30 Free Virtual Museum Tours in Europe: Science, History, Cars, Dinosaurs & More

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I love museums, but art museums are only part of the story. Give me a museum filled with old cars, airplanes, dinosaurs, strange medical instruments, enormous machines, archaeological discoveries or objects that reveal how people lived centuries ago, and I’m happy to spend hours there too.

While looking for free virtual museum tours in Europe, I discovered just how many science, history, technology, archaeology, transport and other museums can now be explored online. Some of the museums below I’ve visited in person and loved. Others I discovered online while researching this article, and a few kept me clicking far longer than I expected.

You can virtually walk through a huge science and technology museum, explore the Roman Baths, look around an old operating theatre, see Viking treasures, discover royal carriages, examine early computers, get close to historic aircraft and even go inside a submarine without leaving home.

This article is specifically about European museums beyond traditional art galleries. If paintings, sculpture and famous masterpieces are what you’re looking for, continue with my guide to European art museums you can explore online.

I checked and updated the online experiences in this guide in August 2026. They aren’t all identical. Some are genuine 3D or 360° virtual museum tours that allow you to move around the museum. Others use Google Arts & Culture Street View, interactive exhibitions, video or audio tours, or detailed online collections. I’ve identified the type under every museum so you know what you’re opening before you click.

European science, history and technology museums that can be explored online

Table of Contents

Science, Technology and Computing Virtual Museum Tours in Europe

Science and technology museums are some of my favorite places to explore because there is usually far more to see than a single visit allows. Engines, aviation, electricity, medicine, communications, computing and the technology we use every day can easily fill several floors. These virtual science museum tours let you revisit them later or discover museums you may want to include in a future trip.

1. Deutsches Museum Virtual Tour – Munich, Germany

Rocket and astronautics exhibit at the Deutsches Museum in Munich

I have to start with the Deutsches Museum because I’ve visited it with my son and we both loved it. We spent almost an entire day there, and it still wasn’t enough to explore everything properly.

The museum covers an extraordinary range of subjects, from aviation and astronautics to chemistry, physics, optics, musical instruments, transportation, mathematics and much more. If you’re curious about how things work, it is very easy to lose track of time here.

The official virtual experience lets you move through the museum using 360° panoramas directly in your browser.

Online experience: Official 3D and 360° virtual museum tour.

Take the Deutsches Museum virtual tour →

Google Arts & Culture also has Deutsches Museum material that lets you explore its collections and exhibitions in a different way.

Explore the Deutsches Museum on Google Arts & Culture →

If you’re planning to see the real museum too, my Deutsches Museum Munich guide includes our experience and practical tips for spending a day there.

I’ve also visited Vienna’s major technical museum, and the two make an interesting comparison. We spent almost a full day there too, with the human body section, trains, engines and many of the interactive exhibits among our highlights. You can read my complete Technisches Museum Wien guide if Austria is part of your trip.

2. History of Science Museum Online – Oxford, UK

Oxford’s History of Science Museum has an extraordinary collection of scientific instruments, including astrolabes, early mathematical devices and equipment connected with some of the biggest names in the history of science.

One of its most famous objects is Einstein’s blackboard, preserved after a lecture he gave at Oxford in 1931.

The museum’s official website has extensive online collections, and there is also a 3D recreation of the museum on V21 Artspace. I tried that one and, while attempting to get to another level, somehow ended up virtually inside a wall. I managed to get back to the stairs and continue the visit, but it definitely made me smile.

Online experience: Official online collections plus a third-party 3D museum walkthrough.

Explore the History of Science Museum collections →

Explore the History of Science Museum in 3D →

3. Museo Galileo Virtual Tour – Florence, Italy

Historic scientific instrument at Museo Galileo in Florence

ID 333344978 | Museum © Menno Van Der Haven | Dreamstime.com

Florence may be famous for art, but it also has a fascinating museum dedicated to the history of science. Museo Galileo was one of the museums I discovered while researching virtual museum experiences.

