Top 10 Virtual Art Tours

Odds are you aren’t traveling to the world’s most famous museums during COVID days. But you can still take virtual tours of museums all around the world. Let’s look at some of the best virtual art museum tours.

The British Museum, London

You have lots and lots to explore at the British Museum, one of the world's largest museums, housing an astonishing number of works from all around the world. The virtual tour takes you up close to some of its most famous artifacts, such as Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, and the Elgin Marbles of Greece. And your visit goes to over 60 galleries—the British Museum is the world's largest indoor space featured on Google Street View.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Home to one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist pieces, the Musée d’Orsay welcomes you to virtually explore masterpieces by Monet, Degas, van Gogh, and Cézanne. Plus, hundreds of French artists are featured in the museum that's one of Europe's largest. The tour offers history on both the Impressionist movement and the building itself, a landmark structure that was once a Paris railway station and grand hotel.

Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

The world's most famous chapel awaits your online exploration. The Sistine Chapel's virtual tour takes up close to the awe-inspiring ceiling that was painted by Michelangelo in the early 1500s, one of the most influential works to come out of the Italian Renaissance period. When you're done with the panels depicting the Book of Genesis, most famously with The Creation of Adam, you can continue the virtual tour to explore the rest of the Vatican.

The Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City

The virtual tour of the Frida Kahlo Museum offers an intimate view of the iconic Mexican artist. Also known as the Blue House for its blue walls, the museum is housed in the home where Kahlo was born, lived, and died. You can see artworks from both Frida and her husband, artist Diego Rivera, as well as their collection of artifacts and Mexican folk art, plus personal photographs and memorabilia.

The Louvre, Paris

Arguably the most famous museum in the world, the Louvre has a few different virtual tours. Perhaps you've heard of a little painting titled The Mona Lisa? You can get an up-close look at Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece on a virtual tour. Plus, the classical statue Venus de Milo, as well as works by Michelangelo, artifacts from ancient Egypt, and so much more on the 360-degree tour.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Works by van Gogh appear in the virtual tours of museums all across the world. But nowhere will you encounter a collection as large as the one found in his home country, namely at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum. Cruise through more than 200 paintings and 500 drawings on the virtual tour, which also shows you hundreds of the artist's personal letters. Many of his most famous works, including Sunflowers, The Yellow House, and Potato Eaters are on display in this museum.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

While you’re in Amsterdam (albeit virtually) why not head over to the Rijksmuseum? One of the most renowned museums in the Netherlands if not the world, the Rijksmuseum has an amazing collection of Dutch Masters among its more than 8,000 pieces on display throughout 80 different galleries. Among the works include Rembrandt's Night Watch and The Jewish Bride, plus Vermeer's The Milkmaid. The museum also has a stunning selection of Asian artifacts, as well as porcelain and silver works from the 17th century.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The epicenter of the Italian Renaissance, Florence is still where you'll find some of the greatest works of that influential period. And the collection of the period's most famous patrons, the de Medici family, is on display at the Uffizi Gallery. Set in a historical building that dates to the mid-1500s, the museum has treasures including The Annunciation painting by Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli’s famous Birth of Venus.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

The Pergamon Museum offers a truly stunning walk through ancient history, with the reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, Market Gate of Miletus, and Pergamon Altar, excavated in Anatolia and brought to Berlin over a century ago. More treasures from the ancient world, including Greek, Romans, and Middle Eastern antiquities, are on display in the museum, and all viewable through a virtual tour!

Guggenheim Museum, New York

You've almost certainly seen the famous white spiral ramp of the Guggenheim in New York, a creation of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Now you can take a virtual tour up and down them! And you won't likely be disappointed by the artworks, with over 600 pieces on display from the likes of Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, and Franz Marc. The virtual tours also have slide shows and audio discussions for deeper dives into the art and the artists.

We hope the days of globe-trotting to famous museums return soon. Until then, you can experience stunning art with some amazing online museum tours.

Written by William McCleary for Knockaround.