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Virtual Travel

As efforts to contain the effects of the COVID-19 crisis ramp up, millions of people across the globe are stuck at home. To support those searching for armchair travel inspiration, Smithsonian magazine has compiled a collection of coverage dedicated to virtual reality experiences, digital exhibits and books that will transport you to far-off lands.

Highlights

Watch Medieval Castles' Digital Reconstruction

Architects and designers restored royal ruins across Europe to their former glory
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At the Smithsonian

Explore the Smithsonian's Digital Offerings
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The Arts

Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit
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What to Read

Ten New Travel Books to Read When You’re Stuck at Home
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Across the U.S.

Smithsonian Channel Has Released 68 Free ‘Aerial America’ Episodes for Your Quarantine Viewing

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Let These Photos Take You on a Peaceful Paddle in Minnesota's Boundary Waters

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Take a Free Virtual Tour of the Winchester Mystery House

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A Vibrant Tour of America's Neon Signs

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Listen to the Stories of Alabama’s Civil Rights Sites

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Visit the World’s Only Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

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Explore Some of America's Greatest National Parks in Virtual Reality

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Take a Photo Tour Through Oregon's Rugged Landscapes

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Explore the U.S. From Above with Smithsonian Channel's Aerial America

Smithsonian Channel is currently making all 68 full-length episodes of “Aerial America” available for free and with no login requirement on Smithsonian Channel Plus. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. EST, Smithsonian Channel will also host a live "watch party” on their Facebook page to make the “Aerial America” viewing experience interactive despite social distancing.

Smithsonian readers interested in exploring more programs from Smithsonian Channel Plus can get two free months, after signing up for a 7-day free trial with code: BRIGHTERTOGETHER.

Explore Death Valley, One of the Most Extreme Places on Earth
Take a Virtual Trip to Glacier National Park
How Alabama Became Home to 'Rocket City'
How the Olympic Mountains Got Their Name
This Is Actually America's First Small Town
How Minnesota and Music Made Bob Dylan
Rhode Island's Strikingly Unusual Clingstone Mansion
The Dark History of Maine's Harbor Island
The Volcanoes of Hawaii

International Experiences

Watch Seven Medieval Castles' Digital Reconstruction

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Explore World-Class Museums From Home With Smartify's Free Audio Tours

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Explore 3-D Models of Historic Yukon Structures Threatened by Erosion

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A Photographic Tour of Abandoned Cold War Sites

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A Tour of the World's Most Spectacular Ceilings

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The New Treasures of Pompeii

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Virtual Reality Museum Allows Users to Explore Five Shipwrecked Vessels

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Step Inside Winter's Most Spectacular Wonderland at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Northeast China

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VR Experience Lets You Join Nellie Bly on Her 72-Day Trip Around the World

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This Free Virtual Reality App Drops Users in the Heart of Historic Armenia

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Tags

Arts and Culture

68 Cultural, Historical and Scientific Collections to Explore

Tour world-class museums, read historic cookbooks, browse interactive maps and more
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How 43 Giant, Crumbling Presidential Heads Ended Up in a Virginia Field

After an ambitious monument went bust, big dreams—and big heads—remain
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Take a Virtual Tour of a 17th-Century Shipwreck

A new VR experience lets users explore the "Melckmeyt" without diving into Iceland’s freezing waters
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Explore Vermeer's Surviving Paintings, Together After All This Time

The augmented reality “Meet Vermeer” experience details the Dutch Old Master’s artistic style, life and enduring legacy
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Volunteers Digitally Revive Japan's Shuri Castle Following October Fire

The group is seeking one million images in order to create a high-quality reconstruction
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You Can Now Explore a 3-D Model of Cave Covered in Creepy 'Witches' Marks'

Visitors spotted hundreds of etchings designed to ward off evil while exploring a cave in England's Creswell Crags
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Natural World

Peer Through the Lens of the World's Best Nature Photographers

Sixty images, including the winners, from the 23rd annual Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice Awards go on view
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Nine Rare Natural Phenomena

Fleeting natural events for your bucket list
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This Photographer Goes to the Ends of the Earth to Capture Rarely Viewed Animals

Roie Galitz considers himself an ambassador for the creatures he photographs, capturing their intimate moments in hopes of inspiring conservation
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Arboreal 'Snow Monsters' Overrun Northern Japan Every Winter

Ice and wind transform these high altitude fir trees of into real-life White Walkers
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Let These Photos Take You on a Peaceful Paddle in Minnesota's Boundary Waters

Venturing into the wilderness for often weeks at a time, nature photographer Dawn LaPointe is used to social distancing
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See Squabbling Subway Mice and Other Top Wildlife Photos

The Natural History Museum in London has announced the top five honorees in its LUMIX People’s Choice Award competition
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Dazzling Display of Seals Wins Underwater Photographer of the Year Award

French photographer Greg Lecoeur triumphed over more than 5,500 submissions from hundreds of artists around the world
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Space

Take a Virtual Trip to the International Space Station

New VR simulation turns you into an orbiting astronaut
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The AR App That Lets You Experience the Moon Landing

Tied to a new series from the Smithsonian Channel, the app is the closest you can get to being on the moon without time-traveling to 1969
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NASA's New Exoplanet Travel Bureau Lets You 'Tour' Far-Distant Planets

Eager space tourists can now visit sunny Kepler-186f, a moon of Kepler-16b or the Earth-like TRAPPIST-1e virtually
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New 3-D Map Shows Milky Way's Big Twist

By mapping the distance of Cepheid stars, researchers reveal that our galaxy is warped
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Ancient Worlds

Ambitious VR Experience Restores 7,000 Roman Buildings, Monuments to Their Former Glory

You can take an aerial tour of the city circa 320 A.D. or stop by specific sites for in-depth exploration
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Take a VR Tour of an Egyptian Queen’s Elaborate Tomb

The resting place of Queen Nefertari, the favorite wife of Ramses II, is largely closed to visitors, but it can now be explored virtually
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These 3-D Models Offer a Digital Glimpse Into 3,000 Years of Athens' History

Photographer-animator Dimitris Tsalkanis built the city from scratch and posted it online for free
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Graffiti Left by Soldiers Repairing Hadrian’s Wall Will Be Immortalized in 3-D

Historic London calls the etchings "some of the most important" along the empire’s sprawling 73-mile northern border
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See the Ancient World Through Virtual Reality

An archaeological VR company wants to show you what ruins looked like before they were, well, ruins
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