The collections include historic telescopes, globes, clocks, mathematical instruments and objects connected with Galileo and centuries of scientific discovery.

The museum has created several virtual exhibitions and has an extensive online catalogue. Google Arts & Culture gives you yet another way to explore its objects and stories.

Online experience: Google virtual museum experience, official virtual exhibitions and digital catalogue.

Explore a Museo Galileo virtual exhibition →

Browse the Museo Galileo online catalogue →

Explore Museo Galileo on Google Arts & Culture →

4. Electropolis Museum Virtual Tours – Mulhouse, France

I didn’t know the Electropolis Museum before I discovered it online, but its subject immediately caught my attention. The museum follows the history of electricity and the technological changes that transformed everyday life.

The official website has exhibitions, photographs and explanations about the collection. Google Arts & Culture adds virtual visits, including experiences connected with the Sulzer-BBC machine, electrical appliances and the story of electricity.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture virtual visits plus official digital exhibitions and collections.

Discover the Electropolis exhibitions and collections →

Explore the Electropolis virtual tours →

5. Deutsches Röntgen-Museum Virtual Tour – Remscheid, Germany

How many museums have you visited that are devoted entirely to X-rays?

The Deutsches Röntgen-Museum is located in Lennep, the birthplace of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered X-rays in 1895. Its collection follows the development of X-ray technology through equipment, scientific instruments and material connected with Röntgen himself.

Google Arts & Culture provides digital collection material as well as a virtual walk through the museum.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture collection plus Street View museum tour.

Explore the Deutsches Röntgen-Museum online →

Enter the Deutsches Röntgen-Museum virtual tour →

6. National Museum of Computing Virtual Tour – Bletchley, UK

This is one of the strongest virtual technology museum tours on the list, especially if you’re interested in computers.

The National Museum of Computing documents the development of computing through an extraordinary collection of historic machines and technology.

The museum has an updated 2026 online 3D journey where you can move through the museum from a computer, tablet or VR headset. I’m also keeping the direct 3D-tour link I originally found.

Online experience: Official immersive 3D virtual museum tour.

Open the National Museum of Computing’s current 3D tour page →

Enter the National Museum of Computing 3D experience →

7. National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci Virtual Tours – Milan, Italy

There are plenty of reasons to explore Milan’s National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci online, but one feature immediately stands out: you can virtually go inside a submarine.

The museum covers aviation, space, railways, communications, industry, energy and many other areas of science and engineering.

Its Google Arts & Culture page has multiple virtual experiences, including the Enrico Toti submarine and railway exhibits.

Online experience: Multiple Google Arts & Culture virtual museum tours and online collection.

Explore Milan’s science and technology museum virtually →

8. Museum of Musical Instruments Virtual Tours – Berlin, Germany

Music and technology meet at Berlin’s Musikinstrumenten-Museum, where instruments help tell the story of European musical culture across several centuries.

You can’t physically play the historic instruments from your screen, of course, but the online collection and virtual tours give you plenty to explore.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture virtual museum tours and digital collection.

Explore Berlin’s Museum of Musical Instruments virtually →

Natural History, Dinosaurs and Archaeology Museums You Can Explore Online

If dinosaurs, fossils, ancient civilizations, archaeology and the natural world are more your style, Europe has some exceptional museums available online. These are particularly good options for students and families, although I don’t think you ever get too old to be impressed by a dinosaur skeleton or an object that survived for thousands of years.

9. Natural History Museum London Virtual Tour – UK

Interior of the Natural History Museum in London

The Natural History Museum in London has one of the richest online museum offerings in this guide.

If you want dinosaurs, natural history, enormous specimens and the spectacular Hintze Hall, start here. The museum’s official Virtual Museum page brings together numerous ways to explore from home.

Online experience: Official virtual museum experiences, interactive resources and digital collections.

