Experience San Diego — Virtually
If you’re anything like us, you’re itching to travel. There’s just nothing like exploring interesting destinations, creating new memories, and even returning to revisit old favorites.
Even though travel is challenging at the moment, that doesn’t mean we can’t still check out our favorite places. So, until we can travel again, take a look at how some of your favorite spots in San Diego are making virtual experiences available online.
San Diego Zoo
Missing your favorite friends at the zoo? Check in with them online! The San Diego Zoo has just launched the We’re Here Together program, which helps kids, parents, teachers, and all fans and friends of the zoo stay connected with the animals until the zoo can once again open its gates to the public. You’ll find educational materials, animal updates, and even live webcams of your favorite exhibits.
San Diego Museum of Art
SDMA has always featured one of the country’s largest and most impressive collections of art, with pieces from nearly every historical movement. Their new virtual tours are the best way to experience these breathtaking works from the comfort of your own home. Additionally, their curator-led Masterpiece Minute Podcast spotlights landmark works in 60 seconds, their YouTube channel highlights lectures and presentations, and the #SDMAatPlay program features learning opportunities for students of all ages.
San Diego Symphony
Music aficionados need not distance themselves for the duration. Local radio station KPBS will be broadcasting archived orchestral performances both over the air and online — catch them every Sunday night at 8 p.m. PST. The Symphony also maintains a Spotify channel, where you can both listen to your favorites, as well as find setlists for performances. Looking for a peek behind the curtain? The symphony’s resident historian Nuvi Mehta has taken his pre-concert talks to the virtual realm. You’ll find him at the Symphony Stream Podcast.
LEGOLAND California
LEGOLAND California Resort isn’t sitting idle until guests can return. Their newest series, LEGOLAND Building Challenge, is charging budding brickmasters with a weekly how-to video of a new project. Participants are encouraged to take video of their process for a chance to be featured on the channel every Friday. So dig out your LEGOs and start building!
USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in US Naval history, seeing active use between 1945 and 1992. Now decommissioned, the ship serves as the USS Midway Museum. The museum currently offers audio and virtual tours of its most popular exhibits, including many of the aircraft on deck. The website also incorporates an extensive naval aircraft gallery.
Birch Aquarium
Until it’s safe to reopen, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography is offering a livestream of its Kelp Cam. The cam is a living look inside one of the aquarium’s most diversely populated habitats. Viewers can check out leopard sharks, moray eels, and even a 300-pound giant black sea bass. Additionally, parents teaching aspiring marine biologists at home will discover a robust online learning program, with videos and reading materials you can download for free.
San Diego Old Globe Theatre
Balboa Park’s beloved Old Globe Theatre company is getting creative to ensure San Diegans get their artistic fix. The Old Globe has joined the Play At Home coalition to commission renowned playwrights to develop short plays to be performed and enjoyed at home. To join in on the theatrics, go to the Play at Home website and download a play and read it aloud. You can enjoy the wide range of plays as a solitary diversion or you can make it a family affair—the choice, as they say, is yours. Head over to their Instagram page to view actor readings, and submit your own videos by using #PlayAtHome.