virtual field trips for virginia studies

Virginia Studies: A New Nation Activities

Watch the Virginia Trekkers

Research Virginia Leaders

Memorize Important Documents

Create a Virginia Studies Lapbook

Complete virginia sol review activities.

• 5 Tips for Teaching Regions of Virginia
• Strategies for Teaching American Indians of Virginia
• 7 Jamestown Activities
• 7 Colonial Virginia Classroom Ideas
• 7 Virginia in the American Revolution Activities
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Alyssa Teaches

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Virtual Field Trips in Virginia: History and Social Studies

There’s no tired like a teacher who’s been on a field trip tired! You’ll be happy to know that there are lots of great virtual field trips you can take your students on without the cost and travel of going in person. If you teach in Virginia, you likely already know how many amazing destinations we have right here in our state. Many offer virtual field trips for kids as well as virtual museum tours. Check out this list to get started!

Learn about Virginia’s first permanent settlement via an interactive map of historic Jamestown . Explore recovered artifacts , check out an interactive timeline , and see what’s been discovered . This is a great resource not only to explore Virginia’s history but also to learn about archaeology!

Colonial Williamsburg

If you can’t visit this living-history museum in person, check out virtual tours of the Governor’s Palace and art museum (including a scavenger hunt of the exhibitions). You’ll also find lots of videos and other educational resources about Colonial Williamsburg here . A must-see if you teach colonial history.

Mount Vernon

Take the Mount Vernon interactive tour to explore George Washington’s historic plantation home located on the Potomac River. You can visit the mansion, outbuildings, gardens, distillery, gristmill, and library. This is a helpful resource to learn about George Washington’s life as well as life in the Virginia colony.

You can explore the inside of Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home near Charlottesville with a Monticello virtual tour .

Students can explore a 360 degree view of the location of the Battle of Yorktown, including clickable points of information and photos.

Frontier Culture Museum

The Frontier Culture Museum has a podcast and a number of video tours available to learn about rural life and culture for English, Irish, German, and West Africans who lived in colonial Virginia.

Fredericksburg

Check out a 360 degree virtual tour of the land where the Battle of Fredericksburg took place.

Appomattox Court House

NPS has made some photos available of the Appomattox Court House historic village . Definitely worth exploring if you teach lessons on the Civil War.

Schoolhouse Museum

Listen to an audio tour and view artifacts from The Schoolhouse Museum , an early 20th century one-room schoolhouse for Black students in Isle of Wight County.

Virginia Civil Rights Memorial

The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial in Richmond is a beautiful and powerful sculpture featuring Barbara Johns front and center.

Moton Museum

The Moton Museum website has a short video about the Moton High School student strike led by Barbara Johns. You can see some of the museum exhibits in the video.

Virginia State Capitol

The Virginia State Capitol offers tours of the inside of the Capitol building and its grounds. Take a quick digital field trip here to learn more about how Virginia state government operates.

Virginia Museum of History and Culture

Check out the VMHC’s virtual Google tour of its The Story of Virginia exhibit. You can also click through some of the paintings featured in the Landscapes of Virginia collection .

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Browse through digital resource s from NPS, including a virtual tour, online exhibits, and a walking tour podcast about African-American bank president Maggie L. Walker.

Virginia Beach History Museums

VBHM maintains several buildings, two of which you can “visit” via virtual tours. Check out these two historic brick homes: the Francis Land House and the Thoroughgood House .

There are so many more historic sites, monuments, and museums in Virginia. I hope that more continue to add digital resources that we can access from the classroom or even at home! And keep in mind, you can also create your own free virtual field trip in Google Earth ! Let me know what other ideas you have for virtual history field trips in Virginia!

Related posts

Teaching Point of View in Social Studies

Top 12 Jamestown Books for Kids

Must-Have American Revolution Books for Kids

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Virtual Field Trips

At home destinations, virtually!

On this list of destinations in Virginia and DC, you’ll recognize many old favorites–some you may have visited during a field trip or homeschool day –that have virtual tours of their facilities as well as videos, podcasts, and other resources you can access anytime! Plus, you’ll also find hidden treasures and new, interactive activities and projects to do at home.

Early America

Civil war & modern, general history, gardens & nature general science caverns animals machines & technology.

Bacon’s Castle

Bacon’s Castle Slave Quarters

Cape Henry Lighthouse

Colonial Williamsburg This website includes teacher resources, interactive timeline, videos, activity pages, crafts, and more.

Dumbarton House

Friendship Firehouse Museum

Gunston Hall This website also has activities.

Historic Christ Church & Museum

Historic St. John’s Church Missing Day at the Capitol? Here, you can see a virtual reenactment of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech.

Jamestown/Yorktown This website includes virtual tours, webcasts, and activities, as well as online resources for educators.

Montpelier Events include webinars and virtual forums, online courses, and videos on Montpelier’s Youtube channel.

Monticello Live virtual tours are available for $10.

Mount Vernon This website offers daily livestream events, as well as a virtual tour.

Poplar Forest They offer virtual tours, talks, and other educational resources.

Smith’s Fort Plantation

Alexandria African American Heritage Park

Alexandria Black History Museum

American Civil War Museum This website offers daily activities, videos, and resources.

Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park Educator materials are available here.

D-Day Memorial They offer virtual programs and other educational resources .

Ford’s Theatre

Hill House Museum

Sherwood Forest

US Holocaust Memorial Museum This website offers a vast array of online learning, exhibitions, and resources.

Woodrow Wilson House

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum

Agecroft Hall Here, you may view videos that highlight the house and collection’s history.

Hampton History Museum . You can view the collections online.

Hillwood Museum This site offers a virtual tour, videos, and workshops.

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley You may browse the collections online.

National Museum of American History This site offers teacher resources, activities for kids, and online exhibitions.

National Museum of the American Indian This site offers exhibitions, activities, and resources.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum

Red Hill The website contains many learning videos.

The Valentine View online exhibitions and resources.

Virginia Museum of History and Culture This site offers lectures, tours, webinars, and more.

Gardens & Nature

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden This website offers virtual tours, audio tours, gardening tips, and activities for kids.

Maymont View the live stream farm cam and virtual tours .

National Parks Check out the Hidden Worlds of the National Parks on Google Arts & Culture

Ocean Portal View live ocean cams.

General Science

Koshland Science Museum This site offers exhibits and interactive activities.

Nauticus View “ Virtual Adventures ” weekdays at 11 a.m.

Science Museum of Virginia

Smithsonian Museums View the YouTube show “The Doctor is In.”

Luray Caverns You can view a short 360-degree video tour.

The National Zoo The website includes a virtual tour and lots of educational activities.

Virginia Aquarium Get educational pages and activities for children. Aslo, follow them on Facebook or Instagram for live videos.

Virginia Living Museum VLM offers multiple videos daily.

Virginia Zoo Follow the zoo on Facebook and join in every day at 2:00pm for Virtual Voyage ; visit the website for the augmented reality tour and activity sheets.

Wildlife Center of VA Check out live critter cams and eagle tracking.

Machines and Technology

Simple Machines View a video by the Air and Space Museum and Colvin Run Mill.

American Shakespeare Center ASC is now streaming several shows. Tickets are required.

Barter Theatre On-demand theatre as well as supplemental educational materials and bonus content. Abingdon, VA

Chrysler Museum of Art

Kennedy Center This site offers new videos daily.

National Gallery of Art

National Museum of African Art – virtual visits and at-home activities

National Museum of Women in the Arts

National Portrait Gallery

Taubman Museum of Art This site offers all sorts of virtual classes and tours.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond This site has a number of at-home art and writing projects for kids.

Amazement Square This site has videos for young children.

Billy Graham Library Get lesson plans and videos here.

Children’s Museum of Richmond This site offers videos and activities

Hollywood Cemetery

Library of Congress View videos with authors.

Museum of the Bible This site offers daily episodes with the Lonesome Curator .

National Archives

National Museum of Natural History Offers virtual tours, “Written in Bone,” and “Science How.”

National Postal Museum

Smithsonian Learning Lab

Smithsonian Open Access This site offers images and 3D digital models.

Spy Museum This is an awesome site with virtual field trips, lesson plans, and reading lists.

US Capitol The site offers virtual exhibits, lesson plans, and activities.

Even when there isn’t a pandemic, many of us may never make it to these treasures around the world–but we CAN experience them online!

British Museum (London)

Musee d’Orsay (Paris)

Musee de Arte de Sao Paulo (Brazil)

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul)

Paris Musees

Uffizi Gallery (Italy)

Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam)

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The Best Virginia Studies SOL Lessons

• June 8, 2023
• Virginia Studies , Virginia Teachers

Teaching Virginia Studies is my favorite! In this blog post, I’ve rounded up my favorite activities to use with each Virginia Studies SOL.

This blog post uses the 2023 Virginia Studies SOLs which were adopted by the Board of Education in April 2023.

