Cultural Adventures
With so many museums, galleries, institutions, and more offering special digital access to their most sought-after experiences, it’s hard to know where to start. Here are our favorite below-the-radar discoveriesThe sheer volume and depth of online cultural offerings from museums, galleries, and other institutions can be overwhelming. And just like in real life, you should by all means prioritize the biggest hits—if you’ve never been to the Louvre, taking a virtual tour of the museum sans touristes is the rarest of opportunities. But once you’ve made your way through those better-known attractions, there’s plenty of great stuff awaiting you in lesser-known, out-of-the-way digital corners. Here’s a selection of those, ranging from a behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s leading automotive museum to a deep dive into some of the most pristine ocean waters.
Virtual Dives into National Marine Sanctuaries
An irony of tourism is that by visiting some of the world’s most beautiful places, we damage them, too. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers a better, and timely, alternative: virtual deepwater tours of some of the world’s most vulnerable waterways, from American Samoa to the Florida Keys. Ralph Lauren has long drawn inspiration from the water (and has supported its preservation through organizations like Riverkeeper and the Waterkeeper Alliance). If you feel similarly stirred by the sea, this is a can’t-miss.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Santa Fe holds a special place within the World of Ralph Lauren, and this museum is a big part of the city’s rich cultural history. And while road-tripping through the Southwest is understandably off-limits right now, you can instead enjoy the offerings provided by the “O’Keeffe From Anywhere” section of the museum’s site. This includes immersive virtual tours of her two nearby homes, an extensive collection of her letters and paintings, plus family-friendly creative activities. You can also experience six virtual exhibits of the museum itself for free by downloading the mobile app, a reminder that O’Keeffe’s arresting, idiosyncratic work remains a balm in difficult times.
The Tenement Museum
Touring this museum, housed in a former tenement building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is a moving experience—seeing the cramped spaces where generations of immigrants lived and dreamed is overpowering. A virtual tour brings these stories to life, as you look around any of the five on-site apartments and hear the story of what happened to these turn-of-the-century strivers, many of whom have descendants living in the city today. The museum is also offering a host of digital experiences, from virtual live events to custom Zoom backgrounds.
The Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum
If the lack of live music has you down, stay in tune by familiarizing (or refamiliarizing) yourself with some of the classics. This lesser-known museum—located, naturally, in the Bluegrass State, in Owensboro, roughly 2 miles from where genre pioneer Bill Monroe was born—is a great place to start. Virtual tours include musical demonstrations played on some of the artists’ original instruments, storytelling worthy of a Ken Burns documentary, and archival interviews with key practitioners to help provide useful context.
The Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen just might house the world’s most impressive set of automobiles under one roof, many of which aren’t on public display. Right now, it’s hosting live virtual tours of its vaults in LA, which means you’ll see cars that aren’t on view during nonpandemic times. It also means you can ask questions as you go, a rarity in the virtual-tour field. Don’t worry if you can’t make a live tour—recordings are posted online afterward.
Virginia Woolf London Tour
Mrs. Dalloway famously said she would buy the flowers herself, and for now, you’ll have to guide your tour of her life in London yourself, too. This Google Arts & Culture experience includes many rooms of her own—from Woolf's childhood home in Kensington to Hogarth House, where she founded her well-known publishing company with her husband. Of particular note is Tavistock Square, in Bloomsbury, where the writer drew inspiration for passages from Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse from passersby on the street below.
The USS Midway Museum
No trip to San Diego is complete without a tour of this iconic aircraft carrier, the longest-serving such ship in the 20th century, and the countless varieties of aircraft on deck. For now, though, treat yourself to an audio tour, which includes pilots from more than 20 different planes describing their experiences in depth. There’s also a family audio tour, which includes details about roughly 30 locations on the ship.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
For many of us, this time of year is synonymous with America’s pastime, but this year the season has been delayed indefinitely, and the hall’s summer induction ceremony has already been postponed until next year. It’s an optimal time to visit the sport’s holiest shrine, the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, in Cooperstown, New York. Visiting virtually will let you peruse an incomparable online treasure trove of artifacts, dating from the sport’s early days. Another idea? Liven up your homeschooling with a virtual field trip.
