There are lots of great rainy day activities in Asheville, NC. This means that if it’s raining in the city, it definitely doesn’t mean you have to stay home.
The indoor activities in the city will surprise you for sure as there are many fun ones you can do. From seeing antique cars to going to the movies to learning about art, you’ll love the indoor activities for sure.
So if you’re visiting Asheville and it’s cloudy, no worries! I got you covered. Below, you find the best things to do on a rainy day in Asheville.
Rainy Day Activities in Asheville
Have Fun at the Asheville Pinball Museum
When it’s raining outside, the Asheville Pinball Museum can be a great place to check out.
At the Asheville Pinball Museum, you can find 35 pinball machines and 35 classic arcade games, so there are 70 games to play in total.
The machines that you can find here are very unique and a lot of fun to play, and what’s nice is that you only pay an admission fee of 15 dollars. After that, you can play the games as many times as you like!
Going to the Asheville Pinball Museum is also one of the best things to do in Asheville. Keep in mind that this is a very popular place in the city and that there’s a limit to the number of people that are allowed inside, so it can be very busy when you go here.
Address: 1 Battle Square Ste 1b, Asheville, NC 28801
See a Movie at the Fine Arts Theatre
Another great indoor activity in Asheville is going to the Fine Arts Theatre.
This is a movie theater where you can see art and independent films.
This place is perfect when it rains outside and you want to discover a great new film.
Also, what’s nice is that this movie theater is very small and has an intimate atmosphere, so it’s also great if you’re looking for date ideas in Asheville.
You can find this movie theater in Downtown Asheville, close to many other places in the city.
Besides being great for seeing movies, this place is also great for its snacks.
You can get delicious popcorn at the Fine Arts Theatre and there are other tasty snacks as well.
Address: 36 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
See Cars at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum
A rainy day in Asheville can be the perfect time to go to a museum, and one of the best museums in Asheville is the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum.
This is a museum that you can find at Grovewood Village.
It is the only vintage car museum in the city and you can find a beautiful collection here.
The cars that you can find at the museum were collected by Harry D. Blomberg, and the museum was founded in the year 1966.
There are very old vehicles, including two Ford Model Ts.
There’s also a 1922 American LaFrance fire truck.
What’s nice about this museum as well is that there is no admission fee. So you can visit this museum completely for free!
Address: 111 Grovewood Rd, Asheville, NC 28804
Bowl at Sky Lanes Bowling
Sky Lanes Bowling is a bowling alley that is located at 1477 Patton Avenue in the city.
The bowling alley has a lovely atmosphere and good lanes.
It is a wonderful place for a fun and competitive game of bowling when it is raining outside.
Also, what’s nice is that you can play all sorts of other games at Sky Lanes Bowling.
For example, it is possible to play pool at this bowling alley.
This combined with great food and drinks makes the bowling alley one of the best indoor places in Asheville if you want to have a fun time!
Address: 1477 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28806
Have Coffee at Double D’s Coffee & Desserts
Getting a cup of coffee at a cozy coffee shop can be a very nice rainy day activity in Asheville, and there are lots of great options in the city.
One of the best places for this is Double D’s Coffee & Desserts.
This is a unique coffee shop that is located inside a red double-decker bus.
You can get very good coffee here and the baked goods pair very well with the drinks that this place serves.
Furthermore, the interior is very vintage, which makes it a lovely place.
However, keep in mind that there aren’t a lot of seats inside.
Address: 41 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Go to Grove Arcade
Love shopping? Then, you’ll love this place when it’s raining outside.
You can go to the Grove Arcade.
This is a historic building in the downtown historic district of Asheville.
The building is very beautiful to see from the outside because of its Tudor Revival and Late Gothic Revival architectural styles. But when it rains, you likely don’t want to see the building from the outside.
Luckily, the Grove Arcade looks beautiful from the inside too. For example, there is a beautiful roof made of glass.
Grove Arcade is one of the first indoor malls in the United States.
You can find a lot of shops at the arcade, and there are restaurants and places that offer lifestyle services as well. So it is a great place to check out!
Address: 1 Page Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Go to the Grail Moviehouse
The Grail Moviehouse is an independent local moviehouse that is located in the River Arts District and going there is one of the best rainy day activities in Asheville.
A nice selection of arthouse movies takes place at the moviehouse, but there are also mainstream movies. This, combined with the many special events that take place at the movie house, makes that there is definitely something to see at this place for you.
