A virtual museum is a cultural institution created to make heritage accessible through digital technologies, overcoming the physical limitations of traditional museums.

It is not simply an online reproduction of collections, but a space specifically designed to offer immersive, interactive, and personalized remote experiences.

According to Key Concepts of Museology, edited by André Desvallées and François Mairesse for ICOM (International Council of Museums), a virtual museum is defined as:

“a digital entity that draws on the characteristics of a museum in order to complement, enhance, or augment the museum experience through personalization, interactivity, and richness of content.”
(Desvallées & Mairesse, 2010, p. 78)

In addition, both UNESCO and the European Commission have helped refine and expand this concept. UNESCO recognizes the virtual museum as:

“an information and communication technology-based resource that may exist independently or as an extension of a physical museum, with the goal of making heritage accessible, preserved, and transmitted.”
(UNESCO, Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage, 2003)

The European Commission, through its Virtual Multimodal Museum (ViMM) initiative under Horizon 2020, defines virtual museums as:

“digital environments designed to offer meaningful and authentic cultural experiences through interactive and immersive technologies.”
(European Commission, ViMM Manifesto, 2018)

Virtual museums can take many forms: 3D tours of collections, freely accessible digital archives, interactive historical reconstructions, augmented or virtual reality experiences, and even educational platforms for students, researchers, and digital tourists.

Thanks to these technologies, virtual museums make heritage globally accessible, removing geographical, economic, and physical barriers. They also proved to be valuable resources in times of emergency or isolation, as demonstrated by their increasing use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, virtual museums offer new storytelling opportunities: they enrich artworks with multimedia content, allow the creation of thematic and personalized journeys, and foster active audience engagement.

To create an effective virtual museum, it is essential to develop high-quality, accessible, and scientifically accurate content, while ensuring a user-friendly interface and an engaging experience—working in collaboration with experts in museology, digital communication, and technology development.

If you’d like to explore how to develop a virtual museum that enhances your heritage and reaches new audiences, contact us: our team is ready to support you at every stage of your project.