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Coronavirus Update: Popular Public Attractions Offer Online, Virtual Reality Options

NEW YORK (CBS) -- While you may not be able to visit some of the country's most famous public attractions right now, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a different type of experience at home.

Thanks to the digital world, families can make the most of this time cooped up inside by traveling virtually to attractions all around the world.

It's a different kind of field trip at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. With no humans poking around, a penguin named Wellington moves around freely, inching closer to his neighbors.

With the coronavirus keeping families at home, attractions are offering unique streaming experiences -- from virtual tours of tourist hot spots in Europe, to the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and incredible performances by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

You can watch them all in one afternoon on your couch.

For those of you craving an outdoor adventure, you can watch brown bears hunting for salmon in Alaska or climb into Google's cool online arts and culture program where a park ranger guides you through some of America's national parks, including the veins of a volcano in Hawaii.

Not in the mood for lava? Then dive into the hippo cove at the Cincinnati Zoo and meet social media star Fiona and her mother. Zookeepers are highlighting the animals and others each weekday on Facebook Live.

If your kids are begging for a thrill or plain old distraction from e-learning assignments, hop on "The Incredicoaster" at Disney's California Adventure Park. It's a front row seat on YouTube with a plunge that's so out of this world, you may need this escape from reality a few more virtual times in the days to come.

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