VIRTUAL CULTURE

With coronavirus keeping many of us in social lockdown, it can be tricky to find time for a dose of culture. These seven virtual tours will bring Britain’s cultural institutions to your front room, allowing you to step out of the house without opening your front door

- Anna Walker

The British Museum

LONDON

Google Maps and Google Arts and Culture have joined forces to offer three different virtual tours of Britain’s most famous museum. The classic Google Maps street view tour allows users to take virtual trips of both the exterior of the gallery and inside the museum itself, for the closest digital experience to a real visit. If you’d rather browse thematically, then Google Arts has you covered, allowing you to browse by topic, location, textile and exhibit. We particularly recommend the online exhibition, Egypt: Faith After the Pharaohs, which offers a fascinating insight into the ways the arrival of the Romans influenced Egyptian conceptions of religion and worship, heralding in eras of Christianity and Islam.

Visit artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-britishmuseum for all three options

The Natural History Museum

LONDON

Drag your mouse around the iconic entrance hall to Britain’s Natural History Museum (Dippy the diplodocus dinosaur and all) to begin your journey around this fascinating and vast museum. Alcoves offer unexpected treasures such as gigantic mammoth skulls and beautifully taxidermied tropical birds, so be sure to explore every nook and cranny.