The Best Virtual Tours for History Classrooms

Ken Uhde
Sep 1
2 min read

Let’s be real: you can’t just load up a bus and take your students to the Roman Colosseum, the Great Pyramids, or the battlefields of Gettysburg on a random Tuesday. Budget, time, and logistics make that impossible. But here’s the good news—you don’t have to. Thanks to virtual tours, your classroom can become a gateway to the world’s most fascinating historical sites. Students can wander the halls of the Louvre, stand inside a medieval cathedral, or zoom in on artifacts from ancient civilizations—all without leaving their seats. It’s like giving them a passport to history, minus the permission slips and fundraising.

Here are some of the best places to find virtual tours that will bring history to life in your classroom:

1. Google Arts & Culture

Your one-stop powerhouse for exploring more than 2,000 museums, archives, and landmark sites. From the Louvre to the British Museum, the platform delivers gallery-style walk-throughs, high-res artifacts, and artist stories.

👉 Google Arts & Culture – Virtual Tours

2. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

This Smithsonian gem lets students navigate exhibits room by room, complete with clickable hot spots and panoramic views. From dinosaur fossils to cultural artifacts, it’s a must-use resource.

👉 Smithsonian NMNH Virtual Tour

3. National Park Service – Heritage Documentation

The NPS offers HD panoramic tours of historic sites with ties to Library of Congress records. Students can explore places like Independence Hall or Civil War battlefields without leaving the classroom.

👉 NPS Virtual Tours

4. Museum of the American Revolution

This 360° experience includes artifact close-ups, audio narration, and guided tours that help students dive into the Revolutionary era.

👉 Museum of the American Revolution – Virtual Tour

5. CyArk

A nonprofit that digitally preserves endangered heritage sites around the world using 3D scans. Students can explore Angkor Wat, Pompeii, or Mount Rushmore in remarkable detail.👉 CyArk Tapestry 3D Tours

6. Colonial Williamsburg

Step into reconstructed colonial life with immersive 360° tours of historic buildings and streets. It’s as close as you can get to time travel.

👉 Colonial Williamsburg Virtual Tours

7. American Battlefield Trust

From Gettysburg to Yorktown, these virtual tours bring students face-to-face with the landscapes where history was decided, complete with maps, videos, and commentary.

👉 Battlefield Trust Virtual Tours

8. UNESCO World Heritage Virtual Tours (via P4Panorama)

Take your class to global heritage sites like Ellora Caves in India, ancient Jerusalem, or Sri Lanka’s ruins of Polonnaruwa through interactive 360° experiences.

👉 UNESCO Virtual Tours – P4Panorama

9. Google’s Landmark Stories

Explore the Sarajevo street where WWI began, the ruins of Hiroshima, or the Azincourt battlefield. These aren’t just tours—they’re powerful narratives that connect place to story.👉 Google Arts & Culture – Landmark Stories

10. 360Cities

A massive collection of panoramic virtual tours from around the globe. Students can explore ancient ruins, historic cities, and cultural landmarks with drag-and-zoom interactivity. It’s a treasure chest of global history and geography in one place.👉 360Cities – Virtual Tours

Classroom Extension Ideas

Scavenger Hunts: Challenge students to find specific artifacts or details in a virtual exhibit.
Compare & Contrast: Pair sites like Pompeii (CyArk) with Rome Reborn’s reconstructions.
Debate & Discuss: Use tours of battlefields or historical homes to spark conversations about preservation, memory, and interpretation.