. Constitution from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, this exhibit highlights the key proposals and compromises that shaped the document’s final text.

Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes That Shaped a Nation

Want to learn more about the rise and fall of one of the most popular Founding Fathers? In this virtual experience, discover Alexander Hamilton’s role in the debates that shaped our nation through the lens of his fraught relationships with James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Aaron Burr. This exhibit was on display at the Center from March 2018 through December 2019.

Signers’ Hall

Take a virtual walk alongside the signers of the U.S. Constitution. In this signature museum experience, listen as National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen describes the final day of the Constitutional Convention. Meet Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton—and of course, George Washington!

Follow these directions to get the most out of your virtual experience:

• Navigate and explore exhibit sections by using the menu bar on the bottom of the screen.
• Click the yellow camera to navigate to a nearby section in the exhibit.
• Enter the next section or return to the previous section using the red arrows on the sides of the screen.
• Use your mouse to pan around the image or scroll to zoom in and out.
• Hover over a text panel and click to zoom.
• Play the video , and click outside the pop-up window to exit.

Virtual tours made possible by generous support from George S. Blumenthal. Photography by Ardon Bar-Hama.

You can also view some of our favorite current and past exhibits online through Google Arts and Culture . Check out these highlights:

• American Treasures
• Powers of the President
• John Marshall: Patriot, Statesman, Chief Justice
• The 13th Amendment
• The 19th Amendment : Women Fight for Rights (1848-1877)
• The 19th Amendment: Suffragists Change Tactics (1878-1916)  

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The 75 Best Virtual Museum Tours Around the World [Art, History, Science, and Technology]

Jarrod West

Senior Content Contributor

460 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 21 U.S. States Visited: 24

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

47 Published Articles 3398 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 50 U.S. States Visited: 28

Table of Contents

Google arts and culture, 50 art museums with virtual tours, 5 natural history museums with virtual tours, 10 science and technology museums with virtual tours, 10 history museums with virtual tours, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

You can now access collections from many of the world’s top museums without ever leaving home! We’ve put together an ultimate list of 75 world-class museums that offer virtual tours you can visit from the comfort of your couch.

Many of the virtual tours include exhibit walk-throughs and the ability to examine some of the world’s best paintings, sculptures, and other pieces up close and personal. These virtual tours are jam-packed with enough details to make you feel like you’re really visiting the museum. The experiences are sure to entertain the whole family, an art or history buff, or even those who want to imagine the joys of travel!

We’ve broken our list into 4 easy-to-review sections, including art, natural history, science and technology, and history museums. So whether you prefer to take in a painting at the Van Gogh Museum, check out an SR-71 Blackbird at the Museum of Flight, or gaze upon the Rosetta Stone, this list has it all!

Many of the virtual exhibits in this article are offered through a collaboration with Google Arts and Culture. If you’re not familiar, Google Arts and Culture is an online platform that showcases high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from more than 2,000 museums throughout the world. You can zoom in and out of images in great detail and view some of the best pieces of artwork ever created without leaving your couch.

The platform is available in 18 languages and has been praised internationally for increasing access to art to those who may have not had the opportunity otherwise. It’s available for web , iOS , and Android .

1. The Albertina Museum (Vienna, Austria)

Year Opened:  1805

The Albertina Museum features one of the most important European collections of international modern art and houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and 1 million old master prints. Hundreds of the works housed in the museum, like “Study for the Last Supper” by Da Vinci and “The Water Lily Pond” by Monet, can be viewed online thanks to a partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

To view the online exhibits, click here .

2. Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)

Year Opened: 1879

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the U.S., hosting approximately 1.5 million people annually. Its collection features more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world and contains more than 300,000 works of art in 11 curatorial departments.

The online tour allows you to view major pieces from the museum’s collection, such as “American Gothic,” “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” and “Nighthawks.” The site also offers projects to get creative at home, educator resources, and JourneyMaker, a digital tool that allows visitors to create unique, personalized tours of the museum.

To view the online tour, click here .

3. Benaki Museum (Athens, Greece)

Year Opened: 1930

Established in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis, the Benaki Museum houses Greek works of art from prehistoric to modern times and an extensive collection of Asian art. It also hosts periodic exhibitions and maintains a state-of-the-art restoration and conservation workshop.

The entire museum can be viewed virtually in great detail.

To view the online virtual tour, click here .

4. The Broad (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 2015

The Broad is a contemporary art museum named for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. The Broad houses a nearly 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, featuring 200 artists including works by Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. Notable installations include Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room” (pictured above) and Ragnar Kjartansson’s expansive 9-screen video “The Visitors.”

The Broad has put together a series of YouTube videos to give you a first-hand look at the museum.

5. Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)

Year Opened : 1977

The Centre Pompidou, named after the president of France from 1969 to 1974, is the largest museum for modern and contemporary art in Europe and the second-largest in the world. The museum has more than 12,000 pieces of artwork on display, including works by Kandinsky, Dalí, and Valadon.

The Centre has dozens of videos available on its YouTube channel that provide walk-throughs of the museum and explanations of its most important works.

To view the video tours, click here .

6. The Dalí Theatre-Museum (Figueres, Spain)

Year Opened : 1974

Dedicated to the life and work of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, the Dalí Theatre-Museum displays the single largest and most diverse collection of works by the artist. In addition to Dalí paintings from all decades of his career, there are Dalí sculptures, 3-dimensional collages, mechanical devices, and other curiosities from Dalí’s imagination. Through the website, guests can take a virtual tour in 360-degree of the entire museum.

To view the virtual tour, click here .

7. Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan)

Year Opened: 1885

With more than 100 galleries covering over 658,000 square feet, the Detroit Institute of Arts has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the U.S. Its collection features works spanning from ancient Egypt and Europe all the way to modern contemporary art.

The museum has put together “ At Home With DIA ” to offer school field trips from home, weekly film screenings, senior resources, and home projects. DIA also has a partnership with Google Arts and Culture to provide online exhibits including:

• Frida Kahlo in Detroit
• Ordinary People by Extraordinary Artists
• Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry
• Self Portrait on the Borderline between Mexico and the United States

8. Frick Collection (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1935

Located in the Henry Clay Frick House, the Frick Collection houses the art collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The collection features some of the best-known paintings by major European artists, including Bellini, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, as well as numerous works of sculpture and porcelain.

The entire museum can be viewed virtually.

9. Galleria dell’Accademia (Florence, Italy)

Year Opened : 1784

The Galleria dell’Accademia, while small compared to other museums featured, is still the second most visited museum in Italy. Its command of visitors is in large part due to its display of perhaps the most famous sculpture in history — Michaelangelo’s statue of David.

You can view a short, video-guided tour of the museum, which includes 360-degree viewing, allowing you to get a close look at the museum’s offerings.

To view the video tour, click here .

10. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Sante Fe, New Mexico)

Year Opened: 1997

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe and her contributions to American Modernism. The museum’s collection includes many of O’Keeffe’s key works, ranging from her innovative abstractions to her iconic large-format flower, skull, and landscape paintings, to paintings of architectural forms, rocks, shells, and trees. Initially, the collection was made of 140 O’Keeffe paintings, watercolors, pastels, and sculptures, but now includes nearly 1,200 objects.

The museum website offers creative activities, stories, and education about Georgia O’Keeffe’s life, along with several virtual exhibits available through Google Arts and Culture, including:

• Georgia O’Keeffe
• American Modernism
• United States

11. Grand Palais (Paris, France)

Year Opened : 1900

The Grand Palais is a large historic site, exhibition hall, and museum dedicated to the organization of exhibitions, publishing books, art workshops, photographic agency, and hosting major fairs and events. The museum receives 2.5 million visitors each year. The partnership with Google Arts and Culture brings extensive online exhibits to life, from the construction of the building to the masterpieces that lie within it.

12. Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Year Opened : 1764

The Hermitage Museum is the second-largest and eighth-most visited art museum in the world. The Hermitage has more than 60,000 pieces of artwork on display, including the “Peacock Clock” by James Cox, “Madonna Litta” by Leonardo Da Vinci, and works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Antonio Canova.

The online tour is extremely comprehensive and allows you to virtually walk through all 6 buildings in the main complex, treasure gallery, and several exhibition projects.

13. High Museum of Art (Atlanta, Georgia)

Year Opened : 1905

The High Museum of Art offers over 15,000 works of art in its collection and is the leading art museum in the southeastern U.S. The museum focuses on 19th- and 20th-century American art, historic and contemporary decorative arts and design, European paintings, modern and contemporary art, photography, folk and self-taught art, and African art.

The museum’s partnership with Google Arts and Culture also offers online exhibits for viewing including:

• Bill Traylor’s Drawings of People, Animals, and Events
• How Iris van Herpen Transformed Fashion
• Incredible, Innovative, and Unexpected Contemporary Furniture Designs
• Photos From the Civil Rights Movement

14. The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 1953

The J. Paul Getty Museum is made up of 2 campuses — the Getty Center and Getty Villa — that receive more than 2 million visitors per year. The Getty Center features pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts and photographs from the 1830s through present-day from all over the world. The Getty Villa displays art from Ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

The museum has put together online resources like art books, online exhibitions, podcasts, and videos, all viewable on its website .

It has also partnered with Google Arts and Culture to showcase online exhibits including:

• 18th Century Pastel Portraits
• The Art of Three Faiths: Torah, Bible, Qur’an
• Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
• Getty Museum Acquisitions 2019
• Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well

To view the online galleries, click here .

15. Kunsthaus Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland)

Year Opened : 1910

The Kunsthaus Zürich features one of Switzerland’s most important art collections from the 13th century to the present day. While the museum places an emphasis on Swiss artists, including Alberto Giacometti, you’ll also find work from the likes of Monet, Picasso, and Warhol.

The museum’s partnership with Google Arts and Culture has digitized several of the museum’s best collections for viewing.

16. La Galleria Nazionale (Rome, Italy)

Year Opened: 1883

La Galleria Nazionale displays about 1,100 paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries — the largest collection in Italy. It features work from famous Italian artists including Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni, Alberto Burri, and foreign artists including Cézanne, Monet, Pollock, Rodin, and Van Gogh.

It has teamed up with Google to offer 16 virtual exhibits for online viewing.

17. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 1910

LACMA is the largest art museum in the western U.S., attracts nearly a million visitors annually, and holds more than 150,000 works spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present.

The website (click LACMA @ Home ) includes exhibition walkthroughs, soundtracks and live recordings, online teaching resources, and courses.

To view the LACMA’s online virtual tour from Google Arts & Culture, click here .

18. Mauritshuis (The Hague, Netherlands)

Year Opened : 1822

The Mauritshuis is home to some of the best Dutch paintings from the Golden Age of Art. The museum consists of 854 works by artists like Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt Van Rijn, and Jan Steen. Famous works include “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (pictured above) and “View of Delft” by Vermeer, and “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by Rembrandt.

The museum has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring several of its best works to life for virtual viewing.

To view the Mauritshuis’ online exhibits, click here .

19. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1870

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as “The Met,” is the largest art museum in the U.S. and the fourth most visited museum in the world with more than 6 million visitors each year. The permanent collection contains more than 2 million works from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from nearly all of the European masters (including Monet’s Water Lillies), and an extensive collection of American and modern art. It also has extensive holdings of African, Asian, Oceanian, Byzantine, and Islamic art.

The museum has extensive different online exhibits available for viewing through Google and its own Art at Home website .

20. Musée du Louvre (Paris, France)

Year Opened:  1793

The Louvre Palace, which houses the museum, began as a fortress under Philip II in the 12th century to protect the city from English soldiers that were in Normandy. It wasn’t repurposed as a museum until 1793. Now, the Louvre is easily one of the most historic art museums in the world. Not only is the Louvre the largest art museum in the world at 782,910 square feet (72,735 square meters), but it also had 9.6 million visitors in 2019, making it the most visited museum in the world as well. Featured masterpieces include “Mona Lisa,” “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” “Venus de Milo,” and “Hammurabi’s Code.”

The Louvre has several virtual galleries on display, including:

• The Advent of the Artist, including works from Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Tintoretto
• Egyptian Antiquities, featuring collections from the Pharaonic period
• Remains of the Louvre’s Moat — visitors can walk around the original perimeter moat and view the piers that supported the drawbridge dating back to 1190
• Galerie d’Apollon, destroyed by fire in 1661 and recently rebuilt for viewing

To view the Louvre’s virtual tour page, click here .

21. Musée d’Orsay (Paris, France)

Year Opened: 1986

The Musée d’Orsay is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It is one of the largest art museums in Europe and had more than 3.6 million visitors in 2019. It houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, including works by Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Sisley, and Van Gogh.

The museum allows you to virtually walk through one of its popular galleries, featuring hundreds of paintings from French artists.

To view the Musée d’Orsay online gallery, click here .

22. Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened : 1819

The Museo Nacional del Prado is considered to have one of the greatest collections of European art in the world and offers guests the single largest collection of Spanish art. The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures. Well-known works include “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, “The Third of May 1808” by Francisco De Goya, and “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch.

The museum’s online gallery allows you to get a close look at over 10,000 different pieces of art. The Prado also offers a 1-hour live show on Instagram every morning at 4 a.m. EST.

To view the online gallery, click here .

23. Museo Frida Kahlo (Mexico City, Mexico)

Year Opened: 1958

The Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Blue House due to its blue walls, is a historic museum dedicated to the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The building was Kahlo’s birthplace, the home where she grew up, lived with her husband Diego Rivera for many years, and where she later died in a room on the upper floor. The museum contains a collection of artwork by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and other artists, along with the couple’s Mexican folk art, pre-Hispanic artifacts, photographs, memorabilia, personal items, and more. Find out more in our guide to the best museums in Mexico City .

24. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened: 1990

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, also called the Museo Reina Sofía, is one of the most popular art museums in the world. The museum includes large collections of Spain’s 2 most popular artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Famous works on display include “Guernica” and “Woman in Blue” by Picasso and “Cubist Self Portrait” by Dalí.

You can view collections of artwork at the Reina Sofía through its partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

25. Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil)

Year Opened: 1947

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is Brazil’s first modern art museum. The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art, as it’s considered the finest museum in Latin America and all of the Southern Hemisphere. The museum primarily features Brazilian art, prints, and drawings, as well as smaller collections of African and Asian art, antiquities, decorative arts, and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces. MASP also has one of the largest art libraries in the country.

You can now take a virtual tour of online galleries the museum has to offer, including:

• Art from Brazil until 1900
• Art from Italy: Rafael to Titian
• Art from France: from Delacroix to Cézanne
• Art in Fashion
• Histories of Madness: The Drawings of Juquery
• Picture Gallery in Transformation

26. Museum of Broken Relationships (Los Angeles, California and Zagreb, Croatia)

Year Opened: 2010

The Museum of Broken Relationships is dedicated to failed love relationships. Its exhibits include personal objects left over from former lovers, accompanied by brief descriptions. The museum was founded by 2 Zagreb-based artists, film producer Olinka Vištica and sculptor Dražen Grubišić, after their 4-year relationship came to an end.

The virtual tour includes a close-up collection of dozens of the museum’s most interesting pieces.

27. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

The 17th largest art museum in the world, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) hosts one of the most extensive art collections in the U.S. It houses over 8,000 paintings, surpassed only by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and exceeds 1 million visitors each year. Pieces by world-renowned artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Monet are featured alongside sculptures, mummies, ceramics, and other artifacts from ancient civilizations.

There are currently 16 online exhibits available for viewing.

28. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, Texas)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is one of the largest museums in the U.S., and its collection features over 64,000 works from 6 continents. The collection places emphasis on pre-Columbian and African gold, Renaissance and Baroque painting and sculpture, 19th- and 20th-century art, photography, and Latin American art. Read our guide to the best museums in Houston for more information.

The museum has 14 online exhibits available for viewing in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture.

29. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1929

Regarded as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world, MoMA’s art collection features an overview of modern and contemporary art, including works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated books, and artist’s books, film, and electronic media. MoMA’s holdings include more than 150,000 individual pieces including Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans” and Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” in addition to approximately 22,000 films and 4 million film stills.

MoMA’s website offers 86,000 works of art that can be viewed online, along with a partnership with Google Arts and Culture to create a virtual display of its Sophie Taeber-Arp exhibit.

To view the website’s collection, click here . To view the Google exhibit, click here .

30. National Gallery (London, England)

Year Opened : 1824

The National Gallery features more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900, including works such as “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, “The Virgin on the Rocks” by Da Vinci, and “The Arnolfini Portrait” by Jan Van Eyck.

Its website offers a few virtual tours, showcasing many rooms in the museum, the Sainsbury Wing, and a Google Virtual tour.

31. National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 1937

The National Gallery of Art and its attached Sculpture Garden are located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and are open to the public free of charge. The museum was privately established in 1937 for the American people by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress.

The National Gallery is widely considered to be one of the greatest museums in the U.S. It ranks second in total visitors of all American museums, 10th in the world, and features incredible pieces including Jackson Pollock’s “Number 1,” Leonardo da Vinci’s “Ginevra de’ Benci,” and Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged 14.”

The museum has put together a collection of educational resources on its website for teachers, families, and children. It also features online exhibits through Google Arts and Culture including:

• American Fashion — highlights from 1740 to 1895
• Johannes Vermeer — Dutch Baroque painter

To view the National Gallery of Art online collection page, click here .

32. National Gallery of Victoria (Victoria, Melbourne, Australia)

Year Opened: 1861

The National Gallery of Victoria is Australia’s oldest, largest, and most visited art museum. The museum offers a wide variety of international and Australian art in its collection, including paintings, drawings, photography, and sculptures.

The online tour includes walk-throughs of exhibits, including highlights from the NGV Triennial 2020 and Chinese Collection, as well as exhibits featuring Goya and KAWS.

33. National Museum of China (Beijing, China)

Year Opened : 2003

The National Museum of China covers Chinese history from 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Notable works include the “Houmuwu” Rectangle Ding, a rectangular bronze sacrificial vessel made in the late Shang Dynasty, the heaviest piece of ancient bronze ware in the world, and a Han Dynasty jade burial suit laced with gold thread. It is one of the largest museums in the world, and the second most visited art museum in the world, just after the Louvre.

The museum has virtual exhibits available for 360-degree viewing including:

• Resplendence of the Tang Dynasty
• Sunken Silver

34. National Museum of Korea (Seoul, South Korea)

Year Opened : 1909

The National Museum of Korea is the top museum of Korean history and art and has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.

The museum’s virtual tour provides a 3D walk-through of exhibits, including 1,000 years of Korean design and 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty.

35. National Museum, New Delhi (New Delhi, India)

Year Opened: 1949

The National Museum, New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India. The museum has around 200,000 works of art, both of Indian and foreign origin, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, ancient texts, armor, and decorative arts ranging from the pre-historic era to modern works — covering over 5,000 years.

The museum has partnered with Google to bring its online exhibits to life, including:

• Art of Caligraphy
• Cadence and Counterpoint
• Indian Bronzes
• Nauras: The Many Arts of the Deccan
• Pottery from Ancient Peru
• Treasures of National Museum, India
• Radha and Krishna in the Boat of Love

36. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul, South Korea)

Year Opened: 1969

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art was first established in 1969 as the only national art museum in South Korea, accommodating modern and contemporary art of Korea and international art of different time periods. The museum features over 7,000 pieces of artwork, including works of contemporary Korean artists such as Go Hui-dong, Ku Bon-ung, Park Su-geun, and Kim Whan-ki.

Google’s virtual tour takes you through 6 floors of contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

37. National Palace Museum (Taipei, Taiwan)

Year Opened : 1965

The National Palace Museum has a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks. The collection encompasses 8,000 years of history of Chinese art, including jade, paintings, bronzes, and porcelain that were formerly held in the Forbidden City of Peking.

The museum offers 360-degree virtual tours of many different exhibits.

To view the virtual tours, click here .

38. National Portrait Gallery (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened : 1962

The National Portrait Gallery has a collection of over 21,000 works of art. The collection focuses on images of famous Americans and how they’ve shaped U.S. culture. A major attraction of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection is the Hall of Presidents, which contains portraits of nearly all American presidents. It is the largest and most complete collection in the world, except for the White House collection itself.

The museum has several collections featured on Google Arts and Culture, but also offers digital workshops, and distance learning resources for children and teachers.

To view the online resources, click here .

39. Pergamonmuseum (Berlin, Germany)

The Pergamonmuseum houses monumental buildings, such as the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, and the Market Gate of Miletus reconstructed from the ruins found in Anatolia, as well as the Mshatta Facade. The museum is subdivided into the antiquity collection, the Middle East museum, and the museum of Islamic art. It is visited by over 1 million people every year.

The museum has dozens of structures and other artifacts that can be viewed online.

40. Picasso Museum (Barcelona, Spain)

Year Opened: 1963

The Picasso Museum, located in the heart of Barcelona’s Latin Quarter, is visited by millions every year. They come to marvel at the best works of Picasso, perhaps the most famous painter of all, but stay to marvel at the best-preserved medieval architecture in Barcelona. With 4,251 works by the painter exhibited, the museum has one of the most complete permanent collections of his works.

The online tour offers a large selection of Picasso’s finest works, as well as virtual tours of the museum’s beautiful courtyards.

41. Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1798

The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1798 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened in 1885. The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history from the years 1200 to 2000, and a total collection of 1 million objects. The museum features masterpieces including Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and “The Jewish Bride,” plus works by Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer, who are known to have been major contributors to the Golden Age of Dutch art.

Google offers a street view tour of some excellent art pieces located in the museum, and the museum has put together an entire virtual tour of all of the museum’s masterpieces viewable on its website.

To view the Google street view tour, click here . You can also view the museum’s From Home microsite and masterpieces tour .

42. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, California)

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is composed of over 33,000 works of art spread throughout 7 gallery floors and 45,000 square feet of space. Following a 3-year closure for expansion, the museum reopened in 2016 and is now one of San Francisco’s must-see destinations.

SFMOMA’s website is updated regularly with videos and articles regarding current exhibits, projects, and artist showcases and provides behind-the-scenes looks of the museum. 

To view the museum’s multimedia features, click here .

Read our guide to the best museums in San Francisco to find out more.

43. Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museums (Vatican City)

Year Opened: 1483

The Sistine Chapel, located inside of the Apostolic Palace (the official residence of the pope in Vatican City), is easily the most popular chapel in the world. The chapel is famous for its magnificent ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, and is considered to be one of the best artworks to come out of the Italian Renaissance. The primary panels of the ceiling showcase 9 scenes from the Book of Genesis, of which “The Creation of Adam” (pictured above) is the best known and most recognized.

Its website offers a virtual tour of the chapel’s most stunning sites, including the ability to marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling from the comfort of your couch.

44. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1939

The Guggenheim Museum was established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1939. It is the permanent home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions throughout the year.

Google’s  Street View feature lets you tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase and some of its art pieces. It also offers a handful of online collections on its website .

45. Tate Modern (London, England)

Year Opened: 2000

Tate Modern is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world, consisting of art dating from 1900 until today. The gallery receives over 5 million visitors a year, making it the sixth most visited art museum in the world and the most visited in the U.K.

The Tate Modern has published dozens of videos on its YouTube channel that give you an in-depth look at many of its exhibits, including the Andy Warhol exhibit and the Aubrey Beardsley exhibit.

To view the Tate Modern’s YouTube channel, click here .

46. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened: 1992

Located in Madrid, the Thyssen has over 1,600 paintings inside its walls and was once the second-largest private collection in the world after the British Royal Collection. It includes works from the Italian primitives, the English, Dutch, and German schools, Impressionists, Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the 20th century. It also features pieces from the continent’s most celebrated artists including Rembrandt and Dalí.

The virtual tour includes a detailed look at the permanent collection, along with exhibits including the Rembrandt and Impressionist galleries.

47. Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo, Japan)

Year Opened : 1872

The Tokyo National Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in Japan, and one of the largest art museums in the world. At the museum, you’ll find a collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, ancient and medieval Japanese art, and Asian art along the Silk Road.

The museum has teamed up with Google’s Arts and Culture to provide an inside look at what the museum has to offer.

48. Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy)

Year Opened: 1581

The Uffizi was designed by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de’ Medici, whose family members were by far the largest patrons of art in Renaissance Italy. The museum now spans over 139,000 square feet with 101 different rooms that house its art pieces, including famous pieces such as “The Birth of Venus.” Over 2 million people visit the Uffizi each year, making it the most viewed art museum in Italy.

The museum has teamed up with Google to showcase online galleries including:

• Piero di Cosimo, Perseus Freeing Andromeda
• The Santa Trinita Maestà, Cimabue
• The Creative Process Behind Federico Barocci’s Drawings
• Drawings by Amico Aspertini and other Bolognese artists

49. Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1973

The Van Gogh Museum is dedicated to perhaps one of the most famous artists of all time — Vincent Van Gogh. The museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters. The museum has over 2 million visitors each year and is the 23rd most visited art museum in the world. Find out more in our review to the best museums in Amsterdam .

The museum has teamed up with Google to create online exhibits on Vincent Van Gogh’s love life and the books he loved to read. You can also visit the museum’s website for a selection of things to do for young children, including school lessons and coloring pages.

50. Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England)

Year Opened : 1852

The Victoria and Albert Museum collection spans 5,000 years of art from Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa. The collection of ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewelry, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints and printmaking, drawings, and photographs is among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

The virtual tour, in partnership with Google Arts and Culture, offers several online exhibits ranging from fashion to surrealism.

1. American Museum of Natural History (New York City, New York)

Year Opened : 1869

One of the largest natural history museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History contains 34 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts.

The museum’s 360-degree virtual tours offer an up-close look at permanent exhibits, current exhibits, past exhibits, and research stations.

2. The British Museum (London, England)

Year Opened: 1759

The British Museum is one of the largest in the world and houses over 8 million works within its walls. Established in 1759, it was the first public national museum in the world. Visitors can tour the great court and view some of the most famous objects in history, like the Elgin Marbles of Greece and the Rosetta Stone of Egypt.

The Museum is the world’s largest indoor space on Google Street View and you can go on a virtual visit to more than 60 galleries.

The British Museum also has virtual galleries on display, including:

• Prints and Drawings

To visit the British Museum’s virtual tour page, click here .

3. National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City, Mexico)

Year Opened: 1964

The National Museum of Anthropology is the largest and most visited museum in all of Mexico. The museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the Aztec Xochipilli statue.

The museum has made more than 100 items available for Google visitors to explore from home.

To view the museum’s online collection, click here .

4. National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C.)

Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is the 11th most visited museum in the world and the most visited natural history museum in the world. With over 325,000 square feet of exhibition space, the museum’s collections contain over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts — the largest natural history collection in the world. Highlights of the collection include the Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia Sapphire.

You can view all of these specimens from the comfort of your home as the museum has dozens of different online exhibits that can all be accessed on its website.

To view the museum’s virtual tour, click here .

5. Natural History Museum (London, England)

Year Opened: 1881

Undoubtably one of the best Museums in London , the Natural History Museum in London showcases 80 million life and earth science specimens of great historical and scientific value, even housing pieces collected by Charles Darwin. There are 5 categories within the museum: botany , entomology , mineralogy , paleontology , and zoology . Over 5 million people visit this museum each year, making it the most visited natural history museum in Europe.

One of the museum’s most prominent displays is the skeleton of an 82-foot long blue whale named Hope, which you can learn more about through a self-guided virtual tour, along with several other galleries. 

1. London Science Museum (London, England)

Year Opened : 1857

The London Science Museum holds a collection of over 300,000 items, including famous items such as Stephenson’s Rocket, Puffing Billy (the oldest surviving steam locomotive), the first jet engine, some of the earliest remaining steam engines, and documentation of the first typewriter.

Thanks to Google Street View, guests can take a virtual tour of the entire museum, or watch curator gallery guides on the museum’s YouTube channel.

To view the virtual tour or videos, click here .

2. Museo Galileo (Florence, Italy)

Dedicated to the scientist and astronomer Galileo Galilei, the Museo Galilei is housed in an 11th-century palace known as the Palazzo Castellini. The museum has a collection of over 5,000 ancient scientific instruments dating back to the 13th century, and among its most notable items is the telescope Galileo used to discover the satellites of Jupiter.

Visitors from around the world have the opportunity to explore the inside of the museum and can access more than 1,000 permanent exhibition objects through the online catalog.

3. The Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington)

Year Opened: 1965

The Museum of Flight is the largest private air and space museum in the world and attracts over 500,000 visitors every year. The museum has more than 150 aircraft in its collection, including the Lockheed Model 10-E Electra (the aircraft Amelia Earhart was piloting when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean), Boeing 747s, and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (pictured above).

The museum offers 360-degree tours that let you step inside dozens of these iconic aircraft.

4. The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium (Brussels, Belgium)

Year Opened: 1846

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium is dedicated to natural history and is part of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world’s largest museum hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs, and its most important pieces are 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart.

It has partnered with Google to set up virtual exhibits for viewing, including:

• 360-degree guided tour
• The Bernissart Iguanodons
• From Salehanthropus to Homo Sapiens
• Over 250 Years of Natural Sciences
• Past, Present, Future: The Marvels of Evolution

To view the museum’s online exhibits, click here .

5. Museum of Science, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

Year Opened: 1830

The Museum of Science, Boston, receiving over 1.5 million visitors annually, is a museum and indoor zoo with more than 700 interactive exhibits and over 100 animals, many of which have been rescued and rehabilitated.

The museum offers a phenomenal virtual tour full of digital exhibits, videos, and audio presentations.

6. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Washington, D.C.)

NASA, founded in 1958, was created by the federal government to develop the civilian space program, as well as to conduct aeronautics, space, and astrophysics research. Since its inception, NASA has been responsible for historic space missions including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the space shuttle.

NASA has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring many online exhibits to life to showcase the beauty of space exploration.

7. National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened : 1946

The National Air and Space Museum is a center for the history and science of aviation, spaceflight, planetary science, terrestrial geology, and geophysics. It is the fifth most visited museum in the world (the second most visited in the U.S.), and contains the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, the Friendship 7 capsule, the Wright brothers’ Wright Flyer airplane, and Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis.

The virtual tour offers a 360-degree walk-through of the entire museum.

8. National Museum of Computing (Bletchley Park, England)

Year Opened: 2007

The National Museum of Computing is dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems. The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of working historic computers dating back to the 1940s, including a rebuilt Mark 2 Colossus computer, alongside an exhibition of the most complex code-cracking activities performed at the Park.

In the 3D virtual tour, viewers can move around the galleries looking at the machines and their descriptions with the added bonus of hyperlinks to video and text explanations providing further detail and history of the exhibits.

9. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Riverside, Ohio)

Year Opened: 1923

Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Riverside, Ohio, the National Museum of the United States Air Force is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display.

The virtual tour allows visitors to take a virtual, 360-degree, self-guided tour of the entire museum by navigating from gallery to gallery.

10. Oxford University’s History of Science Museum (Oxford, England)

Year Opened: 1683

Oxford’s History of Science Museum holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

The museum, ever ahead of the times, has offered virtual tours since 1995. You’ll get to explore the fantastic exhibits and artifacts of some of the most important scientific discoveries in science history.

1. Acropolis Museum (Athens, Greece)

Year Opened : 2009

The Acropolis Museum is centered around the archaeological findings at the site of Athens’ most important structure — the Acropolis. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.

The museum has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring the museum to life virtually. Now you can view rock, marble, and sculptures certificates, all of which are thousands of years old, all from the comfort of your couch!

2. American Battlefield Trust Virtual Battlefield Tours

The American Battlefield Trust Virtual Battlefield Tours offers the incredible opportunity to experience 360-degree virtual tours of more than 20 American Revolution and Civil War battlefields. You can explore Gettysburg, with 15 different stops, each of which features icons that discuss in great detail the history and significance of the battle.

3. Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1957

What was once the house where Anne Frank went into hiding during WWII is now a museum dedicated to increasing awareness of Anne’s story and life in the attic. The Anne Frank House was established in cooperation with Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, and now welcomes over 1 million visitors from around the world each year.

The museum’s website offers a virtual reality tour of the annex, along with other educational resources about Anne’s life.

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York)

Year Opened: 1941

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum holds the records of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. president (1933 to 1945). The museum showcases the history behind FDR’s story, his presidency, New Deal policies, assassination attempt, and wartime decisions.

The 360-degree online tour gives you a close look at original documents, artifacts, and videos from FDR’s life.

5. National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 2003

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history, and culture. It was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African-Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts.

The museum website offers more than 15 different online exhibits covering African American history and culture.

Check out its online virtual tour  and digital resources guide .

6. National Museum of American History (Washington, D.C.)

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has more than 1.8 million objects that highlight the history of the U.S — including the original Star-Spangled Banner, Julia Child’s kitchen, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Indiana Jones’ fedora and whip, and more!

The museum offers about 100 online exhibits from its encyclopedic collections, each with a mix of photos, video, graphics, and text on topics ranging through the nation’s entire history.

7. National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Year Opened : 1866

The National Museum of Scotland is dedicated to Scottish antiquities, culture, and history. The museum contains artifacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures. Popular items from the collections include Dolly the Sheep, the Arthur’s Seat coffins, and the Cramond Lioness sculpture.

The Museum’s galleries have been captured digitally in partnership with Google Arts & Culture, along with a virtual walk-through thanks to Google Street View.

8. National Women’s History Museum (Alexandria, Virginia)

Year Opened: 1996

Founded in 1996 by Karen Staser, the National Women’s History Museum researches, collects, and exhibits the contributions of women to the social, cultural, economic, and political life of our nation in the context of world history.

Its website currently features 29 different online exhibits!

9. Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum (Xi’an, China)

Year Opened: 1974 (created third century B.C.)

The Terracotta Army at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210 to 209 B.C. to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The sculptures include warriors, chariots, and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the 3 pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum.

The online experience allows you to get up close and personal with the sculptures in a full 360-degree experience!

To view the online virtual experience, click here .

10. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 1980

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is the country’s official memorial to the Holocaust. It is located on the National Mall alongside other monuments dedicated to freedom. Each year, the museum encourages its 1.6 million visitors to promote human dignity, confront hatred, prevent genocide, and strengthen democratic values. The museum’s collection includes millions of archival documents, artifacts, photographs, footage, and a list of over 200,000 registered survivors and their families, among other historical items.

Its website offers a wide selection of educational resources, including a virtual tour, and is available in 16 languages.

There you have it — 75 amazing #MuseumsAtHome options filled with one-of-a-kind artifacts covering art, science, history, and natural history, all of which can be “visited” virtually while you lounge in your pajamas! So whether you’re a massive fan of art, looking for an educational experience for your children, or simply need a way to keep yourself entertained, you can’t go wrong with a virtual tour of any of these world-class museums.

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Virtual Walking Tour

Select a city to walk in:.

Don't want to walk? Click here to drive, fly or view live cams!

Berlin, Germany is the central technolgical, cultural and tourist center within the nation of Germany.

Milan resides in the Lombardy region of Italy. Enjoy it's nature, fashion, views, parks and much more.

San Francisco is the tech hub of California and currently has amassed a population of 800,000 people.

Moscow is the capital of Russia, as well as the most densely populated region within Russia's border.

Barcelona is one of the most densely populated regions within Spain, it sits just behind Madrid.

Beijing is the most populated region within China. In 1949, the name was reverted to "Peking".

Damscus, Syria has a population of 1.7M+ and is the most dense location within Syria.

New York is the most populous city within the United States, with a 8.3M population.

Filled with interesting monuments, Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region.

As the most populated in Illinois, it is situated by Lake Michigan, one of the great lakes.

Seoul is the capital of South Korea and is the most populous, ahead of Busan. Busan tour coming soon.

Helsinki is the capital of Finland. It sits on a penninsula and is the most populous and dense city within Finland.

As the State Capital of Hawaii, it is situated on one of the five islands. The island it is on is named Oahu. (2nd Largest)

Paris is the most populated city in France, and is famed for its Seinne River, coffeeshops, and architecture.

The Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco County and Marin County. It was completed on April 19th, 1937.

Venice is famed for it's canals and powerful Italian Culture & Cuisine. Is Rome or Venice better?

Tokyo Japan is famous for it's neon advertisements, capsul hotels, and fast bullet trains. (300MPH+)

Tehran is the capital of Iran. Previously, it was the center of power for the famed Qajar Dynasty.

Right over Tokyo, Osaka is the second most known city. It is also known for it's bright billboards!

Montreal Canada is famed for it's cold weather and green roofs that once previously used to be golden!

Toronto, home of the NBA's Toronto Raptors is one of the largest cities within the nation of Canada!

Reykjavik is famous for it's hard to spell name and cold weather. Did we mention it's Icelands's Capital?

Some say that Naples is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy? Start walking and see if you agree with them!

The Louvre in Paris is basically a glass pyramid. Also, a famous painting is stored within it! Come check it out!

New Delhi is the capital of India. It remains as a center for international trade, commerce, and business in India.

Mumbai is one of the coolest cities in India! It's famed for it's street life, motor bikes and fast moving scooters!

The Republic of Singapore is a city-state located just under Malaysia. It boasts a population of nearly 6 millon.

London is the capital of the United Kindgom! If you every stop by, ask a local for some tea. Hopefully no tax!

The city of angels they call it! Take a walk through and you'll know why they call it the "city of angels!"

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. You'll enjoy viewing some Bangkok Streetlife and Night Life!

Click the button below to head to the homepage. After that, you'll be prompted to view more modes of travelling. We currently support, walking, driving, flying and live video. Choose wisely! The choice is yours!

Take a Sunday Drive in the city of your choice! As you take in the scenery, try to think admire the cultures of each location. See how the leadership and culture directly corelate into the prosperity of their people and lands.

Monument Explorer lets you experience the wonders of monuments around the world. For example, take a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Or even experience a 1,070 foot skyscraper building!

View the city of your choice from above and enjoy a magnificent sightseeing adventure. As you watch, think of the differences in culture, wealth, and prosperity in each country you view from above. Each skyline tells it's own story.

Click the box to view live footage from around the world. While viewing, you'll be able to see the true face and culture of people around the world. Have fun and admire the scenery!

Virtual Tours

Thursday, september 26, 2024.

Join one of our knowledgeable guides for a live, virtual tour of the Crypt, Rotunda, National Statuary Hall, the Old Supreme Court Chamber, and the Old Senate Chamber. Click on the registration links below or change the date in the calendar on this page to see available virtual tours to learn more about these historic spaces.

Registration for online tours closes at 4 p.m. the previous day.

Virtual Tour of United States Veterans and War Memorials

By National Park Service

World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., opened in 2004. The memorial “honors the service of sixteen million members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, the support of countless millions on the homefront, and the ultimate sacrifice of over 400,000 Americans” during the period of America’s engagement in World War II.

Korean War Veterans Memorial The Korean War began in 1950 when the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. In an almost immediate response, U.S President Harry S. Truman sent American troops to aid the South Korean army. The Korean War Veterans Memorial on Washington D.C.’s National Mall was created to honor the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the three-year war.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial In 1979, a group of Vietnam veterans joined together to raise funds to create a memorial to American soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. A year later, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation that gave land for the memorial just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial on Washington D.C.’s National Mall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built with over 9 million dollars of private donations. It was dedicated in November, 1982.

Vietnam Women's Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. includes the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. This statue honors American women, mostly nurses, who served in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1973. The memorial is also meant to honor the women back home who lost sons, husbands, and loved ones to the war.

United States Marine Corps War Memorial The United States Marine Corps War Memorial represents this nation's gratitude to Marines and those who have fought beside them. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775.

Virtual Tour of the César E. Chávez National Monument - Indoors

National park service, virtual tour of the jimmy carter national historic site, virtual tour of theodore roosevelt birthplace national historic site, virtual tour of james a. garfield national historic site, celebrating african american heritage, virtual tour of ulysses s. grant national historic site, martin luther king jr. national historic site, virtual tour of the william howard taft national historic site, virtual tour of the césar e. chávez national monument - outdoors, the hidden worlds of the national parks.

The Holocaust: History and Memory

Virtual tour.

Suitable for classroom use or by families and individuals, this virtual tour, hosted on Google Arts & Culture , allows visitors to explore nine interactive galleries at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The experience offers a chronological narrative of the Holocaust through encounters with historical artifacts and photographs. Visitors will also see one of the Museum’s conservation labs, allowing them to examine how staff preserve and present Holocaust history.

Preview scenes from the virtual tour

360 view of the Hall of Witness

360 view of a railcar used for deportations to killing centers

Historical photo: the Lodz ghetto

Artifact: Desecrated Torah scrolls

Artifact: a young boy's stuffed bear in one of the Museum's conservation labs

Lesson Plan

Lesson length: One to two class periods

In this lesson , students examine how the Museum uses artifacts and photographs from its collections to present the history of the Holocaust and memorialize its victims—including artifacts and photographs that illustrate important aspects of Holocaust history such as Torah scrolls rescued during Kristallnacht, a train car, prisoner barracks from Auschwitz, and a gas chamber model. Students also tour the Museum's architecture and discuss what makes the Museum a living memorial. Through their exploration of the Museum's exhibitions, students gain a greater understanding of key events and topics related to the Holocaust and are able to explain the systematic nature, scope, and consequences of the Holocaust.

Lesson Plan (PDF)

Worksheet (PDF)

This virtual field trip and lesson were adapted from an activity created in conjunction with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

A previous version of this virtual field trip hosted on Google Expeditions is no longer supported.

This Section

Explore lesson plans and training materials organized by theme to use in your classroom.

• Online Tools for Learning and Teaching
• Videos for Classroom Use

Washington DC Virtual Tour: Online Museums & Virtual Field Trip

150+ Ways to Explore the U.S. Capitol from Home with Virtual Tours, Online Museums and Experiences

Today there are more ways than ever to explore the world from home.  Luckily, virtual travel to Washington DC is no exception: the museums, galleries and institutions of my city have been hard at work for years to make their collections and experiences available online. 

In fact, the volume of information and resources available for a Washington DC virtual tour is seriously impressive!  I’ve discovered more than 150 ways for you to experience the U.S. capital from home.  

For travelers, I hope this Washington DC virtual tour guide fuels your wanderlust for your next DC trip.  And for locals, this is a great resource for rainy days and staycations.  This list can also be used by teachers who are preparing for a DC class trip or as a virtual Washington DC field trip.

