The weather outside may be frightful for many at this time of year, but a cold or rainy day in the US need not be uneventful, as an eclectic mix of attractions across every state ensures you have entertaining indoor options for fun with family and friends. If you're wondering where's the best place to go in each state when the weather turns, we've got you – quite literally – covered.
Click through this gallery to discover the best indoor activity in every state, from world-class museums to scintillating science centers and thrilling indoor theme parks...
See epic rockets and shuttles galore inside the cavernous US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. One of the most comprehensive manned space flight museums in the world, its amazing collection of hardware and memorabilia is sure to impress young and old alike. Space flight simulators let you pilot a rocket or fly to the moon, while the museum is also home to Space Camp programs offering space academy experiences for kids, adults and families. A revamped Rocket Park is set to open in summer 2024.
When the weather turns damp and gray in Alaska – which it does pretty often – hop aboard the warm Alaska Railroad's GoldStar Service for seamless views of the state’s wild scenery from the comfort of a glass-domed observation car. The double-decker train runs multiple routes along a line spanning Seward to Fairbanks and has excellent dining facilities, with wide windows to view the endless forests, canyons, lakes and tundra. Lucky passengers might spot beavers, bears, caribou and moose roaming the untamed landscapes of Denali National Park.
Wet weather in Phoenix is the perfect excuse to explore 12 galleries brimming with the extraordinary artistic expressions of America’s Indigenous peoples. The renowned Heard Museum has one of the world's best collections of Indigenous American art and features an impressive roster of immersive installations, an interactive children’s activity room and an exhibition taking visitors on a sweeping trip through the Native American Southwest, from the distant past right up to the present day.
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A treasure trove of Americana, the Walmart Museum is currently occupying a building two blocks south of its normal location thanks to a renovation project. But when it reopens later this year it will return once more to the original Walton’s five-and-dime store (it was Sam Walton's second property, but the first to bear his name) that started it all in Bentonville Square. It will feature state-of-the-art exhibits including interactive holograms alongside vintage gems, plus an on-site 1950s diner serving up local pie and ice cream.
There’s always plenty to do indoors and out in America's most populous state. In Los Angeles the Getty Center is the go-to spot for a cultural fix on a rare LA rainy day, and further north San Francisco has just as much to offer. Less well known but with a much longer history, this year marks the centennial of artistic powerhouse the Legion of Honor Museum. Special exhibitions feature alongside its huge collection of French Impressionist masterpieces, Ancient Greek sculptures, millennia-old Egyptian artifacts and more.
Colorado has a solid record of year-round sunshine that makes it one of the better outdoor destinations in the US, but there are plenty of fun and interesting places to go when the weather turns. An hour from Denver, seek shelter at the century-old Stanley Hotel – the spooky setting for Stephen King’s The Shining. On the National Register of Historic Places, it hosts themed tours showcasing its history, filming spots and its many ghost stories, and includes an International Cryogenics Museum among its collection of strange features.
The former home of one of America’s greatest authors, Mark Twain (real name Samuel Clemens), is now a well-preserved Gothic gem that’s stuffed with fascinating artifacts from the writer’s life. The quirky 19th-century mansion is a National Historic Landmark, and it was here that Twain wrote famous tales such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Prince and the Pauper. An accompanying museum delves deeper into his life and works with permanent and rotating exhibitions.
'When it rains, we pour!' declares a sign at the Dogfish Head Milton Brewery – a sweet spot on a wet day in Delaware with 40-plus taps to sample in the tasting room, and plenty else to do throughout the premises. Tour the sprawling 200-barrel brewhouse and the steampunk treehouse, or try an experimental brew and scratch-made cocktail. You won’t go hungry either as the kitchen serves up casual tasty plates.
Even the Sunshine State has the occasional rainy day. If you’re looking for Florida fun during a downpour, make a beeline for WonderWorks, an upside-down indoor amusement park aimed at families in Orlando, where weird science and magical illusions collide. There are more than 100 hands-on exhibits: get zapped by a Tesla coil, endure a 5.3-magnitude earthquake and experience weightlessness in a two-person gyroscope. Upstairs – in 'the basement' – there's a glow-in-the-dark ropes course and a laser tag arena.