Explore the Natural History Museum London virtually →

10. Museum of Natural Sciences Brussels Virtual Tour – Belgium

If dinosaurs are the main reason you’re here, Brussels deserves your attention.

The Museum of Natural Sciences is particularly famous for its Iguanodon skeletons, but the museum also explores evolution, biodiversity, the human body and other areas of natural science.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture 360° guided experience plus official exhibition material.

Take the Museum of Natural Sciences 360° guided tour →

Explore the museum’s exhibitions →

11. Viking Ship Museum Online – Oslo, Norway

My husband loves Norway, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that I went looking for Viking museum experiences I could explore online.

The famous Viking ships and burial finds provide an extraordinary glimpse into Viking life, craftsmanship and beliefs.

The Viking.TV resource includes 360° Viking material and videos, while the museum’s collection pages let you dig deeper into the ships and objects.

Online experience: 360° experiences, video material and online collection.

Explore the Viking Ship Museum online →

Explore the Viking collection →

12. British Museum Virtual Tour – London, UK

Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus representing objects found in major archaeology museums

Yes, there are several UK museums in this article. Their collections are simply too good to leave out.

The British Museum covers more than two million years of human history and culture, so if ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, archaeology or world cultures interest you, it’s very easy to spend a long time exploring its online resources.

The museum’s own guide explains the different ways you can explore it online, including collections and virtual material. There is also the separate 360Stories experience I originally found.

Online experience: Official online museum resources + separate 360° experience.

See how to explore the British Museum from home →

Explore the British Museum on 360Stories →

13. Acropolis Museum and Acropolis Virtual Tour – Athens, Greece

Ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece

From London to ancient Athens in a few seconds — this is one of the things I enjoy about exploring museums and historic sites online.

The Acropolis Museum has digital apps and experiences connected with its collections. Then there is the Acropolis Virtual Tour, which lets you explore the archaeological site itself.

I loved walking this site virtually. This is one where I recommend giving yourself time rather than opening it for two minutes and leaving.

Online experience: Museum digital resources plus interactive virtual exploration of the Acropolis.

Explore the Acropolis Museum’s digital experiences →

Take the Acropolis virtual tour →

14. National Archaeological Museum of Naples Virtual Tour – Italy

Agrippina sculpture in Naples, Italy
Agrippina

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples, usually known as MANN, is one of the places to explore if you’re fascinated by Pompeii, Herculaneum and the ancient Roman world.

The museum preserves extraordinary mosaics, frescoes, sculptures and everyday objects from the ancient cities around Vesuvius.

MANN’s Digital Trails area brings together virtual and digital material, and Google Arts & Culture also offers a dedicated exploration of the Naples museum.

Online experience: Official digital trails plus Google Arts & Culture virtual exploration.

Explore MANN’s official digital trails →

Explore the National Archaeological Museum of Naples virtually →

15. National Museum of Denmark Virtual Tour – Copenhagen

I don’t even know where to begin with this museum because there is so much material.

Denmark’s National Museum covers prehistoric Denmark, Viking history, medieval life and objects from many different cultures.

The exhibitions area was one of the links I originally spent time exploring, and I’m keeping it. There is also the museum’s Google Arts & Culture presence.

Online experience: Official online exhibition resources plus Google Arts & Culture.

Explore the National Museum of Denmark exhibitions →

Explore the National Museum of Denmark on Google Arts & Culture →

16. Roman Baths Virtual Tour – Bath, UK

Roman Baths in Bath, England

I love the Roman Baths website because its walkthrough doesn’t simply show you an attractive image of the Great Bath and stop there. It helps explain the complex and how Roman bathing worked.

You can follow the official walkthrough and then use the separate Google 3D view to explore from another perspective.

Online experience: Official interactive walkthrough plus Google 3D exploration.

