30+Fun Indoor Activities in NYC : A Guide to Staying Entertained Indoors

New York City is full of things to do, but what to do when the weather doesn’t feel right or you simply would like to spend some time inside? Don’t worry! NYC’s got you covered! Whether you want culture, creativity or just some relaxation, there’s an unlimited list of ways to spend your time indoors. 

In this blog post, we will guide you to the best fun indoor activities in NYC no matter the time of year.

 Winter Indoor Activities NYC

Art Museums

New York City is home to some of the world’s most famous art museums, making it a great destination for art lovers, especially during the colder months. Museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) offer vast collections that can take an entire day (or more) to explore fully.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Known as “The Met,” it is one of the largest and finest art museums in the world. Winter is a perfect time to delve into its extensive collections, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to American contemporary paintings. The museum’s special winter exhibitions are often highly anticipated and can provide a fresh look at both classic and contemporary art forms.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

 MoMA is renowned for its influential collection of modern art. The museum’s layout encourages visitors to explore different art movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Surrealism, Expressionism, and Pop Art. Winter visits are especially pleasant due to fewer tourists and more room to enjoy iconic works by artists like Van Gogh, Warhol, and Picasso.

Creative Indoor Activities in NYC

Paint and Sip NYC

Enjoy a little paint and sip in NYC to give you a lovely view on a rainy day filled with some yummy drinks and you will find a better way to spend your day. Swoop beautiful colors around the canvas as you follow along to render one of a variety of beautiful pictures.

Tourist? Paint glittering New York City skylines to take home as a souvenir; locals can sip while painting a soothing beach scene. Moreover, attending photography classes in NYC is a different way to perfect your artistry to make sure you’re getting the best shots when checking out the best places to take pictures in NYC.

Pottery Classes

When you take pottery classes in NYC, spin some dishes or vases of your own. It might be messier than taking a stroll in the rain when it’s wet, but it’s also going to be a whole lot more thrilling! Get cozy and turn it into a sexy date night or grab a girls group and go and create your own jewelry dishes or flower pots.

Dance Classes

From ballroom, salsa and swing, learn to twirl your sweetheart around the floor with dance classes in NYC. Then you’ll be able to recreate a scene from Singing in the Rain on the way back to your apartment or enjoy your next visit to a jazz club 10-fold.

If you want to stay home, why not take some dance classes online? Either way, these are such cute indoor date ideas!

Music and Media Venues

Indoor activities in NYC at big and niche venues such as Radio City Hall, unique movie theaters such as Alamo, Lincoln Center (opera, ballet, etc.) and Paley Center for Media has an amazing library worth seeing of TV shows, radio shows, etc!

Comedy Clubs

LOL is the best medicine on a cold, rainy day. Seek out your neighborhood comedy club for a break from the onslaught outside. This is such a great couple things to do indoors in nyc idea! What’s a better choice for date ideas in NYC?

Indoor Sports: Chelsea Piers

In NYC, Chelsea Piers offers a number of fun activities for adults including bowling, ice skating, rock climbing and a weather-proof golf driving range — so winter activities are definitely covered!

Alternatively, you can take your own booze and friends to Shark’s Pool Club for a round or two of playing pool. There are also ax-throwing bars and mini-golf bars — great winter date ideas.

Foodie Indoor Activities in NYC

Cooking Classes

What better way to banish the rainy-day blues than whipping something in the kitchen? Take cooking classes in NYC to learn how to mix spices best and make aromatics that have people salivating.

You can even take online cooking classes that you don’t even have to leave your home to do — so that you can spend comfy time indoors in NYC.

Online Mixology Classes

Taking online mixology classes makes you the drink-pouring master, The Chemist of your friend group. Fight ennui and boredom by learning how to make drinks — and then drink them. These indoor things to do in NYC will warm you from the inside out.

Virtual Wine Tastings

See, similarly unleash your inner sommelier without having to leave your home whenever you experience indoor activities in NYC, like a virtual wine tasting. If whiskey is preferred over wine, there are also several outdoor chill spots in the NYC for in figure whiskey tastings.

Try Afternoon Tea

Although this is technically a British (or European) tradition, it has become so popular that there are many tea rooms around New York. Some specialize even in a niche type of food, like Russian or vegan.