Nostalgic photos of what America's oldest amusement parks once looked like
Music is woven into the fabric of Georgia, where stars like Little Richard and Otis Redding were born and got their starts, so it’s fitting the state should amp up its thriving music scene with the opening of the new Classic Center Arena this summer. The state-of-the-art venue will be equipped to host everything from major concerts to ice hockey, and the concourse will display exhibits from the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Always warm, Hawaii is still prone to a tropical downpour, and the hallowed halls of Iolani Palace are particularly appealing on a rainy day. As the only US state with royal pedigree, this grand palace in downtown Honolulu is the only former royal residence in the entire country. A proud symbol of Hawaiian identity once home to King Kalakaua, who built the palace in 1882, the mansion’s opulent interiors reflect royal life in the 19th century. A room-by-room audio guide fills visitors in on its rich history.
A whole museum dedicated to the humble spud may sound unusual, but not in Idaho, which leads the nation in potato production to this day. Housed inside an old railroad depot built in 1913, the Potato Museum is a really fun little enclave in the small town of Blackfoot. Inside you’ll find antique machinery, memorabilia, science experiments and what is apparently the world's largest potato chip (25 by 14 inches), plus a cute cafe where you can tuck into delicious Idaho potatoes, whether baked or fried.
The self-proclaimed 'largest science center in the Western Hemisphere', the Museum of Science and Industry offers oodles of fun on a blustery day in the Windy City. Dating back to 1893, its enormous proportions are perfect for housing locomotives, boats, rockets and planes, and kids will love the interactive exhibits. Highlights include the chance to explore the interior of a Second World War submarine, a dizzying mirror maze and a vast model railroad.
You could stay indoors when Indiana’s climate gets too cold, or you could flee underground to the awe-inspiring Indiana Caverns. Part of a 'family adventure park', Indiana's largest cave system stays steady at a clement 56°F year-round, and tours run rain or shine. The dramatic stonescapes are draw enough – at their best during a 20-minute boat tour on a subterranean river – but the caves also offer Ice Age fossil-viewing and underground escape rooms.
You’ll be stunned by the stellar collection of artworks at the beautiful multi-story Figge Art Museum in Davenport. You can wander the airy galleries for hours of enrichment, viewing famous Picassos and Matisses, stirring vintage photography and a fascinating bounty of colorful Haitian art, supplemented by an ever-changing array of temporary installations, exhibitions and artist showcases.
On a squally day in Kansas you can be transported to the wild west at Dodge City's Boot Hill Museum. Sip a cold sarsaparilla in the saloon, or try some of grandma’s homemade fudge in the General Store. This interactive recreation of Dodge City's historic Front Street, including the saloon, jail and church, brings the Old West to life with lively displays and activities – plus a collection of more than 60,000 antique objects, photographs and documents that tell the story of cowboy culture.
The ideal spot to delve into Kentucky's horse-racing legacy without braving the elements, the Kentucky Derby Museum next to Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby in 2024, and will be showcasing a range of new and exciting exhibits to celebrate. From recognizable fashion pieces to learning what it takes to be a jockey, the museum tells the story of the Kentucky Derby down the decades.
You can find all the magic of Mardi Gras under one roof in New Orleans, inside a giant warehouse down by the Mississippi River. Mardi Gras World is an extravaganza of colorful floats, props and costumes, with a float den and workshop where you can see artists working on next year’s parade gear. Tours include plenty of photo ops and an informative overview of the event’s long history, while more in-depth workshops give groups the chance to try their hands at float-building and mask-making.
Tucked into America's northeastern corner, it can get mighty cold in Maine come winter. Escape the freezing temperatures into the mesmeric galleries of the Portland Museum of Art for hours of cultural immersion. The museum showcases classic and contemporary art from the US and Europe – from Andy Warhol to Renoir – and highlights Maine’s artistic legacy alongside a packed schedule of temporary exhibitions and screenings. There are currently plans for a $100 million expansion project, which should add 60,000 square feet (5,600sqm) to the museum.
On a typically rainy day in Baltimore explore this treasure house of priceless artworks and antiquities in the heart of the city. The Walters Art Museum collection spans seven millennia, and its 36,000 precious objects act as cultural touchstones that range from ancient Egypt and Rome to 19th-century Paris. Mummies, mosaics, statues and paintings are all housed in the grand galleried building with an impressive winding staircase and atrium.