Explore the Roman Baths online →

Explore the Roman Baths in Google 3D view →

17. Natural History Museum Vienna Virtual Tour – Austria

Vienna’s Naturhistorisches Museum is another excellent option for anyone who can happily spend hours around fossils, minerals, prehistoric objects, meteorites and natural-history collections.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture virtual museum experience and collection.

Explore the Natural History Museum Vienna virtually →

If you’re planning to see Vienna’s museums in person too, you can compare many of them in my guide to the best museums in Vienna.

History, Medicine and Unusual Museums You Can Visit Online

Some of the most memorable museums don’t fit comfortably under “science” or “history.” They may be devoted to surgery, weapons, city life, radiology, government or money. These are also some of the places I most enjoy discovering online because I often come across a museum I hadn’t even known existed.

18. Royal Armouries Museum 3D Virtual Tour – Leeds, UK

Royal Armouries is a specialized museum with an enormous collection of arms and armor, and its online experience is one of the more substantial genuine 3D tours in this guide.

The virtual experience is for the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, and you can move through several of its galleries.

Online experience: Official 3D virtual museum tours.

Take the Royal Armouries Museum 3D virtual tours →

19. Tallinn City Museum Virtual Tours – Estonia

I usually try to visit a museum about the city or country I’m exploring because it helps me understand the place beyond its famous landmarks.

Tallinn City Museum is particularly good online because there isn’t just one tour. Google Arts & Culture gives access to several locations connected with the museum.

Online experience: Multiple Google Street View museum tours.

Explore Tallinn City Museum on Google Arts & Culture →

Virtually visit the City Life Museum →

Virtually visit Kiek in de Kök →

Virtually visit the House of Peter the Great →

20. Old Operating Theatre Virtual Tour – London, UK

This was one of the nicest surprises I found while researching museums online.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret is tucked into the attic of an old church in London and takes you into a very different period of medical history. You can see surgical instruments, herbs, medicines and displays showing what treatment looked like long before modern hospitals.

The museum has a current official virtual-tour page. I’m also keeping the direct Merlin360 tour I originally found rather than throwing away that resource.

Online experience: Official virtual museum tour.

Open the Old Operating Theatre virtual-tour page →

Enter the Old Operating Theatre 360° tour directly →

21. European Parliament 360° Virtual Tour

Would you like to look inside the European Parliament? You can do that online too.

I particularly like this virtual experience because it isn’t simply a set of panoramic rooms. The 360° journey combines the spaces with explanations and multimedia, so you get context while you explore.

Online experience: Official interactive 360° virtual tour with multimedia.

Experience the European Parliament in 360° →

22. Museo della Radiologia Virtual Tours – Palermo, Italy

Yes, another museum connected with radiology. Europe apparently has more unusual specialist museums than most of us realize.

Palermo’s Museo della Radiologia traces the development of radiology and medical imaging through equipment, documents and scientific displays.

I’m keeping the two direct virtual-tour links from the original article, one for each area, as well as the museum’s Google Arts & Culture page.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture collection plus two virtual visits.

Explore the Museo della Radiologia online →

Take the ground-floor virtual tour →

Take the second-floor virtual tour →

23. Bank of England Museum Online – London, UK

A museum about money and banking may sound very different from dinosaurs or Viking ships, but that is exactly why I included it.

The Bank of England Museum takes you through centuries of financial history, from old banknotes and handwritten ledgers to the changing ways we use money.

The three digital/audio tours I originally found are still included below. The Bank also now has a central free digital guide that brings museum highlights, audio and other digital material together in one place.

Online experience: Digital and audio museum tours rather than a traditional 360° walkthrough.

Explore The Future of Money →

Explore Slavery and the Bank →

Take the Bank of England Museum highlights tour →

Open the Bank of England Museum’s free digital guide →

Cars, Aviation, Railways and Transport Museums Online

I love transport museums because they combine engineering with everyday history. Cars, trains, aircraft and carriages show not only how technology changed, but also how people actually moved, traveled and lived. And if you enjoy vehicles as much as I do, several of these online museums can keep you busy for a long time.

