7 free models
Free museum & real-world scans 3D models
These are real objects captured with photogrammetry or 3D scanning, several of them by museums that released their scans into the public domain. Scans come with the full detail of the original, which makes them excellent for teaching, reference and printing. They are also heavier than hand-made game assets.
Horse Skeleton135,451 tris · 3.48 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
Netsuke: Curled Rat65,000 tris · 1.94 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
Grey Boulder (Photogrammetry)34,969 tris · 1.74 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
Mosquito in Amber14,349 tris · 1.57 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
Antique Cash Register104,587 tris · 2.71 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
Antique Pocket Watch68,468 tris · 5.67 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
Italian Side Chair (Smithsonian)100,142 tris · 7.45 MB · Museum & real-world scansGLB
In this collection
- Horse Skeleton135,451 tris · CC BY 4.0 · by Diego Luján García
- A complete horse skeleton reassembled from real bones found on a hillside, then scanned. 135k triangles, free under CC BY 4.0.
- Netsuke: Curled Rat65,000 tris · CC0 · by Minneapolis Institute of Art
- A photogrammetry scan of a 19th-century Japanese netsuke of a curled rat, released into the public domain (CC0) by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
- Grey Boulder (Photogrammetry)34,969 tris · CC BY 4.0 · by 3dhdscan
- A large grey rock captured with photogrammetry from 164 photos, ready for games and renders. Free GLB under CC BY 4.0.
- Mosquito in Amber14,349 tris · CC BY 4.0 · by Loïc Norgeot
- A scanned mosquito trapped inside a polished piece of refractive amber, the classic fossil prop. Free GLB under CC BY 4.0.
- Antique Cash Register104,587 tris · CC0 · by Virtual Museums of Małopolska
- A museum-scanned antique cash register with a coin-counting machine, released as CC0 by the Virtual Museums of Małopolska. Free GLB.
- Antique Pocket Watch68,468 tris · CC BY 4.0 · by Virtual Museums of Małopolska
- A museum-scanned pre-war pocket watch from a family collection, digitised by the Virtual Museums of Małopolska. Free GLB, CC BY 4.0.
- Italian Side Chair (Smithsonian)100,142 tris · CC0 · by The Smithsonian Institution
- A sculptural Italian side chair scanned by the Smithsonian Institution and released into the public domain. Free CC0 GLB.
Tips for using museum & real-world scans
- CC0 scans need no attribution, but crediting the museum is good practice.
- Decimate scans and bake the detail to a normal map before real-time use.
- Repair holes before 3D printing. Scans often miss the underside.
Popular uses
- EducationA model students can turn over in their hands, on screen or printed, beats a textbook diagram.
- 3D printingTurn a logo into a raised plaque, a photo into a lithophane, or a prompt into a figurine.
- Film & animationPrevis, storyboards and background set dressing all need lots of geometry quickly.