To lift your spirits on a gray day, head to downtown Springfield to peruse the Springfield Museums, a five-for-the-price-of-one bundle of institutions covering art, science, culture and storytelling. Chief among them is the Amazing World of Dr Seuss Museum, dedicated to the books of Dr Seuss creator Theodor Seuss Geisel, who was a Springfield native. Fun for all the family, interactive exhibits include rhyming games, a giant marble maze, a Lorax-themed recycling game and Geisel’s reconstructed studio.
Music and motoring are part of Detroit’s fabric, and with smart attractions dedicated to both, where you head on a rainy day comes down to personal preference. Fans of classic cars should head to The Henry Ford (a three-in-one bonanza of vehicular history), but if you like Motown don’t miss the museum and recording studio where it all began. With testimonies from Beyonce and the Beatles, tours immerse visitors in soulful music in the small venue once known as Hitsville USA, surrounded by artifacts belonging to greats like Marvin Gaye and the Supremes.
America's largest indoor shopping center, Mall of America is located just outside the twin cities of St Paul and Minneapolis, providing tons of all-weather fun and retail therapy. The megamall includes the country’s biggest indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe, featuring roller coasters, a waterlog ride and other attractions inspired by beloved characters like SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Other family favorites include a mirror maze, adventure golf, escape rooms and the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium.
A sister museum to the flagship LA venue, the slick and modern Grammy Museum Mississippi celebrates memorable moments in pop culture history, as well as Mississippi natives and Grammy award-winners like BB King and Muddy Waters. The self-proclaimed 'most technologically-advanced music-themed museum in the South', the museum's bright, interactive exhibits and evocative memorabilia will keep music fans amused for hours when the weather is gloomy outside.
The home state of Mark Twain, TS Eliot, Maya Angelou and more, Missouri is leaning further into its literary legacy with the opening of the family-friendly Rabbit Hole in North Kansas City in March 2024. An interactive, immersive museum, it lets visitors step inside their favorite stories by taking tales from children’s books like Goodnight Moon and Sam and the Tigers and turning them into sensory experiences to help spark children’s love of literature.
Sheltered inside the historic former county jail, this year the Yellowstone Art Museum celebrates its 60th anniversary of showcasing contemporary, avant-garde work from the northern Rockies region. The museum collects art from all historic periods, emphasizing artists working in Montana and the American Northwest. Perhaps most notably, the YAM is home to the world's largest collection of drawings, books and correspondences by cowboy illustrator Will James, whose work depicts the day-to-day life of the late-19th and early-20th centuries.
With its eclectic exhibits, rotating showcases, film screenings and subject matter ranging from the First World War to the history of toys, the Durham Museum, housed within Omaha’s grand former Union Station, has plenty to please everyone on a rainy Nebraska day. Recent exhibitions include LEGO’s Towers of Tomorrow piece, which served up elaborate LEGO constructions of the world's most famous skyscrapers, and a costume showcase featuring wardrobes from popular TV series Downton Abbey.
It’s more likely to be desert heat than cold and rain that drives you indoors in Nevada, but luckily the state’s main attractions are largely all-weather friendly. Entertainment district Area15 is a new entrant on the scene – an experimental playground of immersive attractions that includes the Lost Spirits distillery tour, a supermarket-turned-art-installation called Omega Mart, ziplines, a VR flight simulator and concept bars and eateries. A new expansion will see it incorporate a Universal Studios horror attraction, and an indoor skydiving experience.
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When New Hampshire’s cool crisp days turn wet and blustery, Manchester’s Currier Museum of Art offers a bright spark of creativity to lift your spirits. Alongside regularly changing exhibitions, its diverse collection of more than 15,000 artworks, sculptures, photographs and ceramics spans Renaissance and Baroque to abstract and contemporary. Perhaps best of all are the museum’s two 1950s time-capsule homes designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, accessible by guided tour.