24. Imperial Carriage Museum Virtual Tour – Vienna, Austria

I love old carriages and tend to look for them whenever a palace, castle or museum has a collection.

Vienna’s Imperial Carriage Museum at Schönbrunn has an extraordinary collection associated with the Habsburg court, including elaborate coaches, sleds, litters and other historic vehicles.

Online experience: Google Arts & Culture virtual access and digital collection.

Explore Vienna’s Imperial Carriage Museum online →

25. National Air and Space Museum of France Online – Paris

Now we move from royal carriages to Concorde, rockets and aircraft.

France’s Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget covers the history of aviation and spaceflight through an extensive collection.

The official collection page I originally found remains useful because individual objects include extensive information and, for selected exhibits, additional visual and 360° material.

There is also a separate museum section gathering more digital and immersive material, including 360° panoramas, so I’m adding that without removing the original collection link.

Online experience: Digital collections, videos and 360° experiences.

Explore the Air and Space Museum collection →

Explore more Air and Space Museum digital experiences →

26. Museu do Ar Virtual Tours – Portugal

If airplanes are your thing, Portugal has another excellent option.

Museu do Ar has aviation collections in Sintra and Alverca, and the original article included separate virtual tours for both locations.

Online experience: Two virtual aviation museum tours.

Take the Museu do Ar Sintra virtual tour →

Take the Museu do Ar Alverca virtual tour →

27. MAUTO – Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile Virtual Tour – Turin, Italy

Lancia D24 displayed at MAUTO National Automobile Museum in Turin
Lancia D24 showcased at the National Automobile Museum MAUTO in Turin, Italy. Editorial photo

ID 232093482 | Museum © Santiago Rodríguez Fontoba | Dreamstime.com

I didn’t know MAUTO before researching this article, so this was another very welcome discovery.

If you want to see cars from many different periods and manufacturers, including racing cars, this is a fun one to explore. What I particularly like about its online collection is that clicking a car gives you far more than a photograph and model name.

Online experience: Detailed online car collection plus Google Arts & Culture tour.

Browse the MAUTO car collection →

Take the MAUTO virtual tour →

And if this makes you want to see more cars in person, Munich is another excellent destination. We’ve visited BMW Welt and the BMW Museum, which combine automotive history with modern BMW design and technology.

28. Postal Museum and Mail Rail Virtual Tour – London, UK

Mail Rail underground trains at the Postal Museum in London
Postal Museum & Mail Rail, London – Editorial photo

ID 375282256 | Museum © Alexkane1977vi | Dreamstime.com

This is another experience I really enjoyed because it is so different from a standard museum tour.

Mail Rail tells the story of the miniature underground trains that once transported huge quantities of mail beneath London.

The online experience takes you on a narrated journey through the tunnels with historical footage. You aren’t clicking your own way through a 360° model, so I classify this as a virtual video tour, but it’s a fascinating one.

Online experience: Narrated virtual video tour.

Watch the Mail Rail virtual tour →

29. National Coach Museum Virtual Tours – Lisbon, Portugal

Historic royal coaches at the National Coach Museum in Lisbon
The National Coach Museum (Portuguese: Museu Nacional dos Coches) – Editorial photo

ID 51297215 | Museum © Steirus | Dreamstime.com

Yes, this is the second carriage museum in the article. I make no apologies — these vehicles are beautiful, incredibly detailed pieces of history, and the Lisbon collection is too good to leave out.

The National Coach Museum preserves royal and ceremonial vehicles, including richly decorated coaches and papal carriages.

Online experience: Multiple Google Arts & Culture virtual museum tours.

Explore the National Coach Museum virtual tours →

30. Škoda Museum Online – Czech Republic

I’ll finish with cars again, this time with a brand whose history stretches back to 1895.

The Škoda Museum’s online section explores the company’s history through digital guides, stories, talks and video material.

This isn’t a freely navigable 360° museum in the same sense as the Deutsches Museum or Royal Armouries. The material is more video-based, but I think it’s still worth including for anyone interested in automotive history.

Online experience: Official online museum with videos, guides and historical material.

Explore the Škoda Museum online →

Which Virtual Museum Tours Feel Most Like a Real Museum Visit?

If your idea of a virtual museum tour is being able to move around the building yourself rather than watching a video or browsing a database, several museums above stand out.

The Deutsches Museum is one of the strongest options if you want a large science museum you can actually navigate online. Royal Armouries also gives you the experience of moving through different galleries, while the National Museum of Computing lets you explore a 3D environment filled with additional digital material.

For natural history, London and Brussels have plenty to explore. The Acropolis and Roman Baths offer something slightly different because the historical site itself is as important as the museum objects.

Aviation fans can explore Museu do Ar, while the Milan science museum is especially fun because you can virtually get inside a submarine.

Best Virtual Science and History Museums for Kids and Students

These online museums can work very well as virtual museum tours for students or free virtual field trips.

The Natural History Museum London is an easy choice for children interested in dinosaurs, animals and the natural world. Deutsches Museum works well for science, technology and engineering, while the National Museum of Computing introduces the history behind technology that children and teenagers use every day.

For ancient history, try the British Museum, Acropolis, Roman Baths or National Archaeological Museum of Naples. For something more unusual, the Old Operating Theatre and the radiology museums show how dramatically medicine has changed.

I wouldn’t try to make a child “finish” an entire virtual museum. Pick a subject first — dinosaurs, Roman life, computers, cars, airplanes — and let them follow what catches their attention. That’s much closer to how many of us enjoy a real museum anyway.

Why I Still Use Virtual Museum Tours After Visiting the Real Museum

I don’t see an online museum as a replacement for standing inside the real thing.

But I’ve found virtual tours surprisingly useful even after I’ve already visited a museum. When we went to the Deutsches Museum in Munich, for example, we spent almost a full day there and still couldn’t examine every section as thoroughly as we wanted. The same happened at Vienna’s Technisches Museum.

When a museum is enormous, there comes a moment when you’re tired, your feet hurt, you still have several rooms left, and you’ve already absorbed more information than you thought possible. Having access to the museum online later gives you another chance.

Virtual museums are also useful before a trip. You can see whether a museum really appeals to you, discover which sections you most want to visit or familiarize yourself with a large building before you arrive.

And, of course, there are museums many of us may never get to visit in person. Distance, budget, health, mobility, time and countless other circumstances can make a physical trip difficult or impossible. I’m genuinely grateful that so many institutions make at least part of their collections available online.

Not Every Online Museum Experience Is a 360° Virtual Tour

You’ll notice that I’ve been very specific throughout this article about the type of online experience each museum provides.

A 3D or 360° virtual museum tour usually lets you move through a representation of the physical museum and look around the rooms yourself.

A Google Street View or Google Arts & Culture tour works in a similar way, although the available galleries vary from museum to museum.

An interactive digital exhibition may combine photographs, text, video, maps, audio and clickable objects without reproducing the whole museum building.

An online collection is usually a searchable database. You may not be able to walk through the museum, but you can often examine individual objects much more closely than you could during a physical visit.

And a virtual video or audio tour takes you through the material in a fixed sequence rather than allowing you to choose your own route.

I think all of them can be useful. I simply want you to know which kind you’re getting before you open the link.

Conclusion: There Is Far More to Virtual Museums Than Art Galleries

One of the things I enjoyed most while creating and updating this article was seeing just how different these museums are.

In the space of one online afternoon, you can go from dinosaurs to Viking history, from ancient Rome to early surgery, from a royal carriage to a racing car, from an X-ray machine to the history of computing, and from an aircraft hangar to an underground postal railway.

