If it’s pouring outside, you can still have a lot of fun, because there are many perfect rainy day activities in Charlotte.
Charlotte is a city with a lot of amazing things to do, including many incredible indoor activities. From seeing art to listening to music to playing games, there are many great activities to choose from if your outdoor plans got canceled because of the rain.
I made this guide with the most fun things to do on a rainy day in Charlotte, and I made sure to include a large variety of great indoor activities so there’s definitely something for your liking.
Rainy Day Activities in Charlotte
Go to Mint Museum Uptown and See Art
Mint Museum Uptown is one of the locations of The Mint Museum, which you can find in Charlotte. The museum is part of the Levine Center for the Arts, which also includes other cultural institutions.
At Mint Museum Uptown, you can find a collection of objects related to craft and design from all around the world.
In addition to that, the museum has a collection of American art, and you can go here to see contemporary art.
A rainy day is a great day to see art, and at this museum, you can find an impressive collection. It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to see what the museum has on display.
Address: 500 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Play an Escape Game at Exit Strategy With Friends
An escape game is a great type of game to play when it is raining in Charlotte and you want to have fun with friends.
It is a game that is very immersive and that takes place indoors. During an escape game, your objective is to escape from a room, and you can do this by solving puzzles and finding clues to solve said puzzles. Once you complete all the puzzles, you’ll be able to escape from the room and win the game, but you have to do this within a certain time limit.
When you are in Charlotte, a great place for playing an escape game is Exit Strategy. It has two locations and at each of the locations, you can find various rooms with a unique theme.
Address: 4215 Stuart Andrew Blvd B, Charlotte, NC 28217
Attend a Performance at the Knight Theater
The Knight Theater, which is part of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, is a performing arts theater with a capacity of 1,192 people.
Throughout the year, lots of different events take place at the theater, including musicals and concerts.
For example, there are incredible concerts of the Charlotte Symphony and there might be a concert that you can go to when it is raining outside.
The Knight Theater shares a lobby space with the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, which means that it is easy to combine going to that museum and seeing a show at the Knight Theater. So when it is raining outside and there is a show that you want to attend, I recommend also going to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
Address: 430 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Learn About History at the Levine Museum of the New South
The Levine Museum of the New South is one of the best museums in Charlotte. The history museum was founded about 30 years ago and makes for a great rainy day activity in Charlotte.
The museum is dedicated to telling everyone’s story and through its rotating exhibitions you can learn about the history of the city of Charlotte and its surrounding area.
There are both permanent and temporary exhibitions, and each exhibition of the museum allows you to learn about a very specific part of history.
Besides that, a broad range of events take place at the museum.
For example, you can go to an event in the “Author Talks” series. During such an event, the public can learn about authors and contemporary books related to history.
There are also special family days at the museum, and there are many other types of events.
Address: 401 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Have a Cup of Coffee at Not Just Coffee
Not Just Coffee is a wonderful coffee shop with several locations in Charlotte.
The coffee shop was founded in 2011 and you can get amazing brews here.
Whether you want to have a pour-over coffee, espresso, or another type of coffee drink, you can get it at this place.
In addition to that, Not Just Coffee organizes classes.
Visiting one of the cozy locations of this coffee shop while watching the rain outside is a great experience.
Address: 2230 Park Rd #102, Charlotte, NC 28203
Relax at the Spa of the Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte
The spa of the Grand Bohemian Hotel is a wonderful place if you want to have a relaxing time. You can go here to relax while it is pouring outside.
The Poseidon Spa offers massages, body therapy, facial treatments, and a variety of other relaxing treatments.
You can do these treatments while enjoying mesmerizing views of the city from the penthouse location of the spa.
Keep in mind that you need to make an appointment before going here, walk-ins are not possible at the spa. The spa is open every day of the week.
Address: 201 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Go to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interesting museum that you can find in Uptown Charlotte. You can find this place on E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
A rainy day is a great opportunity to learn new things, and at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, you can learn about the history and heritage of NASCAR.
At the facility, which opened in the year 2010, you can see all kinds of objects and interactive exhibits.
There is also a modern theater and a Hall of Honor where you can learn about the people who played an important role in the sport.