Head indoors for thrills, spills and competitive prices at the American Dream megamall in New Jersey. The second largest mall in the US shelters an entire theme park, Nickelodeon Universe (not to be confused with Minnesota's indoor theme park of the same name), complete with looping roller coasters, plus a Dreamworks-themed waterpark with rides and slides. Throw in a Ferris wheel, a large ice rink, an aquarium, a surf pool and two types of minigolf, and this climate-controlled entertainment hub will make you forget what season it is outside.
For an out-of-this-world experience in New Mexico that does not involve aliens or Roswell, head to the House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe. This fantastical 'immersive art experience' created by Meow Wolf is somewhere between a maze and a series of escape rooms, with countless details to discover. There are more than 70 rooms in total, linked by secret doorways, portals and tunnels created with the help of local artists.
New York City alone has more indoor attractions than some US states, from the Instagram-friendly Museum of Ice Cream and sprawling Strand Bookstore to brilliant Broadway shows and the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. But for epic events in every weather, NYC’s Madison Square Garden, dubbed ‘the world’s most famous arena’, is difficult to beat. This year, see iconic spectacles from New York Knicks games to Jerry Seinfeld live shows.
The enormous Blue Ridge Mountain country estate of Biltmore is an amazing place to visit on a cold winter’s day, with tours of the 250-room French-Renaissance chateau, glass-roofed conservatory gardens and exhibition spaces offering cultural delights aplenty. Originally built for Gilded Age bigwig George Vanderbilt, the estate now hosts an exquisite winery, whose fine vintages can be tried on a visit to the tasting room. From March, check out the fantastic Chihuly at Biltmore exhibition at the on-site gallery.
From 600 million-year-old geological formations through to 1950s Americana, the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum covers a vast sweep of America's history, nature and culture to enlighten and inspire on even the wettest of days. North Dakota's largest museum houses three permanent galleries: the Adaptation Gallery covers the rise of the dinosaurs and the advent of mankind, the Innovation Gallery showcases the early people of North Dakota and the Inspiration Gallery traces the state's recent history of industry, immigration and agriculture.
In one of America's historic music capitals you’ll find a spiritual homecoming for music fans, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, it’s the perfect winter’s day diversion with a broad span of exhibits tracking the evolution of the genre and its legendary stars. Follow rock's progression from Elvis and the Beatles through to more modern bands like Pearl Jam and Nine Inch Nails, with iconic pop and hip-hop acts like Madonna and Run-DMC completing the picture.
A state-of-the-art new museum showcasing all things pop culture, with a focus on local musicians, is set to shake up the entertainment scene in Tulsa. OKPOP (officially the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture) will light up a corner of Tulsa’s thriving arts district just off Route 66 when it opens later this year, offering copious creative stimulation over three floors. The venue is already hosting events in its indoor spaces, like the recent Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience.
A temple to literature stacked with approximately one million books and covering an entire block, Powell’s City of Books claims to be the largest used and new bookstore in the world, and it's the best place to find food for thought when the weather is dreary in the hip city of Portland. Alongside attending free book launches, author signings and talks, you’re free to browse row upon row of well-organized shelves, harboring endless new releases and rare well-thumbed editions.
If you’ve already visited Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, consider checking out the new arty kid on the block this year when Calder Gardens, a gallery dedicated to artist and Pennsylvania native Alexander Calder, opens in downtown Philadelphia. The luminous modernist space will offer a serene sanctuary illuminated by natural light, where you can contemplate Calder’s craftsmanship through a rotating collection of his giant mobiles, sculptures and paintings. It's set to open its doors to the public towards the end of this year.
America’s smallest state is strewn with old architectural gems, including the gilded mansions of Newport, which serve up shiny interiors to brighten even the darkest winter days. Originally built as a summer house by the exceptionally wealthy Vanderbilt family in 1893, the Breakers is the grandest of the bunch – a 70-room palazzo inspired by Italian palaces that’s now a National Historic Landmark open to public visits.
One of the oldest cities in America, Charleston reverberates with heritage and history. Head indoors to discover its past at a handful of spots in the Historic District. Seek out quintessential Southern charm at the 200-year-old roofed City Market, stuffed with handmade wares including Charleston’s famous sweetgrass baskets, before exploring the opulence of the grand Nathaniel Russell House Museum. That's in stark contrast to the Old Slave Mart Museum, a former slave auction site that now details its horrible history.
