Family friendly

Katie Sagal

Things to Do in Miami When it Rains

Miami is a fabulous city all year round, with warm tropical temperatures and sunny days. Of course, that doesn’t mean there’s no chance of rain here and there, especially on humid days.

If you run into a rainy day in Miami and are looking for ways to fill up your time, check out our best suggestions for top things to do in Miami when it rains. A few of our favorite rainy day activities include...

Pérez Art Museum
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami Children’s Museum
Big Bus Miami Tours
And more!

Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Miami

Image of City, Metropolis, Urban, Person, Water, Waterfront, Adult, Female, Woman, Male, Man, Bus, Vehicle,

If you want to tour the city on wheels without the hassle of driving, then a Hop On Hop Off Big Bus tour is an excellent option. An enclosed double-decker bus keeps you dry, and the narration will guide you around the city's sights. Choose from the Beach Loop or the City Loop and pass by popular landmarks and attractions like Biscayne Bay, Jungle Island, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, and the Wynwood District.

This is a hop-on hop-off option, so if the weather clears up (or if you’re feeling adventurous), feel free to disembark and explore at your leisure.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Image of House, Housing, Villa, Water, Waterfront, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery,

You will want to sneak a little time outside to explore the lush tropical gardens at the historic Vizcaya estate, but the interior of this gorgeous mansion has plenty for you to explore away from bad weather. This early twentieth-century masterpiece was inspired by classical European architecture. Inside, you’ll find hundreds of works of art, from paintings and sculptures to antique furnishings. The mansion is filled to the brim with treasures that introduce visitors to the height of America's Gilded Age.

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Image of Adult, Female, Person, Woman, Hair,

Another one for art lovers, the Pérez Art Museum in Miami offers amazing collections of contemporary and modern art. The building itself is an impressive structure, offering beautiful views of Biscayne Bay and its own hanging gardens. The exhibitions highlight Miami's diverse community and pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of America.

You can take advantage of the free daily tours that are led by museum guides. These 45-minute tours cover the entire museum and will enhance your visit. There are also frequent special programs for kids and rotating exhibits, too, so there’s always something different going on at this museum.

Miami Children’s Museum

Image of Building, Hotel, Resort, Convention Center, House, Housing, Villa, Shopping Mall, Grass,

The hardest part about a rainy family vacation is occupying the kids. Solve that problem with a visit to the Miami Children’s Museum. It’s one of our favorite kid-centric institutions, offering dozens of interactive (and bilingual!) exhibits for children of all ages.

You'll find everything from interactive bank and supermarket exhibits to rock-climbing walls and a massive model cruise ship. The kids will love climbing through the Castle of Dreams, a two-story sandcastle, and learning about how to care for animals at the Pet Clinic. It's the perfect way to make the best of a dreary day.

Big Bus Miami: Night Tour

Image of Hat, Sun Hat, Boy, Child, Male, Person,

See Miami come alive in the nighttime with a 90-minute Big Bus Miami Night Tour past the most popular Miami landmarks. Your tour will start on iconic Ocean Drive in South Beach. You'll pass by all the most popular clubs and restaurants as the night is just heating up - all the neon lights will be on and flashing!

Your guide will teach you all about the city's history and culture as you zip by the Art Deco District and beyond. It's the perfect way to get to know the Magic City after dark.

Enjoy some Shopping

Image of Hotel, Resort, City, Summer, Grass, Nature, Outdoors, Park, Person, Palm Tree, Tree, Urban, Garden,

By Averette (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Another fun way to keep yourself occupied indoors is with some quality shopping time. A few popular malls in the Miami area include Dadeland Mall (with the largest Macy’s in the entire state), the eclectic Lincoln Road, and the massive Aventura Mall.

You could also check out the Shops at Midtown Miami, pictured above. If the weather clears up and you want to stroll a bit outside, then Bayside Marketplace is a must, offering shopping alongside dining and sightseeing opportunities galore.

Orlando Attractions

If you have access to a car and want to make the trip up to Orlando, then there are plenty of additional attraction options to enjoy indoors, from the iconic Kennedy Space Center to kid-favorite WonderWorks. There's even a Ripley's Believe it or Not! in Orlando.

Pick up a Go Orlando pass and make the most of a trip to this city of theme parks and wonder!

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Image of Electronics, Screen, Computer Hardware, Hardware, Monitor, TV, Person,

Visit the home of many of mankind's greatest accomplishments: Kennedy Space Center. This NASA space center is the only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet real astronauts, see giant rockets, and train in a spaceflight simulator.

If you time your visit well, you might even see a launch yourself. The Kennedy Space Center tour is a perfect rainy day activity. The kids will love the chance to feel like a NASA astronaut.

WonderWorks

Image of Finger, Hand, Person, Boy, Child, Male, Sphere,

This bizarre arena of oddities is another great place to visit if you're spending the day in Orlando. Everything inside WonderWorks will make you feel like your world has been flipped upside down.

With over 100 interactive exhibits that will have you questioning everything, it's like an amusement park for the mind. At one exhibit, you'll be blown away by 71 MPH winds in a hurricane simulator, in another you'll experience an earthquake of massive proportions, and in another you can put yourself inside a bubble and elevate. There's nowhere else like it!

Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando

Image of Child, Female, Girl, Person, Boy, Male, Face, Head, Photography, Portrait, Grass, Animal, Cattle, Cow, Livestock, Mammal, Bull, Zoo,

The Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando building is quite literally slanted, so you know you're in for an unbelievable visit from the start. Enter the sinking building and feast your eyes on hundreds of quirky exhibits. Within the walls of the 16 unique galleries, you'll find shrunken heads, dinosaur bones, a micro-sculpture room, a tribute to Robert Wadlow (the World's Tallest Man) and plenty more. You can't find this kind of stuff anywhere else.

Theatrical Performances

Culture buffs will love the opportunity to take advantage of Miami’s diverse theater scene. You’ll find everything from classic opera or ballet to indie performances. There are many well-regarded venues in the city, like the Adrienne Arscht Center for the Performing Arts, the Olympia Theater, and the Tower Theater. Several of these venues are historical, too, so it's a chance to view beautiful architectural styles as well.

Rainy Day Recap

Looking for some fun things to do indoors? Admission to many of the below rainy day activities are available on the Go Miami pass. Choose as you go from a number of fun attractions and save on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions & prices.

We hope you'll add a few of these rainy day attractions and landmarks to your Miami to-do list. We promise these attractions will make even the dreariest of vacation days much better. To save money and make your planning easier, consider picking up an all-inclusive Go Miami pass. It includes admission to many of the attractions on this rainy day list.

Love this article? Why not share it: