Your guide to virtual days out

During the Covid-19 pandemic, all of the UK’s favourite attractions have been closed to the public and family days out have been put to a stop for the foreseeable meaning that many people can’t enjoy some of their favourite attractions with their loved ones including grandparents and their grandchildren. With most people having to cancel plans including holidays and exciting days out, many of the famous attractions have come up with new and innovative ways to interact with their audiences, including virtual tours and interactive videos to keep the magic alive.

In this guide we uncover some of the ways you can interact with your favourite experiences from the comfort of your own home, making it the perfect activity for those who often require stairlift solutions and mobility aids to enable them to get around.

The Roman Baths

Bath is a wonderful city full of exquisite historic buildings, thrilling attractions and stunning sights, but one attraction that is more famous than the others and known around the world is the Roman Baths. Nearly 2,000 years of history is enclosed in these ancient buildings where visitors can usually wander the corridors and learn all about the people who used the baths. During the lockdown, the baths came up with a new and innovative way to offer the same experience for their fans from their homes and it is perfect for people who are still shielding

We spoke to Hannah Tunstall, Heritage Publicity Manager at The Roman Baths, she told us a little more about the magic of the baths: “The Roman Baths is located at the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath. Here the Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex on the site of Britain’s only hot spring, which still flows with natural hot water today.”

She continued to tell us a little more about the experiences on offer to those who want to experience the history from home: “There are plenty of ways to explore the historic site from home.

• Take a virtual tour of the Roman Baths and walk around the steaming Great Bath where people bathed nearly 2,000 years ago.
• Use the Walkthrough pages to discover more about different parts of the Roman Baths.
• Have a go at Roman-themed online games: create your own Roman coin and play Roman numeral bingo.
• Enjoy activities for all ages, from making a mosaic to learning the Roman boardgame of merels.”

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Edinburgh Castle

Standing proud over the city is the Edinburgh Castle which has been a stronghold for hundreds of years with a rich and varied history. As visitors cannot have not been able to visit the site, much like many of its accompanying attractions it is offering a selection of stunning visuals that can be enjoyed at home.

Dean Hendry, Communications Officer at Historic Environment Scotland told us what Edinburgh Castle are doing during the pandemic: “Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is offering a great way to appreciate the scale and magnificence of Edinburgh Castle, by creating a 3D model of Scotland’s iconic fortress.

“Led by HES’s Digital Innovation and Digital Documentation Teams based at the Engine Shed in Stirling and working with Interpretation colleagues the 3D model has been populated with information giving the virtual visitor an immersive digital tour of the Castle and gives people the chance to explore parts of the castle that are usually not open to visitors.”

He then goes on to explain a little more about how the model was created: “The model was created using laser scan data captured as part of the Rae project which aims to accurately digitally document over 300 heritage sites and collections in HES’ care. These digital innovations are crucial in helping to understand, conserve and tell the stories of our historic sites.

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SS Great Britain

Witnessing the true beauty of Brunel’s SS Great Britain is one of the most iconic sights in Bristol and one of the most interactive days out the whole family can experience.

They describe the story of the ship a little more on their website: “In 1970, the SS Great Britain Project brought the rusting shell of the SS Great Britain home from the Falkland Islands, braving 8,000 miles of stormy sea, in an attempt to save it from ruin and keep its story alive. That 'project' became the SS Great Britain Trust, and today with your help, we continue to care for the ship and Brunel collections for the good of everybody, for all time.”

The SS Great Britain offers a virtual tour of the ship for those who want to experience it from the comfort of their own home. Tour all the iconic rooms onboard the ship, find out information about the people who called the ship home and experience the thrill of history for yourself.

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Warner Brother's Studios

What could be more magical or bring a little sparkle to your day than a little sprinkling of Harry Potter? Perfect for the whole family to enjoy and something grandparents can enjoy online with their grandchildren over a skype call or on FaceTime.

The team at Warner Brother’s Studio are offering their world-renowned studio tour at home for free! All you have to do is sign up to their newsletter with your email and all the information about how to enjoy the tour will be enclosed.

“They describe the online experience on their website: Try your hand at filmmaking from your front room, test your Harry Potter knowledge and learn how the magic was brought to life on screen without leaving the house. We’ll also be releasing tasks from of our award-winning Education programme including Costume Design, Set Design and Pitching!”

For those who want to get a little creative the Harry Potter at Home Hub is full to the brim with activities and exciting facts.

READ ALSO: Accessible walks to try whilst social distancing

Folly Farm

If enjoying a relaxed day at the zoo is something you used to love, then you will love what the team at Folly Farm have introduced on their website.

Folly Farm is home to over 750 animals of all varieties: “We've always been farmers, but we're much more than a farm. You can visit over 750 animals at our zoo, and get up close to furry and feathery farmyard friends in our barn. Choose from 17 different rides in our vintage fairground or enjoy our eight adventure play areas. We've got 120 acres of fun so there really is something for everyone!”

For those wanting to enjoy some animal adventures, Folly Farm has three webcams perfect for those who want to keep an eye on some of their favourite animals. You can enjoy the penguins, giraffes and lions from your sofa. They are also offering live feeding sessions on their webcams, you can watch the penguin feeding at 11am and 2pm and the giraffe daily talk at 12.30pm.

View the lion webcam

View the penguin webcam

View the giraffe webcam

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RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum or RAF Museum as it is otherwise known are situated in London and Cosford and offer an insight into the world of flight and how it has progressed and transformed over the centuries, from the very first aircraft to the present RAF.

Find out a little more about the RAF in this quote from their website: “The Royal Air Force Museum is a National Museum, a Government non-departmental public body (NDPB) and a registered charity. Our collection is central to everything we are and do and comprises around 1.3m objects which we hold in trust for the people of the UK. Our RAF Centenary transformation in 2018 enabled the Museum to bring an additional 500 objects from our stores to share with our visitors – most of which had never been displayed before.”

For those wanting to experience the heights of the RAF from their own home, you can take a look at their selection of online exhibitions that celebrate the force over the years. Experience tales from the world wars and pilots of the Caribbean.

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Online virtual days out are a lovely way to spend time together as a family and enjoy some of the experiences we aren’t able to enjoy at the moment. These virtual activities are also a great way for you to enjoy some of the UK’s best attractions if you have limited mobility and require an aid.