It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s just another day in Philadelphia. Philly gets about 47 inches of rain annually, more than the average of 37 inches for the rest of the U.S. (on the plus side, the city also has more sunny days, 207, than the national average of 205). What do folks in Philly do when it rains? Turns out, there are plenty of rainy day activities throughout the city. If you’re in Philly and the weather’s not agreeing with you, you’ll still find plenty of things to do.
Although Netflix or Amazon Prime can seem like a fun way to spend a rainy day in Philadelphia, there are more exciting and active things you can do with your time. Whether you want to expand your mind or sit back and relax, Philly’s got you covered with rainy day fun.
While all the streaming options available today have made it super easy to enjoy a movie any time you want, on whatever screen you want, there’s still nothing like seeing a film on a big screen. You’ve got plenty of choices when it comes to cinemas in the city. If you’re looking for a truly engrossing movie-going experience, head over to the Philadelphia Film Center, which is home to the largest conventional movie screen in the city. Managed by the Philadelphia Film Society, which puts on the city’s annual film festival, the Film Center shows a combination of first-run films and classic favorites.
For a fun twist on the dinner and a movie concept, check out what’s on the screens at AMC Dine-In Fashion District 8. The movie theater is part of the Fashion District mall and has eight screens that show first-run films. In addition to standard movie snacks like popcorn and soft pretzels, the AMC has a full dinner menu. You can order salads, burgers and flatbreads and have the food delivered right to your seat in the theater.
A rainy day can be a perfect excuse to laze about, or it can be the ideal time to exercise your brain cells. One way to give your brain a workout is by heading to an escape room and trying to figure out how to get out before time’s up. Escape rooms have cropped up all over Philly in recent years. The Franklin Institute claims to have two of the most “technologically advanced” rooms while the Bourse building in Old City has a 1980’s-themed room.
The concept of an escape room is simple. You’re locked in a room with a group of people who might be your friends, family or people you’ve just met. You’re given a bunch of clues, and you need to work together to decipher the clues and find the solution to the puzzle.
Lace your stylish bowling shoes and choose a ball from the rack, because a few games of bowling can be the perfect way to while away a rainy day in Philly. Bowling alleys have popped up all over the city in recent years. If you find yourself in Northern Liberties, you can head over to North Bowl. If you’re in South Philly, you can go to South Bowl. Lucky Strike Lanes has the folks in Center City taken care of.
Not only do nouveau bowling alleys give you a chance to get a strike or a spare, but they also serve tasty food and drink. Most places have happy hour specials, too.
Philadelphia is home to lots of museums and those museums provide a great refuge from the rain. If you’re looking for something educational but still exciting, you can head over to the Academy of Natural Sciences or the revamped Penn Museum.
At the Academy of Natural Sciences, you’ll get to see plenty of dinosaurs, including the skeleton of a massive T-Rex. The museum also has a butterfly room, where live butterflies flutter about, and mid-20th-century dioramas of animals from around the world.
Head over the Schuylkill River to the campus of the University of Pennsylvania to check out Penn Museum’s archeology and anthropology exhibitions. The museum’s collection features artifacts from around the world. A highlight of the collection is the Sphinx Gallery, which houses the largest Sphinx in the west.
Why not spend your next rainy day learning more about the history of the U.S.? Sure, you could visit the Liberty Bell. However, a trip to the Museum of the American Revolution is likely to give you a more in-depth look into what went on and who was who during the Revolutionary period.
Another option to learn more about American history is to visit the National Museum of American Jewish History, which focuses on the Jewish experience in the U.S., and the African American Museum in Philadelphia, which was the first museum of its kind to be built by a U.S. city.
Whether you’re a fan of Impressionism or prefer contemporary art, Philly’s many art museums offer plenty of things to do and see on a rainy day. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has exhibitions in two buildings at the top of the Ben Franklin Parkway. Highlights of the museum’s collections include the South Asian art galleries, the armor rooms and a collection of works by Marcel Duchamp, including “Étant donnés,” his last major work.
Head down the Parkway, and you’ll come across the Barnes Foundation, which houses the collection of Alfred C. Barnes. Throughout his life, Barnes collected Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modern artworks. In addition to having one of the largest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the U.S., the museum also hosts a variety of programs and events for people of all ages.
Finally, if you like your art with a bit of edge and you like your museum admission to be free, spend your next rainy Philly day at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) on Penn’s campus. ICA has ever-changing exhibitions of contemporary artists and artworks, usually focusing on the work of a single artist or centered around a theme. Since the exhibitions change frequently, there’s likely to be something new on display every time you go.
Spending time in Philadelphia isn’t something you have to save for a rainy day. If you live here, you can enjoy the city in all kinds of weather. Streamline uses VR technology to help you design your dream home in Philadelphia. Whether you’re looking to live in South Philly, Kensington or near the Art Museum, contact us today to find out more about how we can help you make Philly your home.
