As we all know, Ontario is among six provinces operating under a state of emergency right now and the public is being instructed to socially distance — meaning that most of us have absolutely no social plans for the foreseeable future.
Some residents are still working from home, some are taking the time to focus on art or other personal projects, and some are picking up that book they've been meaning to finish or using the time for fitness.
If you're seeking a little more enrichment in this indefinite period of partial lockdown, there are fortunately a number of major attractions in Toronto and abroad that you can visit from the comfort of your home.
Staying at home? Why not try virtual tourism!
— Canadian Rom (@CanadianRomelu) March 19, 2020
Virtual tourism is a way for people to engage in tourist activities while not having to go directly to the sites.
It also allows people to visit protected sites and sites that may be otherwise impossible.
The Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto all have online components.
More than 45,000 of the ROM's objects can be viewed on its website rather than in-person, while the AGO's entire collection is also available online, including special exhibitions like the Lodz Ghetto Photographs of Henryk Ross. Bata's shoes can be viewed up-close and in 3-D in its All About Shoes online exhibit.
Another big one to check out is the Virtual Museum of Canada (a thing some people may not have known existed before now), which offers more than 600 virtual exhibits and nearly one million images to e-explore.
#DYK Over the years, the VMC has invested in hundreds of online exhibits created by Canadian museums and heritage organizations. #MuseumAtHome #LearnAtHome #VisitFromHome https://t.co/ke1yqWlF3R pic.twitter.com/mgZ22VisdD
— virtualmuseum.ca (@VirtualMusCan) March 19, 2020
The Canadian War Museum also has many of its exhibitions available online for any history buffs that want to peruse them from home, as does the National Gallery of Canada.
If you want to actually feel like you're visiting some of these places, attractions like Casa Loma, the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and all of the Hamilton Civic Museums have full-on 3-D virtual walking tours that you can take while sitting on your couch.
You can even take a guided tour of a Canadian penitentiary or get in the tank with the sharks at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.
I’m taking a break from the news to visit the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada Shark Cam. Watching fish can be so calming. https://t.co/eGGHzEw5QU
— Melissa Fiesser (@fiesserm) March 19, 2020
For some Toronto-specific content, learn about the city's history with the more than 55 virtual exhibits the Toronto Public Library has on offer.
And for those looking for a more worldly education, some of the most famous galleries and museums on the planet — such as the Guggenheim in New York City, the British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris — have made their assets accessible to the public on their websites.
If worst comes to worst, there is always the tried and true option of taking a little international vacation via Google Street View.
by Becky Robertson via blogTO
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