With so many forced to stay home, and many parks, nature centers, and museums being closed to the public right now, people are turning to online resources to find entertainment and education. I think we can all relate to those moments of being bored, or just needing something to engage our kids that has real value, and scrolling through our social media feeds looking for some way to connect to the outside world.

Fortunately, we’re living in a very interconnected digital world. Even if we can’t meet in person, the internet has built a global community where we can reach out and ‘touch’ someone near and far away. And something even more inspiring is how museums and nature centers have innovated and are finding ways to open their virtual doors to all.

Here are some ways our clients are connecting with their visitors right now:

Mahaska County Conservation has created their own online ‘show’ called Nature Live on their Facebook page. Each weekday, one of their rangers goes live and shares content that connects their viewers to nature and science. Their visitors are leaving comments and interacting, showing that they really appreciate the posts!

The Tampa Bay History Center was just about to open their new exhibit about the history of wrestling when the coronavirus hit and derailed their plans. But they pressed on and instead hosted a video event on Facebook, giving the public a chance to see the exhibit up close and personal (well, as personal as you can get right now). You can check it out here! They have many other virtual tours available on their website as well.

And we can never underestimate the appeal of live web cam streams! The Toledo Zoo has live 24-hour web cams showing various animal exhibits. Take a look!

A quick google search for ‘virtual tours’ will bring you lots of options.

• 5 National Parks that offer Virtual Tours

• The Smithsonian Museum has an incredible online experience

And if you’re wanting to take your search to the four corners of the earth, then check out Google Arts & Culture. From this portal you can see everything from the Taj Mahal to the Rijksmuseum.

In fact, one of our Interpretive Planners just "traveled" to the British Museum with her mother to enjoy the Museum of the World project. Though they live in different towns, they got to experience the museum together by using Skype and then sharing their screen. Very cool!

So the question is, how are you staying engaged with your visitors when they can’t come to your location?

1. Are you regularly sharing content on your social media accounts? People are looking for you! Even if they don’t know it. They’ll be happy to see your updates, especially if you have educational content or ways to connect virtually.

2. Do you already have virtual tours available? If so, then make it a highlight of your social media posts. If not, then now would actually be a great time to create a virtual tour. Not only will this allow your visitors to enjoy your site during this unusual closure, it will also give accessibility for visitors with mobility limitations. A virtual tour ensures that even when your doors are closed, your site is always open. Check out this ‘how to’ on YouTube. Another option is to simply have your staff take a walk through your exhibit space, giving a talking tour as they go. This could be live streamed to your Facebook page or posted to your website.

3. Are your closure and opening updates easy to find online? Make sure your website is up to date on any closures or site limitations that might be in place right now. And if part of your location is open, like a spacious outdoor trail, let the people know!

4. Could you set up a live feed of one of your animal exhibits? Animals brighten our days, and being able to see what they’re up to at any given moment will delight kids who are learning at home, as well as adults who need a break from their work.

Bonus for Museums: The folks over at ExhibiTricks have a great blog about how you could use some of your time to build up your colleagues in the Museum community. Take a look!

Someday very soon, we will be able to go out and explore our museums and parks together again, but let’s not forget the lessons and innovations that we’re discovering now. I see so much opportunity for more accessibility and outreach; our exhibits and parks no longer have to be bound by walls or fences.

Let’s open the virtual doors and let everyone in!