The American Folk Art Museum
Jerry Lauren, Ralph’s brother and the company’s longtime creative director of men’s design, has been a supporter of this NYC museum for many years, and is a renowned collector of folk art in his own right. The museum isn’t offering virtual tours, per se, but has stepped up its online offerings with a series of live events. These have included live online drinks with curators, where guests also receive guidance on making art of their own. And it’s also bringing its Free Music Fridays online through Facebook Live. (The first one took place on May 8 and featured the Brooklyn singer-songwriter Miwa Gemini.) Donations are encouraged, and you can also peruse thousands of the museum’s holdings on its website.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Santa Fe holds a special place within the World of Ralph Lauren, and this museum is a big part of the city’s rich cultural history. And while road-tripping through the Southwest is understandably off-limits right now, you can instead enjoy the offerings provided by the “O’Keeffe From Anywhere” section of the museum’s site. This includes immersive virtual tours of her two nearby homes, an extensive collection of her letters and paintings, plus family-friendly creative activities. You can also experience six virtual exhibits of the museum itself for free by downloading the mobile app, a reminder that O’Keeffe’s arresting, idiosyncratic work remains a balm in difficult times.
The Tenement Museum
Touring this museum, housed in a former tenement building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is a moving experience—seeing the cramped spaces where generations of immigrants lived and dreamed is overpowering. A virtual tour brings these stories to life, as you look around any of the five on-site apartments and hear the story of what happened to these turn-of-the-century strivers, many of whom have descendants living in the city today. The museum is also offering a host of digital experiences, from virtual live events to custom Zoom backgrounds.
The Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum
If the lack of live music has you down, stay in tune by familiarizing (or refamiliarizing) yourself with some of the classics. This lesser-known museum—located, naturally, in the Bluegrass State, in Owensboro, roughly 2 miles from where genre pioneer Bill Monroe was born—is a great place to start. Virtual tours include musical demonstrations played on some of the artists’ original instruments, storytelling worthy of a Ken Burns documentary, and archival interviews with key practitioners to help provide useful context.
The Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen just might house the world’s most impressive set of automobiles under one roof, many of which aren’t on public display. Right now, it’s hosting live virtual tours of its vaults in LA, which means you’ll see cars that aren’t on view during nonpandemic times. It also means you can ask questions as you go, a rarity in the virtual-tour field. Don’t worry if you can’t make a live tour—recordings are posted online afterward.
Virginia Woolf London Tour
Mrs. Dalloway famously said she would buy the flowers herself, and for now, you’ll have to guide your tour of her life in London yourself, too. This Google Arts & Culture experience includes many rooms of her own—from Woolf's childhood home in Kensington to Hogarth House, where she founded her well-known publishing company with her husband. Of particular note is Tavistock Square, in Bloomsbury, where the writer drew inspiration for passages from Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse from passersby on the street below.
The USS Midway Museum
No trip to San Diego is complete without a tour of this iconic aircraft carrier, the longest-serving such ship in the 20th century, and the countless varieties of aircraft on deck. For now, though, treat yourself to an audio tour, which includes pilots from more than 20 different planes describing their experiences in depth. There’s also a family audio tour, which includes details about roughly 30 locations on the ship.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
For many of us, this time of year is synonymous with America’s pastime, but this year the season has been delayed indefinitely, and the hall’s summer induction ceremony has already been postponed until next year. It’s an optimal time to visit the sport’s holiest shrine, the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, in Cooperstown, New York. Visiting virtually will let you peruse an incomparable online treasure trove of artifacts, dating from the sport’s early days. Another idea? Liven up your homeschooling with a virtual field trip.
The American Folk Art Museum
Jerry Lauren, Ralph’s brother and the company’s longtime creative director of men’s design, has been a supporter of this NYC museum for many years, and is a renowned collector of folk art in his own right. The museum isn’t offering virtual tours, per se, but has stepped up its online offerings with a series of live events. These have included live online drinks with curators, where guests also receive guidance on making art of their own. And it’s also bringing its Free Music Fridays online through Facebook Live. (The first one took place on May 8 and featured the Brooklyn singer-songwriter Miwa Gemini.) Donations are encouraged, and you can also peruse thousands of the museum’s holdings on its website.