Are you a Virginia teacher? You can find all of my Virginia Studies blog posts HERE . You can also sign up for my free newsletter for Virginia teachers to learn when I upload new posts and resources specifically aligned to the Virginia SOLs.

VS.1: Virginia Geography

Virginia Studies SOL VS.1 is all about Virginia’s geography. Topics include:

• locating Virginia’s bordering states
• identifying and describing the five regions of Virginia
• identifying and describing major bodies of water in and around Virginia

One of my favorite Virginia Studies activities of the entire school year takes place during this Virginia geography unit … building 3D maps of Virginia.

For this activity, students use five different colors of clay to construct a map that shows the five regions of Virginia. Students should take into account things such as the rounded mountains of the Blue Ridge Mountains region and the rolling hills of the Piedmont region.

After the map hardens, students can draw rivers, label major cities, and draw the bordering states around the map. This is the perfect hands-on activity to cover every part of SOL VS.1!

You can learn more about this Virginia map activity and some of my other favorite activities to teach VS.1 in this blog post .

VS.2: Virginia Indians

Virginia Studies SOL VS.2 has to do with the history of Virginia’s Indigenous peoples. Topics include:

• describing how artifacts teach us about Virginia’s first people
• locating and describing the three most prominent language groups
• explaining the traditions and cultures of Indigenous peoples throughout Virginia’s history

Virginia Studies SOL VS.2 provides lots of opportunities to teach and practice inference skills. I like to have students take a virtual field trip to the Jamestown Rediscovery website . The website houses a collection of Native American artifacts found in Virginia.

Students make predictions about what they think each artifact was used for. Then, they read about the artifact and write what it was actually used for.

You may teach students that corn, beans, and squash were three of the most popular crops grown by Indigenous peoples in Virginia. These crops are associated with the Legend of the Three Sisters. Retell this story to students and have them act out the different parts. Discuss how important aspects of early life in Virginia were incorporated into the legends and stories told by Indigenous peoples.

After the story, students love a cooking or snack activity that uses the Three Sisters crops.

You can learn more about these activities and other activities that I use to teach VS.2 in this blog post .

VS.3: Jamestown

In Virginia Studies SOL VS.3, students learn about the first permanent English settlement in the United States- Jamestown. Topics include:

• explaining the reasons for English colonization and why Jamestown was selected
• describing the Virginia Company of London Charter
• describing the interactions between the English settlers and the Indigenous peoples
• describing the hardships settlers experienced at Jamestown
• analyzing the impact of the arrival of Africans and women to Jamestown
• explaining the establishment of the General Assembly

I am always looking for ways to incorporate math skills into my Virginia Studies lessons . During my Jamestown unit , students make a map of the Jamestown settlement by finding coordinates on a graph. Students always have fun with this activity. They do not even realize that they are practicing math skills.

Not only can you incorporate math skills into Virginia Studies SOL VA.3 . You can incorporate ELA skills too.

A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla tells the fictional story of three siblings traveling to Jamestown to find their father. The book details the challenges the settlers faced while at sea and when they arrived at the Jamestown settlement. The book is a great way to help students better understand the challenges experienced by the English settlers.

You can learn more about these activities and other activities that I use to teach VS.3 in this blog post .

VS.4: Colonial Virginia

In Virginia Studies SOL VS.4, students learn about the life and culture of colonial Virginia. Topics include:

• explaining the importance of agriculture to the Virginia colony
• examining how colonial Virginia reflected the culture of Indigenous peoples, European immigrants, and Africans
• comparing the differences between indentured servants and enslaved people
• describing the laws that established race-based enslavement
• explaining why Virginia’s capital was moved from Jamestown to Williamsburg
• describing the ways people exchanged goods and services in Colonial Virginia

One of my favorite Virginia Studies activities is a bartering game that I use during my Colonial Virginia unit . Each student is given a brown paper bag filled with different objects related to colonial Virginia. Each bag has a different number of items. Then, students are given a goal of getting specific items through bartering within a certain amount of time. Students usually ask to play this game several times.

SOL VS.4 also presents another opportunity to incorporate math skills. Have students select several Virginia cities to research. Then, look up the origin of each city’s name. For example, Nottoway is an American Indian name whereas Bedford is an English name. As students discover the origin of each name, they should graph their findings in a bar graph. This activity will show that the names of most Virginia cities have Native American or English origins.

You can learn more about these activities and other activities that I use to teach VS.4 in this blog post .

VS.5: Virginia in the American Revolution

With Virginia Studies SOL VS.5, students learn about Virginia’s role in the American Revolution and Revolutionary War. Topics include:

• explaining why the colonists declared independence and went to war with the British
• explaining the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence
• describing the roles important Virginians played in the American Revolution
• describing the American victory at Yorktown
• explaining why Virginia’s capital was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond

Simulation activities are a great way to help students retain social studies information. A Stamp Act simulation is the perfect simulation activity to use while teaching SOL VS.5 .

One way you can perform a Stamp Act simulation is by assigning students to the roles of king, tax collectors, and colonists. Each colonist is given the same amount of “money” which can be represented with candy or classroom economy money. The king decides what will be taxed and how much tax colonists owe. Then, the tax collectors collect the tax from each colonist.

Another way to help students understand the reasons for American independence is by having them memorize sections of the Declaration of Independence. You can help students memorize parts of the Declaration of Independence by using games, worksheets, and foldables that expose students to excerpts from the important text.

VS.6: A New Nation

Throughout Virginia Studies SOL VS.6, students learn about the founding of the United States of America. Topics include:

• examining important Virginians who wrote founding documents and played a role in the founding of the country
• explaining the significance of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
• describing how ideals established in important Virginia documents inspired the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Constitution, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights
• explaining how geography and technology influenced western movement in the early 1800s
• explaining the causes and events of Nat Turner’s Rebellion

This New Nation unit provides many opportunities to take virtual field trips throughout Virginia. Some of the places to visit include Mount Vernon, Montpelier, and Monticello. Taking a virtual visit to each of these places will allow students to learn more about important Virginians and how they helped to shape both Virginia and the United States.

Wondering about the best way to take a Virginia Studies virtual field trip? The Virginia Trekkers have lots of great videos that are specifically aligned to the Virginia Studies SOLs. The videos even start with a fun theme song to help students learn about Virginia’s regions. My students are so obsessed with the Virginia Trekkers that parents tell me they find their kids watching them at home.

Tip: If the Virginia Trekkers website is not working, all of their videos are also available on their Vimeo site .

You can learn more about my virtual field trips and some of the other activities I use with SOL VS.6 in this blog post .

VS.7: Virginia in the Civil War

With Virginia Studies SOL VS.7, students learn all about Virginia’s role in the American Civil War. Topics include:

• explaining the impact of John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry
• describing how the institution of slavery caused the Civil War and secondary factors that contributed to the secession of the southern states
• describing the significance of the Underground Railroad and the contributions of Harriet Tubman
• explaining major events that divided Virginians and led to the creation of West Virginia
• identifying major battles that took place in Virginia
• describing the roles important Virginians played in the Civil War

I always begin my Civil War unit by having students complete profiles for the Union and Confederacy. Each profile contains information such as which states were part of that side, the capital city, and the president. It can be difficult for students to keep track of so many details. Keeping these profiles in an easily accessible place ensures that students can always locate important information about the Union and Confederacy throughout the unit.

Escape rooms are a fun way to review any Virginia Studies unit . At the end of my Civil War unit, I use an escape room with seven puzzles and activities to help students review SOL VS.7. With this escape room activity , students pretend they are time travelers, going back in time to investigate Virginia’s role in the Civil War. As they are traveling back in time, their time machine malfunctions. The only way to fix the time machine and return home is to complete the challenges. 

Virginia Studies escape rooms for every unit can be found HERE .

You can learn more about these activities and other activities that I use to teach VS.7 in this blog post .

VS.8: Reconstruction

In Virginia Studies SOL VS.8, students explore the reconstruction of Virginia after the Civil War. Topics include:

• describing the Reconstruction Amendments
• examining the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia
• describing the role that the “Freedom Schools” played in the lives of Virginia’s African Americans after the Civil War
• describing the election of John Mercer to Congress
• describing the effects of the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson
• analyzing the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” laws on life in Virginia

 As we journey further along into the Virginia Studies curriculum, it is easier to find more primary sources to use with instruction.

I use lots of photographs throughout my Reconstruction unit that help illustrate segregation. Often, I will post a picture without telling the students what is happening. I give the students time to infer what they think is happening. Then, we discuss what is actually happening in the picture and the effects of segregation on life in Virginia.

In addition to escape rooms, task cards are another great way to review Virginia Studies . I like task cards because they can model the questions used on the Virginia Studies SOL test and there are so many ways to use them in the classroom .