Some of these are museums I already knew and loved. Others went straight onto my list of places I’d happily visit in person one day.

And that’s one of my favorite things about a good virtual museum: it can help you revisit somewhere you’ve been, show you somewhere you can’t reach, or introduce you to a place you didn’t even know you wanted to visit.

If you’re ready for paintings, sculpture and famous masterpieces next, continue with my guide to free virtual art museum tours in Europe.

And if you want to leave Europe without leaving your chair, continue with these free virtual museum tours in the USA.

Frequently Asked Questions About Free Virtual Museum Tours in Europe

Can you visit European museums online for free?

Yes. Many European museums provide free online access through 360° virtual tours, 3D walkthroughs, Google Arts & Culture, interactive exhibitions, digital guides, video tours and searchable collections. The type of experience varies from museum to museum.

What are the best free virtual science museum tours in Europe?

Deutsches Museum in Munich is one of the strongest choices if you want a large science and technology museum you can navigate online. The National Museum of Computing has an immersive 3D experience, while Milan’s National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci lets you explore several parts of its enormous collection online, including a submarine.

Is there a free virtual tour of the Natural History Museum in London?

Yes. The Natural History Museum has an official Virtual Museum area with multiple ways to explore from home, including virtual experiences, digital exhibitions and online collection material.

Can I visit the British Museum virtually?

Yes. The British Museum provides several ways to explore its collections and galleries online, and there is also a separate 360Stories experience linked above.

Can I take a virtual tour of the Deutsches Museum?

Yes. The Deutsches Museum has an official browser-based virtual experience that lets you move through parts of the museum using 360° panoramas.

Are these virtual museum tours suitable for children and students?

Many are. Natural history, science, computing, archaeology, transport and ancient-history museums work particularly well because the visual experience is combined with educational information. A shorter tour focused on one subject is often more enjoyable for children than trying to explore an entire museum at once.

Do I need a VR headset for these virtual museums?

No. Most of the experiences in this article work on an ordinary computer, tablet or phone. Some may also support VR, but you don’t need a headset to use the majority of them.

Are all 30 museums full 360° virtual tours?

No. Some offer full 3D or 360° walkthroughs, while others provide Google Street View, interactive exhibitions, video or audio tours, or detailed digital collections. I’ve identified the type of experience under each museum rather than pretending they’re all the same.

Can virtual museum tours help with planning a real trip?

Yes. I use online museum resources to see what a museum contains, identify the sections I most want to visit and get a sense of how much time I may want there. They can be particularly useful before visiting very large museums where seeing everything properly in one day can be difficult.

30 Fascinating Non-Art Museums in Europe You Can Tour Online for Free

Free Virtual Tours of Non-Art Museums in Europe

Photo sources (in order of appearance, apart from Dreamstime images): 1 author’s photo, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

8 thoughts on “30 Free Virtual Museum Tours in Europe: Science, History, Cars, Dinosaurs & More

  1. I believe that taking advantage of free virtual tours of museums is a valuable way to gain knowledge about them and potentially plan for future in-person visits. The Tallin City Museum is a top contender for my next excursion. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thank you so much. I agree – and sometimes a virtual tour is the only way a person can see a museum or place 🙂

  2. Wow, I didn’t know so many of these museums were available online! This is right up my alley, especially as I’m based on the other side of the world. Will definitely check some of these out. Thank you!

    1. Same here – I was so happy to see so many are available online! I plan to continue the series with other parts of the world!

  3. Empress Elisabeth’s landaulet must be such an intimate piece; there’s something haunting about vehicles that once carried lives now long gone.

  4. I was in Lisbon last year, while planning my trip I considered the Coach museum. I didn’t go, but regret missing it. Next time Im there I will go. Thanks for the info

  5. This is a brilliant idea to virtually tour a museum before you travel to a country. OR if you can’t travel, you can still enjoy the museums. Great post.

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