Save this one for a snow day! Before you load everyone into the car, know that some of the city's best science content is available from your home: the University of Alberta's Faculty of Science has put together a set of free 360° virtual tours through its museums, collections, and research labs.
They're a great fit for a snow day, a homeschool science block, or just satisfying a kid who wants to know how dinosaur bones get cleaned up.
Here are 10 Virtual Museums, Labs to Explore with Kids at University of Alberta.
1. Paleontology Museum Walk through geologic time from a screen, viewing specimens that range from over 600 million to 10,000 years old — dinosaurs, ancient fish, and trilobites included. It's the same collection housed in the Earth Sciences Building, so this tour doubles as a preview for an in-person visit.
2. Dino Lab The very first dinosaur fossils publicly displayed in Alberta were prepared right here at the U of A, back in 1935. This tour shows how dinosaur bones are cleaned, prepared, and preserved, and gives a look at the paleontology work still happening on campus today.
3. Mineralogy & Petrology Museum Home to more than 12,000 rock and mineral specimens from around the world, including brilliant crystals, glittering fool's gold, and rare mineralogical oddities — a solid pick for any kid who's ever pocketed a "cool rock."
4. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Also known as the Bug Museum, this collection holds over one million insect specimens. Expect beetles, butterflies, bees, and backswimmers, all cataloged since the museum's founding in 1922.
5. Rowan Lab / Museum of Zoology Home to four collections and a wide range of vertebrate specimens gathered over the past century, including one especially famous resident: Myrtle the Elephant.
6. Physics Astronomical Observatory Step onto the outdoor observatory deck and explore the domes that house three telescopes, view a scale model of the solar system, and learn about meteorites — no need to wait for a clear night.
7. Science Makerspace (The Shack) This is where 3D printers, CNC milling machines, and electronics come together for hands-on, interdisciplinary projects. It's a great way to show kids what "engineering" actually looks like day to day.
8. Multimedia Research Centre (MRC) A behind-the-scenes look at computer vision, pattern recognition, and image processing research — a good jumping-off point for kids curious about how computers "see."
9. Canadian Ice Core Archive (CICL) This collection represents tens of thousands of years of climate history, preserved in two kilometres of ice cores. It's a striking way to show kids how scientists study the Earth's past climate using something as simple as ice.
10. EEG Lab A modern research space where scientists study brain activity — a fun, slightly mind-bending stop for older kids curious about neuroscience.
Add this one to your ‘Snow Day’ fun
It's free, with no booking or account required.
It works around your schedule. Unlike the in-person museums, which keep limited weekday hours, the virtual tours are available anytime.
It pairs well with homeschool or worldschool learning. Several of these tours line up naturally with earth science, biology, and physics units, and make an easy "virtual field trip" between hands-on activities.
It's a good lead-in to a real visit. The Paleontology and Mineralogy & Petrology museums are both open to the public in person (Earth Sciences Building, North Campus), so a virtual preview can help kids get excited before you go.
Bookmark the tour hub and work through a couple a week — by the time the snow really sets in, your family will have covered dinosaurs, insects, minerals, space, and brain science without ever leaving the house.
