Between Curiosity and Clunkiness: Why Virtual Museums Still Fall Short

Virtual Museums have long promised accessible ways to experience culture online, yet many still struggle to engage visitors. Building on prior research that highlights issues of usability and interactivity, this study revisits the virtual museum experience through a comparative, user-centred lens which involved semi-structured interviews with twelve participants looking at 6 platforms; all ranging from virtual catalogue-based archives to immersive “Street View” environments. Thematic analysis identified 3 recurring factors shaping user experience: 1) Perceived quality and UX features strongly influenced the experience; 2) Users do not have strong preferences but have strong expectations when viewing different systems; and 3) Virtual Museums have the potential to complement physical museum visits. The findings further show how expectations now extend beyond issues of access to encompass design sophistication and sensory coherence. We discuss implications for rethinking virtual museums as intentionally designed experiences that complement rather than just replicate physical visits.