The National Geographic Museum in Washington DC, US, has developed its first ever virtual tour of an exhibition, offering the public the opportunity "visit" even while the institution remains shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A virtual tour of its popular Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall exhibition has been produced in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute and will showcase – just like the "real" one – Dr. Goodall’s life and legacy.

Taking visitors from Dr. Goodall's early years to the present, the virtual version of the exhibition will follow the real-life one closely, charting the life of the famous conservationist and leading primatologist.

The tour begins with a greeting from a CGI of a wild chimpanzee, before offering an insight into Dr. Goodall's formative years as a curious child living in England.

It then follows her journey from England to Kenya, where Goodall's interest in wildlife led to a meeting with famed paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey.

It was Leakey who invited the young Goodall to travel to Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanganyika to observe wild chimpanzees – a journey that she continues to this day.

Using holograms, 3D "theatre spaces", maps, videos and images, the virtual tour shows how Goodall eventually evolved from a respected scientist to a passionate activist.

The Becoming Jane exhibition was the main visitor draw when the museum was forced to close its doors on 13 March 2020 due to the measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

"The story of Dr. Jane Goodall DBE – founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace – is a story of extraordinary scientific achievement and inspiration," a spokesperson for the museum said.

“Becoming Jane showcases Dr. Goodall’s life and legacy and underscores her message of hope, compassion, and altruism. One of Jane’s greatest reasons for hope is the indomitable human spirit.

"In this spirit, our goal is to continue to share Dr. Goodall’s message with our community and with people around the world – at a time when we need it most. For the first time, the National Geographic Museum has developed a virtual tour of this exhibition and we invite you to explore with us.

"We want to give special thanks to our creative partners Falcon’s Creative Group for developing the exhibition intro video, the hologram of Jane and contributions to the memories video, Chimp Chat – as well as the 3D tour to Gombe National Park, the augmented reality experience, and Jane’s Call to Action.

"We also want to thank NeoPangea for creating the hologram of Jane’s field notebook, the habitat degradation map, and the Tree of Hope."

To learn more about the "Becoming Jane" exhibition – and to view the virtual tour – click here.