The Virtual Worlds Museum™ is a cultural and research institution focused on preserving and documenting virtual world platforms as lasting expressions of human creativity, social interaction, and technological innovation.
At the center of this work is the Teleportal, an interactive map and gateway that allows visitors to explore virtual worlds through a research-driven, contextual interface. We are developing across five distinct versions, each exploring different approaches to research presentation, user experience, and public engagement while remaining aligned with the project’s core values.
We are looking for support for this research, please consider sponsoring or sharing our work. Current versions include:
The primary Teleportal is an interactive 3D force graph that maps virtual world platforms as a dynamic ecosystem. Curated by the Virtual Worlds Museum™, it allows users to search for platforms, explore relationships between worlds, and directly launch platform links. This version emphasizes discovery, research transparency, and contextual navigation across the broader virtual worlds landscape. Click here to view.
Designed for education and younger audiences, this version presents virtual worlds in a simplified 2D grid layout with intuitive rollovers. The focus is on clarity, ease of use, and accessibility, making it suitable for classrooms, workshops, and introductory learning environments. It lowers the barrier to entry while maintaining curated accuracy and educational intent. Click here to view.
This version is a fully immersive Unity 3D build, deployed natively within the Meta Quest ecosystem through a release channel. It enables spatial exploration of virtual world links in VR and is currently available for testing on Meta Quest 2 and 3 via direct access. This implementation prioritizes embodied navigation and experiential learning inside a headset-native environment. Please reach out directly if you would like to Beta Test this version.
In collaboration with WebSpatial, the Teleportal is being adapted for spatial computing devices including Apple Vision Pro and Pico. This version leverages open spatial standards and browser-native XR, with special recognition to Steven Van Loon for engineering. The goal is cross-device accessibility without reliance on closed app stores.
MetaPortal is a Meta-specific implementation governed by Deep App Linking within the Meta ecosystem. Built to function exclusively inside Meta environments, it uses native deep linking to connect and transition between supported virtual world platforms on Meta Quest. This version focuses on practical interoperability and seamless movement between worlds within a single platform governance framework. Concept stage only.
The Virtual Worlds Museum™ exists to support a broader understanding and to explore a more responsible future for the 3D internet. Through the Teleportal, we track virtual world platforms over time, study their cultural and technical impact, and will offer guidance toward ethical practices, transparency, and interoperability. This work is independent, research driven, and ongoing, and it relies on the support of those who believe in an open and accountable digital future. We invite sponsors and supporters to help us continue this effort by contributing through the donation link below and joining us in shaping what comes next.
Educators, researchers, creators, world builders, virtual communities, developers, standards bodies, enterprises, and investors.
Cultural preservation, educational integration, and interoperability suffer when history, data, and experiences live in silos.
As spatial computing enters mainstream adoption, discoverability and interoperability of virtual worlds become essential for a thriving ecosystem.
The Teleportal is more than a map of the Metaverse. It is cultural nexus for the spatial web.
If you want to help fund future development as we continue mapping the virtual worlds ecosystem, your support accelerates open discovery, preservation, and access.
Learn about the Virtual Worlds Museum™ ExhibitsA cultural and educational hub dedicated to preserving, exploring, and showcasing virtual world platforms. Through curated Exhibits, immersive tools like the Teleportal, and an emphasis on interoperability and history, it offers visitors both insight and direct access to the digital platforms shaping our shared future.
An interactive map and gateway to virtual worlds. Built from our curated Exhibits, it lets you explore how platforms connect and intersect. Part research tool, part cultural archive, part portal, the Teleportal turns knowledge into experience.