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Top Spots for Your Family's Virtual Vacation

Keep your family focused on a brighter note by taking a virtual vacation.

Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

WhereTraveler Staff
April 7, 2020

In mid-March, many businesses, schools, and tourist attractions shut their doors over safety concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing became the new normal. With these precautions in effect, it can feel like home is the only place we’re all getting to see right now. But, It doesn’t have to be our only destination!

Explore the Outside World from Inside

There’s a whole world to explore and it’s available to you online. You can travel anywhere without going abroad on a virtual vacation. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite family-friendly spots to keep your kids engaged and enriched as you share meaningful experiences together, one website at a time.

The Best Spots for Your Social Distancing Staycation

Stay #alonetogether and enjoy some educational fun at these top digital attractions from destinations across the nation.

Houston Museum of Natural Science

This striking location offers both special and permanent exhibitions and even houses an IMAX 3D theater. The museum seeks to further the education of natural science and offers learning and outreach programs for both families and schools.

Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston is the official visitor center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which has served as a hub for astronaut training and shuttle programs long before the first man walked on the moon.

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum

The first Buffalo Soldiers were members of the Army's all-African-American 9th and 10th Cavalry, who earned their sobriquet from Cheyenne warriors impressed with their fierceness in 1867. The term later came to be applied to all African-American soldiers.

Galveston

An island getaway is only about an hour outside of Houston. Visit the indoor tropical paradise of Moody Gardens, escape with the family to Schlitterbahn Waterpark or take an afternoon to tour historic homes and indulge in mouthwatering seafood.

Houston Zoo

What began in 1922 as the home to prairie dogs and other small animals has expanded beyond its original borders. Located inside the scenic Hermann Park Conservancy, the Houston Zoo now houses more than 6,000 reptiles, amphibians, aquatic specimen and wildlife.

Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium is dedicated to inspiring awareness and preservation of the ocean and aquatic animals worldwide.

Children's Museum of Atlanta

This museum allows children to build and launch a rocket, paint a masterpiece, construct a house, explore robotics, and even climb through the Earth’s core. Hands-on play and exploratory learning get your child's gears turning in new ways.

Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)

MODA is the only museum in the Southeast dedicated exclusively to the study and celebration of all things design. Formed in 1989 as the Atlanta International Museum of Art & Design, MODA's mission is to advance the understanding and appreciation of design.

Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame

Upon entering this high-tech attraction, visitors come face to face with a wall of 768 college football helmets. Exploring this massive college football shrine’s three stories lands visitors on a 45-yard indoor football field and sitting in Georgia’s only 4K movie theater, among many other interactive activities.

The King Center

The official memorial dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Exhibits illustrate his life and teachings; highlights include Freedom Hall and The Eternal Flame. The King Center Library, archives, King’s final resting place, a gift shop and other facilities are also on-site. Daily 9 am-5 pm. Free admission.

Center for Puppetry Arts

After a recent expansion, the nation's largest private organization dedicated to puppetry arts is now home to the world's largest collection of original Muppets from the Henson Foundation.

Saint Louis Zoo

One of the top zoos in the U.S. houses more than 16,000 animals, many of them rare and endangered. Admission to the zoo and most exhibits is free. Admission to some ticketed exhibits are free the first hour the zoo is open. Adventure Pass (covers many ticketed attractions) $12.95. Open daily, 9 am-5 pm. 

Missouri Botanical Garden

Seventy-nine acres of trees, gardens and conservatories, a must-see for any visitor, any time of year. Free tours of the garden at 11 am daily. Garden open 9 am-5 pm daily (open 7 am W and Sa). Admission $12 adults, free children 12 and under, fees for some special exhibits.  

Missouri History Museum

Museum features three levels, restaurant, gift shop and exhibition galleries showcasing regional history and traveling exhibitions. Open daily, 10 am-5 pm; Tu, 10 am-8 pm. Free admission. 

Dallas World Aquarium

In a historic West End building, this private aquarium features exotic marine life in chic surroundings. The aquarium’s Eighteen-O-One restaurant is also a great place for lunch.

