Guide

Rainy Day? Twelve Things to Do Indoors

Gulf storms blow through fast, but when an afternoon is a write-off, here is where to go instead of the beach.

Discover850 ·

Summer afternoons on the Gulf coast often bring a short, dramatic thunderstorm that clears within an hour. Sometimes they do not. Options, roughly west to east:

  • National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola — one of the largest aviation museums in the world, and free to enter.
  • Pensacola Museum of History and the historic village downtown.
  • Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, Fort Walton Beach.
  • Indoor climbing, bowling and axe throwing — every larger town has at least one.
  • Destin Commons and Silver Sands — covered shopping with cinemas attached.
  • Wonderworks, Panama City Beach — the upside-down building on Front Beach Road.
  • Ripley's and the arcades along the PCB boardwalk.
  • Panama City Center for the Arts — free galleries in the old downtown library.
  • Science and Discovery Center of Northwest Florida.
  • Brewery and distillery tasting rooms — several offer tours.
  • Tallahassee's museums — the Museum of Florida History and the Tallahassee Museum.
  • Orman House and the Raney House, Apalachicola — historic homes on the bluff.

A practical note: many smaller museums in the region close on Sundays and Mondays. Check before you drive.

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