See whether the one you’re looking at dishes food you’d be willing to eat, or find your new favorite local spot for afternoon nibbles.

Slip Into a Speakeasy

The product of Prohibition, speakeasies remain on of NYC’s most coveted indoor chill zones. Beak up your local hot spot and explore some unusual and intriguing drink menus, for surprising and thrilling indoor activities in nyc.

Tour World Foods

Take the 7 train through a slew of neighborhoods with diverse international foods for quick-paced indoor fun in NYC or head to the New World Mall, old-school Essex Market, or Turnstyle Underground Market. NYC has a million different fun foodie indoor activities! Keep an eye out for Michelin-star restaurants, healthy eateries + the best burger in NYC

Unique Indoor Activities in NYC

Virtual Flower Arranging

You could sign up for virtual flower arranging classes and learn how to create your own bouquets. You no longer have to depend on supermarkets or boutique flower shops to dictate how flowers should be paired. This is just one of the many fun indoor activities in NYC for anyone with an artsy side.

Virtual Game Nights

What to Do in New York City in the Winter When It Rains How about a game night? If you don’t have anyone to invite over, you can always set up virtual game nights or play trivia games online. Both are NYC indoor activities to keep you occupied and in a good mood.

Virtual Adventures

On a related note, jump into some other fun online experiences like a virtual scavenger hunt or a virtual escape room — the kind of puzzles to keep your brain out of a slump. Also, if you’re moving away from the virtual concept, there are many offline, real-world escape rooms in NYC.

These are great NYC team-building activities. If you’d rather stay home and have fun, there are plenty of virtual happenings to check out.

Handy Skills and Arts Classes

[ARTISANAL SKILLS] Pick up some fun new artisanal skills in the era of cottage industries — sewing classes, woodworking classes , and glass-blowing classes. With a little practice, you could impress friends or sell your artwork on Etsy after these unique indoor things to do in NYC.

Greenhouse Gallery

What to do in NYC when it’s freezing outside? The Conservancy at the New York Botanical Garden is a giant, Victorian-style greenhouse where all sorts of climates and plant life can be experienced, even in the cold weather outside.

Lesser-Known Museums

The Morgan Library and Museum, which has some exciting exhibits for those who feel inclined to visit, such as some of Jane Austen’s draft manuscripts, is one of several smaller museums that provide lovely indoor activities for adults. House museums are a reliable hit, too: More dry indoor options in NYC.

Welcome to Burlesque

Visit a burlesque or cabaret lounge or a drag performance. Burlesque, cabaret or drag shows all make for enticing indoor NYC activities for adults, as do musical, adult evening entertainment options. You might even come across a venue with karaoke — where you can participate in the performance fun!

Kids Indoor Activities in NYC

Broadway Matinees

Fresh colors and vibrant music make a midday musical a perfect way to hold your child’s attention span on a wet day in NYC, the finest broadway shows have always been a normal indoor activity.

Your kid will walk away from the event with a ton of new earworms to repeat ad nauseam — at least it won’t be that Disney song again, huh?

Children’s Museums

An exciting example of something for kids to do indoors might be The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling. Help with an art workshop or the weekly Story Hour, not to mention view all of the exhibits!

Of course, the city also has lots of other museums aimed at children that will surely meet your child’s needs and interests.

Arcades

There are a number of fun and family-friendly arcades throughout the city. Some are classic and huge — like the one at Coney Island. There are even adult arcades, sometimes called “barcades,” where you can sip a beer while you play classic games!

Trampoline Park

As children jump up and down, they’ll experience the freedom of flight through the air, and you’ll get the freedom from being in bed early when they’re finished. Nyc trampoline park: abc trampoline park There is at least one important trampoline park in NYC, so you can discover time on your kid to get their energy out.

Museum of Ice Cream

Since visiting museums is already featured as a thing to do with your kids, ice cream deserves its own headline — what kid doesn’t love ice cream? There are other fun spaces like Lego and Disney stores, especially if you are lactose intolerant.

Attend a Game

If you’re at a Knicks game, Madison Square Garden is a fun place to watch — or go catch a Rangers game. Both of these sports, are fun things to do in NYC for adults, as well as great indoor things to do for kids.

You might want to bring a blanket if you’re going to a hockey game, however, because they have to keep those rinks cold for the ice.

