Rainy day ideas

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.

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Get on board at the National Railway Museum

The world's largest railway museum is home to a staggering collection of restored locomotives, including the fastest steam engine of all time.

Location: York, North Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Step back in time at York Castle Museum

Travel back in time on a rainy day at this trend-setting museum, which transports visitors back through 300 years of history.

Location: York, North Yorkshire

 

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

 

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: Get hands on at the National Football Museum

Explore the world's largest football collection, learn about the history and culture of England's national sport and take part in other footy-related indoor activities at Manchester's National Football Museum.

Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester

 

Rainy Day Activities: Be an engine driver for the day at STEAM

Try your hand at changing the signals, drive a model steam engine and walk under an 80 ton train at STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway.

Location: Swindon, Wiltshire

 

Visit Europe's largest library

The Library of Birmingham houses a million printed volumes, the largest number held by any public library in the UK.

Location: Birmingham, West Midlands

 

Rainy Day Activities: Find out what lies beneath Exeter

Escape the rain to explore Exeter’s Underground Passages and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum - ideal indoor attractions for a drizzly day.

Location: Exeter, Devon

 

Rainy Day Activities: Discover military history at The Royal Armouries

Britain’s national museum of arms and armour is home to a fascinating and unique collection, including the only existing suit of armour built for an elephant.

Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: See famous works in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum

With numerous famous artworks and historical artefacts on display, the award-winning Royal Albert Memorial Museum is a must-see indoor attraction in the heart of Exeter.

Location: Exeter, Devon

 

Meet the Romans at Wroxeter Roman City

See the city that the Romans built for us - once the fourth largest city in Roman Britain.

Location: Wroxeter, Shropshire

 

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

 

Sit in Harry Potter's classroom at Durham Cathedral

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came to life via a number of locations across the UK, one of which was the awe-inspiring Durham Cathedral.

Location: Durham City, Durham

 

Bag some bon bons at England’s Oldest Sweet Shop

Evoke happy childhood memories with hundreds of retro sweets at The Oldest Sweet Shop in England.

Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Get spooked at Tudor World

Delve into Tudor life with a series of rainy day activities at this interactive indoor museum, found in one of England's most haunted buildings.

Location: Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Experience the underground world of Wookey Hole

There are legends aplenty about Britain’s biggest caves, where you’ll find a secret river and bewitching caverns.

Location: Wells, Somerset

 

Rainy Day Activities: Climb the walls of St Werburgh’s Church

Test your strength as you climb up the walls of this 15th-century church on an indoor activity break in Bristol.

Location: Bristol

 

Rainy Day Activities: Venture beneath the city on the Mersey Tunnel Tour

Take a sneak peak at the famous Queensway Mersey Tunnel - a unique indoor attraction close to Liverpool's bustling docks.

Location: Liverpool, Merseyside

 

Rainy Day Activities: Explore mining history at Woodhorn Museum

Explore hundreds of years of mining heritage at this unique museum in Northumberland, built from what was once the largest pit village in the world.

Location: Ashington, Northumberland

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