“Honey…we have to get up now.” Not really the words my wife wanted to hear at 5:30am knowing the kids would be less than eager- to put it gently – about getting up so early. But my wife will always rise to the occasion and she bravely entered the kids room with her morning energy aglow ready to do battle and rally her troops. Luckily, we packed our bags the night before, made breakfast, lunch and car snack bags and left at 6:15am for Washington DC for our annual visit to the Smithsonian Museum. Upon arrival 4 hours later, our youngest felt nauseous from the driving while my older girl insisted on not leaving the car because she needed more sleep. After a day of pushing strollers and umpteen visits to snack stands and lavatories, a fast food dinner we had to take to the hotel, I collapsed from exhaustion upon arrival at the hotel but now both kids were REALLY up and I didn’t even get to see the exhibits I had so eagerly wanted to visit.
Sounds familiar…right? I therefore suggest the following alternative to the duress, time expended and expense of traveling to your favorite museum; head online and visit today – all from the comforts of your home in one of BestrentNJ.com’s premier communities!
Take a virtual trip from your desktop, pour yourself a cup of joe at a sane hour and curl up into your chaise lounge and visit any one of these world-famous museums to see works of art you’ve only seen in text books with access to details you’d never notice – even if you were there in the flesh!
Technology comes to the rescue and brings you these 10 amazing museums that you can visit online in your PJ’s;
1. THE LOUVRE
The Louvre is one of the world’s largest art museums and – like the Eiffel Tower – it’s also one of Paris’ most iconic historic monuments. The museum offers free online tours of some of its most popular exhibits, such as its Egyptian Antiquities and works from Michelangelo. You can take a 360-degree look at the museum and click around the rare artifacts to get additional information on their histories.
2. SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the architecture of the Guggenheim’s building itself is quite impressive. Instead of heading to the Big Apple, get an up-close virtual view of some of the priceless pieces of artwork inside. The museum makes some of its collections and exhibits available online from Picasso to Koons.
3. NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
Founded in 1937, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C provides virtual tours of its galleries, including one of my favorite exhibits, “Van Gogh’s Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.”
4. BRITISH MUSEUM
London’s British Museum makes some of its pieces viewable online and the museum also teamed up with the Google Cultural Institute to offer virtual tours using Google Street View technology. Cool!
5. SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
My fave since a 5th grade visit, Washington D.C.’s National Museum of Natural History offers a peek at its wonderful treasures with an online virtual tour of the entire grounds. Enjoy a 360-degree walking tour of all its exceptional exhibits.
6. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
My wife’s first choice for a visit to the Big Apple, with over two million works of fine art, the Met website features an online collection and virtual tours of some of its most impressive pieces, including works from Vincent van Gogh and Jackson Pollock. The Met also works with the Google Cultural Institute to make even more artwork (that’s not featured in its own online collection) available for view.
7. DALÍ THEATRE-MUSEUM
Solely dedicated to the artwork of the great surrealist, Salvador Dalí, the Dalí Theatre-Museum is uniquely singular. Located in in the town of Figueres in Catalonia, Spain, it features many exhibits surrounding every era of Dalí’s life. The museum offers virtual tours of the grounds and a few of its’ exhibits.
8. NASA
My nephew is a huge fans of this website because NASA offers free virtual tours of its Space Center in Houston with a wise-cracking animated robot named “Audima” as your tour guide. Nice!
9. NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
The National Women’s History Museum in Alexandria, Virginia seeks to educate, inspire, empower, and shape the future “by integrating women’s distinctive history and culture in the United States.” Their mission is delivered through well-curated online exhibits, including exhibits surrounding the rights of women throughout American history.
10. GOOGLE ART PROJECT
Finally, using Google Street View technology, the Google Art Project features fine art from over 60 museums and galleries around the world such as works from the White House, the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar, and even Săo Paulo street art from Brazil. Check out a complete list of museums you can visit online through the Google Art Project and the Google Cultural Institute. So awesome
While enriching yourself and your loved ones with art and culture, we invite you to keep your hands on the trackpad when searching for your next welcoming home in the Garden State using our Apartment Locator page at BestrentNJ.com today. Bon Voyage!