23 Things to Do in Philadelphia When It's Raining

Golf has deep roots in Greater Philadelphia dating back to the 1890s, and the region is home to premier private clubs, public golf courses and indoor mini-golf. When you can’t hit the links outdoors, try a round of nine or 18 holes among Philly-centric murals by local designer Corey Danks at Libertee Grounds’ indoor mini-golf spot, which spans two floors in a 12,000-square-foot space on Girard Avenue, or go for the neon-lit “techno-infused” Puttshack inside The Shops at Liberty Place. Elsewhere, upgrade your swing with state-of-the-art simulators and best-in-class equipment at Five Iron Golf, Fairways & Dreams in Conshohocken, or Play-a-Round Golf in Malvern and Ardmore.

Fun fact: American archery started with the United Bowmen of Philadelphia in 1828. Today, Callowhill Archery teaches anyone age 11 and up the basics of the bow and arrow, including proper form and target practice. Another option for hurling sharp things through the air: ax-throwing. Urban Axes brought competitive ax-throwing to Philly in 2016, and now there are a handful of spots — including Bury the Hatchet and Kick Axe — to enjoy this rapidly growing alternative sport. Out in West Chester, Stumpy’s Hatchet House offers solid happy hour deals, while Tilted Axes has a mobile unit option to bring ax-throwing to you.

Philly is lucky to be home to North Bowl and South Bowl, which hold onto their retro aesthetics while providing a modern food and drink experience with wood-fired pizza and specialty cocktails. North Bowl has discounted games each Wednesday evening, while South Bowl offers bonus indoor activities like shuffleboard, a pool table and arcade games. And in Fishtown, Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia is both a live music venue and a bowling alley with a full bar. Take note: Each bowling alley is walk-in only.

For a quieter adventure, take advantage of Philadelphia’s many destinations for book lovers, which include tours, author events, special exhibits, and rich collections of rare and niche interest materials in centuries-old buildings. Start with a guided tour at the Free Library of Philadelphia – Parkway Central branch, which holds historical artifacts like 5,000-year-old tablets, Medieval manuscripts and the raven that inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem. Go down a rabbit hole of architecture archives at DesignPhiladelphia’s American Institute of Architects Bookstore. And for book lovers searching for rare and first editions, The Rosenbach in Rittenhouse hosts Behind the Bookcase tours inviting all-age guests to learn about the stories, themes and writings of the literary world. Or turn a rainy day into a productive one working in a 19th-century reading room at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. More in the mood for shopping? Check our guide to Greater Philadelphia’s top bookshops. 

A rainy day is a perfect excuse to learn about all the culinary cultures that make up the Greater Philadelphia food scene. Craft your own food tour at year-round indoor markets and food halls like Reading Terminal Market — one of the nation’s oldest and largest public markets — and Chestnut Hill’s Market at the Fareway. Both feature vendors offering a variety of global cuisines, making for an ever-evolving food lover’s paradise. Then go shopping for wide-ranging snacks and other goodies from Asian grocers in Chinatown Square, at First Oriental Market along Washington Avenue, at Oregon Market in South Philly and at H Mart in North Philly.

There’s no shortage of live performances (live music, theater, comedy and more) to catch at venues like the Kimmel Center, City Winery and The Academy of Music. Acquaint yourself with Philadelphia’s jazz sound at Chris’ Jazz Café, SOUTH and The Clef Club’s Jazz Cultural Voices Concert Series. Check out Solar Myth in South Philly (formerly Boot & Saddle), a wine bar-meets-listening and music venue or live music starting at 6 p.m. during Rex at the Royal Supper Club Sunday. And the Curtis Institute free recital series is a great way to experience classical music performed by young artists. For more, peruse our comprehensive guides to live theater and dance venues as well as live music venues.