This article contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I might earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support in this way! Learn more in my Disclosure Policy .

Google Arts and Culture Project and Virtual Reality Tours

Many of the sites in my list below participate in the Google Arts and Culture project , which is content from over 2,000 organizations that have partnered with Google to bring their collections and galleries online.  You can view virtual tours of many of the museums, galleries and sites, and also explore details of their collections as well as cultural and historical contexts through their online “exhibits.”

For some online experiences, a virtual reality viewer can be used to immerse yourself in the tour. The simplest virtual reality headsets use a smartphone for this, with an inexpensive viewer like Google Cardboard which you can order from Amazon .  You can use it with the Google Arts & Culture app (downloadable from the Apple Store or Google Play ) or other websites with virtual reality media.

Click to skip ahead to different sections in this guide:

Museums   |   Art Galleries   |   Kennedy Center   |   Zoo & Gardens   |  National Mall & Fireworks |  Historic Sites   |  Universities   |  American Presidents

Washington DC Virtual Museum Tours and Online Collections

First on our virtual tour: Washington DC is home to more than 70 world-class museums, many of which are Smithsonian Institutions.  I’ve compiled the best online collections, virtual reality experiences, videos, podcasts and more for a comprehensive virtual tour of Washington DC museums.

Smithsonian Museum “Open Access”

This year, the Smithsonian Institution released millions of images into the public domain.  With Open Access to the Smithsonian Museums online, you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images.  This includes images and data from across the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo.

• View the Smithsonian’s main collections online as well
• Did you know that the Smithsonian Institution was established because a British scientist left his estate to the United States for that express purpose? Learn about the history of the Smithsonian here .

National Museum of Natural History

This Smithsonian Museum has collections that contain over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, the largest natural history collection in the world.  No Washington DC virtual tour is complete without the Museum of Natural History: it’s the most-visited natural history museum in the world, and the 11th most-visited museum overall!

• View self-guided, room by room virtual tours of exhibits
• Start in the iconic Rotonda and take a virtual tour of the Museum of Natural History
• View their online Google Arts & Culture virtual museum collection 
• Discover their fascinating Human Origins exhibit online
• Check out their fun and informative video series “The Dr. is In”
• Explore their Ocean Portal
• Examine early American history through the forensic anthropology exhibit Written in Bone and a 3-D tour of an excavation site in Jamestown

National Air and Space Museum 

This Smithsonian Museum has two locations: on the National Mall in Washington DC and the Udvar-Hazy Center annex near Dulles Airport.  Both exhibit aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts. It’s also a center for research into the history and science of aviation and spaceflight.  

• Check out their online Google Arts & Culture virtual museum collection including museum views (which is the next best thing to being there!)
• View their current exhibitions
• Don’t miss their Apollo 11 exhibit , Outside the Spacecraft , and virtual model of the Neil Armstrong Spacesuit (use the icons on the left to view an overlay with features and information)
• View past webcasts including the Women of Apollo
• Listen to their podcasts including an (amusing and informative!) podcast on how women’s underwear design made space suits possible :

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)

The newest addition to the Smithsonians, the African American History and Culture Museum explores the richness and diversity of the African American experience and how it helped shape the nation.

• NMAAHC has excellent online resources for talking about race including targeted resources for educators , parents and caregivers and others committed to equality
• View the museum’s online open access collection
• Discover their online Google Arts & Culture virtual museum collection
• Learn through the stories of NMAAHC staff as they tell what collections they find most powerful
• Explore the museum’s Learning Lab
• Learn about the museum’s vision, planning and design  

National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian cares for one of the world’s most expansive collections of Native objects, photographs, and media, covering the entire Western Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. 

• Explore the National Museum of the American Indian online  
• Check out their online Google Arts & Culture collection
• Don’t miss their art and history collections online, grouped by region of the Americas
• Learn about the engineering feats of the Inka Empire with a fascinating online exhibit
• View the exhibit of Patriot Nations: Native Americans in the Armed Forces
• This museum’s cafeteria, the Mitsitam Cafe, is renowned for its menu, which features Native-inspired cuisines from five regions of the Western Hemisphere. You can actually order the chef’s cookbook and prepare the recipes at home!  Or try this wild rice salad recipe from Epicurious which is one of my favorites.  (“Mitsitam” means “Let’s Eat!” in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples.)

Smithsonian Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history.

• Explore the museum resources online , including a multimedia site dedicated to its Star-Spangled Banner exhibit (I make everyone who visits me in DC go to this exhibit!)
• Discover the museum’s multimedia content
• Explore their Stories From the Museum blog including the first female military doctor Mary Walker , conservation efforts for the ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz , and the American flag that flew on the craft that guided vessels to Utah Beach on D-Day

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States’ official memorial to the Holocaust. The USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. It is dedicated to helping leaders and citizens of the world confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and strengthen democracy.

• Browse the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s online collection
• View their online Google Arts & Culture virtual museum collection  

National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is the only museum in the world solely dedicated to celebrating the diverse artistic achievements of women.

• Explore their online museum collection of works by women artists including virtual exhibits for Graciela Iturbide’s Mexico and Delita Martin: Calling Down the Spirits
• Browse their online Google Arts & Culture collection

National Geographic Museum

The National Geographic Society (NGS) is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.  Its museum in Washington DC features changing exhibitions featuring the work of National Geographic explorers, photographers, and scientists. 

• Explore their current exhibit Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall

Dumbarton Oaks

Dumbarton Oaks is a historic estate in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC. The Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection was founded here by Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss, who gave the property to Harvard University in 1940.  It also has extensive gardens, which are one of my favorite places in the city.

• View their online Google Arts & Culture collection
• Explore virtual tours of the Dumbarton Oaks Garden

National Building Museum

The National Building Museum is a museum of architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning in Washington DC.

• Explore with a National Building Museum virtual tour
• View their new online exhibit Documenting Crossroads: The Coronavirus in Poor Minority Communities

National Women’s History Museum

The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM), is a proposed museum and an American history organization that researches, collects and exhibits the contributions of women to the social, cultural, economic and political life of our nation in a context of world history.  The museum is currently online, with plans to establish a physical museum on the National Mall.

• Explore the National Women’s History Museum collection online

Postal Museum 

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world.

• Explore with a virtual museu m tour

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens 

Hillwood is a decorative arts museum in Northwest Washington DC. The former residence of businesswoman, socialite, philanthropist and collector Marjorie Merriweather Post (of the Post cereal empire), Hillwood is known for its large decorative arts collection including Fabergé eggs, 18th and 19th century French art, and one of the country’s finest orchid collections. 

• Explore the Hillwood Museum collection from home , including virtual museum collection and video library
• See what’s in bloom in the Hillwood Gardens

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Washington DC Art Galleries: Online Collections & Virtual Experiences

No virtual tour of Washington DC would be complete without exploring the city’s art galleries. Check out the best online museum collections and experiences from DC’s world-class galleries.

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

The Hirshhorn Museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution, and was endowed in the 1960’s with the permanent collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn.  It currently focuses its collection-building and exhibition-planning mainly on the post–World War II period, with particular emphasis on art made during the last 50 years.

• Experience the Hirshhorn from home with the #HirshhornInsideOut including artist and curator-led insights and art activities for all ages
• Explore virtual tours of the the Hirshhorn’s Sculpture Gardens  
• Listen to their Artist Talks lecture series on Soundcloud
• Check out their online events on Facebook

National Portrait Gallery

Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Portrait Gallery’s collections focus on images of famous Americans. 

• Explore their Google Arts & Culture collection online including the exhibit Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
• Don’t miss their Presidential Portrait Collection and Portraits of African Americans
• Listen to the National Portrait Gallery podcast PORTRAITS: Real People, Real Stories
• No visit here is complete without a moment in the Kogod Courtyard (use the navigation menu to look around!)

National Gallery of Art (NGA)

The National Gallery of Art preserves, collects, exhibits, and fosters an understanding of works of art.  The Gallery’s collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture, and other arts traces the development of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the present, including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas.

• Discover highlights of the National Gallery’s collections
• View the NGA’s online Google Arts & Culture collection including Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting
• Explore the NGA’s online editions 
• Learn about the design of the Gallery’s East Building by architect I.M. Pei 
• Experience their virtual museum tour of Degas at the Opera
• No visit to the NGA is complete without reflecting in the Rothko room: experience a virtual tour
• Explore their open-source library of images including their 
• View their collection of 40,000 photographs dating from the 1850’s to today
• Listen to the story of how Marc Chagall’s mosaic Orphée made its way from a private garden in Georgetown to the NGA’s Sculpture Garden:

Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) & Renwick Gallery

The Smithsonian American Art Museum  holds one of the world’s largest and most inclusive collections of American art, from the colonial period to the present, with more than 7,000 artists represented. Explore their collection 

• Experience Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collections online 
• Check out SAAM’s Google Arts & Culture collection online
• Explore the many meanings of art with Smithsonian historians and researchers through SAAM’s video series Re:Frame
• Watch all of the museum’s videos online
• Experience a Renwick Gallery exhibition in Virtual Reality

The Phillips Collection

The Phillips Collection is an art museum founded by Duncan Phillips and Marjorie Acker Phillips in 1921 as the Phillips Memorial Gallery located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington DC.

• While the Riffs and Relations exhibit is on hiatus, The Phillips Collection has published a YouTube series that allows users to engage with the exhibit and its galleries
• View other featured multimedia online

National Museum of Asian Art (Freer-Sackler Galleries)

Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the Freer and Sackler Galleries make up the National Museum of Asian Art and house the largest Asian art research library in the country.

• Explore the Museum’s collections online
• View the Museum’s online Google Arts & Culture collection
• Listen to the their podcast archive and Silk Road Stories of volunteers from the Washington DC community who have cultural ties to various sites along the ancient Silk Road
• Explore the Museum’s music series

National Museum of African Art 

The National Museum of African Art is the Smithsonian Institution’s African art museum, located on the National Mall.  Its collections include 9,000 works of traditional and contemporary African art from both Sub-Saharan and Arab North Africa, 300,000 photographs, and 50,000 library volumes.

• Explore the Museum online
• View the Museum’s Google Arts & Culture collection online 

Art Museum of the Americas 

Art Museum of the Americas is the first art museum in the United States primarily devoted to exhibiting works of modern and contemporary art from Latin America and the Caribbean. 

• The Museum is currently open on a limited basis: learn more 

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The Kennedy Center is a vibrant campus of theaters and other artistic spaces that is also a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.  It is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet and thousands of annual performances of theater, dance, ballet, and orchestral, chamber, jazz, popular, and folk music.

