Online Museums, or Virtual Museums, are increasingly appearing on the
contemporary art scene. Through an analysis of the historical perspective
and the recent theories of scholars, the article aims to demonstrate how
the Online Museum is a valid tool that can support or completely replace
the traditional “physical” museum in carrying on research, enhancement
and promotion of cultural heritage, above all the positive aspects of fruition
and relationship with a new public. After investigating different definitions
and categories of Virtual Museum, and the type of users, there is a
list of Online Museum sites, highlighting at the end critical and positive
aspects of this trend, that is increasingly conquering the public of art.