We are so lucky to live in a time when all of the world’s art, history, and inventions are available for interactive experiences at our local museums! At Wonder Bunch Media, we adore arts and sciences. And as parents, we are so grateful for the opportunity to raise our children with as much exposure as possible to them and to the creative minds that made them. As the end of this historic pandemic approaches, seeing social distancing through to the end may seem harder than ever. That’s why we spent some time looking for ways to experience the whole wide wonderful world without leaving home. Soon, we will be wandering the halls of our favorite art exhibits again, but for now, let Wonder Bunch share our favorite virtual museum tours with you!
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Over 5,000 Years of Art Evolution
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art?hl=en
Since 1870, The Met has made time travel possible by collecting over two million of the world’s most precious pieces. You’ll find ancient African artifacts, European masters, American modern art, and Byzantine works to be appreciated and observed from anywhere you are. Your family can explore by medium, by artist, or by century, learning about the textiles and treasures that have formed cultures, been fought over, and are now safely restored and held in a place of honor.Learn about each piece, take a lecture, and study your favorite artists from the comfort of home!
The Albertina
European Modern Art
https://sammlungenonline.albertina.at/#/query/ca78abbf-dc99-4774-b573-151fa679eee5
It isn’t common that a family will grab their passports and head to Austria for the weekend, but if they did, The Albertina would be a must-see attraction. The museum houses around one million priceless works of art, and about 225,000 of them are available to research and explore online.
Gain access to the museum’s study hall and library, and experience the work of artists from Monet to Warhol. Be sure to right-click on the page and hit “translate to English” while navigating the site unless you happen to be fluent in German!
Each piece comes with an explanation, a history, and a deep dive into art appreciation. Your whole family will love taking their time to understand the works as closely as they can, without any tourists crowding and without security side-eyeing the little one with sticky fingers about to touch a priceless piece. But Mom and Dad may have something to say about pb&j near the computer screen!
Detroit Institute of Arts
From Ancient Egypt to Modern Art
https://www.dia.org/athome
As one of the oldest and largest museums in the United States, with more than 100 individual galleries and over 658,000 square feet, any visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts could feel a little overwhelming. But when faced with the frustration of limited capacity, the institute decided to host At Home with the DIA offering field trips, film screenings, home projects, and other resources to families online. They have also partnered with Google Arts and Culture to provide online exhibits including Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals, Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States, and Ordinary People by Extraordinary Artists. It would take you years to peruse the DIA’s vast collection, but an online tour allows you to set the pace and linger where your children find themselves drawn. Take your online tour here.
The Art Institute of Chicago
Art and Education
https://www.artic.edu/visit-us-virtually
Are your children fascinated by ancient Egyptian pottery? Second-century Roman sculpture? Is your family curious what jewelry South Asia’s Nomadic cultures felt were precious enough to carry with them on their vast journey? The Art Institute of Chicago won’t just show you these historically crucial pieces, but will educate curious minds about the people, places, and practices of our great big beautiful world.
Explore the exhibits, attend a virtual lecture, download coloring sheets, or learn a craft all from the comfort of home! Our family has had such a wonderful time exploring the online site that we have already planned a visit this summer once everything is opened back up again. That is, if our sitting Mayor agrees!
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
American Modernism
https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/okeeffe-from-anywhere/
An icon of Americana, Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, pastels, watercolors, and sculptures are among the 1200 items housed in the New Mexico museum that bears her name. You’ll also find a collection of her letters, photographs, and other memorabilia that she and those who loved her held dear. Take an online drawing course featuring O’Keeffe’s methods, tour one of the six virtual exhibits available through Google Arts and Culture, attend lectures, or read stories and learn her recipes. You may not be able to stroll the site in person, but you’ll learn and experience her work in a fun and engaging way that will keep your children excited to learn more!
Mauritshuis/Netherlands
Golden Age Exhibits
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/mauritshuis
Rembrandts, Vermeer, and Rubens are among the masters featured in the Mauritshuis’ online tour. Explore movement, mediums, and meaning in the thousands of works available to inquisitive minds.
National Museum of Natural History
Visit | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Perhaps your children are less interested in art and more interested in earth? There has never been a better time to virtually visit the National Museum of Natural History! Why? Because right now, even exhibits that are no longer available at the museum are available via virtual tour. If your family has watched Night at the Museum, they may have received some flawed historical facts, but they likely also picked up a fascination for some of our shared history. The museum is home to more than 34 million specimens of plants, fossils, minerals, meteorites, animals, and cultural artifacts. Take your 360 tour by heading here.
Once your family is finished with their virtual tours, and they have an understanding of which artifacts future generations will be fascinated by, ask your children which of their own items they think would end up in a future museum. Would your child’s stuffed animals be the priceless artifact that explains childhood in the 2020s? Would their custom face mask be the curiosity that makes children scratch their heads? Have your child create their own exhibit, and let us know how it goes!
We are so grateful for these amazing facilities and for the art, culture, and education they are providing every day — and for their ingenuity in finding ways to help us explore more! We can’t wait to see what our little Picassos come up with after our latest virtual tour this week. If your little one has a work of art you’d like to share, tag us on social media! We would love to see what your budding artist is creating today.