• Explore the Kennedy Center online , including remote performances
• View a virtual historical and artistic tour of the Kennedy Center including performance spaces, terrace views and notable performances
• See the Kennedy Center’s online Google Arts & Culture listing
• Take a virtual tour of the Kennedy Center lobby and pretend you’re enjoying a glass of sparkling wine at an intermission
• Attend the Kennedy Center’s performances virtually with Kennedy Center at Home including new releases daily on their Digital Stage
• See live “Couch Concert” performances from musicians’ homes live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4PM and see encore Millennium Stage performances on-demand
• Take a guided tour of Jazz in DC and get inspired with a seasonal playlist of classical music

National Zoo & Washington DC Gardens

Next on our Washington DC virtual tour: let’s explore the green spaces of the city with a stop at the National Zoo and beautiful DC gardens.

Smithsonian National Zoo

The National Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the United States and part of the Smithsonian Institution.   Founded in 1889, its mission is to provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats.

• View the Zoo’s online Google Arts & Culture collection including Cheetah Conservation Station
• Take a virtual tour of National Zoo highlights (select a language, click “begin tour” and scroll down to start)
• Experience the Zoo from home with their live zoo webcams including the live cheetah cub cam and famous DC panda cam

Love zoos and wildlife? Be sure to check out my feature guide to virtual field trips of the best zoos and live safaris around the globe , including how you can livestream a free guided safari every day!

U.s. botanic garden.

The United States Botanical Garden is a botanic garden on the grounds of the United States Capitol near Garfield Circle. The garden includes a nearly 30,000-square foot conservatory, the National Garden, and Bartholdi Park. It’s the oldest continually-operating botanic garden in the United states, and is known for its rare and endangered plants, 5,000 orchid specimens and its annual holiday display.

• Learn about their gardens and plant species
• Take a virtual tour of the U.S. Botanic Garden
• Check out their online events on Facebook , like free guided yoga sessions from inside the garden

Smithsonian Gardens 

The Smithsonian Gardens are landscapes, interiorscapes, and horticulture-related collections and exhibits, which extend the Smithsonian museum experience into a public garden setting, with over 180 acres of green space and 13 gardens.

• Learn about the Smithsonian Gardens
• Take a virtual reality tour of the Enid A. Haupt Garden and the Moongate Garden at the Smithsonian Castle
• Find out about their current and past exhibitions

U.S. National Arboretum

The United States National Arboretum is a public garden, research facility, and urban green space located in Northeast Washington DC. Comprised of 446 acres, the Arboretum is a place of research, education, and discovery as well as an oasis of open space in the Nation’s capital. It was established in 1927 and is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture.

• Learn about the garden’s collections
• See Google street view photos of the arboretum , including their bonsai, azalea and the famous National Capitol Columns which were part of the Capitol building from 1828 to 1958

Tudor Place

Tudor Place is a Federal-style mansion in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC that was home to 6 generations of descendants of George Washington’s wife Martha Custis Washington.  Tours here explore the family stories and the histories of the servants and enslaved workers.  The estate’s collections include more than 15,000 decorative arts items, archival, historic and archaeological artifacts, including the largest collection of Washington artifacts outside Mount Vernon.

• Take a virtual tour inside Tudor Place with ABC News and explore their gardens
• Learn more about Tudor Place with educational resources

Looking for more ways to explore Washington DC’s green spaces? Check out my guide to the best Washington DC gardens by blooming season .

National Mall & Capitol Hill Sights

The National Mall is home to monuments including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. At the eastern end is the U.S. Capitol, with the White House to the north. The long grassy lawns of the Mall are flanked by Smithsonian museums and other iconic Washington DC sights. Nearby, the Tidal Basin reservoir is home to the Jefferson Memorial as well as the famous DC cherry blossoms. Don’t miss these sights on your virtual tour of Washington DC, especially the 4th of July celebrations!

4th of July Fireworks on the National Mall

The Independence Day holiday has always felt extra special to me in Washington DC! Check out some of the best online videos of 4th of July fireworks in our nation’s capital below.

• The 1812 Overture & Fireworks by the National Symphony (2014)
• 2020 4th of July Fireworks view from the National Mall (pretend you’re there having a picnic!)
• 2019 4th of July Fireworks from the Washington Post (skip ahead to the 43:00 minute mark when the action starts!)
• 2018 4th of July Fireworks from the Associated Press

The White House

• View the online White House Google Arts & Culture collection
• Take a 360-degree White House virtual tour and a “guided” virtual tour
• Learn about The White House

United States Capitol

The United States Capitol Building is the home of the United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It’s located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall.  The original building was completed in 1800.

• Explore with an amazing virtual tour of the U.S. Capitol
• View the Capitol’s online Google Arts & Culture collection
• Plan a visit and see virtual tours from the U.S. House of Representatives

United States Architect of the Capitol

The Architect of the Capitol is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the Capitol complex. 

• Explore the Capitol campus with an immersive virtual field trip and virtual exhibits
• Learn about the history of the Capitol complex with the Architect’s Virtual Capitol

Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial built in Washington, D.C. between 1939 and 1943 to Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence.

• Take a virtual reality 360-degree tour of the Jefferson Memorial and learn about its history
• Explore the Jefferson Memorial with a virtual Google Arts & Culture tour

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall built to commemorate George Washington, the first President of the United States. Located almost due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial,the monument is both the world’s tallest predominantly stone structure and the world’s tallest obelisk.

• Find out what’s inside the Washington Monument

Tidal Basin

The Tidal Basin is a partially man-made reservoir between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel and the spotlight of the annual spring Cherry Blossom Festival.  Memorials here include Jefferson, the Martin Luther King, Jr., the Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and George Mason Memorial. 

• Explore the Tidal Basin with a virtual tour
• Experience the Virtual Cherry Blossoms Festival
• Step back in time with imagined views of Washington DC from 1800-2016

If your bucket list includes seeing Washington DC for our spring cherry blossoms, don’t miss my guide to planning a visit including a detailed Tidal Basin blossom-spotting map! And get my tips on the best Washington DC Airbnbs for your trip.

Library of Congress 

The Library of Congress is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is commonly considered the national library of the United States. The Library of Congress is one of the largest libraries in the world, and its collections include research materials from all parts of the world and in more than 450 languages.

• Learn about the Library with history and online tours
• Explore the Library’s current exhibitions
• Tour the Library in 360 degrees
• Explore the Library’s video vault

National Archives 

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records.  The National Archives exhibits include the original United States Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, United States Bill of Rights, and many other historical documents.

• View the Rotonda of the National Archives in 360 degrees
• Explore the National Archives’ digital resources  
• Discover the Archives’ exhibits online

Free Bill of Rights Lesson Plan & Activities

Get a free Bill of Rights lesson plan and activities for grades 4-8 from We are Teachers.

Folger Shakespeare Library

The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It has the world’s largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materials from the early modern period.

• Explore the Library online including their Shakespeare Unlimited podcast
• Listen to audio recordings of seven Shakespeare plays

Want to know an adorable secret about the National Mall? The reflecting pools are home to baby ducks in spring! Check out my Washington DC ducklings guide and see photos.

More Washington DC Historic Sites

We’re not done with this Washington DC virtual tour yet! We’ve got several historic sites and more attractions still to go.

National Cathedral 

Washington National Cathedral is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is of Neo-Gothic design closely modeled on English Gothic style of the late fourteenth century. 

• Explore the special architectural features of the Cathedral online including the rose window, peal bells and Darth Vader grotesque.

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site 

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, is located in a neighborhood east of the Anacostia River in Southeast DC.  The site preserves the home and estate of Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent African Americans of the 19th century. 

• View a virtual tour of the site
• Explore the Frederick Douglass Google Arts & Culture listing
• Watch the moving short film by National Public Radio of young descendants of Frederick Douglass reading and discussing his famous speech, “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? “
• Watch past Facebook Live videos while the site is closed, including reading and discussing The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with Ranger Kevin

Universities

Explore these Washington DC universities with virtual tours.

• Catholic University of America
• Georgetown University 
• Gallaudet University
• American University

American Presidents

Learn more about two of America’s most notable presidents with these online resources and virtual Washington DC tours.

George Washington

Mount Vernon was the plantation of George Washington, the first President of the United States, and his wife Martha Washington. And it’s a must-see for this Washington DC virtual tour! The Mount Vernon estate is situated on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, a half hour from DC near Alexandria.

• Explore and learn about Mount Vernon with a really cool virtual tour
• Learn about George Washington through notes and personal items as well as his most famous portrait
• Learn about the day-to-day lives of the enslaved people at Mount Vernon including known biographies

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States (1861–1865). Lincoln led the nation through its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis in the American Civil War. On April 14, 1865, just days after the war’s end, he was assassinated while enjoying a night at the theater by Confederate sympathizer and spy John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln is consistently ranked as the greatest U.S. president. 

• Explore the Ford’s Theater Google Arts & Culture listing, including a fascinating online exhibit about Lincoln’s funeral train procession
• View the digital resources of Lincoln’s Cottage  
• Read about Lincoln’s writings and views on slavery
• Take a virtual reality tour of the Lincoln Memorial
• Take an online tour of the Lincoln Memorial and listen to insights from a National Park Service ranger
• View an online Smithsonian exhibition Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life
• Listen to a Smithsonian podcast and explore a little-known side of this president with Abraham Lincoln: Prankster-in-Chief
• Explore a Google Arts & Culture exhibition Lincoln from Postmaster to President

Thomas Jefferson

Monticello was the plantation home of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Located about 2.5 hours from Washington DC, it’s often visited as a day trip from the city.

• Explore all of Monticello’s online resources
• Take a virtual tour of Monticello ; there are both paid guided tours and free options, including a cool 360-degree tour
• View the Google Arts & Culture Monticello Tour with video insights from historians, curators and guides
• Learn about slavery at Monticello including tours and exhibits and known biographies of the people enslaved at Monticello
• Read about the fascinating life and family history of Sally Hemings , an enslaved woman who is believed to have had six of Jefferson’s children, after negotiating for her future children’s freedom when she was just 16
• Listen to stories from the “Getting Word” oral history project, which began at Monticello in 1993 to capture stories from descendants of Monticello’s African American community

I hope that this Washington DC virtual tour guide helps fuel your wanderlust until you can travel again! Pin it for later or share with someone who needs a Washington DC virtual field trip.

The Haphazard Traveler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Looking for more virtual travel experiences ? Check out my virtual travel guide for kids , zoo and safari field trips feature (including how to see a free live guided safari every day!) and guide to the best aquarium livefeeds and ocean webcams !

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I was a travel hot mess, but I got better! I kept the name and now blog my best tips for culture + adventure travel from around the globe. Follow along for travel advice, destination guides, and photography from faraway lands and at home in Washington, DC.

