HAPPY FRIDAY! While there may be a lot of uncertainty right now, there’s one thing we do know - and that is that we are all in this together. We are so grateful for the amount of people, companies, talents, and resources that have been surfacing with the goal to make our time spent at home a unique and enjoyable experience.
As we head into the weekend, why not add some “at home” plans to it! We’re talking virtual date nights to the museum - watching movies with your friends (virtually) - or traveling to some of our national parks and zoos right from your couch!
Here are some fun ways to spend your weekends while also social distancing!
BRING THE MOVIE THEATER TO YOUR LIVING ROOM
Rent or buy movies easily with Prime Video, Apple TV, or Movies Anywhere! We’re talking movies that would be in theaters right now!
Looking to support local while bringing movies home? Consider The Tivoli’s Bobby Stone Film Series Virtual Cinema!
THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING…
But since we can’t go to them, they can come to you!
The Verge compiled an incredible list of aquariums and zoos offering live streams of their most cherished inhabitants! From jellyfish to sea otters, they’ve got you covered!
BRING ON THE VIRTUAL HANGS!
We all are probably more than familiar with Zoom, FaceTime, Google Hangout, or HouseParty by now - but why not organize a get together with your friends this weekend?
Create a virtual happy hour or dinner party!
If you’re craving a game night, there are lots of ways to play games online right now! Kaleena’s favorite is to play JackBox on Zoom while sharing your screen with your friends. Give it a try! It’s a lot of fun! They even have suggestions for the best games to play this way.
Or maybe binge a series or two? Throw a Netflix Party with your friends! You can decide (as a group) the guilt (or lack thereof) of one Carole Baskins. (We heard there’s another episode coming out this weekend…)
FOR ALL YOU GAMERS OUT THERE…
This one was tricky for me to write. I’m not a gamer, but The Verge compiled another great list (they’re really great at this) of video games you should be playing right now. Maybe it will make a gamer out of me! (I’ll let you know…)
One that you might be familiar with (even as a novice gamer) - is Pokémon Go. And they’re on the same page of staying put! You can play while inside your house for the time being.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Maybe you’re craving some music? Maybe a little Opera? Here’s comprehensive list of all European and stateside opera companies offering streaming services!
A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Are you missing your local art museum? The Hunter Museum of American Art is offering virtual tours - so you can still gaze at some of your favorites from your house!
Here are a few of their findings:
The Louvre: You don't have to book a ticket to Paris to check out some of the famous pieces in the world's largest art museum. The Louvre has free online tours of three famous exhibits, including Egyptian Antiquities.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: The works of Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Jeff Koons, and Franz Marc are just some of the 625 artists whose work are a part of the Guggenheim's Collection Online.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Move at your own pace through the 360-degree room-by-room tour of every exhibit in the museum.
Van Gogh Museum: You can get up close and personal with the impressionist painter's most famous work thanks to Google Arts & Culture. (You can also check out Frida Kahlo’s work!)
Getty Museum: Los Angeles's premiere gallery has two virtual tours, including "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry," which is a closer look at food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
The Vatican Museum: The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and Raphael's Room, are just some of the sites you can see on the Vatican's virtual tour.
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City: Dive into the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico with 23 exhibit rooms full of Mayan artifacts.
British Museum, London: The Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies are just a couple of things that you're able to see on a virtual tour of the museum.
NASA: Both Virginia's Langley Research Center and Ohio's Glenn Research Center offer online tours for free. Also, you can try some "augmented reality experiences" via The Space Center Houston's app.
National Women's History Museum: Have a late International Women's Day celebration with online exhibits and oral histories from the Virginia museum.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Though the Met Gala was cancelled this year, you can still have a peak at the The Costume Institute Conversation Lab, which is one of the institution's 26 online exhibits.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Golden Age of Dutch art is highlighted in this museum which includes the work of Vermeer and Rembrandt.
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art): New York's extensive collection is available for view online.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The 16 virtual exhibits include a special section on 21st Century Designer Fashion.
We hope this list inspires you to explore the world a bit while keeping your distance at the same time.
Have a wonderful, safe weekend!