Recently, I created a game show with my Reconstruction Task Cards . I divided my students into teams. Then, I projected each task card onto the SMART Board and gave students time to discuss their answers as a team. We reviewed the answer as a class and points were awarded to teams that answered correctly. This was a fun way to use task cards because it encouraged the students to work together.

Virginia Studies task cards for every unit can be found HERE .

You can learn more about these activities and other activities that I use to teach VS.8 in this blog post .

VS.9: Virginia Grows

With Virginia Studies SOL VS.9, students discover the ways that Virginia became more interconnected and diverse. Topics include:

• explaining how railroads, waterways, new industries, and the growth of cities led to Virginia’s economic development in the late 1800s
• explaining the economic and social transition from a rural society to a more urban society

Virginia Studies SOL VS.9 is a great time to review Virginia geography . Students explore things such as waterways, new industries, and cities. As they do, have them use a map of Virginia to locate these things. Whenever they locate something on a map, discuss what region it is part of and what the geography of that region looks like.

VS.10: 1900 to Present Day

The information found in Virginia SOL VS.10 is mostly new to the 2023 Virginia Studies SOLs. With this SOL, students examine the role Virginians played during World War I and World War II. Topics include:

• examining how key leaders and citizens prepared for wartime
• describing the contributions made by military veterans and Medal of Honor recipients

The town of Bedford, Virginia lost more residents per capita on D-Day than any other U.S. town or city. For that reason, Bedford is the location of the National D-Day Memorial.

Even if your class is unable to visit the memorial in person, the website for the memorial provides lots of great student resources that can be used for a virtual field trip.

In addition to exploring the National D-Day Memorial in person or virtually, there are lots of first-hand accounts of D-Day and other World War II events that can be accessed for free on YouTube. Sharing primary sources and first-hand accounts is one of the best ways to help students understand the sacrifices and contributions made by members of the military during the war.

Virginia Studies is my favorite subject to teach because Virginia has played such a big role in shaping the United States, and there are so many fun ways to teach this to students.

If you are looking for more engaging ways to teach a specific Virginia Studies SOL to your students, make sure to check out my complete list of blog posts about each Virginia Studies SOL . I also have lesson plans and activities for every SOL in my store.

• Virginia Studies Lesson Plans Bundle
• Virginia Studies Task Cards Bundle
• Virginia Studies Escape Rooms Bundle

The Virginia Teacher Club® is a one-of-a-kind program for upper elementary teachers in Virginia. Members receive instant access to a curriculum library of SOL-aligned math, science, social studies, and ELA resources. There are lesson plans, games, assessments, passages, digital activities, and more for EVERY SOL. By using the Virginia Teacher Club®, our members save hours of planning time every month and have access to high-quality, SOL-aligned resources that students love.

CLICK HERE to join the waitlist and be the first to know when the Virginia Teacher Club® reopens for new members.

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VIRGINIA Field Trips

To help plan MAY curriculum focused classroom activities, field trips and school assembly programs, these May themed celebrations might be a helpful focus. Monthly : National Inventors Month. May 6-10 : Teacher Appreciation Week. May 3 : World Press Freedom Day. May 5 : Cinco de Mayo. Museum Lover’s Day. National Space Day. May 6 : Herb Day . National Fitness Day . May 8 : World Red Cross Day. May 12 : National Limerick Day. May 13 : International Migratory Bird Day. May 16 : Love a Tree Day. Do Something Good for your Neighborhood. May 17 : National Endangered Species Day. May 18 : International Astronomy Day. May 22 : National Maritime Day. May 28 : Amnesty International Day. May 29 : Learn About Composting Day. May 30 : International Jazz Day. May 31 : National Smile Day. CLICK on the ACTIVITY FILTER below for activity type of field trips to learn about. For those unable to travel to these locations, have the fun come to you. Check out the Outreach Field Trips & School Assembly Programs  section.

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American Civil War Museum

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During day or overnight programs at Camp Hanover’s 600-acre center, groups can connect, refresh, renew, and grow all year long through educational and recreational activities.

Dinosaur Kingdom II

Dinosaur Kingdom II is one of the most unique dinosaur parks in the world mixing dinosaurs and Civil War history in an outrageous adventure. Created by nationally known attraction builder and theme park designer, Mark Cline.

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George Mason’s Gunston Hall is proud to serve schools and educate youth on George Mason, American Rights, slavery, and other topics of colonial America.

Henricus Historical Park

Explore early colonial history at the re-created 1611 Citie of Henricus located on the historic James River. This “living history” museum has 14 recreated colonial and Powhatan Indian structures and offers hands-on encounters with historical interpreters.

Hyper Kidz Ashburn

Hyper Kidz is the ultimate, indoor playground with 3 play zones- Big Kid Zone, Kid Zone, and Mini Zone for mixed ages with age appropriate play attractions.

James Monroe’s Highland

Highland is a historic plantation owned by fifth President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, from 1793 to 1823.

Mill Mountain Theatre

Dive into the world of live theatre! Mill Mountain Theatre’s education team has exciting and captivating theater and programs for youth groups and families.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not Virginia

At the Oddtorium, see things you can’t see anywhere else with over 350 amazing exhibits. Other highlights include: 4D Shows, 3D films, Laser Race and Mini Golf.

Triple R Ranch

Triple R Ranch encompasses approximately 400 acres and serves over 10,000 guests each year, providing an incredible nature retreat from the busyness of everyday life.

Tuckahoe Plantation

Tuckahoe Plantation, the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson, is a colonial plantation considered one of the most complete existing 18th century plantation layouts in North America.

FieldTripdirectory.com offers enriching experiences for Virginia school groups, scout groups, homeschool groups, camp groups and families at Virginia Museums.

Virginia Museums offer field trips that offer hands-on exhibits, guided tours and guided activities for early childhood through high school grades. Virginia Art Museums , Science Museums , History Museums, Multicultural Museums and Children’s Museums offers educational experiences that support classroom curriculum and scout badge achievement. Beside museums, you can search for other learning experiences at Botanical Gardens, Planetariums, Living History Programs, STEM & STEAM, Planetariums, Farms, Zoos and Aquariums, Theaters and Concerts, Service Learning and more.

Can’t go on a field trip to a museum, your students, scouts, and families can still experience these fun enriching experience by scheduling a  Museum Virtual Field Trip  anywhere and at anytime.

Want the fun to come to you- book a  School Assembly Programs, Outreach Field Trips or Residency  at your school, homeschool association or scout council. They support and enhance a school’s curriculum, offers opportunities for scout badge achievement and enriches a camp program. There are mobile museum exhibits, traveling planetariums and classroom and grade level workshops and residencies.

To help fund field trips, virtual programs and school assembly programs visit our section on  Grants  and  Fundraising Programs .

FieldTripDirectory.com (formerly ClassTrips.com and CampDirectorsResources.com) offers field trip ideas for class trips, scout group trips, camp group field trips, and homeschool group field trips in Virginia—early childhood through college. Search for class trips in Virginia by by group type, cost, activity/curriculum type, grade level, distance, and venue name or keyword. Day class trips are divided by curriculum and subject area:

• ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Find Virginia art museums, theater, dance, and music concert field trips.
• EARLY CHILDHOOD Find Virginia class trips to children’s museums, petting zoos, and kids’ shows.
• HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES View Virginia history museums, government & civics, historic sites, living history museums, and multicultural field trip ideas.
• LIFE SKILLS Find Virginia team building field trips, health & safety exhibits, and character education experiences.
• SCIENCE & NATURE Find Virginia aquariums, botanical gardens, environmental studies & nature centers, farms & mazes, planetariums, science museums, STEAM & STEM field trips, dinosaur exhibits, and zoos.
• RECREATION Find Virginia field trip ideas for adventure parks, ropes courses, ziplines, boat excursions, amusement parks, waterparks, kayaking, rafting, tubing, laser tag paintball, roller skating rinks, ice-skating rinks, mini-golf attractions, indoor amusement & recreation centers, and outdoor amusement & recreation centers.

Overnight field trips include trips to NYC, trips to Boston, trips to Washington, DC, trips to Chicago, trips to Atlanta, and other historic cities throughout the US. Retreats are available for environmental education, team building, and recreation. We created field trip lesson plans to help teachers, scout leaders, camp counselors, and homeschool parents provide an enriching experience for their groups. We know funds for class trips are limited, so we’ve included grants for field trips that cover admission, transportation, and more. It’s important that students and youth explore new environments, learn about other cultures, and develop an understanding of inclusivity as part of the educational process. People learn in different ways—through hearing, seeing, touching, talking, or doing. Class trips can provide a multi-dimensional learning experience. FieldTripDirectory.com can help you find the right trip for your group. A world of experiences is just a click away at FieldTripDirectory.com.

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6 Free Resources for Virtual Field Trips

Teachers can use panoramic photos and videos of locations all around the world to make lessons more engaging.