Free Indoor Activities in NYC

People Watching

Take a small outing to Grand Central Station or any other slightly touristy website where you can get in for free and people-watch or people-walk inside. This is one of the great old indoor activities in Manhattan.

(And be a human behavior student — write that down. Maybe you’ll be the next great American novelist (many of them settled in NYC)!

Look for a Library

If curling up with a good book sounds like your idea of a good time, one of the best free things to do in NYC indoors is to go visit The New York Public Library for browsing in the stacks to find that perfect volume to read under warm lamplight.

Go Subterranean

The Oculus is a beautiful piece of architecture to behold. Or, if you’re still in search of indoor pursuits for adults, you could then choose to browse the underground maze of shops and restaurants below The World Trade Center.

Tour Industry City

Walk along the Brooklyn waterfront on historic manufacturing buildings They’re now a complex of stores and eateries, and there are some lovely little courtyards in between (if the rain clears up). This is one of the great indoor activities in Brooklyn.

Browsing Department Stores

Shopping without buying is probably not as great for your brain as shopping with buying is, but it is definitely better for your wallet; plus, you’re going to be orienting yourself toward discovering new, surprising things as opposed to tracking down specific things you need.

There are a million giant stores in New York, like Toys “R” Us or IKEA. Unleash your scientific mind!

Cat Cafés

You can stay dry and warm drinking coffee at a neighborhood café, curled up with a book — or cuddling cats! One of the best free indoor activities in NYC is finding a coffee shop where you can stroke cute creatures for hours on end.

We definitely suggest you check out any of these great indoor activities in NYC! We hope this list offered something to pique your interest. From classics such as theater to kitty playtime at your local coffee shop, you might never be bored on a cold or rainy day again.

Romantic Indoor Activities NYC

Enjoy an Evening at a Luxurious Jazz Club

There’s nothing quite like the intimate setting of a jazz club to set a romantic mood. New York City, with its rich jazz history, hosts some of the best spots in the world for an evening filled with smooth tunes and cozy vibes.

The Jazz Standard

 This club offers not only some of the best jazz in the city but also a warm, inviting atmosphere that’s perfect for couples. Located in the Flatiron District, it features performances from both legendary and emerging artists. The combination of live music and a sophisticated menu that includes gourmet BBQ makes it a unique venue.

Village Vanguard

 Nestled in the heart of Greenwich Village, this iconic jazz spot has been a staple of the New York music scene since 1935. The Vanguard’s candlelit tables and close seating arrangement foster an ideal environment for a romantic date night, where couples can enjoy the soulful performances that echo through this historic venue.

Have a Memorable Dinner at a Skyline View Restaurant

Dining at a restaurant with a view of the New York City skyline can turn a simple meal into an unforgettable romantic experience. The city’s skyline is particularly magical at night, making these venues perfect for special occasions.

The River Café

 Situated under the Brooklyn Bridge, this renowned restaurant offers sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline along with exquisite American cuisine. The beautiful garden entrance and the elegantly decorated interior, coupled with the stunning vistas, make this a top choice for a romantic evening.

Manhatta

Located on the 60th floor, this restaurant offers a panoramic view of the city from every table. The menu combines French-inspired cuisine with American ingredients, providing a luxurious dining experience. The thoughtful design and floor-to-ceiling windows ensure that every meal is enjoyed against a breathtaking backdrop.

Take Part in a Couples’ Spa Day

Indulging in a spa day is a wonderful way for couples to relax and reconnect, especially during the colder months. NYC is home to several spas that offer couples’ treatments, from massages to private suites with stunning city views.

Aire Ancient Baths 

Tucked away in Tribeca, this spa draws inspiration from the traditional Roman, Greek, and Ottoman bathhouses. Couples can enjoy a variety of water-based treatments in a beautifully restored factory setting. The tranquil water pools and the candlelit ambiance create a serene escape from the bustling city.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental

 For those seeking a more modern luxury experience, this spa located in the Time Warner Center offers a range of treatments designed to promote relaxation and wellbeing. Their couples’ rooms come with private steam rooms and soaking tubs overlooking Central Park or the Hudson River, providing a secluded and romantic setting. Also read : Road Trip Captions for Instagram

Visiting Tranquil Art Galleries and Museums

For those who find solace in the arts, New York City‘s quieter galleries and museums offer a peaceful retreat where one can enjoy world-class art without the hustle and bustle.

