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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Rainy Day Activities: Uncover underwater secrets at Blue Planet Aquarium

Discover clown fish, reef magic, giant octopus and plenty more indoor activities as you immerse in this underwater world.

Location: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

 

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

 

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: Visit Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum

Find out how Manchester’s famous inventions helped shape the modern world, from the world’s first steam-powered mill to the splitting of the atom, at this fantastic indoor attraction.

Location: 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

 

Nine floors of silver-screens

A visit to the National Media Museum is a must if you love photography, film, television, animation, gaming or the internet.

Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Watch films in style at The Electric Birmingham

Lounge on a sofa with a drink in hand and watch the latest blockbusters at the UK's oldest working cinema.

Location: Birmingham, West Midlands

 

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: Scale the walls of Exeter’s Quay Climbing Centre

With over 200 climbing lines, training walls and an abseil tower, there are plenty of indoor activities to suit everyone.

Location: Exeter, Devon

 

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

 

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

 

Rainy Day Activities: Take afternoon tea in the Pump Room

Get a taste of Jane Austen’s world while tucking into a traditional English afternoon tea at Regency haunt, The Pump Room.

Location: Bath, Somerset

 

Rainy Day Activities: Make a splash at Sandcastle Waterpark

The Sandcastle Waterpark is home to Masterblaster - the world’s longest indoor rollercoaster waterslide - and so much more to keep everyone entertained on a rainy day.

Location: Blackpool, Lancashire

 

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

 

Say hello to pampered pups in Skegness

Visit Natureland to see how washed-up seal pups are nursed back to health and prepared for a life back in the wild.

Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire

 

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

 

July events: Buxton International Festival

Take your seats and enjoy a summer celebration of music, art, opera and literature on the edge of the scenic Peak District.

Location: Buxton, Derbyshire

 

Unleash your inner explorer at Tropical World

Set off on a journey through the jungle, the desert and below the surface of the water to discover all of the creatures who call them home.

Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Aim for a strike at All Star Lanes

Bowling, dining, cocktails and perhaps a touch of karaoke - a simple combination of indoor activities that guarantee a memorable boutique experience.

Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester

 

Run wild at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester

The centre is made up of a series of interactive features to immerse kids into a world where their imagination can run wild at every turn.

Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester

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