How can you take students around the world without moving very far? If you haven’t yet, it’s worth trying virtual field trips and excursions. Now more than ever, these resources allow students to experience spaces they might not otherwise get to see, and there are many ways to introduce them to students as they explore a topic.

Virtual field trips can help students explore a new space, build vocabulary and background knowledge, and expand their world view. Whether you want to explore the setting of a novel, introduce a place-based math problem, or make connections to current events, virtual field trips can expand upon traditional lessons in many ways. One of the reasons I love them so much is that they allow students to view a space that piques their curiosity and provides context for their learning.

The term virtual field trip can be used to describe not just 360 degree photos and videos but also the live interactions and video conferences you might set up with a subject matter expert like an author or museum docent. Flipgrid (one of my favorite tools) hosts a handful of these types of virtual field trips .

6 Ways to Set Up Virtual Field Trips

The list of free virtual field trip resources here is adapted from my ISTE Live presentation in December 2020. Students can access these resources without logging into a new website—teachers can post the link to a 360 degree panoramic image or interactive experience in a platform students already use, making it easy for them to access in both traditional classroom settings and at home.

1. AirPano : This site includes 360 degree videos and images from around the world. You aren’t required to create an account—you can just jump in and start searching. When you’re ready to share with students, there is a link you can copy and paste or an embed option if you’re adding a widget to a site of resources. If you’re looking for international locations, AirPano is a great choice for exploring outdoor spaces, including Machu Picchu in the daytime, or the northern lights at night.

2. Google Maps Treks : In combination with Google Maps and Earth, Treks organizes content in an easy-to-navigate way. There are Treks for places around the globe, including the U.S. and Canada, Egypt, Nepal, and India. Each one has information and videos for students to explore.

3. National Geographic : National Geographic’s YouTube channel transports students all over the world to learn about different cultures, foods, animals, and more. Have students press play on the video, and as the video begins, they can use their cursor or trackpad to spin the video in different directions. They can tap on one part of the screen to move the video back and forth as they learn about a new place.

4. Nearpod : Known as an interactive presentation tool, Nearpod has virtual reality content built into its platform in the form of 360 degree panoramic views, which can be used as a great pre-reading strategy to introduce a new book or spark discussion about a social studies or science topic. To use these interactive experiences with your students, insert them into any Nearpod lesson in the same way you would add a slide or poll. (Please note: Nearpod also offers a paid plan with additional amenities.)

5. 360Cities : This collection of stock 360 degree images has lots of user-uploaded resources. There is a special school version that allows you to introduce students to more dynamic learning experiences; it has features such as a guided tour creator.

6. Google Arts and Culture :  This tool has a variety of high-quality content, including interactive views that let students walk through notable spaces such as museums and explore examples of beautiful architecture like the Alhambra in Spain. You can let students know that this resource is mobile-responsive in addition to working on a web browser—they can access the content on a smartphone or tablet, or their Chromebook or laptop.

Engaging Students With Guided Questions

Set a purpose for students as they explore these resources by using prompts to guide their excursions. Potential prompts include:

• What do you think the weather is like in this place?
• How do you think someone captured this moment?
• What might be missing from this shot?

I’ve put together more prompts here .

If building student vocabulary is a primary goal of introducing virtual field trips to your students, you can point out different objects in the panoramic views or ask students to find certain features. For example, imagine students are learning about geological features and you take them on a virtual field trip to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Together you can discuss vocabulary like crater , steam vent , and igneous rocks .

When sharing with students, include a prompt or question and post the link and task into a space they already have access to, such as Google Classroom, Seesaw, or Schoology. If you’re sharing a list of resources for students, colleagues, or families that includes some of these virtual excursions, you might curate a list of favorites using a tool like Google Sites, Spark Page, or Microsoft Sway.

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Field Trips

Bring your classroom lessons to life.

The Science Museum of Virginia is the perfect place to do just that! From animal encounters to seeing the solar system and from super cool liquid nitrogen demos to maker activities, we’ve got your group covered.

The Science Museum offers interactive exhibits, hands-on labs, an innovative makerspace and live science programming suited for all ages. With discounted group rates, your squad has the opportunity to schedule exclusive live science demos and workshops, and view featured astronomy shows and giant screen films in The Dome.

New for 2024: Discover Steampunk The Science Museum is channeling a Victorian era aesthetic February 10, 2024 – August 18, 2024, with the hands-on touring exhibition showcasing the fusion of art, history and technology. Experiment with more than 20 interactive machines inspired by the 19-century innovators who created them!

Don't miss other Upcoming Exhibitions as you plan out the rest of the year!

Did you know homeschool groups can take advantage of group programming as well? As long as you have 10 or more guests in your group, you're in!

Group Programming Options

Participants watch and engage with a Science Museum educator who demonstrates amazing scientific experiments to the audience.

Group workshops provide students with an opportunity to investigate a scientific phenomenon facilitated by a Science Museum educator.

Students work together to investigate scientific phenomena and plan, create, test and improve on solutions to design challenges.

Visit The Dome to embark on amazing adventures from the bottom of the sea to the clouds and everything in between.

Head to The Dome to explore the Moon, stars and beyond in an astronomy show that's out of this world!

If you're looking for a digital field trip, we've got you covered. Bring the Science Museum to you with an engaging virtual experience.

Students explore the Earth, weather, our solar system, volcanoes and more as never before on this room-sized animated display.

Do your students love nature and observing the environment? Explore The Green and enhance your experience with The Green Guide Nature Journal.

Get the details on pricing, lunches, chaperones, bus parking and more. Details are the secret to a great field trip!

Field Trip Guide

Still have questions.

Contact us to learn more about group visits.

Virtual Field Trip

This performance task is a computer science (CS) integration project where your students will take you on a virtual field trip. It can be to a museum, a historical site, a modern destination, a book, a planet or really anywhere. Along the way, they will incorporate computer science (CS) concepts into their projects including sequences, conditionals, and events to add interactivity. This is a great project for students to share their research and learning from a wide variety of subject areas like social studies, language arts, world languages, history, etc. This unit includes 5th grade standards for the Virginia CS Standards of Learning , but it can easily be adapted for younger and older students.

Day 1 - Introduction and Plan

Day 2 - People, Places, and Things

Day 3 - Field Trip Events

Day 4 - Making the Field Trip Interactive

Day 5 - Feedback

Day 6 - Present, Assess, and Reflect

This work was created by Miss-Bit and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

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Virtual Field Trips

Explore the World with Virtual Field Trips

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.

Working Trees: Reforestation and Responsible Forestry

Forests represent a powerful opportunity to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, helping to cool our planet while also providing clean air, clean water, and habitat for wildlife.

Less Harm on the Farm: Regenerative Agriculture

Food is more than something we eat to survive; it's a part of how we thrive. Learn how regenerative agriculture can help us feed a growing population while restoring nature.

Climb-It Change

Explore how climate change is impacting alpine ecosystems and go on a climbing adventure with scientists who take you to some of the most stunning mountain ranges in the United States. This film is a Rocket Soul Studios production.

Protecting Our Oceans and Ourselves

More people rely on our ocean for food, energy, transport, recreation and other natural resources than any other time in history.

Climate Heroes: The Power of Trees

Trees are our climate superheroes! From Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, trees are playing critical roles in cleaning our air and improving our resilience in the face of climate change.

You’re the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs and Cicadas

The conservation community relies heavily on volunteers not only to restore natural areas but to help gauge the success of restoration efforts.

Changing Climate, Changing Cities

Get a front-row, ground-level seat to the challenges cities face as they confront this force of nature, and discover the solutions experts are promoting to mitigate it.

The Secret Life of Corals

Learn how fragile reefs are being damaged by human activity and climate change, and how scientists are developing ways to restore corals.

Borneo: The Symphony of the Rainforest

On this journey, we’ll learn how experts are using cutting-edge science to find out how healthy the rainforest is—and to discover where it needs some help!

View from a Canoe

Can you imagine a place with 100 million acres of forest and 30,000 miles of coastline? It exists. The Emerald Edge is home to the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest.

Wild Biomes: America’s Rainforests & Deserts

Two wildly different ecosystems, both dependent on the same precious resource: Water. On this virtual field trip, we’ll travel to Seattle and Arizona.

The Coral Reefs of Palau

Join our expert scientist, marine biologist Stephanie Wear, on a virtual field trip to the coral reefs of Palau where you'll explore amazing underwater cities.

China’s Great Forests

Join our expert scientist Yue Wang, a conservation planning officer for The Nature Conservancy, on a virtual field trip across the world to two stunning provinces in China.

Powering the Planet: Renewable Energy

Join scientist Alex Wegmann as we embark on a Virtual Field Trip to explore a compelling question: How can we get the energy we need without harming nature?

Journey of Water: Colombia’s Páramo

In this virtual field trip, we will explore the magical páramo ecosystem and the stunning mountain landscapes found just beyond the capital city of Bogotá.

Peru: A Coastal Ecosystem

Join fisheries scientist Matias Caillaux to explore the Humboldt Current Ecosystem off the coast of Peru while learning about the area’s amazing diversity and productivity.

Ridge to Reef: A Virtual Field Trip to Hong Kong

The “Ridge to Reef” (R2R) concept is a holistic approach that takes into consideration all the environments within a watershed — from the top of the mountains down to the ocean — and shows that what happens on land affects what happens in the water.

Stay connected for the latest resources from Nature Lab

Don't miss new Nature Lab teaching guides and videos. Sign up to get the monthly Nature Lab newsletter with free environmental education materials for educators and families.

Explore Our Youth Curriculum

Access resources aligned to The Nature Conservancy’s research and designed specifically for a young audience and classroom use.

• Grades 6-12
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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

No permission slips needed.

Virtual field trips are a game changer. Not only do they fill in for real field trips when budgets and other roadblocks prevent in-person options, but virtual field trips also open doors to educational experiences all over the country and the world, both past and present. No fundraising or permission slips required!

(Note: For anyone who needs it, YouTube offers a closed-captioning option. Just click the CC button in the bottom right-hand corner.)

1. Amazon Career Tours

Amazon Career Tours are free virtual field trips that inspire students to pursue careers of the future. Tour whenever, wherever on Kahoot! Each tour comes with a Teacher Toolkit that includes a facilitation guide and student worksheets.

• (New!) Amazon Music: Careers Behind the Beats : From studio to streaming, check out how computer science and amazing professionals make listening to your favorite songs possible.
• Amazon Fulfillment Center Tour : Explore how packages get delivered at lightning speed and how computer science, engineering, and real people work together to make the magic happen. 
• Data Center Tour 1: Uncovering Cloud Computing : Do students know what “the cloud” actually is? Find out how we went from renting movies at the store to streaming them from anywhere at any time.
• Data Center Tour 2: Keeping Data Safe and Sustainable : Discover the infrastructure that keeps your information safe and sustainable while diving into data careers of the future.
• Space Innovation Tour : Students will learn about the amazing technology on board the Orion spacecraft in NASA’s Artemis I flight test and hear from the engineers who made it all possible.

There are so many amazing online options when it comes to zoos that we couldn’t narrow it down to just one. Most zoos have live webcams in some of their most popular exhibits, such as the KC Zoo Polar Bear Cam and the Giant Panda Cam at Smithsonian’s National Zoo . However, some zoos offer a more in-depth look. You’ll definitely want to check out the San Diego Zoo as their site for kids includes behind-the-scenes videos and stories, as well as a variety of printable activities and online games. Check out our full list of virtual zoo goodness.

3. The Aquarium

It’s a similar story with aquariums. You have your pick of live webcams, but our favorites are the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager webcam (wait for the whale shark!) and the “Jelly Cam” at Monterey Bay Aquarium (so soothing). The Seattle Aquarium even has a 30-minute video tour . Want more under-the-sea fun? Here’s our ultimate list of virtual aquarium field trips.

4. The Farm

The classic preschool field trip goes online! You can have your pick of dairy farm field trips, but we like this one from the Dairy Alliance  and this one from Stonyfield Organic . Farm Food 360 gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Canadian farm and food tours—from raising pigs to making milk and cheese. We’re also loving these virtual egg farm field trips from the American Egg Board.

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5. An Art Museum

We found 20 art museums with virtual tours , including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s # MetKids and its awesome Where’s Waldo? setup. And you can’t miss the world-famous Louvre in Paris (no passport needed!). Check out the current virtual tours: Traveling Materials and Objects, the Advent of the Artist, the Body in Movement, and Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader!

6. A National Park

From webcams at Hawaii volcanoes to a virtual run along the rim of the Grand Canyon , you have tons of options here. Our top pick would have to be Yellowstone. The interactive maps are a great way to see the Mammoth Hot Springs and Mud Volcano, but we think kids will be psyched about the Old Faithful Geyser livestream and the opportunity to make their own predictions for its next eruption . Check out everything the National Park Service has to offer virtually.

7. A Planetarium

Through Stellarium Web , kids can explore over 60,000 stars, locate planets, and watch sunrises and solar eclipses. If you enter your location, you can see all the constellations that are visible in the night sky in your corner of the world.

8. A Recycling Center

Take your students on a virtual field trip of a recycling center and a modern landfill . Plus, there’s a full-on curriculum that includes lesson plans, take-home handouts, and more.

9. Slime in Space

Nickelodeon teamed up with two astronauts on the International Space Station to demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity and had kids reproduce those same demonstrations back here on Earth. It makes for an amazing 15-minute virtual field trip .

10. Nature Lab

The Nature Conservancy has a brand-new virtual field trip entitled “You’re the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs & Cicadas.” Check out their full library of videos on topics like climate change and water security.

11. Discovery Education

Discovery Education hosts a variety of virtual events —each with a companion guide with hands-on learning activities. Current offerings include “Making a New Life: The Courage of a Refugee” and “The Future Is Now” (architectural and engineering innovations). Stay tuned for their upcoming civics virtual field trip, “The American Ideal.”

12. The Great Lakes

This virtual field trip from Great Lakes Now has three components: coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon. Each video is a quick five minutes long.

13. The Strong National Museum of Play

Explore online exhibits and discover the history and evolution of play. Check out board games that changed play, sports video games that shaped digital play, and the making of Monopoly to name a few.

14. U.S. Census Bureau

Kids can learn about the most recent Census and how census data is collected and used. This virtual field trip also features interviews with subject matter experts and an interactive challenge.

15. National Constitution Center

The “Museum of We the People,” the Constitution Center serves as a “headquarters for civic education.” Check out the Interactive Constitution section , and be sure to watch the virtual tour .

16. The Johnson Space Center

Houston, we have a virtual field trip. Three, actually. All with companion educator guides. The star of the show is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Center .

17. Birthplace of Music

Boise State put together this fully interactive virtual field trip with text, photos, audio, and video about the history of music. The four featured music locations are: Vienna, Austria; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia.

18. Colonial Williamsburg

This living-history museum provides a look into life in an early American community. The website offers five different webcams featuring areas such as the tavern and the armory.

19. Mount Vernon

This virtual experience of George Washington’s home is incredibly well done. Enter the different buildings—from the opulent mansion to the chilling slave quarters—and click on different items for video and text explanations.

20. Mount Rushmore

This virtual tour comes with a real tour guide! Blaine Kortemeyer is the Assistant Chief of Interpretation and Education, who lends his expertise on the building of this national monument. The 3D Explorer is also an excellent tool.

21. The Manhattan Project

Take a visit to the National WWII Museum for “a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb.” Don’t forget to download the classroom guide!

22. The White House

For a look inside the iconic building, check out the 360° tour of some of the most historic rooms of the People’s House, from the Situation Room to the Oval Office. Examine each room and check out the contents up close.

23. The Smithsonian

The National Museum of Natural History’s virtual experiences are self-guided, room-by-room tours of permanent, current, and past exhibits. Be sure to send kids to the second floor Bone Hall so they can take a look at all different kinds of skeletons.

24. Google Arts & Culture

A collaboration with over 1,200 leading museums and archives, Google Arts & Culture is an incredible storehouse of monumental works of art. We recommend the Street View and Play sections.

25. 360 Cities

Boasting the world’s largest collection of 360° image videos, 360 Cities provides kids with the opportunity to see stunning panoramas across the globe, including their video of the ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland.

26. Buckingham Palace

It’s the official residence of the Queen of England, and boy, is it opulent! Get a peek inside the gorgeous Grand Staircase, White Drawing Room, Throne Room, and Blue Drawing Room.

27. The Great Wall of China

See one of the wonders of the world with this amazing, thousands-year-old fortification system known the world over. This virtual tour has four scenes available (you have to pay to get access to all 14). The bird’s-eye view of Mutianyu pass is a highlight.

28. Easter Island

Most of us recognize the giant stone statues of Easter Island, but what’s the story behind them? Nova’s online adventure “Secrets of Easter Island” delves into the mystery with a virtual tour.

29. Son Doong Cave

National Geographic lets you explore the world’s largest cave, located in Vietnam. Use the interactive map to enjoy the fully immersive experience (sound on!).

30. Ancient Egypt

You don’t need a time machine! Discovering Ancient Egypt has a ton of free resources, but it’s the interactive pyramid map and 3D temple reconstructions that really give it a field trip feel.

31. Back Through Time

Virtually visit Turn Back the Clock , a museum exhibit that ran for two years at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Through compelling personal stories, innovative interactive media, and pop culture artifacts, the exhibit takes guests through seven decades of history—from the dawn of the nuclear age to significant policy questions our leaders face today.

No, really! You can absolutely “go” to the red planet. With Access Mars , you can see the actual surface of Mars, recorded by NASA’s Curiosity rover. Trust us—don’t skip the intro. And if your kids liked that, check out this 4K tour of the moon . These may go down in history as some of the best virtual field trips your students get to experience.

