screengrab from this Saint Louis Zoo video
Humboldt penguins are magic.
St. Louis' world-class cultural institutions have gone online, which is great news for people who love animals and art and everything City Museum.
Not only is checking in on these feeds a great way to kill some time, parents looking for ways to educate and entertain their kids have a whole host of new options, all ready to be streamed online from the comfort and safety of your own home.
Here are some of the many ways that you can stay connected to the St. Louis community and our major local attractions online:
The Saint Louis Zoo
The Saint Louiz Zoo's #BringTheSTLZooToYou campaign on social media is loads of fun. They're posting videos and pictures of the animals around the zoo.
The zoo is currently working with a limited staff, but they're still getting tons of cute content out there to brighten up your day. They've already posted videos of giraffes munching green treats on St. Patrick's Day and massive frogs that cluck like chickens.
But the best video so far has been one where they let the smart and curious Humboldt penguins out to roam on a field trip. Pedro, Fernando, Chirrida, Guapo, Mona and Marco got to leave their habitat to have a look inside the Penguin & Puffin Coast. The funny little cuties also checked out zoo offices and the gift shop.
Find your new favorite animal at stlzoo.org.
The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station
The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is offering the "QuaranStream," a streaming video schedule for all of us to watch during quarantine. They have over 13,000 animals at the aquarium and each stream will feature video from one of their habitats as they go about their daily life. These streams happen on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and can be found at facebook.com/aquariumstl.
The aquarium is also hosting Facebook Live events on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week during its closure. Times and topics will be announced on their social media channels at @aquariumstl.
City Museum
The City Museum is spectacular to visit in person, sure, but it's also pretty darn cool online, too. Always adaptable, the museum has released an entire video and streaming schedule so you always know when to drop in to catch your favorite show.
They've launched six shows online that range from instructive clips on how to get crafty with items you already have in your house to historians sharing the history of the museum and the many treasures in their archives. You can also watch the hardworking crew as they go about their daily duties including feeding the fish in their aquarium and building new attractions.
You can follow their social media pages for additional live video clips, too. For a full list of shows that they are hosting and the times that you can catch them, visit CityMuseum.org/City-Museum-Live.
The St. Louis Art Museum
Admission to the St. Louis Art Museum is always free, and now they've gone the extra step to bring the art directly to you.
The museum is emailing their fans daily with the "Object of the Day." The email includes a high-quality photograph of a piece of art from their collection along with information about it like the context of the piece, the history behind it and materials used.
There are over 34,000 objects in the museum, so they won't run out of selections any time soon. You can sign up to receive these emails at slam.org.
At the website, you can also listen to audio guides of past and current exhibitions, watch video of exhibitions and collections and read in-depth blog posts about art.
Saint Louis Science Center
As part of their #museumfromhome campaign, the Science Center is posting videos on social media that will keep both you and the kids informed and entertained.
On these videos you can learn how to pull off that classic tablecloth trick and also find out how the science behind that has been explained by Sir Isaac Newton and his Laws of Motion. Kids will be fascinated by videos where scientists play with liquid nitrogen and even parents can learn something from the information they post about planets, nature and wildlife.
Visit Facebook.com/STLScienceCenter for the good stuff.
The Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden has put together a fascinating array of programming for you to enjoy from home. Their livestream and video selections are both beautiful and informative.
Check out their “moment of zen” videos like a rainy morning in the Japanese Garden. They’re also offering bloom tours and a peaceful livestream from the English Woodland Garden.
One stream you’ll want to make sure to catch is the Cherry Blossom tour. The Cherry Blossom trees are just about to peak so you can check in on them and watch them bloom.
For these tour videos and many more calming streaming videos, visit MissouriBotanicalGarden.org for a link to their YouTube channel.
The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF)
The virtual tours at IPHF will cost you a bit unless you are already a member or are active military, but the quality of what they're providing with their virtual tour and lecture series.
The museum was due to open a huge photography exhibit recently, but since patrons can't go visit it in person, they're offering a 360 virtual tour online. The show, Masterworks: Highlights from the IPHF Collection, features iconic images from over 50 artists, including: Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White, Julia Margaret Cameron, Ernst Haas, Yousuf Karsh, James Nachtwey, Steve McCurry, Paul Nicklen, Gordon Parks, Alfred Stieglitz, Sebastião Salgado, Edward Steichen and Jerry Uelsmann.
IPHF is also starting to offer virtual lectures via Zoom, so you can stay educated and cultured while isolating at home.
For more information on the programs and prices, visit iphf.org.
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