Orlando On a Rainy Day: 14 Things To Do

Grab your galoshes and umbrella and hit the streets of Orlando on a rainy day! Rainy days are few and far between in this sunny Florida city but if you happen to be visiting Orlando on a rainy day or get caught in afternoon thunderstorms do not worry, there are plenty of indoor attractions to keep you busy.

From visiting the Florida Mall to hanging out at the Kennedy Space Center, Orlando when it rains can actually be quite fun. The Sunshine State is not known for its rainy days, but it is known for its amusement parks that can still be enjoyed between raindrops. An Orlando vacation should be filled with fun in the sun, but sometimes rain does make an appearance.

Before you stop at a museum or theme park, leave your bags and backpacks at a luggage storage facility for safekeeping. You will also want a place to stow your purchases during your Orlando shopping trip. Hauling around too many bags takes the fun out of the day.

Kennedy Space Center

Located about 45 minutes from downtown Orlando, the Kennedy Space Center offers an in-depth look at NASA and the American space program. Informative and interactive exhibits will draw you in and teach you more about space travel.

Experience the amazement of the Apollo moon landings and check out many interesting artifacts, including the spacesuit worn by Alan Shephard which still has moon dust visible on the suit. The actual Apollo spacecraft is also on display. Interactive exhibits allow you to perform scientific experiments, build a habitat on Mars, and launch a rocket.

Orlando Science Center

If you happen to have kids with you while visiting Orlando, one of the best museums to see rain or shine is the Orlando Science Center. There are a lot of hands-on and interactive exhibits that are great for visitors of all ages. One of the more popular exhibits is where you can design and test a product from idea to prototype to actual product.

Sit down and watch a planetarium show on a giant screen. The 3D movies are a fantastic way to learn more about science and the stars. The planetarium shows do require a separate ticket but are well worth the extra cost.

The Escape Game

Most Escape Games are geared toward people aged 18 years and older, but some games do allow for younger children to also play as long as a parent or guardian is also playing. During the escape game, you will have to decode a secret message to reveal your mission and complete tasks. Other games may have you breaking out of prison or solving a crime.

You will work as a team to solve the riddles and complete the game. Each game has been designed to boost cognitive skills and strengthen brain health while encouraging teamwork. The Escape Game does offer five different games or challenges to pick from depending on what sounds like fun.

There are other companies offering escape games in Orlando so if you have solved all the games or puzzles offered by The Escape Game, look up some of the other places and check out their games as a way to get out of the rain and enjoy the day.

WonderWorks

Families love spending time at WonderWorks even if the sun is shining bright outside. The 35,000 square foot facility is home to one of the best indoor amusement parks in central Florida. The building itself looks like it has been flipped upside down and is a sight to see. It is terrific fun for the whole family.

There are plenty of fascinating interactive exhibits and numerous arcade games that will keep you occupied for hours. Set up your own science experiments and build your own roller coaster, play on a sandy beach, see how a tornado works, or go shopping in their country market. Imaginations run wild when at WonderWorks!

iFly

Take to the skies for an experience like no other, rain or shine. iFly is the perfect place for thrill seekers. This indoor skydiving experience gives you the opportunity to feel your heart jump into your throat as you dive out of a plane. Don’t worry, you are not actually leaping from a plane. It is one of the best indoor activities in Orlando.

Everything is done in a safe environment and there are even activities for tots to enjoy. The vertical wind tunnel creates the feeling of being in the air. You can easily see the iFly facility from the interstate and even see a bit of the flying tunnel and watch as people take the plunge and be lifted through the air.

SEA LIFE Orlando

The SEA LIFE Aquarium has nine exhibits that educate the public about our oceans and the sea creatures that live in each one. You can stroll through the only 360-degree ocean tunnel in Florida and watch over 5,000 sea animals swim by. Sharks, octopuses, stingrays, and turtles all swim together along this tunnel.

The interactive Rockpool offers the chance to reach in and touch certain sea creatures. Sit and watch as divers go into the large pools and feed several of the marine animals. Sign up for a Behind the Scenes Tour to see more of how the SEA LIFE Aquarium works and what it takes to keep all the animals healthy and happy.

Orange County Regional History Center

When there is rain in the forecast, grab the kids and head to the Orange County Regional History Center, one of the best museums in Florida for kids. History buffs will also love this museum with its themed exhibits that highlight central Florida's history. Wet weather is not common in Orlando, but this is a good indoor activity for the entire family.

Interactive activities, storytime, and exploring the exhibits will keep you and the kids occupied for a few hours. Learn about the history of theme parks, aviation, natural history and environmental changes, and African American history. Historical artifacts date back to the 16th century.

