Indoor activities
Find indoor activities for half term holidays, bank holiday weekends, seaside escapes and city breaks. Take your pick from indoor attractions and such as free museums and other indoor attractions such as aquariums and galleries, or if you’re feeling braver, there are climbing centres, underground caverns and cycle velodromes. You can tour television studios and explore living history heritage attractions, or even whet your whistle on a brewery tour. Whatever you fancy doing, England is packed with indoor activities and things to do on a rainy day.
Enjoy splendiferous fun at the Roald Dahl Museum
Ever wondered where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory started? This family-friendly museum has answers for children and adults of all ages.
Location: Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire
Rainy Day Activities: Enter the magical Warner Bros Studio Tour
Step inside the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London and feel the films magically come to life.
Location: Leavesden, Hertfordshire
See the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London
See the stunning Crown Jewels on display at the historic Tower of London, and learn about their profound religious and cultural importance.
Location: Tower Hill, Greater London
Pedal like an Olympian around Lee Valley VeloPark
Lee Valley VeloPark at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a hub of cycling activity for beginners through to the elite.
Location: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London
Rainy Day Activities: Explore history at Winchester’s Military Museums
Broaden your knowledge of the British Army and the various battles fought throughout history at Winchester’s six Military Museums.
Location: Winchester, Hampshire
Travel back in time at Milestones Museum
A trip to Milestones in Basingstoke brings the past to life. The museum is home to over 20,000 objects that were either made or used in Hampshire, and is a record of the county's social, industrial and transport history.
Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire
Rainy Day Activities: Visit the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford
All the great civilizations of the world are represented in the Ashmolean Museum’s collections; escape the rain for a whole day, or pop in for five minutes for a quick browse.
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
Stand astride the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Stand with one foot in the east and one in the west and feel on top of the world at this historic observatory.
Location: Greenwich, London
Rainy Day Activities: Treat the kids at Portsmouth's Action Stations
Let your kids loose on this indoor playground, packed with exciting activities including a ninja course and the UK's tallest indoor climbing tower.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
Rainy Day Activities: Discover tropical fish at SEA LIFE Brighton
Take a deep breath and see if you can walk through the world’s largest under-sea glass tunnel at SEA LIFE Brighton.
Location: Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
Rainy Day Activities: Uncover history at the New Forest Centre
Learn more about one of the UK's oldest and largest royal forests at the indoor New Forest Heritage Centre.
Location: Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Rainy Day Activities: Explore Oxford's Museum of Natural History
Delve into Oxford University’s scientific archives, housed inside one of the city's most beautiful neo-Gothic buildings.
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
Rainy Day Activities: Enter an underwater world at Sea Life London
Step out of the rain and head underwater at Sea Life London Aquarium, and discover a whole world of aquatic life.
Location: Southbank, London
Rainy Day Activities: Discover wonders at Winchester Science Centre
Enjoy an adventurous day out for the whole family at the Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium, and learn more about our constantly expanding universe.
Location: Winchester, Hampshire
Rainy Day Activities: Step into history in the Churchill War Rooms
Delve underground into Churchill’s War Cabinet Rooms and uncover the secret location which housed the Prime Minister during WWII.
Location: Westminster, London
Rainy Day Activities: Explore underground history at Ramsgate Tunnels
Take a step back in time to discover what life was like in this network of underground tunnels, home to thousands of people during the Second World War.
Location: Ramsgate, Kent
Discover stories for all ages at The Story Museum
Explore the power of your own imagination with exhibitions, installations, events and activities for all ages at Oxford's newest museum.
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
Keep active this winter at High Sports Brighton & Hove
It may be a bit chilly for a swim in the sea, but you can head inside and get climbing to stay active during the cold months.
Location: Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
Rainy Day Activities: Explore the spectacular Science Museum
Known around the world for its historic collections and inspirational exhibitions, London's Science Museum is a treat for all the family.
Location: South Kensington, London
Rainy Day Activities: Get hands on at the Natural History Museum
See hundreds of exciting, interactive exhibits in one of London’s most beautiful landmark buildings.
Location: South Kensington, London