FREE Worldwide Virtual Field Trips Without Leaving Home
Summer means vacation but now you can enjoy FREE worldwide virtual field trips right from the comfort of your own home. With our new normal rapidly becoming a part of our everyday life, thanks to technology you can still visit the world thanks to these free worldwide virtual field trips.
Here’s a small sample of just where some of these free worldwide field trips can take you, all while never leaving the house.
Aquariums and Zoos
Atlanta Zoo: This Georgia institution has a dedicated panda cam sure to put a smile on kids’ — and grown-ups’ — faces.
Cincinnati Zoo: Every day, this zoo is hosting “Home Safari Facebook Lives” showcasing one of their animals and offering a fun, educational activity you can do at home. Pull up the zoo’s Facebook page every day at 3 p.m. EST. All of the safaris will also be posted to the zoo’s website and on their YouTube page for later viewing.
Georgia Aquarium: Have a soothing look under the sea with live cams of beluga whales, African penguins, jellyfish and more.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: Dive underwater with livestreams of sharks, sea otters, jellyfish, and turtles. A live cam of the crashing waves in the Monterey Bay itself is particularly calming.
National Aquarium: Explore winding, sea life-filled floors with this virtual tour of the Baltimore-based aquarium.
Oregon Zoo: This zoo is sharing daily video updates on their Facebook page of different animals during their temporary closure.
San Diego Zoo: This zoo has a number of different live cams monitoring their furry and feathered friends, including penguins, pandas, koalas, and elephants. 
Museums
American Museum of Natural History: Explore three virtual exhibits at this New York City institution (yes, the one featured in Night At the Museum!). The exhibit “Highlights from the American Museum of Natural History,” shows off many of the museum’s most famous features.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: Explore six virtual exhibits at this Santa Fe-based museum, which preserves Georgia O’Keeffe’s artistic legacy.
High Museum of Art: Explore four exhibits — including an awe-inspiring Civil Rights Photography show — at this Atlanta museum.
Hockey Hall of Fame: Learn about hockey’s finest players, moments and artifacts with a 3-D tour of this Toronto museum. Don’t stop until you find the Stanley Cup!
Getty Museum: Travel through two different virtual exhibits from this Los Angeles landmark with Google Arts and Culture.
The Louvre: Take a quick trip to Paris with virtual tours of three stunning exhibits at this world-renowned museum.
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art): Viewers can go on a virtual tour of the New York City-based museum’s exhibit of Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Embrace your artistic side with 16 virtual exhibits. Fashionistas, in particular, will fall head over high heels for their 21st Century Designer Fashion and 20th and 21st Century Fashion Accessories exhibits.
Smithsonian: Explore a self-guided tour of the D.C. museum’s National Museum of Natural History.
The Vatican Museum: Explore the New Wing, Sistine Chapel and more with 360 degree virtual tours.
International Landmarks
Buckingham Palace, England: Flights to the U.K. may be canceled, but you can still visit Buckingham Palace thanks to the official Royal website, which offers a virtual tour of the Queen’s official residence.
Doge’s Palace, Italy: Google Arts and Culture offer a virtual tour of one of Venice’s most iconic landmarks — a 14th-century palace — complete with views of the canals that surround it.
Galapagos Islands: Embark on a guided video tour of the incredible wildlife and culture of the Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia: Swim through Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with the help of several David Attenborough-narrated videos and an educational, interactive map.
Great Wall of China: Take a virtual tour of one of the Seven Wonders of the World with The China Guide and explore its most visited sections.
Johnson Space Center, USA: Boeing and Discovery Education take viewers on a virtual field trip through this innovative, Houston-based space center.
National Parks, USA: 113 virtual tours of National Park Service locations are available on Google Arts and Culture. Some favorites include Yellowstone National Park (for miles and miles of beautiful views), Kenai Fjords National Park (for an icy adventure) and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (for lots of lava).
Tower Bridge, England: This famous London bridge isn’t going down anytime soon — and you can explore it virtually (by boat!).
White House, USA: No need to look your best for this trip to the White House in Washington, D.C.! Google Arts and Culture has virtual tours of several of the presidential spaces.
The Gardens of Versailles, France: Choose your own adventure and virtually explore the famously over-the-top royal gardens of King Louis XIV.
Theater, Symphonies, and Operas
BroadwayHD: This site has streamed favorite Broadway shows — like Cats, Kinky Boots and Phantom of the Opera — straight from New York and London for years, but they’re currently offering a one week free trial before their $8.99 monthly subscription fee kicks in.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: This New York-based chamber music ensemble is currently streaming several recorded performances.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: This Australian symphony is livestreaming their performances on Youtube while they are closed to the public through April 13. The shows will then be saved to the Youtube channel for later viewing.
Metropolitan Opera: Every night at 7:30 EST, New York City’s Metropolitan Opera will be streaming a Live in HD viewing of an opera performance, which will then be viewable for 20 hours.
OperaVision: This website offers free streaming of a number of recorded opera performances from famous opera houses across Europe and beyond, including the Royal Swedish Opera, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and National Theatre Prague.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin, this orchestra will be livestreaming performances on their Facebook page, which will then save for later viewing.
The Philharmonie Berlin: With plans to be closed until April 19, this symphony opened its library of digital performances to the public. More than 600 shows will be available for free for 30 days if you use the code BERLINPHIL by March 31.
The Rossini Opera Festival: This yearly festival, based in Pesaro, Italy, celebrates opera composer Gioachino Rossini, who called Pesaro home. They are currently streaming one previously-recorded opera a day for free.
Now the only question is, where will these free worldwide virtual field trips take you to first? What other virtual field trips have you taken?