Address: 400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202
Bowl at AMF University Lanes
AMF University Lanes is a bowling alley with 40 bowling lanes that’s perfect if you’re looking for fun indoor things to do when it rains in Charlotte.
The bowling lanes of this bowling alley are very modern and feature black lights. In addition to that, there are soft lounge seats that make your bowling experience more pleasant.
You can also play billiards here on one of the several tables, and there is an arcade area with fun games to play.
In addition to that, there is a bar where you can have drinks and food, including delicious pizza and a variety of tasty drinks.
Address: 5900 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28213
Check Out Big Air Trampoline Park
The Big Air Trampoline Park Charlotte is a great place to go when it is raining and you want to do something with kids in Charlotte.
This is an indoor trampoline park with wall-to-wall trampolines that children can jump on to have a fun time.
There is also a special “Toddler Time”, during which only younger kids can have fun at the park.
In addition to that, when it is Friday or Saturday night and it is raining, you can go to Big Air Trampoline Park for “Cosmic Nights”. During this event, the lights are turned down, there is music, and there are lasers and strobes. You can also combine going here with having pizza slices at the park.
Address: 2408 Sardis Rd N, Charlotte, NC 28227
Try a Variety of Food at The Market at 7th Street
The Market at 7th Street is a non-profit food hall that you can find at 224 East 7th Street in the city of Charlotte.
At the food hall, there are many vendors that sell all kinds of food items. For example, you can get amazing pizza, delicious sushi, acai bowls, and much more here.
This food hall is great if you want to discover new food when it is raining outside, as you can find many different food vendors in one indoor space.
Besides that, the food hall is also a great place to go when it rains with friends as you can all have the food that you like and eat it in the same space.
You can go here all day, so whether you want to have breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, this place is great for that!
Address: 224 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
See a Show at the Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
The Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is one of the best theaters in Charlotte. This is the largest venue of the three venues that are part of the center.
This is a performing arts theater with a capacity of 2,118 people and it is a place where you can enjoy Broadway shows, concerts, comedy shows, and many other types of shows.
Because of the large number of events that take place at the theater, there is a large chance that there is an event that you can attend when you’re looking for rainy day activities in Charlotte.
What’s unique about the theater is that it has a contemporary European horseshoe arrangement. Because of this, every seat is situated less than 135 feet from the stage.
Address: 130 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Play Games at Super Abari Game Bar
The Super Abari Game Bar is a fun place in the city where you can find more than 100 different games and pinball tables.
These games also include vintage arcade games that are very fun to play.
In addition to that, the Super Abari Game Bar is a bar where you can get all sorts of drinks, including unique draft beers.
There are also many special events that take place here, including game leagues. When you like the games of this place after going here when it is pouring outside, you might want to come here more often and attend one of the events.
Address: 1015 Seigle Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
See a Comedy Show at The Comedy Zone
The Comedy Zone is a full-service comedy club that you can find in the North Carolina Music Factory. The comedy venue has 400 seats.
Lots of comedy events take place at the comedy club throughout the year, including great acts by well-known comedians.
There is a show at the club almost every day, so when it is raining there is likely a show that you could attend.
In addition to offering great comedy, The Comedy Zone also offers great food and drinks.
For example, you can get great tacos, sandwiches, and churros at the venue. There are also many cocktails, mocktails, wines, and other types of drinks here.
Address: 900 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd B3, Charlotte, NC 28206
See Art at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is a museum that you can find inside the Levine Center for the Arts.
The museum has an interesting permanent collection that consists of works by artists from Europe and the United States. Some of the artists whose works are included in the collection include Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Carlos Cruz-Diez.
You can discover the 2,000 works from the permanent collection through changing exhibitions.
Seeing the permanent collection can be fun when it is raining outside, but you could also go to one of the events that the museum organizes. For example, there are often concerts at the museum, there are film screenings, and there are other types of events.
Address: 420 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Learn About History at the Charlotte Museum of History
The Charlotte Museum of History is a museum where you can learn about the history of the Charlotte region. The museum aims to connect the city’s past to the city’s “current issues and opportunities”.
