Between the pandemic and the steady increase of both online dating as well as working remotely, virtual date nights are growing in popularity. After all, a virtual date night is better than no date night at all! If virtual date nights are new to you or you want to change things up a bit, here are five of our favorite virtual date night ideas.
Visit a Museum
While it might not be quite as enjoyable as visiting in person, a date night at the museum is a fun, educational virtual date night idea. Has she always wanted to Paris? Whisk her away to Rue de Rivoli for a (virtual) private tour of the Louvre! Is he a huge fan of baseball? Suggest a (virtual) stroll through the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Between the efforts of individual museums, such as the Louvre, and the Google Arts & Culture partnerships with museums and galleries around the world, there are thousands of museums and exhibits at your fingertips. You can explore at any time, with no lines or crowds, from the safety and comfort of your own home.
Click here to check out the Google Arts & Culture Museum and Exhibit Collections
Show and Tell
Just like in school, only better! Pick a category (or don’t, it’s your date!), and take turns showing an item and telling a story about it. They can be funny, sentimental, embarrassing, whatever you would like. This virtual date idea gives you and your date a chance to find out more about each other without the pressure of awkward questions. Plus, how else will you bring up that time you did that thing that one time?
Catch A Show
You may not be able to go to a theater, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see a live performance! If you’re looking for a virtual date idea, consider catching a show. Venues as well as individual performers have begun offering live virtual shows online. For your next virtual date, consider joining the audience! With shows including comedy, burlesque, murder mystery, magic, music, and more, there is a performance for everyone. Eventbrite has an entire section dedicated to online events; you can search by keywords or by filters including cost (although some are donation-based), language, format, and more. You can even start the date early and have some pre-show drinks. In some ways, seeing a show as a virtual date is better than going in person. After all, the drinks are cheaper, there is no line for the bathroom, you don’t have to worry about being stuck behind someone taller than you are, and you can talk to your date without disturbing anyone else’s experiences (as long as it isn’t an interactive show!).
Click here to check out Eventbrite online shows.
Virtual Escape Room
Want to see how you and your date work under pressure? Consider trying an online escape room for your next virtual date night. The concept of a virtual escape room is the same as an in-person one: find clues, solve riddles, and (hopefully) stop the evil plan and emerge victorious. Some virtual escape rooms, such as The Grimm Escape, have a game-master to lead groups, while the online Cofundrum Escape Rooms have 3D graphics and allow you to virtually explore, resulting in a video-game type feel. Most of the more polished virtual escape rooms require you to purchase and book a time slot to participate, so make sure you have a reservation for this virtual date night idea!
(Virtually) Visit the Zoo
Have you or your date had a long day? Consider a visit to the zoo for your virtual date night. With the popularity of viral animal celebrities such as April the giraffe and Fiona the hippopotamus, it’s no surprise many zoos began offering live streaming of their animal enclosures. Some establishments, such as the Maryland Zoo, even publish the feeding times of their animals so people can tune in for the excitement. Spend your virtual date night checking out different live zoo streams and chatting with your date. Best of all? You can see the animals but you won’t have to smell them!
Click here to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams
Click here to check out the Houston Zoo live webcams
Click here to check out the San Diego Zoo live cams
Click here to check out the Maryland Zoo live cams & feeds
Click here to check out the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute webcams
Do you have a favorite virtual date night idea that we missed? Let us know in the comments!