Virtual Field Trips

Free virtual field trips are a great way to learn about places you may not be able to visit.

Free Virtual Tours Around the World

Lascaux Cave - The prehistoric art in the Lascaux Cave in Dordogne, France, was discovered in 1940 and dates to 21,000 years ago. The original cave is now closed to the public for preservation reasons.

Versailles - Stories from the Palace includes everything from fun facts to long reads to a virtual private tour of the former royal palace.

Pyramids of Giza - Interactive panoramic exploration using Google Streetview

Machu Picchu - Multiple interactive panoramic explorations using Google Streetview

Pompeii - This guided, interactive tour of Pompeii uses augmented reality to show what the scene looked like in the past (click the "Play Audio" button at the top right if you don't hear the audio)

Eiffel Tour - Interactive panoramic views from the Eiffel Tour

Taj Mahal - Interactive panoramic views of the Taj Mahal

Stonehenge Virtual Tour - Take an interactive tour of Stonehenge with this 360 degree view from inside the monument.

Vatican Virtual Tours - Tours of many areas of the Vatican are available from the Vatican website.

Explore UNESCO World Heritage Virtual Tours - Google Arts and Culture and UNESCO collection of hundreds of virtual tours from around the world

U.S. Historic Sites Free Virtual Field Trips

American Pioneer Living History Village - Explore the old west and pioneer life in the 1800s (an accompanying mining unit is available)

Ellis Island Virtual Tour - 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island from 1892 to 1954. Tour the complex with this interactive virtual tour.

Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park - Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau was a place of refuge protected by Lono, the God of life. Today you can learn about history and culture while experiencing 360-degree views of Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.

Yukon Mining Sites Virtual Tours - Explore the history of gold minin in the upper Yukon River region in Alaska through these virtual tours from the NPS.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site - Tour Abraham Lincoln's Springfield home.

Mount Vernon Virtual Tour - Take a virtual tour of Mount Vernon, Virginia, George Washington's home (works best on Firefox and Safari)

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Virtual Tour - Explore the famous lighthouse in Buxton, NC.

Colonial Williamsburg Virtual Tours - Many virtual options are available on the Colonial Williamsburg website. Works best with Firefox and Safari.

The White House Virtual Tours - The White House has dozens of virtual tours available on its Google Arts & Culture page.

Plimoth Plantation Virtual Tour - The Wampanoag Way and Thanksgiving Virtual Field Trip are video-based virtual field trips.

The Alamo Church - Works best in Firefox and Safari.

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Virtual Tour

Alcatraz Island Virtual Tour - Interactive panoramic exploration using Google Streetview

Military-Related Virtual Tours

Antietam National Battlefield - The Civil War battle fought at Antietam is considered the bloodiest one day battle in American history. The NPS offers a virtual tour of the battlefield and National Cemetery with extensive information about the battle through videos, maps, and photos.

Gettysburg National Military Park Virtual Tour - The Virtual Tour is built around each of the sixteen Auto Tour stops and provides a comprehensive and immersive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg.

USS Alabama Virtual Tour - Interactive virtual tour of the battleship (works best with Firefox and Safari)

Virtual Tour of US Veterans and War Memorials - Interactive tours of various war memorials (uses the same type technology as Google Street View)

Museum Free Virtual Field Trips

The Louvre Virtual Tours - Multiple virtual tours are available through the museum's website.

USC Fisher Museum of Art - Discover art spanning five centuries at USC Fisher Museum of Art, the museum of the University of Southern California and the first museum established in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to the exhibition and collection of fine art.

Art Institute of Chicago - Explore the Institute through virtual gallery visits, go behind the scenes, and engage with art from anywhere with virtual events, videos, and themed audio tours.

National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours - A large selection of current, past, and permanent exhibits are available to tour virtually (Chrome does not appear to support the technology used, but Firefox and Safari do)

National Postal Museum - The Smithsonian National Postal Museum features the history of the nation's mail service and showcases the largest and most comprehensive collection of stamps and philatelic material in the world. Open daily 10 am to 5:30 pm except Dec. 25. Free admission. In addition to student tour programs, the website offers curriculum guides and classroom resources to supplement student learning.

Air Zoo - The Air Zoo offers a large selection of video-based virtual exhibits related to aircraft and space.

Miscellaneous Virtual Tours

Santa Susana Field Laboratory Virtual Tour - Santa Susana was a rocket propulsion testing site. "The virtual tour of the 400+ acre Area II test facility displays 360-degree panoramas of the various test areas, surrounding landscape, and inside the aging test stands themselves. Alongside the panoramas, viewers can explore additional content such as interactive 3D models, point clouds, measured drawings, large format photographs, and flyover videos which all provide important context for understanding the site."

Guided Tours in Google Earth - Take a guided tour around the globe with some of the world’s leading storytellers, scientists and nonprofits. (Works best in Firefox and Safari.)