28 ways to leave home without actually leaving the couch, from virtual zoo exhibits to museum gallery tours

Online guests can explore several exhibits from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, from "First Ladies" to "Eye to I: Self-portraits from 1900 to today."

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In partnership with Google Arts & Culture, the Acropolis Museum has digitized many of its ancient artifacts, from statues to marble murals. Virtual visitors can also take in panoramic views of Athens via the Street View feature.

The Louvre's official website offers a few virtual exhibits of its own, and a separate site, YouVisit, has a realistic 360-degree tour of several parts of the Paris museum.

The Picasso Museum offers virtual tours of its courtyards, discussing the architecture in relation to the history of Barcelona. The museum also has an interactive map depicting Picasso's Barcelona, showing a timeline of his upbringing, his first studios, and bars and galleries frequented by the famed artist.

NASA's free Space Center Houston app lets people explore virtual reality experiences, take astronaut selfies, and follow along through an audio tour of its educational space center.

The Dalí Museum lets visitors virtually explore its courtyard, architecture, and even inside some of its gallery areas, which houses more than 2,400 works of art by Salvador Dalí.

Some very kind visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens captured panoramic shots of the stunning landscape, and they're available to view on Google's Street View feature.

Anyone who appreciates architecture will likely enjoy The Met's series of YouTube videos that show its most famous buildings and exhibit spaces in a 360-degree format. As a bonus, the videos also feature relaxing instrumental music soundtracks.

Blarney Castle is known for its mythical stone that visitors have kissed for good luck for hundreds of years. This year was the first time in history that the kissing of the stone was put on hold due to the spread of the coronavirus.

For now, prospective visitors can take in the beautiful sight through a highly detailed virtual tour.

Also in partnership with Google Arts & Culture, the MoMA offers one free virtual "walk-through" exhibit, plus select photos of its permanent artwork collections.

The museum has a free interactive timeline that lets users explore artifacts from ancient civilizations around the world. The virtual exhibit lets people focus on different topics and themes, like "living and dying," "power and identity," and "trade and conflict," all from different continents and eras.

From dinosaurs to ocean creatures, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History offers in-depth 360-degree views of its exhibits.

The Monterey, California, aquarium is giving visitors a virtual look at its colorful sea creatures via free live camera streaming. Animal lovers can zen out to jellyfish or watch penguins waddling in their habitat.

Google's Arts & Culture section has crystal-clear views of the Taj Mahal in New Dehli, India, as well as several other renowned spots around the world. For example, you can look down from the top of the Eiffel Tower or relax with a view of the Sydney Opera House, all while not actually traveling.

Google Arts & Culture is offering a free digital tour of the Guggenheim Museum through its Street View feature.

The Guggenheim is known for its collection of contemporary art, as well as for its unique architecture, and the experience of roaming the signature curved building is still captured by the Google Street View digital tour.

YouTube is filled with rollercoaster ride recordings that let users envision themselves on attractions at Disney resorts, from the Incredicoaster at Disney's California Adventure park to the "Frozen" Ever After ride at Walt Disney World.

Disney previously launched Google Street View imagery of Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Fans dreaming of a day spent in the lovable theme parks can virtually enjoy Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and even Disney World's global Epcot "countries."

The California zoo has pre-recorded and live video streams showing koalas, apes, pandas, penguins, and other creatures that offer endless hours of entertainment and fascination.

The renowned opera house is closed to the public at the time of writing and is streaming performances ET every night they're closed. The schedule is published on the Met Opera website, and the recordings will be available on the Met Opera homepage for 20 hours after they're streamed at night.

You can take a virtual tour of the famous Irish geological landmark on the Cliffs of Moher website.

While many theaters are temporarily closed, you can envision yourself in the Golden Age of cinema or at an architecturally stunning opera house in Europe by taking a digital tour of performing arts centers around the world via Google Arts & Culture.

The museum, located in New Orleans, has a dedicated at-home section on its website with learning resources, live webinars, and activities for students and history buffs of all ages.

There are many castles that can be explored from home, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, the famous residences of the British royal family. You could also take a digital walking tour of Catherine Palace in Russia, which is known for its colorful exterior.

A series of virtual tours lets people all over the world experience the beauty of the Outback, specifically the sacred area known as Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Museum educators are leading online sessions for students about stargazing and science, as well as virtual tours of the museum — including a look at space shuttle Enterprise and the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.

History enthusiasts can also browse some of the museum's collections that are published on the Google Arts & Culture website.

NYC's American Museum of Natural History has ways to virtually explore its amazing collections on YouTube, and it also offers a Virtual Tour via Google Arts & Culture.

Families, parents, and educators may also be interested to tune into the museum's Facebook Live videos at 2 p.m. ET every Tuesday and Thursday, which give fans a live look at the facility's exhibits.

The Art Institute has made several educational resources available online, such as coloring activities and audio tours.

The museum also has many of its collections available to view online, which some fans of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" might recognize from the '80s movie — including "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, which is painted in the pointillism style that makes for an interesting illusion.

Google Earth and Google Arts & Culture have made at least 32 virtual tours of national parks around the US, allowing people to transport themselves to breathtaking landscapes around the country.

Tours available include digital looks at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park, and several others.