What’s great about this moviehouse as well is that it has a very intimate atmosphere and there are very comfortable couches from where you can see movies. This makes the place a cozy place to visit with your significant other!
What’s nice too is that the concession stand of this place provides you with many choices!
Address: 17 Foundy St, Asheville, NC 28801
Shop at the Asheville Mall
Another great place to go shopping when it rains outside is the Asheville Mall.
This is a large indoor mall with more than 100 stores, including many famous retail stores.
Some of the stores that you can see at the mall are American Eagle, Barnes & Noble, and Foot Locker.
Besides that, there are also great shops to visit with children, such as the Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Besides that, the mall also has many food options. For example, if you want to have a cup of coffee or are looking for a place to get dinner, you can have that here.
Address: 3 S Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805
Play Games at the Asheville Retrocade
The Asheville Retrocade is a very fun place to check out on a rainy day.
You can go to this place every day of the week from 12 PM till 2 AM, but keep in mind that from 9 PM you need to be 21 years or older.
At the Asheville Retrocade, you can find more than 5000 different video games.
Also, there are pinball machines, it is possible to play skeeball here, and there’s much more.
What’s nice is that you only pay 10 dollars to enter this place for unlimited play.
Besides that, you can get all sorts of drinks here, including a variety of craft beers.
Address: 800 Haywood Rd #100, Asheville, NC 28806
Have Food at The S&W Market
The S&W Market is a food hall that you can find in Downtown Asheville.
You can find the S&W Market inside the S&W Building, which is a historic building with an art-deco architectural style. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the S&W Market, there are 6 different food stalls. You can get delicious food at each stall and doing so is one of the most fun indoor things to do on a rainy day in Asheville.
For example, there is one place where you can get delicious ice cream and there is a taproom as well.
If you want to try out different types of food, that’s possible here. Also, this market is the ideal place to have dinner with someone if you both want to have different food.
Address: 56 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Play an Escape Game at Breakout Games Asheville
Another great activity is playing an escape game, and a great place for that in Asheville is Breakout Games Asheville.
Here, you can play an escape game, which is a type of immersive game in which you are locked in a room.
Your objective is to escape from this room, and you have to solve puzzles and find clues to do so. For this, you have to work together with other participants in the game and this is a lot of fun.
At Breakout Games Asheville, there are several types of escape rooms to choose from.
For example, there is one room with a “Wild West” theme. Also, there is an escape room with a “Museum Heist” theme.
Address: 60 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Go to the Asheville Community Theatre and See a Performance
The Asheville Community Theatre is one of the best theaters in Asheville. It’s a local performing arts theater that you can find in Downtown Asheville.
At the theater, you can see all kinds of shows and performances.
For example, you can go here for musicals and plays.
What’s great is that many local artists perform these shows. So if you want to get to know the local performing arts scene, the Asheville Community Theatre is a wonderful place for that!
Besides that, you could do classes at the Asheville Community Theatre. For example, there are improv classes that can be very interesting and fun, especially when it is raining outside.
Address: 35 E Walnut St, Asheville, NC 28801
Throw Axes at the Axeville Axe Throwing Club
Axe throwing is a unique activity that you could do when it is raining outside in Asheville.
It is an activity during which you throw axes at a target.
You can compete against your family or friends and have a fun time in doing so.
What’s nice is that throwing axes is very easy and anyone can do it after getting some instructions.
A great place for axe throwing is the Axeville Axe Throwing Club.
Going here is one of the most fun indoor activities in the city.
And that’s not only because of the activity of axe throwing. Besides that, one can also enjoy a delicious beverage at this place.
Address: 99 New Leicester Hwy #20, Asheville, NC 28806
Go to the Asheville Museum of Science
The Asheville Museum of Science is a fun science museum that is located in the city. Going to this museum is one of the best things to do with kids in Asheville.
That’s because there are many interactive exhibits at this museum through which children can learn about science.
But the museum can be very fun for all ages!
There are different rooms here that all focus on different topics.
For example, there is one space where you can learn about minerals and gems.
Also, there is a place to learn about dinosaurs and there is an area that is dedicated to STEM subjects.
Besides being great because of the many interactive exhibits, this place is also great because of the many interesting artifacts that you can find here, such as fossils.
Address: 43 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Go to the Moogseum
The Moogseum is a museum that can be found in downtown Asheville on 56 Broadway Street.
This museum is a project by the Bob Moog Foundation that is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Bob Moog.
At the museum, you can find many science-based interactive exhibits that focus on history and music.
