Let’s Go on an Adventure—From Home
After sticking around home for a few weeks, some new scenery would be a welcome change of pace. Luckily, your internet connection is your ticket to explore the world. Check out these adventures you can have from your couch—no passport or jet lag required!
Get Up Close to Nature
From pandas to koalas to polar bears, the San Diego Zoo has a wonderful array of video streams to watch what their animals are up to. In addition to live feeds, they also have videos with animal-themed activities for kids.
The renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium broadcasts its adorable colony of African penguins from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST every day. Watch them waddle around before diving into the water and darting around to catch fish.
For an up-close glimpse of wild animals in their natural habitat, step into the southern hemisphere and check out the live cam at Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa. Tune in and see if you can spot the “Big Five” of African safaris: elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalo.
Have the Museum All to Yourself
Peruse some of the Louvre’s most popular exhibits via their virtual tours. These guided experiences will take you through Egyptian Antiquities, Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the Louvre’s Petite Galerie, a space dedicated to art and cultural education that is currently displaying artworks by Delacroix, Rembrandt and Tintoretto.
The newest addition to the Smithsonian is the wildly popular National Museum of African American History & Culture. While getting an admission ticket has been hard to come by, you can skip the line to explore its expertly curated collections and exhibitions online.
Wind your way through the Guggenheim Museum, whose architecture is just as show stopping as the artwork displayed throughout its corridors. The virtual tour offers mesmerizing 360-degree views of this New York City institution and the ability to click on artwork to learn more about the piece.
For an out-of-this-world experience, check out the augmented reality app from NASA. This free interactive tour of the Space Center Houston includes audio, GPS maps, selfie filters and virtual reality experiences that will let you explore the moon or watch the Saturn V launch.
Enjoy the Show
Pull up a front row seat for Broadway’s finest productions. From musicals to plays, you can access videos of some of theater’s most iconic shows. BroadwayHD is offering a free week of streamed performances so you can watch shows like Kinky Boots, Miss Saigon, Sweeny Todd, Cats, The King and I, Peter Pan and Macbeth.
Catch the Charlotte Ballet’s online world premiere of choreographer Christopher Stuart’s “Dispersal.” The performance can be found on their YouTube channel and includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the dancers.
Musicians may not be able to host concerts this spring, but they’re taking their talents online. NPR compiled this list of artists from diverse genres who will be performing from their homes and sharing the live stream with fans.
If you’ve already played all your boardgames at home and are ready for a new challenge, check out the online Jeopardy game. Host Alex Trebek walks you through the categories and answers, while the game show’s iconic music puts the pressure on you to come up with the right questions.
Artists and organizations are continually offering new online activities and performances to lift our spirits and pass the time. We hope you’ll take advantage of these resources and myriad others while we stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus.