Free Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips allow children to visit places around the world without ever leaving their homes. Through virtual field trips, they can visit other states, countries across the globe, and even other planets. This allows children to experience places they wouldn’t get to see otherwise. Virtual field trips are also great for when you can’t get out due to illness or can’t afford to travel.  Here are several free resources your family can use to take virtual field trips.

 

Zoo & Aquarium Free Virtual Field Trips

Dublin Zoo– Watch the giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, and penguins of this Ireland zoo via live webcams.

Franklin Park Zoo– Explore this Boston zoo using an interactive map and videos.

Houston Zoo– Observe animals in several of the zoo’s exhibits via live webcam.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure– Learn about dolphins, sea turtles, and more during a video-based tour of this marine mammal park in Florida.

Monterey Bay Aquarium– Watch sea creatures in this California aquarium with the live animal cam.

National Aquarium– Take a virtual tour of this aquarium located in Baltimore, Maryland.

San Diego Zoo– View live videos, learn about animals, play games, and more on this interactive website.

Zoo Tours– This YouTube channel visits zoos around the US.

 

Observe Wildlife With Free Virtual Field Trips

Africam– Watch animals in the African bush using live webcams.

All About Birds– Observe birds all over the US and world via live webcams.

Explore– View animals around the world with these live webcams.

 

Nature & National Parks Free Virtual Field Trips

Great Lakes Now– Learn about the Great Lakes of North America with this series of video-based virtual field trips.

Mount Everest– Explore this peak in the Himalayan mountain range through 360-degree photos and informative articles.

The Nature Conservancy– Learn about ecosystems around the world with video-based tours.

The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma– Explore nature in Oklahoma through videos and photographs.

Son Doong Cave– Explore the world’s largest cave with 360-degree images.

The Virtual Rainforest– Learn about the rainforest with this interactive tour that includes informative videos and articles.

Yosemite National Park– Tour this national park located in California through interactive panoramic photographs.

 

Visit Farms With Free Virtual  Field Trips

Farm Tours– Learn about agriculture through these virtual tours of farms in Canada.

HenCam– Observe chickens on a small backyard farm in Massachusetts.

Purina Farms– Learn about the animals at Purina Farms with this virtual field trip.

 

History Museums Free Virtual Field Trips

Anne Frank House– Take a 360-degree tour of Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam.

The British Museum– Browse the online galleries of this museum, which is located in London.

Colonial Williamsburg– Take a 3D tour of the world’s largest living history museum.

Corrie ten Boom Home– View the home in 360 degrees as the digital guide tells Corrie’s story.

Museo Galileo– Virtually tour this museum dedicated to Galileo in Florence, Italy.

National Women’s History Museum– Learn about trailblazing women while exploring the museum’s virtual exhibits.

Old Sturbridge Village– Learn about life in 1830s New England with this 3D tour.

September 11th Memorial and Museum– Explore the museum with this interactive video-based virtual tour.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History– Virtually explore many current and past exhibits of this museum located in Washington D.C.

 

War & Military History Museums Free Virtual Field Trips

Battleship New Jersey– Take a video-based tour of the US’s most decorated battleship.

Beyond the Battle Field– Watch a behind-the-scenes video-based field trip of the Museum of the American Revolution.

National Museum of the US Air Force– Take a virtual tour of this museum located in Dayton, Ohio.

The National World War II Museum– Learn about World War II with this series of video-based field trips.

 

Historical Sites, Landmarks, & Monuments Free Virtual Field Trips

Ellis Island– Visit Ellis Island with this video created by Scholastic.

Historic Philadelphia– Take a picture-based tour of historic sites in Philadelphia, PA. Stops include the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross Hall, and more.

Mount Rushmore– Explore this national memorial located in South Dakota through 360-degree images.

Mount Vernon– Take an interactive and informative tour of George Washington’s home in Virginia.

The Statue of Liberty– Learn about the Statue of Liberty through the videos and photographs in this virtual tour.

The White House– Go on a  360-degree tour of the President’s home.

 

Art Museum Free Virtual Field Trips

The Dalí Museum– Take a 360-degree virtual tour of this St. Petersburg, Florida, museum and view online galleries of Salvador Dalí’s artwork.

The British Museum– Browse the online galleries of this museum, which is located in London.

Google Arts and Culture– View the art collections of over 500 museums and galleries. Some of the museums also offer full virtual tours.

The Louvre Museum– Explore exhibits at this famous art museum in Paris, France.

MetKids– Explore the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, located in New York City, using an interactive map and videos.

 

Learn About Space With Free Virtual Field Trips

Boeing Aerospace Tour– Join Boeing on a virtual field trip to the Johnson Space Center.

Callisto: Space Innovation Tour– Explore the Orion Spacecraft with a video-based field trip.

International Space Station– Take a video tour of the space station.

Johnson Space Center– Tour Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, with this series of videos from Boeing and Discovery Education.

Mars– Explore the surface of Mars in a 360-degree view while learning about the planet and space exploration.

NASA Glenn Research Center– Take a look around the facilities with these interactive virtual tours.

 

Factory & Business Free Virtual Field Trips

Amazon Fulfillment Center– Learn how Amazon fills customers’ orders with this online field trip.

Mount Olive Tour– Find out how pickles are made with this video tour.

Taylor Guitars Factory– Watch guitars being made with this video-based factory tour.

 

Community Helpers & Services Free Virtual Field Trips

Clover Post Office– Visit the Clover Post Office in North Carolina to learn how mail is delivered.

Martin County Sheriff’s Department– Join a group of preschoolers for a video-based virtual field trip to the sheriff’s office in Martin County, Florida.

Memphis Fire Department– Watch a video tour of the fire department.

Republic Services– See what happens to our trash with virtual field trips to landfills and recycling centers.

 

Explore the World With Free Virtual Field Trips

AirPano– Visit locations all over the world virtually with 360-degree videos and photographs.

Borneo– Travel to Borneo, the third largest island in the world, and learn about the rainforest with this video.

Holy Land Tour– Virtually visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and more.

The Journey of Water– This video explores Columbia’s paramo ecosystem and follows water’s path to the kitchen sink.

The Most Dangerous Ways to School– Watch children all over the world travel to school with this 13-episode documentary series.

Rick Steves’ Europe– Visit and learn about Europe with this YouTube channel.

Vatican Museums– Virtually tour numerous museums, chapels, and galleries.

World of Wonder Travel– Take virtual trips around the US and the world. The website includes a free printable passport and stamps to track field trips.

360 Cities– This website provides interactive 360-degree videos and images of locations around the world.

 

Miscellaneous Free Virtual Field Trips

National Geographic Education– This YouTube playlist includes virtual field trips to various locations.

Discovery Education– Discover Education offers a wide variety of virtual field trips.

Google Earth– “Fly” anywhere in the world in seconds, explore hundreds of cities in 3D, take guided tours, and create your own maps and stories.

Google Maps Street View– Type in any address, select street view, and explore the area. Not only can you take a virtual trip down the streets, but you can also “step” into many museums, landmarks, and other attractions. Here are some I’ve found.

• The White House– Washington, D.C.
• The Colosseum– Rome, Italy
• Great Wall of China– Huairou District, China
• Stonehenge– Wiltshire, United Kingdom
• Palace of Versailles– Versailles, France
• This is just a small sample of the places you can tour with Google Maps. Search for other locations that interest your family and see if Google will let you take a peek inside.

 

Free Printable Field Trip Journal & Log

Our 20 Ways to Save on Field Trips post includes a free printable field trip journal and log. This printable works well for both in-person and virtual field trips.

 

Other Resources You May Enjoy

• YouTube Channels That Get Kids Moving
• Homeschooling With Movies, TV, and Videos
• Free Curriculum for All Subjects and Every Grade– Simply choose a subject from the menu on the main page to get started.

 

 

Note: This post was originally published on March 16, 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.