I’ve been mostly focusing on downloadable VR experiences, but there is also quite a selection of places to visit from your web browser. Web VR lets you open a web site from your browser and click a button to launch the elements from the page in your headset. If you have a web browser on your headset, you can visit the page and click the button directly. Otherwise, if your headset is plugged into your desktop or laptop, you can visit the page on a “flat” web browser, click the button to launch in VR, then put on your headset (models like Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, Valve Index, and HTC Vive).
The advantage of these experiences is they don’t need to be installed, they don’t fill your hard drive, and so far the ones I’ve seen have all been free. They’re also much more likely to work on any headset so that’s a huge bonus!
Background
Blenheim Palace was built in the early 18th century in Oxfordshire, England. It is most often known as the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill. It’s a gorgeous place with beautiful grounds and is usually open for tours to the public. Because of COVID, the doors were closed for some time, so they put together a wonderful tour of the interior and exterior using 360° photos and Matterport volumetric scans (like you see for real estate tours).
The chapel, state room, and great hall are all scanned, as well as areas highlighting the connection to Churchill. As an American, it’s difficult to believe anyone calling such a place home, as it’s more of a set for shows like Downton Abbey! I would also imagine that the tours are always in groups so you can’t really take too much time looking around. As with most virtual tours, you have the place to yourself.
About the Experience
The home of the tour is at https://virtual.blenheimpalace.com/360-tour/. On this page, you’ll be able to choose from several Matterport scans, the spherical images, and even an audio tour (non-VR).
If you’ve been at all curious about the Matterport process, you can read a bit about this project on their blog: https://matterport.com/blog/blenheim-palace
It’s not a place I’d ever heard of before, but these grand English palaces are always pretty amazing to see up close. Being able to experience them alone as a virtual tourist is pretty great.
In all, there are 15 360° photos and five Matterport virtual tours. All can be viewed just fine in your web browser, but also have buttons to launch into VR mode in your headset. I highly recommend using this mode if you can!
As far as I can see, the tour page links to all of the spherical photos, but only one of the Matterport scans (using the “Step Inside” link at the top of the page). Browsing a little deeper, I uncovered a few others. Enjoy!
Rooms (with description taken from the pages):
- Winston Churchill at Blenheim: Gallery 1 and Gallery 2
- Wander galleries devoted to Winston Churchill in his birthplace.
- Blenheim Palace Great Hall
- Stand in the grand entrance to this palatial estate, the Great Hall. This opulent room rises 67 feet to the ceiling painted in great artistic detail by Sir James Thornhill. The allegorical painting represents the successes of John Churchill and includes many symbols of significance. A bronze bust of the 9th Duke and other aristocratic statues are also showcased in this hall.
- Blenheim Palace State Room
- Along the southern side of the palace is a row of state rooms, aligned with shared doors to allow a completely open channel from one end to the other. The state rooms were primarily used to entertain and accommodate distinguished guests, usually of higher rank, and were intricately decorated to impress. Stunning portraits and tapestries adorn the walls, illustrating victories and history of the dukedom of Marlborough.
- Blenheim Palace Chapel
- Commissioned by the Duchess in 1730, the Chapel was the last part of the palace to be built, completed 11 years after the death of the 1st Duke. His oversized tomb and sarcophagus dominate the space, embellished with deep bas relief statues of the Duke and Duchess depicted as Caesar and Caesarina. At one end of the Chapel, a double marble staircase leads to a prominent view and the 1853 pipe organ.
