75 Best Indoor Places In America For Fun (When It's Too Cold Outside)

In order to determine which spots provide the nation's top indoor experiences, we started by combing through our own lists of top destinations, museums and date spots. Many of the places on our list earned a spot through their iconic cultural or historic status, whereas others (such as certain aquariums or waterparks) are the biggest or first of their kind. Media coverage and social media buzz also played a factor in determining which indoor places are most well-loved by both locals and tourists. Above all, we looked for venues that are family-friendly, whether that means they're a place equally enjoyable for everyone or somewhere to keep the kids happily occupied on a day off. We did our best to not only cover the top indoor spots in the country overall but to also make sure that these 75 places are scattered throughout the country (or rather, the part of it that gets really, really cold).

Pennsylvania's ski lodges are the ultimate winter destination, but Camelback Lodge in particular is great for when you're sick of the cold. The resort has two waterparks, one of which is Aquatopia, a year-round indoor park home to 13 water slides, seven pools, a swim-up bar and multiple interactive play centers. Named Best Indoor Waterpark by USA Today's 2019 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, Aquatopia has a transparent roof that allows guests to get some sunshine no matter what time of year it is.

A great spot for agile, aspiring tightrope walkers of all ages — as long as you're 48 inches or taller, or 42 inches if accompanied by a chaperone — BeanStalk Adventure Ropes Course is a ropes course and zip line about 12 to 24 feet above the ground with crisscross walks, angled rope ladders, zig-zag beams and spaghetti hand lines, among other challenges. Children between the ages of 2 and 7 can also take on a more age-appropriate course called BeanSprout.

Catching a show on Broadway is one of those travel clichés that are actually worth experiencing, especially if you manage to nab tickets to a mega-hit such as "Hamilton," "The Lion King" or "The Book of Mormon." The leading destination in the world of theater, Broadway has been home to the absolute best performances in the business for nearly a century now, and it's an absolute must for any tourist in Manhattan.

An iconic Chicago landmark that first opened its doors in 1921, the Chicago Theatre is a famous venue for stage plays, music concerts, stand-up comedy shows and other performances and talks. Not only does the theater host top acts from around the world, but its French baroque architecture is a sight to behold.

When in doubt on where to take the kids on a cold day, Chuck E. Cheese really is the perfect place "where a kid can be a kid," eating pizza while playing games and going on small rides. There are about 615 locations worldwide, and you'll find Chuck E. Cheese franchises across the country where families can have fun and go home with hard-earned prizes.

Dave & Buster's is a chain that's part arcade, part restaurant and part sports bar, providing loads of indoor fun and games for adults. Each of its more than 120 locations in the United States and Canada serves food such as burgers, chicken, steaks, pastas, and desserts from early lunchtime until late at night, and there are plenty of interactive games and simulators for some wholesome fun.

One of the most chilling abandoned places in America, Eastern State Penitentiary is a former prison that operated from 1829 until 1971. Inmates included famed gangster Al Capone and notorious bank robber Willie Sutton, and today it stands as an officially designated National Historic Landmark, open to the public as a museum for tours seven days a week and as a haunted attraction around Halloween.

Boston is a great city for outdoor adventurers, but there's plenty to do indoors when it gets chilly in Beantown. Right near the waterfront, you'll find Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which consists of four historic buildings — Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market, and South Market — and contains an indoor mall as well as food halls. Try all sorts of foods, discover interesting trinkets and enjoy this most historic location.

With two locations in New Jersey, the Funplex is an indoor amusement center that's fun for the whole family. Not only does it have rides and arcade games, but the complex has go-karts, laser tag, bumper cars and a 4D theater as well. In May 2019, Funplex completed a $5 million expansion at its East Hanover location that includes a new bowling section, projection screens and new rides.

When it's too cold to go swimming or snorkeling, an aquarium is the perfect place to admire marine life. Located in Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium holds 10 million gallons of water, within which it houses more than 100,000 animals from about 500 different species, making it the largest aquarium in America (and the second largest in the world). Notable residents of the Georgia Aquarium include beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, manta rays and whale sharks.

A leader in regional theater, Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater is not only a venue for theater performances and production, but it's also a top spot for theater education and training through summer camps, workshops, student matinees and master classes. The Tony Award-winning, not-for-profit theater hosts shows throughout the year, from classics to original productions.

Also known as the Edison Institute or the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, the Henry Ford is an officially designated National Historic Landmark located outside Detroit, the car capital of the world. Founded by automobile industrialist Henry Ford himself, the museum is dedicated to celebrating and chronicling "authentic objects, stories, and lives from America's traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and innovation." Among its many impressive displays are the chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre, John F. Kennedy's presidential limousine, the Rosa Parks bus, Thomas Edison's laboratory and the Wright brothers' bicycle shop.

Portland, Maine, is home to the world's only museum dedicated to cryptozoology, or the study of animals whose existence is unproven. At the International Cryptozoology Museum, guests can explore the possibilities of mysteries such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, mermaids, the Jersey Devil and more with recreations, eyewitness accounts and even alleged hair samples. The museum has been listed on many "weirdest museums" lists by the likes of CNN, Time magazine and Fodor's Travel.