33. The Battleship New Jersey

Take a virtual tour of this historical battleship located on the Camden waterfront. This battleship has traveled more miles than any other!

34. The Vatican

No need to travel to Rome! Take in the amazing art and architecture located in the Vatican Museums with these 360-degree views.

35. Space Center Houston

Download the app and climb aboard the virtual tram line! Take a virtual walk through the Space Center Houston with informational stops along the way.

36. The Louvre

Virtually visit museum rooms in the famous Louvre located in Paris. Even check out The Louvre kids’ site for student-friendly galleries and stories. You can’t visit The Louvre without seeing the Mona Lisa , so check out their immersive Mona Lisa experience available in the app store.

37. Ellis Island

This interactive tour of Ellis Island lets students explore places like the Baggage Room and the Stairs of Separation through short stories, historical photographs, videos, and audio clips. Students can also hear the stories of real kids who recently immigrated to the United States, explore colorful charts and graphs with immigration data, and watch a 30-minute movie that includes a Q&A with National Park Service Rangers who explain what coming to America was like for many immigrants.

38. Plimoth Patuxet Museums

Travel back to the 17th century with options for free, on-demand, digital resources or a live, 1-hour virtual school program led by a Plimoth Patuxet Contemporary Indigenous Museum Educator. Students explore Wampanoag daily life and history; discover the real history of Thanksgiving and the legend behind it; meet a 17th-century Pilgrim; get an interactive sneak peak into 17th-century wardrobes; and learn about simple machines and water power at the Plimoth Grist Mill. There are also options for virtual hands-on history workshops, including Wampanoag Pottery and Write Like a Pilgrim.

39. Children’s Museum Houston

When you can’t visit the museum in person, 3D virtual field trips to the Children’s Museum Houston are the next best thing. All videos are produced and curated by museum educators and feature hands-on activities that can be done in the classroom. Topics include nutrition, math, states of matter, forces and properties of water, and more.

40. Museum of the American Revolution

Beyond the Battle Field is a virtual field trip for grades 2-8 hosted by Lauren Tarshis, author of the I Survived historical-fiction series for kids. Students will meet a museum educator as well as the museum curator, and explore artifacts and documents from the American Revolution. Plus they’ll hear the stories of teens who served during the war. There’s also a Classroom Kit available with a vocabulary list and discussion questions by grade level.

If you liked this roundup of the best virtual field trips and want more resources like this, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters.

Plus, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too) ..

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Check Out This Amazing Nickelodeon Slime in Space Virtual Field Trip

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The 22 Ultimate Virtual Field Trips & Tours for Students

Written by Maria Kampen

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What is a virtual tour and how does it work?

Technology powering virtual field trips for students, 22 best virtual field trips for students, how to incorporate virtual tours into learning activities.

Imagine taking your entire class to see one of the seven wonders of the world up close and personal — and then being back at school before the final bell rings. 

The rise of online learning activities during the pandemic accelerated the availability of virtual field trips , tours and experiences for students of all ages. Now there are many interactive virtual tours available to places that would be impossible to reach on a class trip — the pyramids in Egypt, the Louvre museum in Paris or even an African safari.

We put together a list of 22 unforgettable virtual field trips and experiences that will help your students see amazing sights, connect their learning to real-world experiences and expand their horizons.

Virtual tours allow students to explore noteworthy places around the world, from the comfort of their home or the classroom. 

Virtual tours give students the opportunity to stop, explore and guide learning at their own pace. While they’re exploring, they can get up close to nature or artifacts that might not otherwise be easily accessible. 

Virtual tours can be many different things, including:

• A live webcam of a zoo or animal habitat
• A 360 degree view of a location you can manipulate
• Pictures enriched with helpful information and diagrams

Even ten or fifteen years ago, video tours would have been rare or impossible. Advancements in technology and education have combined to help people learn and explore from anywhere!

• National Geographic creates TV series about nature, history and archaeology
• Food shows like Netflix’s Salt Fat Acid Heat take viewers on food journeys across the world
• Planet Earth , a television series, brings far-flung locations to your living room or classroom
• Discovery Education gives educators access to multimedia resources that supplement classroom learning
• Video conferencing technology like Zoom lets you connect with people and learning experiences around the world

We love being able to sit at home or in the classroom and learn about different foods, cultures and geography. Why not introduce that to your students?

1. Take a trip to the zoo

Whether it’s live webcams of adorable pandas or behind-the-scenes tours with zookeepers, zoos all over the world offer ways for animal antics to delight and entertain your students. 

Some of our favorites include:

• Edinburgh Zoo’s Panda Cam
• Georgia Aquarium’s Beluga Whale Livestream
• The Smithsonian National Zoo’s Naked Mole-rat Cam
• A live feed of African river wildlife in Laikipia County, Kenya
• The San Diego Zoo Live Ape Cam , or any of their other live animal feeds
• Home Safari videos from the Cincinnati Zoo, where zookeepers introduce you to the hundreds of animals that make the zoo their home.

2. Visit The Hidden Worlds of National Parks

From Yosemite to Mesa Verde, explore some of the USA’s most beloved and beautiful national parks with The Hidden World of National Parks .  

Supported by Google Arts & Culture , students can use the same technology that powers Street View to explore the national parks at their own pace. 

The program also includes guided tours from park rangers, where they share their expertise as you explore. Follow the on-screen prompts and let them guide your adventure!

3. Watch the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otters

Play with the sea otters as they swim around Monterey Bay Aquarium in California! Tune in throughout the day to see them being fed, learn fun facts about otters and watch them play in the water. 

If you’d like to check out some other aquarium-related channels, Monterey Bay Aquarium also offers Open Sea or Kelp Forest live streams.

4. Swim through Palau coral reefs

Travel to the Pacific Ocean through a virtual adventure and see the Palau coral reefs . Hosted by Nature Lab and the Nature Conservancy, this tour teaches students about the importance of preserving some of the most fragile ecosystems in the world — no wetsuit required. 

Take learning to the next level with the Nature Lab’s Teacher’s Guide , which includes discussion questions and related resources to keep learners engaged. 

5. Visit the surface of Mars

It took the Perseverance rover about seven months to get to Mars. But thanks to this virtual tour , you and your students can go for a visit in just one afternoon. 

Created by Google and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this virtual tour takes you through the history of Mars explorations and turns what might be a far-flung topic into something right at students’ fingertips. They’ll explore the surface of Mars, learn more about the rovers that have studied its surface and understand how Mars exploration fits into the history of space travel.

6. Power up with renewable energy

Powering the Planet from the Nature Conservancy is an interactive lesson that focuses on renewable energy sources. It explains to students how energy around them is necessary for life, and covers how energy can be sourced in a way that’s not harmful to the environment.

All the Nature Conservancy’s programs come with a Teacher Guide , which offers lesson plans and activities relating to the virtual tour. 

7. Walk the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is over 13,000 miles long, so be sure to pack your walking shoes for this trip!

This virtual tour lets students explore key points in the Great Wall of China, plus see the history and amazing view up close.

8. Float around the International Space Station

Did you know that astronauts have continuously inhabited the International Space Station for 20 years? Now your class can join them!

With tours of the different parts of the space station, facts about the layout and assembly, and information about the different astronauts who’ve visited from around the world, students can get an out-of-this-world experience from the comfort of their home or classroom. 

Plus, there are plenty of images, videos, graphics and media resources to help you tie topics into your curriculum.

9. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is a delicate ecosystem especially vulnerable to the effects of pollution and climate change. 

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef is a tour created in partnership with the Natural History Museum in London that teaches everyone about the beauty and fragility of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. 

The Great Barrier Reef is also available on Google Street View through Google Maps as one of the first underwater locations to be mapped. 

10. Learn about water and Colombia’s páramo ecosystem

Just outside of Bogotá, Columbia, is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. In this virtual lesson, students will learn about how the water cycle plays a vital role in biodiversity, and get an up-close look at the animals that call the area home. 

Use the accompanying Teacher Guide to help students discuss the topic and stay engaged with the lesson. And check out the rest of the Nature Lab's YouTube channel for even more virtual experiences.

11. Tour the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum — so there are plenty of things for students to explore. 

With a variety of virtual tours to choose from, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is full of ways to get students excited about learning. Students can watch narrated tours of different exhibits ranging from history and geography to the research stations in the museum. 

Whether students want to walk through the museum on their own or let someone else do the talking, there’s something for every lesson.

12. Get caught up in the American Revolution

History meets the present at the Museum of the American Revolution ! 

This virtual tour lets students see artifacts, meet museum staff and hear stories of real people who fought for American independence.

It also comes with a Classroom Ki t for 2nd to 8th grade that supplements learning and makes it even more meaningful. 

