While there’s nothing better than stepping into an iconic museum and admiring world-famous sculptures created by famous artists centuries ago, it’s not always possible to take a flight to New York City, Paris or Florence to visit the gallery halls in person.
But there is a way to get a little culture and education at home, gaining inspiration and intelligence for future travels. Google Arts & Culture has partnered with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to bring virtual tours and online exhibitions of some of the world’s most famous museums to everyone.
You can “go to the museum” and never have to leave your couch.
Google Arts & Culture’s collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and hundreds of other places where you can learn about art, history, and science.
Check out some of the top museums where Google offers online tours and exhibitions. If you’re looking for more thoughtful inspiration from the comfort of your own home, museums around the world are sharing their most Zen-like art on social media. Or, to enjoy nature, you can “get out there” and take an incredible virtual tour of some of America’s best national parks.
British Museum, London
This iconic museum in central London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the World Museum Interactive website, a collaboration between the British Museum and the Google Cultural Institute.
Guggenheim, New York
Google’s Street View feature allows visitors to tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase without leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
This renowned American art museum offers two online exhibitions through Google. The first is an exhibition of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, which includes many renderings of colonial and Revolutionary-era clothing. The second is a collection of works by Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
You can almost walk through this popular gallery, which houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. See artworks by Monet, Cézanne and Gauguin, among others.
National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul
One of Korea’s most popular museums can be visited from anywhere in the world. Google’s virtual tour will take you through six floors of contemporary art from Korea and around the world.
Pergamon Museum, Berlin
One of the largest museums in Germany, Pergamon has a lot to offer – even if you can’t be there in person. This historical museum has a large collection of ancient artifacts, including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.
National Museum of Amsterdam
Discover masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you’ll feel like you’re in its halls.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Anyone who loves this tragically talented painter can get up close (or almost close) to his work with a virtual tour of this museum, which houses Vincent van Gogh’s largest art collection, including more than 200 paintings, 500 sketches, and 750 personal letters.
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
European art from as early as the eighth century can be found in this California art museum. Take a streetscape tour and discover a vast collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts and photographs.
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
This little-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence’s most famous families, the De Medici. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de’ Medici, but anyone can stroll through its halls from anywhere in the world.
MASP, São Paulo
The São Paulo Museum of Art is a non-profit museum and the first modern museum in Brazil. Artworks placed on clear, raised frames appear to be hovering in mid-air. Take a virtual tour and experience the fantastic displays for yourself.
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 22 galleries filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.
Not all popular art museums and galleries are included in Google Arts & Culture’s collection, but some offer online access on their own. The Louvre, for example, offers virtual tours on its website.
To see more of Google Arts & Culture’s museum collections, visit their website. There are also thousands of museum street views on Google. Google Arts & Culture also has an online predecessor
