In the blink of an eye, once-crowded museums sit empty. We’re preparing ourselves for social distancing and potential quarantine. This is the time for museum technology to step up and fill the void. The potential of online collections, virtual tours, and social media campaigns have always been there, but now the opportunity for impact is incalculable.

Access to endless open content. Educational resources for e-learning. Virtual retreats to art, culture, and history around the globe. This is the museum technology community’s time to shine!

If you’re a museum tech enthusiast looking to be part of the conversation, join one of MCN’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs). They are currently free for non-members so more can share resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This list will be continually updated with examples of museum and museum-adjacent virtual awesomeness. It is by no means exhaustive. If you have a virtual museum or museum-adjacent resource to contribute on behalf of your organization, please fill out this Google Form.

Every resource is free to access and enjoy.

Much of it, though not all, is also open content, in the sense that it’s freely reusable and re-mixable under Creative Commons licensing. Open content is clearly labeled on its respective website.

PORTALS

Image: V21 Artspace

VIRTUAL TOURS / ONLINE EXHIBITS

Art and Culture Museums

History Museums

Natural Science Museums

National Parks

Online Exhibits

E-LEARNING

Created for Kids

ONLINE COLLECTIONS

Art and Cultural Collections

Science Collections

History Collections

DIGITAL ARCHIVES & LIBRARIES

Huge thanks to the many who have written helpful blogs with their favorite museum tech resources. Your contributions are all included here: Cuseum, Mia Ridge, Jenni Fuchs, and Alicja Peszkowska.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The 75 Best Virtual Museum Tours Around the World [Art, History, Science, and Technology]

Articles on COVID’s Impact on Museums