Concord, NC
WaterRainy day
Indoor waterpark resort kept at 84°F year-round — slides, wave pool, a giant tipping-bucket treehouse — plus MagiQuest, arcade and ropes course. Day passes available.
Day passes from about $55 (varies by date)
47 places
Rainy day kids activities in Charlotte
Stormy, freezing or way too hot? Indoor museums, play spaces, trampoline parks, ice rinks and libraries to save the day.
Related: Concord, Huntersville, Pineville
Hours, prices and seasonal dates change often — always check the official website before you go. Info last reviewed November 2026.
Charlotte, NC
WaterRainy dayMecklenburg County's indoor water park uptown: 3-story Blue Comet slide, lazy river, Saturation Station kids' play structure, beach entry and lap lanes. Open Fri evenings and weekends.
Low-cost county admission
Concord, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolIndoor aquarium at Concord Mills with an ocean tunnel, sharks, rays, touch pools and Lego-themed play.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolUptown hands-on science museum with labs, live demos, an IMAX Dome theatre, a rainforest and aquarium exhibits. Field-trip planner for groups.
Huntersville, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolPlay-based STEAM museum for toddlers to early elementary: pretend-play town, building zones, water play and live shows.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolSmall nature museum beside Freedom Park with live animals, a butterfly pavilion and kid-height exhibits — great for little ones.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolUptown racing museum with race simulators, a pit-crew challenge, historic cars and the 'Glory Road' banked track display.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolAviation museum at Charlotte Douglas Airport featuring the 'Miracle on the Hudson' plane, hands-on flight exhibits and dozens of aircraft.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayInteractive optical-illusion rooms and photo spots — a crowd-pleaser for tweens and teens on a rainy day.
Gastonia, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolNatural history museum with dinosaurs, NC wildlife halls, a mineral gallery, planetarium, a Catawba Indian village and an 1700s backcountry farm on a nature trail. Free 2nd Tuesday evenings (4–8 pm).
Good to know: Free admission the second Tuesday of each month, 4–8 pm.
Concord, NC
Rainy dayIndoor skydiving wind tunnel near Concord Mills; kids as young as 3 can fly with an instructor.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayBig family entertainment center in Ballantyne: bowling, laser tag, ropes course, rock climbing, bumper cars and arcade.
Huntersville & Pineville, NC
Rainy dayBowling, large arcade, escape rooms and restaurant under one roof at two locations.
Mint Hill & Cornelius, NC
Rainy dayTrampolines, climbing walls, ropes courses and indoor playgrounds.
Charlotte (Northlake) & Pineville, NC
Rainy dayWall-to-wall trampolines, foam zones, dodgeball and toddler time.
Gastonia, NC
Rainy dayTrampoline courts, ninja course and foam pits in Gastonia.
Rock Hill, SC
Rainy dayTrampoline park with the area's largest ninja course, foam pits, flying trapeze and dunk zone.
Huntersville, NC
Rainy dayIndoor ninja/parkour gym with open-play passes and kids' classes.
Xtreme Play
PaidConcord, NC
Rainy dayIndoor inflatable playground with bounce houses, obstacle courses and a toddler area.
Monroe, NC
Rainy dayClean, spacious indoor playground with ball pits and climbing structures.
Matthews, NC
Rainy dayIndoor playground for kids 10 and under with ball pits, climbing structures and slides.
Gastonia, Charlotte & Monroe, NC
Rainy dayGlow-in-the-dark indoor mini golf with monster-themed holes.
Dave & Buster's
PaidConcord & Pineville, NC
Rainy dayBig arcade and restaurant — good for rainy-day treats.
Concord, NC
Rainy dayBowling, laser tag, arcade and bumper cars.
Indian Trail, NC
Rainy daySeasonalIndoor ice rink with public skating sessions year-round.
Pineville, NC
Rainy daySeasonalIndoor ice rink with public skate sessions and learn-to-skate classes.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolProfessional theatre for kids at ImaginOn, staging family shows and classes.
Rock Hill, SC
Rainy dayHomeschoolNatural history museum with an Ice Age Carolinas exhibit, the Settlemyre Planetarium, trails and gardens.
Rock Hill, SC
Rainy dayHomeschoolPretend-play museum for ages 0–6 with dress-up, farm and kitchen exhibits.
Charlotte, NC
HomeschoolRainy dayHome of the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander rock house, Mecklenburg's oldest home, plus exhibits on Charlotte history.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolNorth Carolina's first art museum. Free admission Wednesday evenings 5–9 pm, often with family crafts.
Good to know: Free Wednesdays 5–9 pm.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolModern art museum uptown; Wednesday Night Live (5–9 pm) adds music and workshops.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolUptown museum celebrating African-American art and culture with frequent free family programs.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolFree self-guided tour through the life of Billy Graham, starting with a talking-cow animatronic in a barn-shaped building.
Dallas, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolFree museum in historic Dallas, NC with local history exhibits and a carriage collection.
Lancaster, SC
Rainy dayHomeschoolFree galleries on Catawba Nation history and pottery — great for NC/SC history units.
Waxhaw, NC
HomeschoolRainy dayLocal history museum on the Waxhaws region and Andrew Jackson's early life.
Huntersville / Lake Norman, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolFree hands-on energy science center at McGuire Nuclear Station on Lake Norman, with a nature trail. Walk-ins Tue–Thu 12–3 pm; groups by appointment.
Charlotte, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolKids' and teen library uptown with free storytimes, puppet shows, and a stop-motion studio.
Throughout Mecklenburg, NC
Rainy dayHomeschool20+ branches with free storytimes, STEM programs and homeschool resources.
Gastonia & Gaston County, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolFree kids' programs, storytimes and maker activities across Gaston County branches.
Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, NC
Rainy dayHomeschoolFree storytimes and family programs at branches across Cabarrus County.
Charlotte, NC
PlaygroundsHomeschoolRainy dayIndoor nature center, easy trails, and a unique fenced nature playground; frequent free family programs.
Huntersville, NC
HomeschoolRainy day1,460-acre preserve on Mountain Island Lake; Quest nature center has a big aquarium and interactive exhibits, plus trails, horseback riding and paddling.
Pineville, NC
Rainy dayPlaygroundsFree indoor kids' play area inside the mall — handy on rainy days.
Concord Mills
FreeConcord, NC
Rainy dayHuge outlet mall home to SEA LIFE, Dave & Buster's and more — easy rainy-day walking.
Multiple locations, NC
Rainy dayFree hands-on build projects for kids on the first Saturday of the month.
Frequently asked questions
What are free indoor things to do with kids in Charlotte?
Public libraries and some museum free days are good no-cost options; listings marked Free on this page are free to enter.
Are these good on very hot days too?
Yes — every place here is indoors, so it works for storms, cold snaps and heat waves.