Take a 360º virtual visit to the British Museum in London!

If you’re searching for a holiday or vacation in London, you will no doubt be doing much of your research online. Deciding where to go, what to visit, and how to spend your limited time here can be rather overwhelming, if not a little bit bewildering.

With so much to see and do in London, it makes sense to plan your trip carefully. This way, you and your family can make the most of your vacation time, and save yourself a great deal of frustration and shoe leather! With all this in mind, why not let the VR Tour Bus be your virtual guide to London …

The VR Tour of London is one of the best ways to explore London’s top visitor attractions and to discover some of the famous city views. You don’t even need to pack a suitcase, or leave the comfort of your own home … simply click the tour link, and let the VR Tour Bus whisk you away to the wondrous and historic city of London.

Our interactive tour to London will allow you to explore thirty-six of London’s famous locations in a convenient online experience. The “Demo” tour showcases four of London’s most popular tourist locations, is completely free, and it can be viewed here. If you decide to unlock the remaining locations and the full tour, it’s only £9.99. A small price to pay for such a comprehensive, fun and entertaining online experience.

In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at one of these fab four locations … the British Museum.

The grand entrance to the Museum was designed by Sir Robert Smirke. © Nigel Young, Foster + Partners.

The British Museum

The British Museum was founded in 1753, and opened its doors in 1759. It was the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge, and is one of the world’s best-known and most-visited museums. It has always been, and remains, free and open to all.

Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), physician and President of the Royal Society, amassed a huge collection of more than 80,000 natural and artificial rarities, with a vast library of over 40,000 books, manuscripts, medals and 32,000 coins. Sloane bequeathed his collection to the nation in his will, and it became the founding collection of the British Museum.

Painting of founder Sir Hans Sloane by Stephen Slaughter (1736).

Sir Hans Sloane by Stephen Slaughter (1736). National Portrait Gallery, London.

Over the next 260 years, the museum’s wide-ranging collections have grown to about eight million objects covering two million years of human history.

Statue of Zeus from around second century AD in the Enlightenment gallery.

The Enlightenment gallery – statue of Zeus, 2nd century AD.

The Museum’s curators continue to acquire objects today, and are actively researching the existing collections, including the circumstances in which objects were originally acquired. The British Museum works in collaboration with their own scientists, as well as academic and community partners in the UK and across the world. These stories are then shared with the public through gallery displays, temporary exhibitions, loans, publications, talks, events and the British Museum’s website.

Living and Dying, The Wellcome Trust Gallery – explores how different cultures deal with life and death.

The Museum prides itself upon enlightenment, ideals and values. It welcomes open debate, scientific research, progress and tolerance – all of which have been important markers of the Museum’s reputation since its foundation. The work of the Museum continues to be driven by an insatiable curiosity for the world, a deep belief in objects as reliable witnesses of human history, as well as the desire to expand and share knowledge.

Africa, The Sainsbury Galleries, reveal a fascinating glimpse of the cultural, artistic and historical diversity of this unique continent.

For more information, view the Museum’s online Collection, blog, social media and YouTube channels, or visit their website www.britishmuseum.org.

Luohan (Buddhist Arhat or Saint) – Yixian Glazed Ceramic Sculpture, Liao Dynasty (907-1125 AD).

Conclusion

This blog post can’t bring London to life in the same way as the 360º online virtual tour, so why not try the free demo by clicking on this link! You can also view the free demo tour on the VR Tour Bus Apple app or VR Tour Bus Android app, just search the App Stores for “VR Tour Bus”! Or, for an even more immersive virtual reality experience, why not buy the official VR Tour Bus Google Cardboard viewer?! It’s available from Amazon UK for just £19.99, and includes the fully unlocked VR app worth £9.99 for free!