Family-friendly indoor activities
Indoor family adventure activities
Burn off some energy at one of our indoor play centres. Caernarfon's The Fun Centre includes 25ft giant drop slides, ball pools, rope bridges, tube slides, maze, climbing walls, nets, poles and ropes, laser games and mini electric go-carts. Let the kids spend an afternoon bouncing around on trampolines at AirHop Wrexham, or a exploring a soft play adventure course at Bonkerz Fun Centre in Llandudno, while you relax in the on-site cafés.
Rhyl's SC2 includes an indoor waterpark full of slides and watery play areas, soft play for younger kids, and a thrilling Ninja Tag assult course for older kids and adults. Head to Deeside Leisure Centre for ice-skating, swimming, an indoor skate park or brave the excellent indoor inflatable park.
A fun experience for families, groups and couples, Xscape Rooms in Bangor is full of tricky puzzles to solve, to escape one of the themed rooms withon 60 mins.
Learn something new
Create a unique souvenir of your holiday by booking onto a pot throwing or pottery painting at the friendly Tan y Ddraig studio in Conwy. The Piggery Pottery in Caernarfon offers two hour family-friendly pottery painting sessions. You can also buy 'paint your own kits' to save for another rainy day! Ruthin Craft Centre holds regular workshops and exhibitions, or don your wellies and follow the Ruthin Art Trail around the town.
There are eight craft studios at Corris Craft Centre, including the Quarry Pottery workshop, the flame work glass sculptures of Delyn Glass, the natural forest furniture of Taran Eco Designs, and working goldsmith’s studio, Agau Jewellery. Dogs on leads are welcomed in all of the individual craft studios except for the Chocablock Studio. The Corris Cafe and the Welsh Deli is also dog-friendly.
Inquisitive kids? Xplore Science Discovery Centre in Wrecsam is the place to go. There are plenty of interactive activities and fun experiments to enjoy for all ages.
Stay dry underground
Why go over a mountain when you can go through it? A thrilling underground experience is a memorable all-weather activity for couples and groups.
Abseil, zip line, scramble, traverse, boat and climb around the abandoned mines of Eryri (Snowdonia) with Go Below. You’ll encounter deep blue lakes, lofty caverns and forgotten mining machinery as you go.
King Arthur's Labyrinth is a more child-friendly attraction which the whole family can enjoy. Travel deep underground, guided by a boatman from the Dark Ages to hear magical stories of Cymru as you pass through winding tunnels and caverns.
If you're into industrial history, on the same site visit Corris Mine Explorers, where you can explore old caverns and learn more about the region's slate mining heritage. Advance booking is highly recommended.
Spend a couple of hours exploring Llanfair Slate Caverns, near Harlech. The dog-friendly, self-guided tour of their old mine workings means you can go at your own pace, and enjoy finding out more about the history here.
Zip World Llechwedd in Blaenau Ffestiniog, has to be one of the most unusual rainy day activities North Wales has to offer! The bouncy nets of Bounce Below are located in the incredible surroundings of a disused slate mine. The underground trampolines are all connected by slides and ladders, and lit by psychedelic multi-coloured lights, so you can jump, slide and climb your way through the deep dark course.
Love adventure golf? Don't like rain? Head to the 18 hole Underground Adventure Golf course, based in a cavern 500 feet below ground, to tackle four levels of increasingly fiendish challenges.
Other options include the Zip World Caverns - five huge underground slate caverns turned into a unique adventure zone. They house zip lines, rope bridges, balance beams and tunnels, with plenty of breath-taking stretches and one-of-a-kind views. A three hour adventure for children aged 10 years upwards.
Catch the latest theatre show or blockbuster film
Madam Butterfly, Strictly Come Dancing, risqué comedy and contemporary theatre - the Pavilion Theatre Rhyl is all about spectacular performances. This incarnation opened in 1991, 90 years after the first one burnt down.
Venue Cymru, Llandudno, is built where a theatre opened on the promenade spot over a century ago. Since 2007 Venue Cymru has stood in its place. Catch famous singers, best-selling theatre shows and exhibitions.
The fabulous independent Magic Lantern Cinema (BIFA Cinema of the Year) is housed in Tywyn's original 1800s built Assembly Rooms. Expect the latest blockbusters, independent films, National Theatre Live performances, live shows, and family- friendly classic films in the daytime. The experience includes a state-of-the-art cinema system, and table service, with an enticing snack menu and a well stocked bar.
Tŷ Pawb in Wrecsam is another award-winning venue, mixing an indoor market with a community hub. Providing a brilliant variety of film shows, live events and family activities, there's plenty to do undercover.
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Museums, galleries and railways
Hop on a vintage train and enjoy our scenery from a dry carriage. North Wales is famous for its heritage railway lines, and there's something about a steam train and rain that makes for really atmospheric photo opportunities.
The Great Orme Tramway has been delighting visitors for over 100 years. An engineering marvel of its age, it's the only cable-hauled tramway operating on British public roads. At the Halfway Station exhibition, discover the fascinating funicular tramway, then enjoy the spectacular ride to the top. Check out the pre-historic Great Orme Mines and explore 3,500 year old underground passageways while you're there.
One visitor described her visit to Beaumaris Gaol, Ynys Môn (Anglesey), as both ‘grim’ and a ‘great morning out’. The story of life inside this Spartan gaol during the 1800s doesn’t pull any punches. It features one of the few working treadmills in the UK and once featured on the television show Most Haunted.
Passionately run in a modest museum, Stone Science, Ynys Môn, is a treasure trove of geology. It has stacks of rocks, minerals, fossils and incredible dinosaur artefacts. Dig through the discoveries on show and find out more from the people who put together this quirky collection.
MOSTYN hosts consistently excellent contemporary art shows within an elegant building. You can expect to see major established artists and the best up-and-coming practitioners at the venue. Discover something new or have a go at drawing what you see. Oriel Môn museum and art gallery tells the history of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), while showcasing contemporary art and sculpture. The Kyffin Williams gallery is a must-see, full of the Welsh artist's dramatic paintings.