The largest indoor amusement park in the northeast, iPlay America has over 200 games and rides, as well as laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, a carousel, a ropes course, mini bowling and a 4D theater. There's also a full-service bar and grill for when all the fun and games make you hungry.

The second-largest mall in America, the King of Prussia Mall is located in the Philadelphia area and hosts about 25 million visitors annually. Its nearly 3 million square feet contain seven major department stores and more than 400 shops and restaurants, with four food courts. There are so many options for shopping and entertainment here that it's been estimated that approximately 20% of shoppers are tourists.

Hanging out with cats is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, and at Koneko, you can cuddle with a cat while enjoying a cup of coffee or a glass of sake. Inspired by Japanese cat cafés — Koneko means "kitten" in Japanese — this café and sake bar on Manhattan's Lower East Side has a Japanese-influenced menu that also includes beer and wine, as well as the chance to hang out with about 20 cats, all of whom are adoptable. Koneko's main mission is to find "furrever homes" for cats who have previously been on the "at-risk" list, meaning they were scheduled to be euthanized before being rescued by Anjellicle Cats Rescue, which partners with the café. Only the second cat café to open in New York City, Koneko has been featured in The New York Times, HuffPost and Time magazine among other national publications.

Discover your love of science at Jersey City's Liberty Science Center, an interactive science museum and learning center within Liberty State Park. Enjoy an impressive array of science exhibits as well as the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, which has 400 seats and a nearly 90-foot-diameter dome.

There are multiple Madame Tussauds locations throughout the country and the world, with the original being in London, but possibly the most popular in the U.S. is the iconic Times Square location. Explore its five floors and pose with wax renditions of your favorite celebrities, icons and characters, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Rihanna, Lionel Messi, Muhammad Ali, Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, Anderson Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Spider-Man, E.T. and more. There are over 200 figures in total at this location and new wax figures are frequently added. Other U.S. locations include Hollywood, Las Vegas, Orlando, San Francisco, Nashville and Washington, D.C.

America's biggest mall is aptly named the Mall of America, located in Bloomington, a suburb of the Twin Cities. With 96.4 acres of retail space, it has more than 520 stores. The fun here isn't just limited to shopping, however — there are two food courts, mini-golfing and a Crayola Experience, as well as movie theaters, an aquarium, a comedy club and a virtual reality sports entertainment center. Most famous of MOA's many amenities is Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park with 27 rides and attractions, as well as all sorts of kid-friendly events throughout the year featuring their favorite Nickelodeon characters.

Another one of the best indoor water parks in North America is at Massanutten Resort, a popular ski resort in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians. The water here is always perfectly heated to 84 degrees F, and guests of all ages will enjoy their water slides, wave simulator, pools, lazy rivers and hot tubs. The waterpark is surrounded by three floors of shops, restaurants and an arcade, so there's plenty to do once you're done swimming.

Enjoy dinner theater medieval-style at one of nine U.S. locations of Medieval Times, an amazing experience for people of all ages. Try out delicious Dark Ages-inspired fare as you take in a show full of jousting, sword fighting and medieval-style games presided over by a king and his advisor — or possibly queen, if you visit the New Jersey location.

The largest and most diversified museum in Montana, the Miracle of America Museum is made up of about 40 buildings filled with all sorts of oddities and whimsical objects d'art. Discover more than 120,000 items that represent American history and progress since the country's founding. Nicknamed the "Smithsonian of the West," its collection includes interesting and rare objects such as Victorian hair art, an 1880s hearse, trucks and helicopters from the World War II and Vietnam War eras, rare motorcycles and more.

The Museum of Bad Art is the only museum in the world dedicated to, well, bad art. The museum's collection consists of more than 700 pieces salvaged from thrift stores, curbsides and dumpsters — all original artworks and created with sincere intent. In the words of co-founder Marie Jackson, the museum's purpose is "to celebrate an artist's right to fail, gloriously." Currently located in the basement of the Somerville Theater in Davis Square (after a series of unfortunate events caused the other branches to shut down), about 20 to 25 pieces are on display to the public at a time, each with a written interpretation alongside it. The gallery is currently closed due to ongoing building renovations but expected to re-open once they are completed.

The Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP, is a nonprofit museum that celebrates the importance and history of pop culture with exhibits that cover movies, video games, literature and more. Get hands-on at Sound Lab, where you can play instruments, or explore the history of the electric guitar in American music at the Guitar Gallery. The museum is also home to all kinds of music-related artifacts such as personal instruments, hand-written lyrics and more from Seattle musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana. MoPOP also has educational resources such as workshops and outreach programs to encourage creativity among youth and aspiring artists and writers.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. is the second most popular museum in the United States behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York — and the fifth most visited in the world — with 6.2 million visitors in 2018. A museum and research center dedicated to the science and history of aviation, spaceflight, planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics, NASM has all sorts of aircraft of great significance on display. Visitors can see the Wright brothers' plane in person, and other notable displays throughout the museum include the plane Charles Lindbergh flew for the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, the first manned aircraft to break the sound barrier and the first aircraft to orbit the Earth.