13. Trek up Mt. Everest

This 360 degree video from National Geographic lets students explore Mt. Everest along with a group of researchers. Together, they’ll discover what kind of effects climate change has on the mountain, and how we can work to preserve natural landscapes. 

Not up for climbing mountains? Take a virtual ride on Expedition Everest , the tallest rollercoaster in any Disney park! But beware — there’s a monster lurking in the dark.

14. Get the right angle with Explore Geometry

Powered by Nearpod, Explore Geometry ’s lesson plans connect classroom lessons with architecture in the natural world.

Students can explore the gardens of Versailles to learn about the geometry of a French garden before moving on to the next lesson and putting their skills to practical use.

15. Wander through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

One of the most well-known museums in the world, students can now explore The Met’s vast collections with the Met 360º Project .

Virtual tours help students get a sense of the space, art and collections inside of the museum. Whether they’re interested in the Met Cloisters or the Arms and Armor gallery, students can go at their own pace, accompanied by a soothing soundtrack. 

You can also book virtual tours with a museum guide to line up with your lesson plan. Tours are free for NYC public schools and all Title I schools, and $200 USD per class for other schools.

16. Explore history in the British Museum

Another world-class museum, students can explore the British Museum in London using Google Street View, read facts about the artifacts and connect what they see to their history lessons. 

Whether it’s the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, Egyptian sculpture or any other historical treasure, there’s something every student will find interesting!

If you want to let someone else do the exploring, there’s also a 46-minute virtual walking tour , where you can skip to the sections that are most relevant to you and your class. 

17. Visit the White House

In Washington, D.C. the White House is the symbolic heart of America, and now students can walk the halls for themselves. 

Whether they want to take a lap around the Oval Office or wander the building, students can explore this virtual tour from the White House Historical Association . Plus, it comes with class tie-ins like vocabulary lessons and other activities to make the experience even more memorable! 

18. Arrive at Ellis Island

Ever wonder what it was like for new immigrants to see the Statue of Liberty and step foot on American soil for the first time?

Now students can experience it for themselves with this virtual tour , a collaboration between Scholastic and the National Park Service. They’ll learn the importance of immigration in the history of the United States and hear real-life stories about the people who came looking for a better life. 

After students watch the video, they can click through this interactive map with facts and stories about the people who came through Ellis Island. 

19. Explore China's forests

In this online tour, students can explore the natural habitats of pandas in the forests of China . They’ll discover how the panda’s home plays a role in understanding our world, learn about local conservation efforts and see the big-picture view of how these vast forests fit into our understanding of nature and climate change. 

Plus, this program also comes with a handy Teacher Guide for you to use in lesson planning!

20. Bundle up in the Arctic tundra

Take a virtual field trip all the way up north to the tundra! Discovery Education’s tundra programs for elementary, middle and high school students cover the natural habitat of polar bears, plus their activities and migration patterns.

This virtual tour comes with instructional activities and classroom tie-ins, so you can be sure students are getting a productive learning experience.

21. Go spelunking in the world's largest cave

Travel through Vietnam’s Son Doong, the world’s largest cave . First explored by researchers in 2009, this cave is up to 200 meters tall in some areas and even has its own jungle inside. 

It’s estimated that the total length of the cave system is over 200 kilometers, and with this National Geographic tour students can explore to their heart’s content. High definition pictures and helpful facts mean that not only is this an awe-inspiring trip for students, but it’s also educational! 

Because the cave is ecologically sensitive, only a certain number of tourists are allowed to visit each year. This virtual tour is a great way for kids and adults to experience the wonder up close!

22. Browse the Louvre

Take your students on a quick trip to Paris where you can explore the architecture and art of the Louvre without the crowds. 

Plus, the Louvre also offers Louvre Kids , as well as a Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass virtual app experience where users can learn how Leonardo da Vinci created his most well-known masterpiece.

From kindergarten to high school, virtual field trips are a great way to get students excited about learning. And if you’re homeschooling , they’re the perfect way to get real-world experience without leaving the house!

To get the most out of the experience, keep these tips in mind:

• Ask students what they’re interested in exploring 
• Look for virtual experiences that fit into your lesson plan for maximum impact
• Search for supplementary resources like teacher guides and discussion questions
• Try out the virtual tour first to make sure it’s worth it and to avoid any unpleasant technical glitches
• Use virtual field trips at the beginning of a unit to introduce students to new concepts, or at the end as a reward and wrap-up activity

Be sure to follow up with students and see what they liked the most. Then, harness that excitement for your next lesson or activity! 

Prodigy Math Game is an adaptive math platform where students can explore a world filled with adventure, excitement and rewards — all for practicing math! While they’re having a blast answering questions and completing epic quests, Prodigy’s free teacher tools help you align their learning to your classroom lessons. 

Sign up for your free teacher account today!

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Hi! I'm Michelle McDonald

Welcome! I'm an educator with over a decade of experience in the field of education having taught elementary and middle school. I'm a social studies specialist with the goal of helping teachers provide their students with a high-quality social studies education. You can find virtual field trips around the world for both students and older adults, as well as support for new teachers.

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Goddard Virtual Field Trips

Activities, exhibits and events at the Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provide inspiring and captivating educational experiences for all ages. The visitor center showcases Goddard’s innovative and exciting work in Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary science, engineering, communications and technology development.

Virtual Field Trips

The NASA Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, now offers virtual field trip programs for student and community groups, focusing on such subjects as living and working on the International Space Station and how to build a satellite. These virtual field trips are available to groups with a minimum of eight students – grades kindergarten and above. In addition to receiving a list of online resources, your group would schedule a 45 minute live virtual session with an informal educator. We are currently scheduling sessions Tuesday through Friday.

To Schedule a Virtual Field Trip

For more information or to schedule a virtual field trip, please email  [email protected] .

Virtual Field Trip Options

Interactive presentations are taught live by an informal education specialist and are approximately 45 minutes in length. Topics are listed below. Custom programs may be offered based on availability.

• Living and Working in Space, Kindergarten – 4th Grade People are living and working in space right now! Participants will discover many of the different ways that scientists, engineers and astronauts have developed to help humans live in space. They will also learn about the parts of an astronaut’s spacesuit and then look at actual food items sent to the International Space Station.  This program has three parts: a series of short videos to watch ahead of time, a live interactive presentation with a question-and-answer session, and optional self-guided activities using common supplies already on hand at home and school.
• How to Build a Satellite, 5th – 8th Grade Building a satellite takes many steps, requires help from a team, and needs creativity and innovation to make things work. Participants will explore the engineering design process and how scientists and engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center use it to solve problems. They will also talk about tools and components of a satellite with demonstrations focusing on infrared light.  This program has three parts: a series of short videos to watch ahead of time, a live interactive presentation with a question-and-answer session, and optional self-guided activities using common supplies already on hand at home and school.
• Goddard Overview, 9th Grade – Adult With facilities in Maryland, Virginia, New Mexico, Texas, New York and West Virginia, Goddard is a place where a mission can go from start to finish: from planning to building to testing and even launching. Goddard is also involved in nearly every NASA science mission involving Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics (the study of the Sun and our local space environment) and astrophysics. Participants will receive an overview presentation focused on current missions. This program is lecture-style, with a question-and-answer session and additional self-guided resources.
• Goddard Overview (Career Highlights), 9th – 12th Grade With facilities in Maryland, Virginia, New York, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Texas, Goddard is a place where a mission can go from start to finish: from planning to building to testing and even launching. Goddard is also involved in nearly every NASA science mission involving Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics (the study of the Sun and our local space environment), and astrophysics. Participants will receive an overview presentation focused on current missions that also highlights Goddard staff working on several of the missions that are featured. This program is lecture-style with video interviews interspersed, along with a question-and-answer session and additional self-guided resources.

Virtual Field Trip Eligibility Requirements

• Virtual field trips are available for free to the public.
• Virtual field trips need a minimum of eight participants and a suggested maximum of 50 participants. Exceptions may be made to accommodate large groups. However, groups of more than 50 are encouraged to schedule multiple sessions to allow for higher quality participant and instructor interactions.
• Groups may not charge participants a fee to attend the program.
• Field trip requests should be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

*If your number of school-age participants is outside of our requirement ranges, please contact us to see what options may be available for your group.

*If you would like to request an accommodation to participate in this program (e.g., sign language interpreter, captioning service, reader services, etc.) please contact the GSFC Disability Program Manager, Merechia Davis, in the Equal Opportunity Programs Office at (301) 286-0561 or  [email protected] .

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When you can't get away, your kids still can by taking a virtual field trip to a museum, farm, zoo, or another fun location. We compiled our list of favorites to help you keep your kids engaged and entertained. Some of these are virtual tours (you can actively decide where to go on the tour) and others are video walkthroughs (just watch and learn), but all give you a great experience of the location.

Best Art-Centric Virtual Tour: The Met

A glimpse at some of the greatest works of art created.

Online exhibits on various topics.

