5 Totally Free Virtual Experiences to Beat Boredom

It’s not easy to recreate the magic of your favorite band in concert or the hustle and bustle of a crowded museum, but these organizations are giving it a shot! For anyone looking for a way to pass the time at home, here is a brief list of free virtual concerts, performances and live streams. One World: Together At Home Global Citizen will be holding a live concert on April 18, 2020 at 8 p.m., streaming on television stations ABC and NBC. Some of the musical guests will include Billie Eillish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Elton John, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Lizzo, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Through Global Citizen, $35 million has been raised so far toward COVID-19 relief. For more information and other places you can watch, click here. Google Arts and Culture Google Arts and Culture is offering virtual tours of museums and historical locations. Some of these include The Musee d’Orsay art museum in Paris, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, The Met, Museo Frida Kahlo, The Art Institute of Chicago, the American Museum of Natural History and many others from all around the world. The Smithsonian is also offering virtual experiences of the National Museum of Natural History on their website. In addition to museums, Google Arts and Culture is also offering virtual experiences of four of the United States' national parks: Kenai Fjords in Alaska, Hawai’i Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Bryce Canyon in Utah and Dry Tortugas in Florida. Cincinnati Zoo’s Home Safari Facebook Lives Every weekday at 3 p.m., the Cincinnati Zoo streams their fascinating or adorable wildlife on Facebook Live. This event is called Home Safari Facebook Lives and can be accessed by anyone with a Facebook account. Old live streams starring Rico the porcupine and Fiona the hippo can be viewed on the zoo’s YouTube channel: The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. BroadwayHD Free Trial BroadwayHD is a streaming service that is now offering a seven-day free trial to watch pre-recorded Broadway performances. Shows available range from Broadway classics like Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables to newer shows like Kinky Boots, and they also offer a variety of Shakespeare plays. The Royal Opera House For those who enjoy ballet and live performances, The Royal Opera House is releasing free performances for streaming through May 1, 2020. Performances currently available include Peter and the Wolf, Acis and Galatea, Così fan tutte, and upcoming ones include The Metamorphosis beginning April 17, 2020, Gloriana beginning April 24, 2020 and Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale beginning May 1, 2020. By Katelyn Wiszowaty, Staff Writer