Located on the National Mall in the nation's capital, the National Gallery of Art is free and open to the public. It's home to many major works of art with pieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichenstein, Andy Warhol, Mary Cassatt and Raphael, and it hosts the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas. The museum itself is a work of art too; the West Building was designed by John Russell Pope in the neoclassical style, while the modern East Building is the work of I.M. Pei.

Another Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of Natural History is free and open every day except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas and hosted about 4.8 million visitors in 2018. Its collections hold more than 126 million specimens of all sorts of animals, fossils, human remains, meteorites, minerals, plants, rocks and cultural artifacts, and the 185 scientists who work there form the largest group of scientists studying and researching natural and cultural history in the world.

Minneapolis native Prince remains a national icon, and fans and music lovers alike can pay tribute to him at Paisley Park, his home and recording complex which was turned into a museum in 2016. Tour the studios where he recorded, mixed and produced some of his biggest hits as well as the soundstage where he held many rehearsals and held exclusive shows. Afterward, you can grab a bite at the vegetarian Paisley Park Kitchen. Thousands of Prince's personal items, such as his artwork, awards, musical instruments, wardrobe and rare music video recordings are on display, and his ashes can be seen in the main entrance, held in an urn shaped like Paisley Park itself.

Geared toward children under the age of 8, the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia encourages learning through touch and play, with exhibits on trains, planes and automobiles as well as an area dedicated to the world of "Alice in Wonderland" and a Fairytale Garden. At this highly interactive museum, kids and their families can ride on a restored carousel and explore everything from the rainforests to outer space in order to broaden their knowledge and curiosity.

At R1 Indoor Karting, guests can speed along a climate-controlled, European-style asphalt track with the ensured protection of state-of-the-art safety barriers. Using brand-new electric carts — meaning no exhaust — R1 Indoor Karting provides the ultimate go-karting experience thanks to its custom-designed track, which includes sharp turns, fast straightaways and even an overpass. Receive a detailed report of your performance and afterward, check out the venue's restaurant and bowling and billiards area.

Honoring and chronicling the history and achievements of the artists, producers, engineers and others who influenced rock and roll most, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a fascinating stop for any music-lover. Learn about the history of the genre as a whole in addition to seeing the exhibit honoring the hall's famous inductees. The museum's exhibits explore the genres that influenced rock and roll as well as the cities that had the biggest influence in its development. In addition to the many exhibits, the Hall also has two theaters, one of which features a film about the origins of rock and roll while the other plays films on a variety of topics.

Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark at Silver Mountain Resort is the largest indoor waterpark in the state, with all the best ways to relax if you don't feel like freezing on the slopes. Surf on the Flow Rider's 35 mph waves or ride the Moose Sluice, a rafting ride with an intense waterslide. Shoot hoops in a warm pool or relax in their Warm Springs or on the North Fork Lazy River.

You'll find both indoor skydiving and surfing at this adrenaline-fueled attraction in southern New Hampshire. If you have a fear of heights, you won't have to worry as you float above a trampoline floor, and those looking to try surfing for the first time have a great opportunity with a 32-foot SurfStream, the first standing wave machine with seven different types of waves for people of any skill set. You can also try out their Fishpipe, a water ride that makes you feel a bit like a hamster in a ball as you run in the bottom of a barrel that rotates around you with one or two other riders. SkyVenture also has a 24-foot rock climbing wall with routes for beginners, intermediate climbers and experts.

Book a one-bedroom suite at Timber Ridge Lodge and you'll automatically receive four free waterpark passes (six if you book a two-bedroom) to Moose Mountain Falls. Thirty-fivefoot-high slides will take you down a 300-foot-long ride full of adrenaline-filled twists and turns before dropping you into a heated pool. Those looking for a bit more relaxation will find the park's 500-foot lazy river suits their needs. Located in Lake Geneva, the resort waterpark also has an activity pool for kids ages 7 to 10 as well as a safer water play area for tinier guests.

One of the best escape room experiences in Boston, Trapology is known for its seriously immersive and very challenging missions, having been named the top escape room in Boston by multiple media outlets as well as listed in the top 10 Best Escape Rooms by the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards in 2016. From jail cells to camping tents to underwater submarines, you and your team have to use your best critical thinking skills and puzzle-solving capabilities to escape before time runs out. It should be noted that the founders of this company started Trapology after being jaded by how easy other escape games were.

Escape the cold at the largest indoor waterpark in the Dakotas, a 30,000-square-foot space with six water slides, a lazy river, a hot tub spa, a water jungle gym and an activity pool. WaTiki Indoor Waterpark is also part of a complex that includes a large arcade, multiple restaurants and four hotels in case you need a place to stay.

Not far from the Oregon Zoo, the World Forestry Center is a nonprofit educational center dedicated to raising awareness and education about the world's trees and forests, particularly their importance to humans and the environment in order to work toward a more eco-conscious and sustainable society. Different exhibits show what the forest looks like from a bird's-eye view, let you observe the beauty of different types of wood and take you on a raft ride, among other attractions. Learn about forestry and the people who work in it, and discover how different regions around the world deal with their forests and what challenges are involved.