With augmented reality (AR), school lessons come to life in ways that were never possible before. Abstract concepts transform into virtual objects that can be altered, examined, and manipulated. Explore these outstanding education AR apps that add new depths to art, culture, and history.

Take a museum tour to the next level. Not only does Boulevard AR allow you to view a to-scale rendering of a notable painting on the wall of your own home, it also lets you get closer to the work than you would at an art institution. See details down to the texture of the brushstrokes while you listen to a curator provide historical context. The app currently features one painting—“Portrait of Sir Henry Unton”—with more slated to come.

Standard lessons become interactive scavenger hunts with Waypoint EDU. Students can search for waypoints you set up in places such as a classroom or playground. Some hunts use geolocated markers you place on a map yourself, and others use images printed on paper that can be recognized by the app. When children find a waypoint, they’ll uncover AR models—like a re-creation of the destruction of Pompeii or a flyover of the Roman Colosseum. Each is accompanied by a multiple-choice question that has to be answered correctly to “collect” the item. Go on a premade hunt (Ancient Rome, Wonders of the World), or create your own.

From the BBC, Civilisations AR gives you an unprecedented look at 30 artifacts from around the globe: the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, an Egyptian mummy from the Torquay Museum, Rodin’s “The Kiss” from the National Museum Wales, as well as other iconic works. In included audio tours, an expert guides you through the origins and backstory of each item. There’s even an x-ray feature that lets you peel back layers of a painting, and a sarcophagus to get an inside look at history. A key cool factor is the true-dimension scaling of each object—something you can now grasp without having to travel to far-flung destinations.