For example, it is possible to play synthesizers at the museum. Also, you can learn about how electricity can be turned into sound.
Also, there are many unique objects and interesting multi-media exhibits through which one can learn a lot of new things.
Address: 56 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC 28801
See Art at the Asheville Art Museum
Want to see art when it rains in Asheville? Then, you can check out the Asheville Art Museum.
This museum is dedicated to showcasing American art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
The permanent collection is great to see, and so are the temporary exhibitions that take place here.
There are often special exhibitions that focus on art made by artists from Western North Carolina or works that are significant to the cultural heritage of Western North Carolina.
Besides that, there are often activities related to art at the museum that can be great to attend.
So if you want to do something with art while being indoors, the Asheville Art Museum is great for that!
Address: 2 S Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801
See Art at Grovewood Village
Grovewood Village can be great to check out if you like art as well.
This is an area in the city of Asheville where you can find many artist studios, art galleries, and museums.
You can go here to see beautiful local art and craft.
Also, you can check out the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum here.
This is a museum where you can learn about Biltmore Industries, a former company that was known for its high-quality wool fabric.
You can go here to see old machinery, dyeing equipment, and much more, which is very interesting!
Address: 111 Grovewood Rd, Asheville, NC 28804
Go to the Biltmore
When looking for things to do when it rains in Asheville, you could check out one of the most iconic places in the city. You can go to Biltmore, which is a very large historic house museum.
It is a castle-like building that was created for George Vanderbilt.
The mansion is a great example of a Gilded Age mansion.
You can do guided and self-guided tours of the building. Through such a tour, you can see beautiful architecture, historic architecture, and much more. Also, you can learn about the building, which is very interesting!
The building is very impressive to see and it is a must-see when in Asheville.
Address: 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803
Go to a Show at The Magnetic Theatre
The Magnetic Theatre is a nonprofit theater that you can find in the River Arts District of the city.
At The Magnetic Theatre, lots of different performances and programs take place.
For example, you can go o this place for fun and interesting plays, and there are many genres of plays that you can attend here.
What’s great is that local artists perform at this theater.
Also, what’s nice is that the theater has a very intimate atmosphere.
Address: 375 Depot St, Asheville, NC 28801
Go to the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
A rainy day is the perfect occasion to check out the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center.
This is a place that is focused on the preservation of Black Mountain College, a private college in Black Mountain that was active from 1933 till 1957.
Many students of the college became very influential artists.
At the museum, there is a permanent collection of all kinds of objects that relate to Black Mountain College.
For example, there are prints, books, magazines, articles, paintings, photographs, and many other objects.
Also, there are temporary exhibitions at the museum that all focus on very specific topics that relate to Black Mountain College. For example, there was an exhibition about astronomy drawings and there was one exhibition that looked at the influence of Black Mountain College on craft and design.
Address: 120 College St, Asheville, NC 28801
Check Out the Collection of the Asheville Radio Museum
The Asheville Radio Museum is an interesting specialty museum that you could go to.
A visit to this museum is one of the best free things to do in Asheville, and it is a great place for people who want to learn about radios and lots of related subjects.
You can find a lot of vintage home radios here. Also, there are all kinds of objects related to sending and receiving here.
For example, there is equipment that relates to Morse codes.
Address: 340 Victoria Rd Room 315, Asheville, NC 28801
Go to the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is a large complex that consists of 3 venues in downtown Asheville.
You can find the complex in the Pack Square Cultural District and it consists of the Diana Wortham Theatre, the Henry LaBrun Studio, and the Tina McGuire Theatre.
At the complex, there is an interesting program with shows produced by the Wortham Center itself.
Also, there is a student series and there are other types of programs.
You can go here for live theater, dance performances, and live music. I’m sure there is a show that you would like to attend when looking for Asheville rainy day activities.
Each year, there are more than 50 different shows that take place at the center. Seeing a show here is also one of the best things to do at night in Asheville.
Address: 18 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
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Asheville Things To Do When It Rains Tips
Although the Asheville rainy day activities on this list are perfect for avoiding getting wet when it rains outside, you should still get to the places and you don’t want to get wet because of the rain while doing so.
That’s why I recommend looking at where you need to park your car when you check out these places, such that you don’t have to walk a lot through the rain.
Also, you should definitely bring an umbrella with you when checking out these places!
Indoor Things To Do On a Rainy Day in Asheville Map
As you see, there are lots of things to do on a rainy day in Asheville, NC! I hope you found some indoor activities you want to do on this list.