12 Detroit Attractions Offering Virtual Tours and Online Learning

Self-isolation doesn’t have to keep you from experiencing some of the best attractions that Detroit has to offer. Check out these virtual experiences that are being offered by Detroit attractions, and add them to your #postcoronabucketlist!

Virtual Experiences in Detroit

Belle Isle Aquarium

The Belle Isle Aquarium has put together a virtual tour on YouTube. Perfect for the little ones who are out of school right now, or for anyone who is interested in the wildlife of the Great Lakes! The aquarium’s education team highlights some of the unique species of fish that they have, and walks you through the fish food chain.

Detroit Experience Factory

Your favorite hometown tour company is now offering some of their most popular tours online! Experience their best of downtown, Woodward corridor and art and architecture virtual tours from the comfort of your home. They are also featuring two special tours of Detroit’s east side and west side during the month of May. Be a hometown tourist and discover more about Detroit!

The Henry Ford

While you currently can’t go into the museum, The Henry Ford Museum’s digital archives are always available online – perfect for parents that are now homeschooling their kids! Build your own curated collection of artifacts, take a virtual visit through the museum and watch their Emmy Award-winning show “Innovation Nation”. They are also beginning to offer daily virtual learning sessions. Each day is being assigned a grade range—and on Thursdays they are hosting virtual visits and live curator Q&As. Check out their calendar of programming.

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Thomas Edison cornerstone.

Glass Academy

This hidden gem in Dearborn is posting video demonstrations of their impressive glass blowing. They will be posting all their videos to their Facebook page. All glassware featured in the videos will be available for purchase.

Glass blowing at Glass Academy

Wayne State Theatre & Dance Program

Students, faculty and staff of the theatre and dance program at Wayne State University will create readings, songs, stories, improv, stories of the artistic process, tap lessons, dialect work and more through their social media channels. Follow them on Facebook  and Instagram.

Arab American National Museum

The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn is offering virtual tours of the museum, an online archive of their collections and digital access to their special collections.

Arab American National Museum

Michigan Science Center

Detroit’s science museum is a favorite of little ones in the area, and luckily the museum is keeping the learning going through this tricky time. Every weekday at 2:30 p.m. EST, the Michigan Science Center will conduct experiments on Facebook Live. To tune in,  follow them on Facebook.

Experimenting at the Michigan Science Center

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

If you’ve never experienced the Detroit Symphony Orchestra live, you’re missing out. Luckily, they have a full archive of their phenomenal performances on their website.

Detroit Institute of Arts

Do you miss wandering around the DIA looking at your favorite pieces? We do. But thankfully you can still view their collection online. Plus, if you follow them on social media, they are showing off their favorite pieces daily with their #MuseumFromHome campaign.

Detroit Institute of Arts

Detroit Zoo

This family favorite is offering some Virtual Vitamin Z ! Check out the live video feeds of the animals and educational videos on their social media channels. Watch the penguins, otters, falcons and monkeys on their website. And on their YouTube channel, the zoo staff takes deep dives on every animal at the zoo.

Gentoo penguin at the Detroit Zoo

Epiphany Glass

Epiphany Glass is also offering a selection of glassblowing process videos on their Facebook page. They are also posting daily glassblowing video clips on their Instagram page. If you’ve never seen their glassblowing demonstrations–it’s a sight to behold.

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is offering a virtual tour of their historic space and automobiles. For anyone who is interested in auto history – this is the virtual tour for you. The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is the Ford Motor Company’s first purposefully-built plant, and where the famous Model T was created. See all of the models built here on their virtual tour.