10 Best Virtual Tours in Los Angeles: Keeping You Entertained
Now that traveling at these times is not only limited but challenging plus the fact that this situation will last longer than what we are all expecting, virtual traveling is really getting all the hype. The wanderlust in us and the people who just love to move places every so often now deeply appreciate virtual travelling. Virtual tours are becoming a true game changer for those with travel bugs especially when restrictions are placed.
Imagine yourself being a travel blogger/vlogger who usually moves in between airports almost every day and when COVID hit, everything went on a standstill. It’s as if the world stopped moving and for a person who was always on the go, time seemed to move super slow. You became a traveler no more. The travel industry was one of the most affected sectors when the virus came. With all of the travel restrictions, entry barriers, and long requirements, it was a huge challenge to fly or commute. Majority of the world’s airports, port and bus terminals had to reduce their manpower and cut down on the number of schedules. People were asked to stay at home as a precautionary measure. Everyone hopes for things to go back to normal.
As we all wait for our lives to slowly return to normal, more people are looking for ways of entertaining themselves while on lockdowns and quarantines. Since a lot of us are wanting to visit other places aside from our home, that’s when virtual traveling stepped up. It offers a simulation of a certain place via sequence of images and videos. You also have the freedom in navigating the location on your own. Though traveling virtually is not as good as what the real one offers, this is the next best thing we can have. Most of us want to protect ourselves and our families from the virus so travelling virtually became a safe method to travel and see the world from our homes.
If you are someone who has not been in Los Angeles (LA) or you are probably just missing the place and it has been ages since your last visit, check out these tourist attractions to keep yourself entertained.
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo by Areous Ahmad from Pexels
- ART + PRACTICE
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Art + Practice Website
Art + Practice is at 3401 43rd Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90008 which offers a virtual tour with the current exhibitions that celebrates women artists of color, Collective Constellation: Selections from The Eileen Harris Norton Collection. They also made the education materials for grades K-12 available online to make it accessible for students and can be downloaded. It includes the Teacher Resource Guide which consists of contexts about the exhibitions together with the collector and the curator, also the instructions in assisting the students with the exercises. It also includes the Student Handbook that helps in deepening the students’ understanding with the different themes and artistic techniques. Most of the themes in the exhibitions revolve about the need of imagination and perseverance, apt for current circumstances. If you would like to visit their Virtual tour for the museum just visit www.my.matterport.com or you can visit their website www.artandpractice.org for more details or you can email them at office@artandpractice.org to leave a message.
- AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Aquarium of the Pacific Website
The Aquarium of the Pacific currently offers the Aquarium Online Academy which allows students to have paid field trips. It helps in bringing educational programming and entertaining activities which looks for on-demand learning videos and activities for all ages. It also gives you access to the schedules of interactive programs with the educators with grade-specific virtual classroom lectures and also gives an exclusive exploration with live animal webcams and dynamic media. It is also a way for your family to just sit back and relax without going out and get a good look with the aquarium inhabitants. It is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 schedules depend on the availability. It is open:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
8:00 am-9:00 am and 11:00 am-12:30 pm Tuesday and Thursday:
8:00 am-12:30 pm.
Per program it will cost you around $100-$200 and as for the individual fees:
Adult: $36.95
Child (3-11): $26.95
Senior (62+): $33.95
For further details just visit www.aquariumofpacific.org or you can contact them 562-590-3100 and via their Live chat on the site.
- Battleship IOWA Museum
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Battle IOWA Museum Website
Battleship IOWA located at 250 S. Harbor Blvd, San Pedro, CA 90731 and is now open for outdoor tours but if you want to stay at home and have a safer tour, you can view the ship pier side for free. You can explore with full 360-degree imagery with videos. You will also have an experience with interacting on the different parts all throughout the historical ship. You can visit www.pacificbattleship.com or contact them with 877-446-9261 and 310-971-4462. For only $15 per year, you will have access with the most comprehensive interactive virtual Naval ship tour.
- California Science Center
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from California Science Center Website
Located at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles CA, 90037 offers Stuck at Home Science, which helps your child to continue learning with easy activities. This is a family-friendly activity that eases your boredom especially in these trying times. This is designed to allow you explore, investigate and learn all at once without risking your health outside. Just check out their website for further details and to connect with them www.californiasciencecenter.org
- Discovery Cube Los Angeles
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Discovery Cube Website
Located at 11800 Foothill Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91342. You can now enjoy it at home via Discovery Cube Connect and you will have access to high-quality programs and activities that you can enjoy virtually. You have the freedom to choose whichever program you would like, just visit www.discoverycubeconnect.org or you can contact them directly with their Facebook and Instagram account.
- Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from LA Arboretum & Botanic Garden Website
Can be found at 301 N Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007. Though the garden is now open to see in person, the garden is still accessible to be visited virtually. Through the “From our garden to your home” you will have access to browse The Arboretum ebook, and art exhibits. You can enjoy engaging with enjoyable and fun activities with lots of videos to explore the beauty of Arboretum’s Garden. You can visit and contact them through their website www.arboretum.org
- Japanese American National Museum
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Janm Website
JANM’s collection has been made online featuring chosen highlights from over 60,000 permanent collections of unique artifacts, documents and photographs. One of them is the Home Movie Collection that features rare footage showing the lives of the Japanese Americans from the 1920’s until 1960. It also includes footage from America’s World War II concentration camps. The film has been well digitized, preserved and published with the assistance from the National Film Preservation Foundation with collaboration of the Japanese Legacy Project, Denshō. If you would like to see and hear more from them don’t hesitate to visit their website www.janm.org. You can also send a direct message on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
- Google Arts and Culture
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Google Arts & Culture Website
About 1200 museums around the globe have partnered with Google institute to create a website and an app. This is featuring different LA cultural institutions giving you access with 360-degrees tours virtually to the photo archives and online exhibits. To see more about it feel free to download the Google Arts and Culture app or just visit www.artsandculture.google.com
- Automobile Driving Museum
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from Automobile Driving Museum Website
This can be found at 610 Lairport St., El Segundo, CA 90245. This place has been one of the most enjoyable and fun for family bonding but since with the current situation we are in, the Automobile Museum has opened to the public its virtual tour inside. This features a 360-degree Virtual experience for you. It will actually take you around and let you feel as if you are present physically. You have the freedom to navigate whichever part you would like to visit. All you just have to do is to sit back, relax and enjoy the virtual experience. If you want to have it, feel free to visit www.automobiledrivingmuseum.org or if you have questions you can directly reach them by phone 310-909-0950.
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Virtual Tour Services in Los Angeles
Photo from La Brea Tar Pits and MuseumWebsite
Located at 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. It’s such a good thing that the museum is now accepting tourists virtually. Let’s be thankful with the help of NHMLAC Connects Program because now we could still get the chance to experience discovering artifacts and see life by physically distancing ourselves from the different kinds of dinosaurs. In this way we will have the chance to interact and see what our scientists are doing as if we are physically present with them. Learn with your family with the different and lots of images and videos featuring the life of the dinosaurs. Just visit www.tarpits.org and feel free to contact them at 213-763-3499
About The Author: Sean Boyle
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