Virtual reality (VR) technologies can transport learners to agricultural and natural resources (ANR) places they may not have the opportunity to visit. Through 360-degree imagery, students can tour farming facilities and experience natural ecosystems. Place-based education (PbEd) is a framework to engage students’ senses and curiosities in surrounding communities and environments. However, travel and budget limitations can be constraints to in-person PbEd. VR can remove some of those barriers. The iVisit Project is a collaborative VR education and research effort between Texas Tech University (TTU), Kansas State University (KSU), and the University of Florida (UF) initially funded by a USDA Higher Education grant. iVisit uses VR to increase ANR knowledge and career interest. This presentation introduces iVisit tours and PbEd-focused research results. We collected quantitative and qualitative data in Fall 2023 via a post-survey about students’ VR tour experiences. Students in an animal science course at Oregon State University participated in a tour of a KSU food technology center, and students in a UF ANR communication course toured a hemp and kratom research facility in South Florida (n = 45). PbEd 5-point Likert scale item results indicated students had moderate to low connections to the VR tour locations. Results include I felt connected to the places I explored on the virtual tour (M = 3.29 M, SD = 1.08) and No other place can compare to the place I visited on the virtual tour (M = 2.73, SD = 0.91). PbED themes from open-ended responses indicated participants found the 3D visuals gave them a sense of place as they were “walking in” a space or could “explore different areas” and were “interacting with the equipment.” Student recommendations included adding more detailed contextual information about the locations and an audio tour guide or multilingual text to make the tours more accessible.