Dallas Zoo

Founded in 1888, the Dallas Zoo spreads across 106 acres of natural wonder. This wildlife park is home to more than 2,000 animals representing more than 400 species. A plethora of unique interactive activities are offered, including giraffe feeding and a narrated Adventure Safari tour.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Head toward Glen Rose to this wildlife preserve, and drive-in zoo that's home to more than 1,100 animals that roam free around the 1,800-acre habitat. Take the scenic drive tour to see rhinos, ostriches, cheetahs, gazelles and species native to the region up close.

Nasher Sculpture Center

Nasher Sculpture Center is a world-class museum showcasing the contemporary sculpture collection of renowned philanthropist and art collector Raymond Nasher. The Nasher contains more than 300 works from around the world, displayed throughout the interior galleries and outdoor garden, including Gauguin and Picasso.

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

This historic Fort Worth museum, founded by the late Amon G. Carter Sr., is devoted to the preservation and exhibition of American art in all of its varied forms. The location offers permanent and traveling exhibitions, educational programs and teaching resources.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects.

Museum of Modern Art

One of the world’s greatest repositories of 20th-century art contains masterpieces by van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse, a sculpture garden and an extensive film collection. Daily 10:30 am-5:30 pm, F until 8 pm Admission: $25 adults, $18 seniors (65+), $14 students, age 16 and under and F 4-8 pm free

Guggenheim Museum, Solomon R.

One of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2019, Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous structure is the repository for world-class art and exhibitions. Hours: Daily 10 am-5:30 pm, Tu & Sa until 8 pm

The Frick Collection

The former residence of industrialist Henry Clay Frick houses one of the world’s most magnificent collections of old-master paintings, furnishings and decorative arts.

New-York Historical Society Museum Library

This cultural institution features more than 60,000 objects and works of art focused on the history of New York.  Hours: Tu-Th, Sa 10 am-6 pm, F 10 am-8 pm, Su 11 am-5 pm Admission: $21 adults, $16 seniors and educators, $13 students, $6 children 5-13, age 4 and under free, pay what you wish F 6-8 pm

New York Public Library

Exhibits covering literary, historical, philosophical and fine art themes are on view at the nation’s most famous library, the block-long Beaux Arts Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Hours: M, Th-Sa 10 am-5:45 pm, Tu-W 10 am-7:45 pm Admission: Free

Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

If it’s country, this hall of fame has it covered. The four-story museum takes up an entire city block with over 40,000 square feet of exhibit space devoted to the genre’s heroes and history. Even the building tells a story.

Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum

With a slogan of “Come see what you’ve heard,” the 60,000-square-foot museum honors the people behind the music. Memorabilia includes the famed Studio B door and Pete Drake’s steel guitar.

Frist Art Museum

Located in what was once Nashville’s landmark downtown post office, the Frist is probably the only art museum in the country that houses a working post office. This stunning art museum exclusively features rotating exhibits of contemporary art.

Tennessee State Museum

This free museum offers a fascinating look at the history of Tennessee, from prehistoric times through the 20th century. Visit permanent exhibits on topics ranging from the first peoples' arrival in Tennessee at the end of the Ice Age to a 360 Interactive Theater exploring the state from World War II to today.

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

Ostriches, elephants and zebras, oh my! The Nashville Zoo is home to more than 300 animals ranging from the Mexican Redknee Tarantula to the Clouded Leopard and Masai Giraffe. With 200 acres of land, there is tons of exploring to do.

Adventure Science Center

For over 70 years, this nonprofit institution has inspired the lifelong discovery of science. The science museum features nearly 200 hands-on exhibits focused on biology, physics, visual perception, listening, mind, air and space, energy and earth science. The Sudekum Planetarium features state-of-the-art digital projection.

Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art

In the 1800s—long before Starbucks dominated every street corner—Joel Cheek developed a blend of coffee and sold it at what would be the brand’s eponymous Maxwell House hotel. In 1928, Cheek’s cousin Leslie used his coffee-empire cash to build a limestone mansion and formal gardens in West Nashville.

Andrew Jackson's Hermitage

Guides in period costume welcome guests to the home of our nation’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. Built in 1821, the mansion has been restored to the period of Jackson’s retirement in 1837. The 1,120-acre farm is alive with historical figures and livestock. Special farm, garden and wagon tours are available.

Children's Museum of Houston

This giant museum is composed of more than a dozen exhibits for kids of all ages (and maybe some adults, too). Examples include "Kidtropolis," a "city" where kids participate in sophisticated, simulated economy structures, and the "Tot*Spot," which has learning activities for toddlers and their parents.