Do Virtual Visitors Experience Museums the Same Way as Physical Visitors? A Comparative Study

Virtual museum tours are increasingly used to expand access to cultural heritage, yet their experiential equivalence to physical visits remains unclear. This study compared user experience in physical and virtual tours of the same museum exhibition. Thirty-two participants explored either the physical exhibition or an photo-based 360° virtual tour and completed standardized and custom questionnaires. No significant differences were observed on experiential scales between conditions. However, results revealed distinct spatial usability effects: the physical tour yielded higher ratings for navigation ease, orientation, and backtracking. These results indicate that high-quality virtual tours may replicate some experiential aspects of physical visits but still present challenges in spatial clarity and intuitive wayfinding. The findings contribute insight into where current virtual museum technologies show similarities and differences in navigation, satisfaction, and accessibility in digital heritage experiences.