Strewn with prehistoric marvels, South Dakota offers some of the richest fossil beds on earth. When the skies open, get out of the elements and up close to natural history at the active indoor dig site at Hot Springs, where the bones of countless Ice Age animals like wooly mammoths, giant short-faced bears and prehistoric camels are still being unearthed. Many of the mammoth bones are still displayed in-situ in the 'bone bed'.
If you happen to touch down in the land of the Delta Blues in the middle of the pouring rain, you can head straight for shelter at one of several indoor attractions representing the state’s extraordinary musical heritage. Chief among them is, of course, Elvis Presley’s former estate at Graceland, where you can tour the home of the King of Rock and Roll and see his bejeweled jumpsuits and gold discs, before staying over at the Guest House at Graceland – a resort hotel just yards from the Graceland Mansion.
America's second biggest state offers a wealth of all-weather attractions but, perhaps ironically, its top indoor venue is all about the world above. Space Center Houston is the official visitor center for the Johnson Space Center – NASA's Texas headquarters. The site's Starship Gallery showcases real flown spacecraft like the Apollo 17 command module (from the last manned mission to the moon), as well as lunar samples, spacesuits, astronaut training facilities and President John F Kennedy's lectern.
Where better to seek shelter on a rainy day in Salt Lake City than under the celestial domes of downtown Temple Square? Daily tours span the awe-inspiring historic buildings and museums that make up the worldwide headquarters of the Mormon Church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). You can learn about the construction of the Salt Lake Temple (currently closed for renovations), visit the Mormon Tabernacle, renowned for its incredible acoustics, and see Beehive House, once home to Latter-day Saint prophet Brigham Young.
Vermont’s sweetest spot for a rainy day has to be the flagship factory of world-famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry’s. A visit to the factory includes a tasting tour where you’ll view the production line, see how the brand dreams up new flavor combinations and sample toppings and ice cream. The original ice cream factory, it's the only one open to the public and includes a cute 'scoop shop' and gift store, as well as an amusing ‘flavor graveyard’ of varieties no longer in production.
Beyond its spectacular scenery, Virginia’s most prominent feature is its history. The site of the first English settlers in North America, it was also a key state in the Revolutionary War and the birthplace of first president George Washington. His Mount Vernon estate is a great place to explore when the weather turns – the time-capsule mansion of well-preserved rooms offers a walk-through history, while a wander through the grounds yields an in-depth museum, an interactive education center and the old gristmill and distillery.
The Museum of Pop Culture is the perfect indoor diversion in Seattle, Washington’s largest city, renowned for its grunge music and rainy days. The landmark contemporary building is packed with movie and music memorabilia, ranging from Nirvana-associated guitars, clothes and photographs to Luke Skywalker’s severed hand and Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock Guitar. Science fiction, fantasy, horror film and indie game exhibits take a closer look at slightly more alternative artistic forms.
The Appalachian Mountains are pitted with elaborate caves and old mines. Escape the West Virginia weather and enter a whole other world at the aptly-named Lost World Caverns near Lewisburg. Descend 120 feet (37m) underground to one of the most beautiful commercial caves in the eastern US. You can take a self-guided walking tour to explore its halls hung with stalactites – this takes around 45 minutes at a steady 52°F. Four-hour Wild Cave Tours are available for the more adventurous, plus there’s a small museum full of dinosaur and fossil specimens.
Wisconsin has been big on beer since German settlers arrived in the 1830s, and there are more than 200 breweries spread across the state. The Miller Brewery is one of the oldest and most established. What better excuse than a spell of bad weather to go on a tour of its brewhouse and underground cold storage caves, and sample some of its finest beers in the Bavarian-style Miller Inn – or, if the rain clears up, an outdoor beer garden.
The renowned National Museum of Wildlife Art is one-of-a-kind, knitted into the rugged hillsides of Jackson Hole with stone galleries showcasing fine art and sculpture inspired by nature. The sculpture trail is outdoors and best viewed with good weather, but otherwise it offers the perfect spot to connect with the wild in warm and sheltered surrounds. Featuring works by artists ranging from John James Audubon to Andy Warhol, it has wildlife photography exhibitions as well as more conventional fine art.
Now check out our favorite attraction in every US state – inside or out