The Frick Collection

 Housed in what was once a private residence, The Frick Collection offers a unique blend of art, architecture, and serene garden views. The museum’s layout encourages leisurely walks through rooms filled with works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and other masters, providing a contemplative environment that feels more like a home than a public institution.

The Rubin Museum of Art

 Specializing in Himalayan artworks and cultural artifacts, this museum offers a deeply calming atmosphere. It’s a space not only filled with beautiful art but also designed to facilitate mindfulness and relaxation, often hosting meditation sessions and mindfulness tours amidst its exhibits.

Enjoying Tea and Quiet Conversation in Cozy Cafés

New York has a plethora of cozy cafés that can serve as perfect hideaways for reading, reflection, or quiet conversation over a warm beverage.

Tea and Sympathy

 This charming British café in Greenwich Village offers a quaint, intimate setting ideal for those looking to enjoy a quiet cup of tea. With its selection of traditional British teas and comfort foods, it’s a slice of tranquility and a great spot for a relaxed afternoon.

Café Sabarsky

Located within the Neue Galerie, Café Sabarsky offers a taste of Viennese café culture. It provides a sophisticated yet comforting environment where one can enjoy coffee and Austrian pastries surrounded by period objects and furniture from early twentieth-century Vienna.

Relaxing Indoor Activities in NYC

Participating in Relaxation and Wellness Workshops

For those looking to actively engage in relaxation, numerous NYC venues offer workshops that focus on wellness and mental health, including yoga, meditation, and art therapy.

MNDFL Meditation

 This studio focuses on mindfulness practices and offers sessions in various meditation techniques, making it a perfect place for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Its serene interiors and expert guidance help participants leave feeling centered and peaceful.

The Art Therapy Practice

This non-profit organization offers art therapy sessions led by professional art therapists. Participants engage in creative activities designed to relieve stress and express emotions nonverbally, providing a therapeutic and relaxing experience in a supportive environment.

Final Thoughts on indoor activities in nyc

Rain or shine, NYC offers endless indoor activities that cater to every interest. From creative workshops and escape rooms to luxurious spas and iconic museums, there’s no shortage of ways to stay entertained in the city.

So when the weather isn’t giving you what you want, take advantage of the chance to hit NYC’s indoor delights—you might just find your new favorite activity!

FAQs About Fun Indoor Activities in NYC

1. What are some unique indoor activities to do in NYC?

There are many things to do indoors in New York, including visiting quirky museums — like the Museum of Ice Cream — going to escape rooms, attending immersive theater shows, or taking a cooking or pottery class.

2. Where can I go for indoor fun with kids in NYC?

Indoor activities that are family-friendly include the American Museum of Natural History, indoor trampoline parks such as Bounce Trampoline Sports and children’s museums such as the Children’s Museum of Manhattan or the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

3. Are there indoor activities in NYC for couples?

There are also plenty of romantic things that couples can do indoors, like wine and painting classes, or a spa day, or private dining experiences, or even just visiting pretty indoor gardens, like the New York Botanical Garden Conservatory.

4. What are some free indoor activities in NYC?

Free indoor activities are visiting a public library (a good choice is the New York Public Library), free art galleries in Chelsea or attending free cultural events and lectures held by museums and community centers.

5. Are there indoor activities in NYC for a rainy day?

Yes, NYC has plenty to do indoors on rainy days, like visiting the MET or MoMA; seeing a Broadway or Off-Broadway show; going bowling or spending a day at indoor food markets — Chelsea Market, for example.

6. What are some fitness-related indoor activities in NYC?

Fitness lovers can try out indoor rock climbing at places like Brooklyn Boulders, attend yoga or pilates classes, or take indoor swims at one of NYC’s recreation centers.

7. Are there unique indoor date ideas in NYC?

Creative date ideas include visiting an immersive art exhibit, taking in a jazz performance at a speakeasy or trying a cooking or cocktail-making class together.

8. What are the best indoor activities for groups in NYC?

Businesses can mingle with fun indoor attractions, including axe throwing, karaoke nights, playing board games at a café, or team-building escape room challenges.