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.
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