Travel Writer | Photographer | Licensed Drone Pilot Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)

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Immigration | Stories of Yesterday and Today

A new land 1492-1790.

Expanding America 1790-1880

The american dream 1880-1930, a place of refuge 1930-1965.

Building a Modern America 1965-Today

The beautiful land of the New World amazed the European explorers who arrived on North American shores around 1500. They realized the economic possibilities of the fertile soil and many natural resources. In the 17th century, Europeans established successful permanent settlements in what is now the United States. The European settlers soon dominated the Native American civilizations, which had existed for thousands of years. The major European powers (including England, Spain, and France) established colonies,

which are lands controlled by a faraway government. The people who lived in the colonies were called colonists. Enduring great hardship, the colonists built new communities in the New World

The Explorers

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer and excellent sailor, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of a shorter trade route to Asia. After more than two months at sea, he landed in the Bahamas in the Caribbean islands. Although Columbus never reached the mainland of North America, he had discovered the gateway to a vast continent unexplored by Europeans. Columbus returned to Europe believing he had reached previously unknown islands in Asia. Word of the new route spread in Europe. Over the next few decades, other explorers followed in Columbus's wake, hoping to take advantage of the shortcut to Asia. It would be another Italian explorer, named Amerigo Vespucci, who realized that what had actually been discovered was a continent unknown to Europeans. He called it the New World.

New Settlements

European nations—including Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and England—vied to claim pieces of the new land. In the 1600s, England founded colonies along the Atlantic seaboard, from what is now New Hampshire to Georgia. These original 13 colonies would eventually become the United States of America. Spain founded a colony at Saint Augustine, Florida, as early as 1565 and would go on to claim parts of what are now the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. France established colonies along the Saint Lawrence River, in what is now Canada; and also in the southern part of North America, in the region that is now Louisiana. The Dutch began the settlement of New Amersterdam on the southern tip of what is now Manhattan Island, home to part of New York City. The European countries often fought each over ownership of the new land; more land meant more power and economic opportunity.

Jamestown Succeeds

In 1607, England sent 100 men to America to found a new colony. The colony was named Jamestown after King James I and was located on the coast of what is now Virginia. It would become the first English colony to succeed in America, but its beginning was exceptionally difficult. The colonists were hoping to find gold easily, but didn't. And tragically, they hadn't anticipated how hard it would be to survive in the New World. More than half of the settlers died in the first year because of the harsh winters, poor planning, and disease. But under the leadership of the colonist John Smith, the colony began to succeed. They grew tobacco, which was sent back to England and sold for profit. With the profit, the colonists had the money to plant other crops, such as wheat, grapes, and corn, which is a food native to North America. By 1620, Jamestown plus other settlements that sprang up nearby had a population of about 4,000. The colony was thriving. This economic success gave England a powerful interest in protecting its foothold in the New World.

Slavery Begins

Africans first arrived in North America in 1619. In that year, 20 African people were brought to the Jamestown colony aboard a Dutch warship. They were slaves. They had been taken from their homes in Africa by force. They were beaten and enchained by men carrying weapons. Over the next almost 200 years, hundreds of thousands of Africans would be brought to America as slaves to work on plantations, especially to grow tobacco. By the end of the colonial period, Africans numbered about 500,000 and formed about 20 percent of the population of the United States.

The Pilgrims

Some colonies were formed because people wanted to escape religious persecution in Europe. In 17th century England, two groups of Christians, the Catholics and the Anglicans, were arguing over what religion and church should be the true church of England. Some of the Anglicans, called Puritans, thought that there should be more distinction between their Church of England and the Catholic Church. Some Puritans, called the Separatists, didn't want to belong to the Church of England at all anymore. King James, who was the head of the Church of England, would not allow the Separatists to practice religion on their own. To escape the situation in England, a small group of Separatists left Europe on the Mayflower ship. In 1620, the ship landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, carrying 102 passengers. Many were Separatists, who became known as the Pilgrims. They established Plymouth Colony. After the Pilgrims, many more people flocked to the new colonies for religious reasons: About 200,000 Puritans emigrated from England during the years 1620 to 1641.

Religious Freedom

After the Pilgrims, many other immigrants came to America for the religious freedom it offered. The colony of Maryland was founded in 1634 as a refuge for Catholics, who were persecuted in England in the 17th century. In 1681, William Penn began a Quaker colony in the land that was later named after him: Pennsylvania. The main settlement was Philadelphia, which prospered through farming and commerce. In 1685, 14,000 Huguenots who were persecuted in France also joined the growing English colonies.

Expanding Colonies

Early immigrants to America settled up and down the East Coast. Farming was difficult in the rocky soil of New England, so people grew only enough food for their families to live on. This is called subsistence farming. They also became fishermen, fishing cod in the Atlantic Ocean and selling it to the European markets. As they needed good ships for fishing, they started making them, becoming successful shipbuilders. In the South, where farming was easier, colonists started large plantations to grow crops, such as tobacco, rice, and indigo. Indigo was a rich blue dye, mainly used for dyeing textiles. Plantations depended on the free labor of the slaves. Many more slaves were forced to come to America to meet the demand for labor. By the time of the Revolutionary War, about 2.5 million people lived in the colonies, including approximately 450,000 Africans; 200,000 Irish; 500,000 Scottish and Scotch-Irish; 140,000 Germans; and 12,000 French.

As the colonies grew, people began to look past the natural barrier of the Appalachian Mountains. They moved west into the frontier lands, in what is now Ohio, and beyond.

A New Nation

The colonies grew prosperous and the population increased. Between the time of the first settlements and the Revolutionary War, about seven generations of people were born in America. Many of them no longer wanted to be ruled by the English throne. And they didn't want to pay taxes to the English government when they had no colonial representation in the Parliament. They became known as Patriots, or Whigs, and they included Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. The Loyalists were colonists who wanted to remain part of England. The Patriots and Loyalists were bitterly divided on the issue. In 1776, the Continental Congress, a group of leaders from each of the 13 colonies, issued the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration stated that the United States of America was its own country. The Patriots fought England in the Revolutionary War to gain independence for the colonies.

In 1783, with the help of the French, who had joined their side, the colonists won the war. The United States of America was a new nation. The new government conducted a census, or count, of everyone living in the United States. At the time of the first census in 1790, nearly 700,00 Africans and 3 million Europeans lived in the new United States.

• The Americas

In the decades after the Revolutionary War, the 13 original colonies grew to include states stretching from Maine in the north to Louisiana in the south; from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to Illinois in the west. As a new nation, the United States of America thrived. By 1820, the population had grown to nearly 10 million people. The quality of life for ordinary people was improving. People were moving west, creating towns along the route of the Transcontinental Railroad, which connected the entire country by rail, east to west, for the first time.

The prosperous young country lured Europeans who were struggling with population growth, land redistribution, and industrialization, which had changed the traditional way of life for peasants. These people wanted to escape poverty and hardship in their home countries. More than 8 million would come to the United States from 1820 to 1880.

Slavery Continues

At the turn of the 19th century, more than 1 million African Americans lived in the United States. As slaves, they were not considered citizens. Large farms and plantations depended on the free labor they provided in fields and homes. It was difficult, backbreaking work. In 1808, the United States government banned the importation of enslaved people into the country, although the practice did continue illegally. Slavery, however, was not abolished for nearly 60 more years.

The Irish and Germans

In the early and mid-19th century, nearly all of the immigrants coming to the United States arrived from northern and western Europe. In 1860, seven out of 10 foreign-born people in the United States were Irish or German. Most of the Irish were coming from poor circumstances. With little money to travel any further, they stayed in the cities where they arrived, such as Boston and New York City. More than 2,335,000 Irish arrived between 1820 and 1870. The Germans who came during the time period were often better off than the Irish were. They had enough money to journey to the Midwestern cities, such as Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis, or to claim farmland. More than 2,200,000 Germans arrived between 1820 and 1870.

The Irish Potato Famine

In 1845, a famine began in Ireland. A potato fungus, also called blight, ruined the potato crop for several years in a row. Potatoes were a central part of the Irish diet, so hundreds of thousands of people now didn't have enough to eat. At the same time of the famine, diseases, such as cholera, were spreading. Starvation and disease killed more than a million people. These extreme conditions caused mass immigration of Irish people to the United States. Between 1846 and 1852, more than a million Irish are estimated to have arrived in America. The men found jobs building railroads, digging canals, and working in factories; they also became policemen and firemen. Irish women often worked as domestic servants. Even after the famine ended, Irish people continued to come to America in search of a better life. More than 3.5 million Irish in total had arrived by 1880.

Civil War and the End of Slavery

In the early 1860s, the United States was in crisis. The Northern states and Southern states could not agree on the issue of slavery. Most people in the Northern states thought slavery was wrong. People in South, where the plantations depended on slavery, wanted to continue the practice. In 1861, the Civil War began between the North and South. It would be an extremely bloody war; over 600,000 people would die in the fighting. Many immigrants fought in the war. Since immigrants had settled mostly in the North, where factories provided jobs and small farms were available, hundreds of thousands of foreign-born men fought for the Union. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all the slaves in the rebelling Southern states were free. It was the beginning of the end of slavery.

To ensure that the abolishment of slavery was permanent, Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which outlawed slavery throughout the United States. The 14th Amendment, adopted in 1868, declared that African Americans were citizens of the United States. In 1870, African Americans numbered almost 5 million and made up 12.7 percent of the U.S. population.

The Homestead Act

In the late 19th century, America was looking west. People began moving away from the now crowded Eastern cities. Some were motivated by the Homestead Act of 1862, which offered free land from the government. The government offered to give 160 acres of land—considered a good size for a single family to farm—in areas including Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Homesteaders were required to stay on the land, build a home, and farm the land for five years. The offer attracted migrants from inside the country—and waves of more immigrants from Europe. For example, many people from Sweden, where land was extremely scarce, were drawn to come to the United States. These brave settlers worked hard to start a new life on the frontier. Though life was difficult, many succeeded.

The Transcontinental Railroad

The Transcontinental Railroad was a massive construction project that linked the country by rail from east to west. The railway was built entirely by hand during a six-year period, with construction often continuing around the clock. Chinese and Irish immigrants were vital to the project. In 1868, Chinese immigrants made up about 80 percent of the workforce of the Central Pacific Railroad, one of the companies building the railway. The workers of the Union Pacific Railroad, another company that built the railroad, were mostly Irish immigrants. These railroad workers labored under dangerous conditions, often risking their lives. After the Transatlantic Railroad was completed, cities and towns sprung up all along its path, and immigrants moved to these new communities. The Transcontinental Railroad was a radical improvement in travel in the United States; after its completion, the trip from East Coast to West Coast, which once took months, could be made in five days.