Orlando Museum of Art

This iconic art museum offers the chance to step off the street and straight into one of the best cultural experiences in Orlando. With both contemporary and ancient collections on display, you are sure to find something that will draw you in and leave you contemplating the artists’ reasoning behind the subject matter.

You don’t even have to be an art lover to enjoy the Orlando Museum of Art, there really is plenty to see and do including the African art collection, jewels of the Nile, and some temporary exhibits that rotate throughout the year. Sign up for some of the art education programs that might interest you and spend the entire rainy afternoon at the art museum.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Adults and kids will be thrilled when stepping inside Ripley’s Believe It or Not! This intriguing museum is filled with so many unique oddities and kitschy items that you can spend most of the day exploring and still not see everything in the museum.

With 16 interactive galleries, you will not be bored as you wander through the displays and exhibits. Check out the collection of shrunken human heads and authentic dinosaur eggs. Examine rare animal skeletons that may or may not be real animals. Some things in Ripley’s Believe It or Not are so strange you have to wonder about the validity of what you are seeing.

The Courtesy Creative Cocktails

This is an activity for the over 21 crowd, so leave the kiddos at home and enjoy a 90-minute class at The Courtesy. This is one of the most epic bars in Florida and they offer a cocktail making class so you can learn the proper way to mix a delicious drink. The Courtesy has moved to its new location in Winter Park.

Your instructor will show you how to mix your favorite drink and they will also give you a bit of history about that drink and why it was given its name. Once you have learned how to make a few cocktails you can sit back and enjoy them.

Classes are held on the first and third Saturday of each month and registration is required. Classes include the lesson with a certified bartender, all the materials, gratuities, and three cocktails that you make yourself.

Four Seasons Resort Spa

Some of the most luxurious spas in Florida can be found in Orlando. The Four Seasons Resort Spa offers a tranquil space for relieving stress and relaxing with innovative spa services. While a day at the spa is not for everyone, especially families with younger children, it is perfect for couples to spend the day enjoying a deep tissue massage.

The Four Seasons Resort Spa is available for guests and non-guests but you do have to make reservations. The “Healing Honey” treatment is becoming a very popular treatment that uses local honey, it is a sticky massage that is so fantastic that you have to give it a try.

SAK Comedy Lab

Head to downtown Orlando and seek shelter from the rain at an improv comedy club. The comedians at the SAK Comedy Lab encourage the audience to participate in the show and will have you in stitches throughout the entire night. This is one of the best comedy clubs in Orlando and one you will definitely want to check out.

Some of the shows have no cover charge while others do require payment before entering. Check the schedule online and see which show or shows you want to see. SAK Comedy Lab has seen some pretty well-known faces cross their stage including actor and comedian Wayne Brady.

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games

This indoor fun center is filled with everything imaginable from go-karts to bowling. Play a game of laser tag or step into a virtual reality game. Try your luck in a racing simulator or a ropes course and when you get hungry, grab lunch or dinner at the full-service restaurant.

Rainy days see a large number of people heading to Andretti Indoor Karting & Games. It has something for the whole family and is a place you can easily spend the entire rainy day. Several of the activities do allow you to make advance reservations to ensure you can enjoy the activities without long wait times.

Madame Tussauds Orlando

What better way to keep raindrops from falling on your head than to hang out with celebrities and snap some fantastic, social-media-worthy selfies? Madame Tussauds Orlando offers the chance of a lifetime to get up-close-and-personal with some of the biggest celebs. Well, not the real celebs but their truly life-like wax counterparts.

A selfie with Johnny Depp or Ariana Grande will leave your friends green with envy. Tiger Woods, Walt Disney, David Beckham, and honest Abe Lincoln are also on full display at Madame Tussauds. The museum is divided into several zones including superheroes, historical figures, movie stars, music stars, sports icons, and A-list celebs. for you to easily move through.

It's Fun in Orlando on a Rainy Day

Finding indoor activities in Orlando or nearby Winter Garden really is not as difficult as you would think. While Orlando is in the Sunshine State, there are times when rain is fully expected and you will need to have a list of indoor things to do that are not just fun activities but also educational, especially if you have young kids with you.

Whether you are planning to go to escape rooms, a movie theater, a bowling alley, or even Disney World when it rains all indoor activities become quickly crowded and you can expect some longer than normal wait times. Book ahead where you can and be patient with the larger crowds, the rain showers don't usually last long in Orlando!

Looking for even more things to do in Orlando on a rainy day? Check out these other guides:

Best Brunch In Orlando: The Definitive Guide
Everything You Need To Know About Shopping In Orlando
The Best Museums In Orlando