LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic. This comes just a day after the cancellation of professional and collegiate sporting events, and these cancellations are likely to continue.
Over the last few weeks, all local and national zoos, museums and everything in between have closed, this includes playgrounds, basketball courts and other amenities at your neighborhood parks. The CDC recommended places where there can be a large gathering should be shut down. It's to prevent the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 coronavirus.
WHAS11 News has compiled a list of online sites that will help you enjoy some great art, history and even horse racing from museums from around the world - without ever leaving your home.
There are thousands of museum Street Views on Google as well. Google Arts & Culture has an online experience for exploring famous historic and cultural heritage sites.
Local Museums
Kentucky Derby Museum | The museum is expected to be closed for the next two weeks, according to its website. There are some exhibits that you can click through online by hovering your cursor over the photo and it will prompt you to view the exhibit. You can also check them out on YouTube.
Frazier History Museum | Located in Louisville the museum is now virtual. Here is an example of the sort of content that folks can expect each and every day
- Video Lessons: One of our Education team members will provide an interactive history lesson or activity for families, like this video on the Annie EGGson Taylor Challenge.
- Object Stories: A behind-the-scenes look at one of the objects or artifacts at the Frazier.
- Staff Picks: You'll get book recommendations chosen by our staff like the below book from Megan Schanie, Manager of School and Teacher Programs
The Filson Historical Society | The museum offers digitized collections you click through.
Museums in Kentucky | The Kentucky Tourism website offers a full list of museum experiences in Kentucky. Be sure to check each museum's website or call ahead to see if the museum is open or if there are online exhibits available.
Muhammad Ali Center | The Muhammad Ali Center is temporarily closed, but you can check out what the center offers on its website. Here's a quick tour via YouTube.
Art Projects at home via Louisville Visual Arts
Tired of looking at coronavirus stories? Take a break and make art happen! Here's an opportunity to let your imagination lead you to some wild, crazy, but fun places. Every Saturday morning Louisville Visual Arts will debut a new how to video on their website.
March 28 | Create an Accordion Book
March 21 | 3D Tunnel Book
National Museums
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. | The Smithsonian features a collection of 145 million natural specimens and artifacts. You can check out their tours and exhibits on YouTube.
National Women's History Museum | March is Women's History Month and you can check out the rich history of women in America and their impact through online exhibits and the museum's Youtube channel.
J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles | The museum offers a massive collection of paintings, photographs and so much more. View online galleries and videos of the museum's offerings on its website.
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. | This American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. You can also check them out on YouTube.
Guggenheim Museum in New York | Thanks to a Google Street View feature, visitors can tour the museum's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. The museum also has exhibits and presentations that you can watch on YouTube.
International Museums
British Museum - London | The British Museum allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and Egyptian mummies. Visitors can view plenty of artifacts on the museum’s virtual tour. You can also view exhibits and presentations on its YouTube Channel.
Musee d'Orsay - Paris | You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists including Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.
Van Gough Museum - Amsterdam | Virtually visit the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters through Google.
To see more, visit Google Arts & Culture’s collection of museums.
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