Philadelphia got its first casino in 2010 — Rivers Casino (formerly Sugarhouse on Delaware Avenue) in Fishtown — with over 1,500 slot machines, nearly 80 table games, a 28-table poker room and more. Down at the South Philadelphia Sport Complex is Live! Casino & Hotel, a 510,000-square-foot gambling and sports entertainment complex with slots, electronic and live table games, and several in-house dining venues, while the nearby Sports & Social Philly features a FanDuel Sportsbook and Lounge. Bucks County’s Parx Casino offers over 140 live table games and more than 3,000 slots.

Why not escape the rain and learn some new dance moves? Estilo Dance Studio teaches beginner-level salsa, bachata and mambo lessons with an affordable day pass. Founded by Art in Motion Latin Dancers’ Mike Andino, Estilo has introduced Latino dance styles to adults and kids for nearly 20 years. Society Hill Dance Studio on Passyunk Avenue offers free dance consultations on the classics — ballroom, swing, tango, waltz — and is frequented by couples. Or hop into a combination ballet-meets-dance-and-fitness session at The Rock School.

Prioritize self-care by booking a hotel spa appointment or drop-in sauna session. Southampton Spa’s all-day pass includes several sauna and steam rooms, cold plunges and temperature-controlled pools in a traditional Russian bathhouse. Pro tip: There’s a full cafe menu — and it’s BYOB. Chung Dam Spa & Fitness in Elkins Park has massage and body scrub packages, plus steam rooms and hot clay and charcoal rooms. Northern Liberties’ Formation Sauna + Wellness services include sound baths, meditation, sauna and massage add-ons like aromatherapy and CBD treatments. And Wellness Refinery in Old City offers 30-minute infrared sauna sessions.

Beat the rain by finding solitude among paintings and statuesque figures at one of Philly’s many stellar museums. Bonus: Several attractions welcome visitors with free and pay-what-you-wish admission on select days. On the first Sunday of each month, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation and the Brandywine Museum of Art have free admission and family-friendly activities, while the Woodmere Art Museum is free every Sunday (and hosts live jazz bands on Friday nights). And admission to Please Touch Museum is only $2 per person on the first Wednesday of every month from 4 to 7 p.m.

You might have a better chance of snagging a resy to a restaurant on your wish list when it rains. The logic: Crappy weather sometimes deters diners from going out, leading to last-minute cancellations. So look for an opening at that James Beard Foundation-honored restaurant you’ve been dying to eat at.

When the rain starts to fall, drop into a one-time class without worrying about being a member. Get hands-on learning with wheel-throwing and hand-building classes at The Clay Studio (check their public events calendar), Black Hound Clay Studio in South Philly and West Philly and Yay Clay. Or learn about 3D technology and tools from woodworkers, jewelry and textile designers, and other makers at NextFab and Craft Foundry.

Socialize with new friends over familiar favorites, including board games, arcade games and table tennis. Thirsty Dice in Fairmount has a game library 800 deep, including Azul, Settles of Catan, Wavelength and more. On South Street, Philly Game Shop offers private game room rentals and Queen & Rook’s three-story (!) fantasy-style tavern features two dedicated bars, outdoor seating, a massive board game library with 2,000-plus titles and a retro video game arcade. Join a card game tournament at Redcap’s Corner in West Philly, enjoy adult beverages while playing skee ball and retro arcade games at Barcade and Garage, or challenge friends to a few hours of table tennis at SPiN.

Billiard options in Philadelphia are cheap (usually $1 a game), range from old school to new school, casual to competitive, and take place at sports and restaurant bars. Old City’s Buffalo Billiards is a two-floor pool hall with eight Brunswick Gold Crown pool tables. South Philly has friendly dives like 12 Steps Down (open since 2002) and Grumpy’s Tavern, which hosts its own billiard league. Playing at Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice Shop is fun with its ’70s-style pizza parlor and wood paneling, and at Middle Child Clubhouse, contemporary diner food awaits before or after a game.

Enjoy the outdoors indoors with a session of rock climbing. Movement gym in Callowhill offers anyone who books a tour a complimentary intro to climbing class. Test your physical feats with a day pass package at Philadelphia Rock Gyms, which includes bouldering, top rope, handwork and more. And Tufas Boulder Lounge provides individual-based coaching on climbing fundamentals and “Climbing Confidence Capability” sessions.