By 1880, America was booming. The image of America as a land of promise attracted people from all over the world. On the East Coast, Ellis Island welcomed new immigrants, largely from Europe. America was "the golden door," a metaphor for a prosperous society that welcomed immigrants. Asian immigrants, however, didn't have the same experience as European immigrants. They were the focus of one of the first major pieces of legislation on immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 severely restricted immigration from China.

And the 1907 "Gentlemen's Agreement" between Japan and the United States was an informal agreement that limited immigration from Japan. Despite those limitations, nearly 30 million immigrants arrived from around the world during this great wave of immigration, more than at any time before.

Ellis Island

In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison designated Ellis Island in New York Harbor as the nation's first immigration station. At the time, people traveled across the Atlantic Ocean by steamship to the bustling port of New York City. The trip took one to two weeks, much faster than in the past (when sailing ships were the mode of transportation), a fact that helped fuel the major wave of immigration. For many immigrants, one of their first sights in America was the welcoming beacon of the Statue of Liberty, which was dedicated in 1886. Immigrants were taken from their ships to be processed at Ellis Island before they could enter the country. About 12 million immigrants would pass through Ellis Island during the time of its operation, from 1892 to 1954. Many of them were from Southern and Eastern Europe. They included Russians, Italians, Slavs, Jews, Greeks, Poles, Serbs, and Turks. Explore the Ellis Island Interactive Tour

Bursting Cities

New immigrants flooded into cities. In places like New York and Chicago, groups of immigrants chose to live and work near others from their home countries. Whole neighborhoods or blocks could be populated with people from the same country. Small pockets of America would be nicknamed "Little Italy" or "Chinatown." Immigrants often lived in poor areas of the city. In New York, for example, whole families crowded into tiny apartments in tenement buildings on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Many organizations were formed to try to help the new immigrants adjust to life in America. Settlement houses, such as Hull House in Chicago, and religious-based organizations worked to help the immigrants learn English and life skills, such as cooking and sewing.

Angel Island

On the West Coast, Asian immigrants were processed at Angel Island, often called the "Ellis Island of the West." Angel Island, which lies off the coast of San Francisco, opened in 1910. Although the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 restricted immigration, 175,000 Chinese came through Angel Island over a period of three decades. They were overwhelmingly the main group processed here: In fact, 97 percent of the immigrants who passed through Angel Island were from China. Explore the Angel Island Activity

Building America

Many of the immigrants who arrived in the early 20th century were poor and hardworking. They took jobs paving streets, laying gas lines, digging subway tunnels, and building bridges and skyscrapers. They also got jobs in America's new factories, where conditions could be dangerous, making shoes, clothing, and glass products. Immigrants fueled the lumber industry in the Pacific Northwest, the mining industry in the West, and steel manufacturing in the Midwest. They went to the territory of Hawaii to work on sugar cane plantations. Eventually, they bargained for better wages and improved worker safety. They were on the road to becoming America's middle class.

By the 1920s, America had absorbed millions of new immigrants. The country had just fought in the "Great War", as World War I was known then. People became suspicious of foreigners' motivations. Some native-born Americans started to express their dislike of foreign-born people. They were fearful that immigrants would take the available jobs. Some Americans weren't used to interacting with people who spoke different languages, practiced a different religion, or were a different race. Racism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia (fear and hatred of foreigners) were the unfortunate result. In 1924, Congress passed the National Origins Act. It placed restrictions and quotas on who could enter the country. The annual quotas limited immigration from any country to 3 percent of the number of people from that country who were living in the United States in 1890. The effect was to exclude Asians, Jews, blacks, and non-English speakers.

The Great Depression and War in Europe

In the 1930s, the country was going through the Great Depression, a terrible period of economic hardship. People were out of work, hungry, and extremely poor. Few immigrants came during this period; in fact, many people returned to their home countries. Half a million Mexicans left, for example, in what was known as the Mexican Repatriation. Unfortunately, many of those Mexicans were forced to leave by the U.S. government. In 1933, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was formed. It still exists today. In 1938, World War II started in Europe. America was again concerned about protecting itself. Fears about foreign-born people continued to grow. As a result of the turmoil in the 1930s, immigration figures dropped dramatically from where they had been in previous decades. In the 1920s, approximately 4,300,000 immigrants came to the United States; in the 1930s, fewer than 700,000 arrived.

World War II and the Postwar Period

The United States entered World War II in 1942. During the war, immigration decreased. There was fighting in Europe, transportation was interrupted, and the American consulates weren't open. Fewer than 10 percent of the immigration quotas from Europe were used from 1942 to 1945. In many ways, the country was still fearful of the influence of foreign-born people. The United States was fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan (also known as the Axis Powers), and the U.S. government decided it would detain certain resident aliens of those countries. (Resident aliens are people who are living permanently in the United States but are not citizens.) Oftentimes, there was no reason for these people to be detained, other than fear and racism. Beginning in 1942, the government even detained American citizens who were ethnically Japanese. The government did this despite the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which says "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without the due process of law."

Also because of the war, the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943. China had quickly become an important ally of the United States against Japan; therefore, the U.S. government did away with the offensive law. Chinese immigrants could once again legally enter the country, although they did so only in small numbers for the next couple of decades. After World War II, the economy began to improve in the United States. Many people wanted to leave war-torn Europe and come to America. President Harry S. Truman urged the government to help the "appalling dislocation" of hundreds of thousands of Europeans. In 1945, Truman said, "everything possible should be done at once to facilitate the entrance of some of these displaced persons and refugees into the United States. " On January 7, 1948, Truman urged Congress to "pass suitable legislation at once so that this Nation may do its share in caring for homeless and suffering refugees of all faiths.

I believe that the admission of these persons will add to the strength and energy of the Nation." Congress passed the Displaced Persons Act of 1948. It allowed for refugees to come to the United States who otherwise wouldn't have been allowed to enter under existing immigration law. The Act marked the beginning of a period of refugee immigration.

The Cold War Begins

In 1953, the Refugee Relief Act was passed to replace the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, which had expired. It also allowed non-Europeans to come to the United States as refugees. The Refugee Relief Act also reflected the U.S. government's concern with Communism, a political ideology that was gaining popularity in the world, particularly in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was also controlling the governments of other countries. The Act allowed people fleeing from those countries to enter the United States. When he signed the Act, President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "This action demonstrates again America's traditional concern for the homeless, the persecuted, and the less fortunate of other lands. It is a dramatic contrast to the tragic events taking place in East Germany and in other captive nations." By "captive nations," Eisenhower meant countries being dominated by the Soviet Union.

In 1956, there was a revolution in Hungary in which the people protested the Soviet-controlled government. Many people fled the country during the short revolution. They were known as "fifty-sixers". About 36,000 Hungarians came to the United States during this time. Some of their countrymen also moved to Canada. In 1959, Cuba experienced a revolution, and Fidel Castro took over the government. His dictatorship aligned itself with the Soviet Union. More than 200,000 Cubans left their country in the years after the revolution; many of them settled in Florida.

Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act, also known as the Hart-Celler Act. This act repealed the quota system based on national origins that had been in place since 1921. This was the most significant change to immigration policy in decades. Instead of quotas, immigration policy was now based on a preference for reuniting families and bringing highly skilled workers to the United States. This was a change because in the past, many immigrants were less skilled and less educated than the average American worker. In the modern period, many immigrants would be doctors, scientists, and high-tech workers. Because Europe was recovering from the war, fewer Europeans were deciding to move to America. But people from the rest of world were eager to move here. Asians and Latin Americans, in particular, were significant groups in the new wave of immigration. Within five years after the act was signed, for example, Asian immigration had doubled.

Vietnamese Immigration and the Refugee Act

During the 1960s and 1970s, America was involved in a war in Vietnam. Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia, on the Indochina peninsula. From the 1950s into the 1970s there was a great deal of conflict in the area. After the war, Vietnamese refugees started coming to the United States. During the 1970s, about 120,000 Vietnamese came, and hundreds of thousands more continued to arrive during the next two decades. In 1980, the government passed the Refugee Act, a law that was meant specifically to help refugees who needed to come to the country. Refugees come because they fear persecution due to their race, religion, political beliefs, or other reasons. The United States and other countries signed treaties, or legal agreements, that said they should help refugees. The Refugee Act protected this type of immigrant's right to come to America.

Latin American Immigration

During the 1980s, waves of immigrants arrived from Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Hundreds of thousands of people came just from Cuba, fleeing the oppressive dictatorship of Fidel Castro. This was a significant new wave of immigrants: During the 1980s, 8 million immigrants came from Latin America, a number nearly equal to the total figure of European immigrants who came to the United States from 1900 to 1910, when European immigration was at a high point. The new immigrants changed the makeup of America: By 1990, Latinos in the United States were about 11.2 percent of the total population.

A Multicultural America

Since 1990, immigration has been increasing. It is at its highest point in America's history. In both the 1990s and 2000s, around 10 million new immigrants came to the United States. The previous record was from 1900 to 1910, when around 8 million immigrants arrived. In 2000, the foreign-born population of the United States was 28.4 million people. Also in that year, California became the first state in which no one ethnic group made up a majority. Today, more than 80 percent of immigrants in the United States are Latin American or Asian. By comparison, as recently as the 1950s, two-thirds of all immigrants to the United States came from Europe or Canada.

The main countries of origin for immigrants today are Mexico, the Philippines, China, Cuba, and India. About 1 in 10 residents of the United States is foreign-born. Today, the United States is a truly multicultural society.

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Interactive Tour of Ellis Island

The Passage

The long, difficult journey to America begins.

The Arrival

The Statue of Liberty greets tired travelers.

The Baggage Room

Passengers check their precious possessions.

The immigration process begins.

The Registry Room

People await inspection in long winding lines.

The Medical Exam

Chalk marks identify those who are ill.

The Legal Inspection

Each person must answer 29 questions—with no mistakes.

For some, Ellis Island was the "Isle of Tears".

The Stairs of Separation

Immigrants file out based on their final destinations.

The Kissing Post

Families are reunited at the end of the long journey.

Welcome to Ellis Island! More than 12 million immigrants made their first stop in America at the Ellis Island Immigration Station between 1892 and 1954. In fact, more than 40 percent of Americans can trace their family history back to Ellis Island.

Follow in the immigrants' footsteps by taking this tour. You'll hear first-hand stories told by people who came through Ellis Island; see historical photographs and films; read fascinating facts; and discover the central role this station played in the story of American immigration. Learn More about Ellis Island

Did You Know

• Ellis Island is a small island in New York Harbor, near Manhattan. The federal government owns the island.
• The largest building on Ellis Island, made of red brick, opened in 1900 and became a famous symbol of American immigration.
• In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison established the nation's first immigration station on Ellis Island.
• The Immigration Station closed in 1954. Ellis Island became a museum in 1965 and is now a part of the U.S. National Park Service.