Museums

Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago.
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org
The Adler opened on May 12, 1930, as the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, and continues today to interpret the exploration of the universe for the broadest possible audience.

Diego Rivera Virtual Web Museum
http://www.diegorivera.com/
El primer Museo Virtual dedicado a Diego Rivera en Internet. Pintor muralista, fue uno de los grandes artistas del Siglo XX. Nació en la ciudad de Guanajuato y en 1892 se trasladó a México con su familia.

EMuseum at Minnesota State University
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/index.shtml
A completely virtual museum of exhibits and information, which include world cultures, archaeology, biology and biographies.

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
http://www.thinker.org/
Utterly fabulous site combining multiple museum holdings in an over 75,000-item database. Images are excellent, and you can send your comments and knowledge about the paintings to the museum.

Illinois State Museum, Springfield.
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/
Provides online exhibits about the Ice Ages and prehistoric mammals as well as a trip back to our Midwestern lands 16,000 years ago.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
http://collectionsonline.lacma.org
This fully-searchable database allows the user to search by subject, artist, keyword and more among over 45,000 records and 27,000 digital images.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.  
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/index.asp
This is one of the largest and finest art museums in the world. Its collections include more than two million works of art—several hundred thousand of which are on view at any given time—spanning more than 5,000 years of world culture, from prehistory to the present.

Museum of Modern Art
http://www.moma.org/
An online interactive art gallery exploring works found at the Museum of Modern Art and its affiliate, P. S. 1 Contemporary Art Center. Children learn about works of art and the artists who made them through fun and interesting activities.

National Air and Space Museum.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/
Here, in virtual space, are the objects that made the dream of flight a reality. Each is a reminder of a noteworthy achievement and evokes the spirit of its own particular time. From the Smithsonian.

National Gallery of Art for Kids.
http://www.nga.gov/kids
Explore stories in art, take a post card tour of one of the galleries, get directions for art activities and projects, and more.

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
http://national.gallery.ca/english/default.htm
Contains the largest collection of Canadian art in the world. Contains a virtual tour. Includes sections on Intuit Art, Contemporary Art, and European, American, and Asian Art.

Ology.
http://ology.amnh.org
The American Museum of Natural History offers a unique museum experience for kids from 8-12. Included are stories, games and interactive activities.

Portrait Detectives.
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/portraits
Using portraits painted centuries ago, we can now learn about the persons and the era in which they lived. Take a guided tour, or investigate by yourself.

Salem (Mass.) Witch Museum.
http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/
Useful since kids study this area of history. “Haunted Happenings,” a commercial part of Salem stuff, is very neat.

Smithsonian Education.
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org
Whether you’re planning a visit, have already visited and even if you’ve never been to the Smithsonian Museum, this site will have something of interest for you. Take a virtual tour, learn about science, natural history, aviation, dinosaurs, or whatever else interests you. There is something here for everyone.

Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History
http://www.mnh.si.edu/
Great site for gaining an understanding of the natural world and our place in it.

Smithsonian: National Museum of the American Indian
http://www.nmai.si.edu
Part of the Smithsonian Institution, this museum is devoted to the protection and study of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. 
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/catalog/home.asp
The museum offers nontraditional learning opportunities for children and their families. Includes explorations of dinosaurs and visits to “Rex’s Lending Library.”

The Exploratorium, San Francisco.
http://www.exploratorium.edu
An online version of a hands-on museum in San Francisco that permits you to do your own cow’s eye dissection or learn the science behind a home run. Be sure to visit the “Learning Studio.”

University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/
If you like paleontology, you’ll enjoy the online exhibits here.

WebMuseum, Paris.
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/
This is an exciting collection of resources on many subjects ranging from Paul Cézanne, to information on Paris, to Medieval art treasures. Many images can be enlarged for closer viewing.