There's only one view of the museum currently available.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to over 5,000 years of art from around the world. You can see some of it from the comfort of your home. Take a virtual stroll through part of the museum using Google Street View. There are also numerous online exhibits on topics like Coco Chanel, Vermeer, Catholic allegory in art, and more.

Best Tour of Space: NASA

The volume of space videos.

The approachable aspect of the videos.

So much more to see on the site.

It's not easily searchable unless you know what you're looking for.

This might be cheating a bit because it's really a collection of videos, but, oh boy, what a collection to tour! The Galleries open up an array of videos covering space topics from testing a parachute for Mars to moving water in space. Each video is a mini virtual tour that will awe kids and encourage interest in science and space.

Best Tour of the White House: Google Arts & Culture's The White House

Stunning 360-degree images.

See inside and outside the White House.

Offers views of 140 paintings.

Once inside a tour, it's hard to know what you're looking at.

No search functions.

Every President since John Adams has occupied the White House and now your children can visit it, too. Google Arts & Culture offers four museum views (three tours of The White House and one of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) plus a look at more than 140 paintings that grace (or have graced) the walls of the country's most famous abode. The 360-degree images let kids explore to their heart's desire.

Best Cave Virtual Tour: Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is beautiful.

The virtual tour includes lots of information.

Zoom into areas for a more detailed look.

No supplemental online activities.

Son Doong is the world's largest natural cave. Located in Vietnam, it features a subterranean river and the largest cross-section of any cave worldwide. National Geographic's virtual tour lets you explore the cave with full 360-degree views and immersive sounds. You can even zoom in one area to check out the campers in their tents. Son Doong is beautiful and worth a virtual visit.

Best National Park Virtual Tour: Yellowstone

Offers multiple tours.

Lots of historical information.

Amazing images.

No video tours.

Lots of written information that can turn off some kids.

Yellowstone offers seven virtual tours appropriate for older elementary and middle school ages. There's a lot of written information along with the images, and the tours aren't in video. However, the information is fascinating, and the photos are stunning.

From learning about old Fort Yellowstone to discovering park anomalies like Mud Volcano, these tours are a great way for kids to discover unique facts about America.

Best Natural History Tour: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

So many exhibits to see!

Easy, clickable maps.

Quick and easy to navigate.

It's not always easy to read the signs in the exhibits.

This iconic museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and humanity's place in it. There's so much to see it can't possibly be listed here. However, the museum offers an online tour of most of its exhibits. Split this tour up into multiple lessons, so kids don't get overwhelmed.

Skip the ground floor and go straight to the first or second floors.

Best Aquarium Virtual Tour: National Aquarium

Easy to find exhibits.

Fun to explore using the 360-degree options.

Some scenes spin quickly, which can frustrate young learners.

Baltimore's National Aquarium features more than 20,000 aquatic animals. Kids can click and drag images to navigate their way around and use arrows, the map, or a scene list to explore various exhibits. Explore eight areas, such as the Amazon River, a tropical rain forest, and jellyfish.

Best Tours of the World: AirPano

Bright, well-produced videos and images.

Offers tours of numerous countries.

Includes video and still frame-images.

What's not to like?

AirPano has a variety of tours in China, Portugal, Switzerland, and more countries. Children can visit the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China, an underwater cave in Indonesia, ski resorts in France, and more destinations around the globe.

What makes this site so good is that it offers narrations of several tours, provides closeups through interactive actions, and includes short chunks of written information that's easy for kids of most ages to read. The tours are also fairly short, which makes these tours great for younger kids, but older kids will still enjoy the trip.

Best Virtual Tour for Car Lovers: Lane Motor Museum

Totally unique tour.

An inside look that allows for deep diving into collections.

There's no way to tell what a specific vehicle is unless you know cars.

Scroll to the bottom of the link to watch a fun virtual tour of one of the most unique car museums in the world. Lane Motor Museum is home to an oddball collection of vehicles dating from the 1920s up to modern times.

Your child will love seeing amphibious vehicles, microcars, prototypes, and more. The tour is easy to click through and offers six angles to entertain viewers.

Best Tours of Nature: Nature Works Everywhere

Tours are narrated and easy to follow.

Provides student handouts, vocabulary, and discussion questions.

We wish there was a larger library of tours!

Explore nature around the world with Nature Works Everywhere's virtual tours. Visit the coral reefs of Palau, the deserts and grasslands of Africa, a rainforest (from a canoe's viewpoint), a renewable energy plant, and more.

The tours are narrated and give great, quick facts to help kids learn in simple, straightforward ways. All tours are appropriate for grades 3 through 12 but are marked with notes about the grades most likely to enjoy the tour.

Best Historical Tour: Ellis Island

A clear explanation of Ellis Island, how it worked, and why it was needed.

Includes children asking questions of tour guides.

The images in much of the tour are small in order to focus on the tour guides.

Ellis Island is a key piece of American history. This virtual tour offers lots of anecdotes and features actual guides from Ellis Island telling stories. Plus, it includes lots of pictures and views of the island.

It's more appropriate for fourth grade and up, mainly due to the litany of facts and complexity of the information provided.

Best Slime-Based Virtual Tour: Slime in Space

Nickelodeon

It's playful and educational.

Good production values.

Fun experiments.

It's a video, not an interactive virtual tour.

What happens to Nickelodeon's iconic slime when it's in space? That's the concept behind the Slime in Space virtual field trip. Featuring real astronauts and Nickelodeon celebrities, the 15-minute video shows kids how slime and water react in a microgravity environment 250 miles above the Earth. Along the way, it answers burning questions like, "Is slime a solid or a liquid?" and "Can you slime a person in space?" (The answer is: yes, very slowly.)

Best Virtual Zoo Tour: San Diego Zoo

Live cams of the animals.

A variety of educational videos.

Fun games and activities.

Fixed camera angles mean you're not always guaranteed to see the animals.

The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. It's widely considered one of the best zoos in the world. But, if you can't make it to California, it has a robust virtual experience online.

You can peek in on the animals through live cams. There's also a variety of videos that teach kids about vultures or show them how to draw a tiger, for example. There are also zoo-related games and activities kids can do at home.

Best General Farm Tour: FarmFood 360

360-degree views of the farm.

Offers a free app for Android and iOS.

It can be hard to see things on a mobile device.

FarmFood 360 gives an inside look at the activities of a Canadian farm. Kids see 360-degree views of the farm as they learn about milk and cheese production, sheep farming, egg processing, and more.

There's an app available for Android and iOS devices, and it's compatible with some virtual reality headsets.

Best Virtual Planetarium: Stellarium

Realistic night sky simulation.

Mobile apps are available.

Includes a telescope control module for experienced astronomers.

Can be difficult to navigate.

The mobile apps aren't free, but the money supports the project.

Stellarium Web is an online planetarium created by two brothers. Offering an accurate and realistic view of the night sky, it lets you pan around and spot stars, satellites, and other celestial bodies.

It offers mobile apps for Android and iOS that aren't free. The money goes toward paying server and development costs for the two-person project.

Best Living-History Virtual Tour: Colonial Williamsburg

Next best thing to being there.

The virtual scavenger hunt.

The virtual tours are highly interactive.

Virtual tour models can load slowly.

Condensation or inclement weather can obstruct the webcam views.

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum in Virginia that offers a glimpse at what life was like in the 18th century. Its virtual tour is highly interactive and includes videos, informational signs, and 3D models you can rotate.

With its various webcams, you can see the armory, courthouse, merchants square, and more. Colonial Williamsburg's website also offers a virtual scavenger hunt your kids can participate in as they tour the area.

Best European Museum Virtual Tour: The Louvre

It's the Louvre.

The website offers a list of online family-friendly activities.

The virtual tours include a map and an information button.

The website offers limited language options.

Sure, we'd love to jet off to France and tour its fabulous museums personally. But if that's not an option, the Louvre has several virtual tours available on its website. The offerings include exhibitions on the body in movement, founding myths, Egyptian antiquities, and more.

The Louvre also has a handy list of family-friendly online resources everyone can enjoy, including a Mona Lisa VR experience.

Best Factory Virtual Tour: M&M Factory Tour

Zoonar RF / Getty Images

Who doesn't love chocolate?

360-degree views of the factory.

It's short.

The Food Network teamed up with candy maker Mars to give M&M fans a virtual tour of one of its factories. During the short YouTube video, viewers can pan around as a tour guide explains how unrefined chocolate is turned into the little candies we know and love.

Best General Virtual Tour Resource: Discovery Education

An eclectic variety of virtual field trips.

Watch live or on demand.

Trips come with a companion guide packed with activities.

A schedule of when field trips go live would be nice.

Discovery Education offers a variety of virtual field trips for kids learning from home. The offerings change often but currently include an NFL experience, a doodling experience meant to encourage creativity, and a virtual field trip through the internet of things. You can watch the field trips live or catch the videos later on-demand.

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