The Greater Philadelphia region is one of the best places for beer — period. Post up one of the essential craft breweries of Greater Philadelphia, or tour the Bucks County Ale Trail. Two Locals Brewing Company, Philadelphia’s first Black-owned craft brewery, offers unique dark and malty, tart and funky beers to drink alongside Liberty Kitchen tomato pies and hoagies. (Both spots share the same space). And Frankford Hall is a family-friendly German biergarten to savor a pint and pretzel indoors. Discover more about Greater Philadelphia’s craft beer scene here.

A rainy day is the perfect opportunity to dig into the Greater Philadelphia region’s history of craft distilling. Philadelphia Distilling, Pennsylvania’s first post-Prohibition distillery, specializes in gin and offers distillery tours and cocktail classes. Federal Distilling’s success with Stateside Urbancraft Vodka includes free tours. New Liberty Distilling’s tours feature custom flights and a sample of white whiskey right from the still. Elsewhere, learn how Otto Distilling makes rum with a one-hour tour and flight tasting, or get a guided whiskey and bourbon tasting at The Twisted Tail and Bank & Bourbon.

By now you know Philly is a sought-after international foodie destination — so why not try your hands at a cooking class led by local experts? Get pasta tips from Anna Maria Florio at La Cucina at the Market or Janine of Homemade by Bruno — both recreate the Italian experience at the table. Sign up for hands-on cooking projects at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center or as part of the Edible Alphabet series, open to adults and children. Explore the dynamic duo of wine and cheese at Philly Cheese School with Santé’s Daniel Solway or shuck oysters at Oyster House.

Philadelphia’s wine scene thrives with local sommeliers eager to share their wine knowledge through weekly events and classes. Go to Southwark’s #Winewark Monday night series for pay-as-you-go cellar picks, or take a Thursday night class with Le Caveau’s wine study group. JET Wine Bar and Mural City Cellars have casual wine-tasting events on the calendar, too. Serious wine aficionados love Wine School of Philadelphia classes, while non-wine club members can buy tickets to wine club tastings or enjoy wine flights on the menu at Panorama.

Perhaps there’s no better way to let loose than to grab the mic and sing along to your favorite songs — and Philadelphia nightlife has plenty of karaoke spots. Head to Chinatown for Yakitori Boy’s second-floor private rooms and the upstairs BYOB karaoke room at Ken’s Seafood. Weekend nights turn up with long song queues at Fergie’s Pub for live band karaoke and Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar birthday karaoke parties on Fridays. Sundays is kids’ karaoke at Adobe Café, while Bob and Barbara’s packs the house with the chance to sing along to your fav tunes.

Bring cozy vibes to a rainy day with a candle-making class. Wax + Wine’s candle bar has more than 50 different fragrances to blend together, plus local wines to sip on from their in-house wine shop. And Cork & Candles hosts group candle bar experiences where guests can create novelty scents like espresso martini, cereal and cake.

There’s something fascinating about turning liquid into solid glass, shaping it and adding colors for a singular DIY creation. Remark Glass inside South Philly’s Bok Building invites visitors to see their glassblowing process and bring empty bottles to repurpose into original keepsakes. Bring home bowls, paperweights, drinking glasses and vases from a beginner’s workshop at Glassworks in East Falls. And longtime glass maker Jim Loewer offers private lessons in his South Philly studio.

If all else fails, take solace in retail therapy. The Fashion District in Market East is a multi-block mall with dozens of discount stores, beauty brands and an AMC Theatre with eight screens, reclining seats, and food and drink delivered to your seat. Bargain shoppers should check out the newest arrivals and store specials inside The Shops at Liberty Place and Philadelphia Mills Mall. Or splurge on a shopping spree at King of Prussia, a Simon Property Mall, the third-largest mall in America with hundreds of specialty shops.