Key points:
Virtual field trips have become widely available thanks to more accessible virtual reality technology, and they saw a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical field trips were impossible or severely restricted.
But virtual field trips have always offered engaging and innovative alternatives to in-person field trips that are either too cost-prohibitive or geographically impossible to visit.
Students can see large-scale processes up close, explore outer space, go back in time to visit ancient civilizations, or travel to different countries to see famous landmarks.
Here are some great virtual field trips to explore with your students:
1. Statue of Liberty: Created from 360-degree photos, students can explore the interior and exterior of the Statue of Liberty, along with taking a peek inside the museum.
2. The Journey of Water: Roughly the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined, Colombia is the second most biologically diverse country on Earth—home to 10 percent of Earth’s plant and animal species! There are over 300 different ecosystems in Colombia. In this virtual field trip, students will explore the magical páramo ecosystem and the stunning mountain landscapes found just beyond the capital city of Bogotá.
3. The Anne Frank House: Explore the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family in virtual reality using the ‘Anne Frank House VR’ app. The app provides a very special view into the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and the seven other people hid during WWII.
4. American Museum of Natural History: Virtual field trips allow students of all ages to observe Museum exhibits up-close and complete an activity in order to gain scientific understandings.
5. National WWII Museum: These virtual trips are streamed directly into your classroom–no special technology required. Focusing on the national impact of World War II, take your students on a cross-country tour of historic sites while examining fascinating artifacts and exhibits at The National WWII Museum. Hosted by student reporters, these virtual field trips will help your students understand how the war affected young people just like them.
6. The Louvre: Visit the museum rooms and galleries, admire the palace architecture, and enjoy the views.
7. The Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef collection was part of the first group of underwater panoramic images added to Google Maps, the next step in our quest to provide people with the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world. With these vibrant and stunning photos you don’t have to be a scuba diver—or even know how to swim—to explore and experience six of the ocean’s most incredible living coral reefs. Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays.
8. The Nature Conservancy: Designed for ages 9-15 but customizable for all ages, virtual field trips allow students to travel the world and explore natural environments without leaving the classroom. Each virtual field trip contains a video, teacher guide and student activities.
9. The British Museum: Explore more than 60 galleries at the British Museum from home. Gallery pages feature a range of exciting resources, including virtual tours with Google Street View, object highlights, timelines, family activities and facts.
10. Great Wall of China: As China’s most famous attraction, the Great Wall of China is an essential stop on all China tours. Commonly considered a wonder of the world, the Great Wall boasts a history of over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient structures on the planet.
11. Ellis Island: On this Scholastic virtual field trip, students will experience first-hand what it felt like to come to the United States and progress through Ellis Island.
12. Georgia Aquarium Ocean Voyager Cam: Explore the ocean’s great depths, virtually. Dive into vast, open waters in Ocean Voyager to learn about our whale sharks, manta rays, and over 90 other species that live in this 6.3-million-gallon exhibit.
13. Amazon Fulfillment Center: From the online store to your doorstep, discover how computer science, state-of-the-art engineering, and incredible people deliver customer orders at Amazon.
14. National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours: The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. Visitors can also access select collections and research areas at our satellite support and research stations as well as past exhibits no longer on display.
15. Johnson Space Center: Join Boeing and Discovery Education on a mission to inspire the world through aerospace innovation with an exclusive virtual field trip to historic Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. This behind-the-scenes tour will introduce students to just a few of the amazing Boeing employees who are preparing to write the next chapter of space history with the launch of the Starliner/CST-100 spacecraft and the deployment of the Space Launch System (SLS).