You can find seven galleries at the museum where you can see both permanent and changing exhibits. Together, these exhibits let you learn about a period of about 400 years and about how the community has changed over time.
In addition to that, often there are interesting events at the museum, including concerts.
There is a lot to see when you explore the indoor galleries of the museum, but there are outdoor areas as well. These areas are great to explore during another time.
Address: 3500 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215
Catch a Movie at the Ayrsley Grand Cinema
The Ayrsley Grand Cinema, located on Kings Parade Boulevard, is a modern movie theater where you can see the latest Hollywood movies and classics.
Spending some time here to watch a movie is a great thing to do on a rainy day in Charlotte.
The movie theater has great reclining seats that are very comfortable and there are great concessions that you can get at Ayrsley Grand Cinema.
Address: 9110 Kings Parade Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273
Go to Discovery Place Science and Learn New Things
Discovery Place Science is a science museum that you can find on North Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte. The museum has interesting interactive exhibits and wonderful displays through which you can learn about many aspects of science.
The museum is also a great place to visit with kids when it is raining outside.
There are both permanent as well as temporary exhibitions at the museum. For example, there is one exhibition that is dedicated to humans stepping foot on the moon.
There is also a permanent kids’ exhibition where children ages 7 and under can learn about science by playing.
Besides that, there is an IMAX theater at the museum where you can see great shows about science, including shows about the universe.
In addition to that, there are experiments and special events that you can attend when you go here.
Address: 301 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
See a Show at the Ovens Auditorium
The Ovens Auditorium is a venue that you can find at 2700 East Independence Boulevard, close to the Bojangles Coliseum, and dates back to the year 1955.
It is the largest performing arts theater in the city of Charlotte and seats more than 2,400 people.
A variety of events, including Broadway musicals and concerts by well-known artists, take place at the Ovens Auditorium, and there might be an event that you would like to attend when it is going to rain or currently raining.
Address: 2900 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28205
Attend an Event at the Bojangles Coliseum
The Bojangles Coliseum, located adjacent to the Ovens Auditorium, is an arena with 8,600 seats that is located in Charlotte.
The venue dates back to the 1950s and throughout the years concerts by many famous musicians took place here, among other types of events.
A large number of events take place at the Coliseum during the year and these make for fun rainy day activities in Charlotte. From concerts to sporting events to ice skating shows for the whole family, there is an event for everyone’s liking and there might be a great event to attend for you when it is raining outside.
Address: 2700 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28205
Go to a Live Music Event at Neighborhood Theatre
The Neighborhood Theatre is a live music venue that you can find in Charlotte’s NoDa area.
The building in which you can find the theater used to be a movie theater at the time of its construction in the year 1945. This movie theater closed in the 70s, but it was restored in 1997 and converted into a live music venue.
From performances by local artists to national acts, many types of shows take place here. Moreover, the independent theater offers a very diverse lineup, which means that there is great live music for everyone’s liking.
Address: 511 E 36th St, Charlotte, NC 28205
See Art at Mint Museum Randolph
Mint Museum Randolph is another location of The Mint Museum, with the other location being Mint Museum Uptown, and going here is also a great thing to do when it rains in Charlotte.
The Randolph location is the original ranch of the museum and it opened in 1936. You can find this location in the Eastover neighborhood.
The collection of Mint Museum Randolph is very diverse. It includes objects from the ancient Americas.
Furthermore, the permanent collection consists of works of African and European art, decorative arts, and many other works.
In addition to that, there are special exhibitions at the museum. Each exhibition offers something else and will surprise you. For example, there might be an exhibition about the design of everyday objects or there might be an exhibition with art made by local artists.
Address: 2730 Randolph Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207
Go to the Dale F. Halton Theater and See a Show
The Dale F. Halton Theater is a performing arts theater that is part of the Central Piedmont Community College.
The venue has a capacity of 1,020 people and has a beautiful design because it was built in the style of a 19th-century opera house.
A variety of shows take place at the theater throughout the year, including musicals and ballet shows that are great for the whole family.
Address: 1206 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
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As you see, there are many fun indoor activities in the city. Thanks for reading my guide to the best rainy day activities in Charlotte!