The best indoor activities for rainy days in Melbourne

Head inside the NGV International for an afternoon of world-class art. There's always something new to see, and you can spend hours getting lost in the gallery's permanent collection. 

Time Out tip: Entry is free and it's open from 10am to 5pm daily – what's not to love?

Totally fair if you'd rather just curl up on the couch at home and see what's on Netflix, but if you can muster the strength to brave the cold, Melbourne has heaps of excellent cinemas to explore. Rainy days are perfect for catching up on new releases, and every movie is better when you have a bucket full of buttery popcorn.

Time Out tip: St Kilda’s Astor Theatre and the Sun Theatre in Yarraville both recently earned a spot on a list of the world’s 100 greatest cinemas. 

Hitting the golf park is no fun when it's raining, but luckily Melbourne has a zany, pop culture-themed indoor mini golf venue. Practice your putt at Holey Moley, a huge, multi-level mini golf course complete with automated scoring. Holey Moley has six venues in Victoria, from the CBD to Moorabbin. 

Time Out tip: After a few fun rounds of mini golf, try one of the crazy (and creative!) cocktails.

This glorious, sprawling space is a must-visit for Melburnians and tourists alike. Don't miss out on your chance to immerse yourself in the museum's top-notch permanent exhibits, including First Peoples, which presents First Nations' stories through objects, music and the voices of those past and present.

Time Out tip: Make sure to check out Depression-era thoroughbred Phar Lap – the most popular exhibit with young and old alike. In 2026, this legendary racehorse turned 100. 

If you haven't tried it yet, getting yourself trapped in a room and being forced to solve puzzles to escape is heaps of fun. These days, there are plenty of adventures to choose from across the city. Some are more challenging (and terrifying) than others, and all of them are a perfect way to get away from the weather with your mates – here are some of our faves.

Time Out tip: To pick an escape room, evaluate your group's size, experience level and interests to help you choose something everyone will enjoy.

There's something about sitting by the window on a rainy day, sipping on a hot barista-made coffee and chowing down on a flaky pastry. If you're not much of a baker, pop down to one of Melbourne's finest patisseries and grab a couple of croissaints, old-school cakes and indulgent slices. 

Time Out tip: Have you been to Lune Lonsdale yet? It's the second CBD location (and the fourth in Melbourne). You'll find it tucked under the Ritz-Carlton.

When it gets cold and rainy, take yourself on a mini-getaway at Melbourne's best spas and bathhouses. You'll emerge feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on any bad-weather day.

Time Out tip: Our managing editor Leah Glynn is a self-confessed self-care specialist. Her hot pick for a pamper sesh? The 'equilibrium' treatment at Comma is next-level good. 

Melbourne is lucky enough to have the southern hemisphere's largest video gaming and e-sports entertainment venue, and it's on the ground floor of Emporium Melbourne. Yes, Fortress is massive and encompasses more than 2,700 square metres over two levels. Inside, you'll find a 200-seat e-sports arena, 160 Alienware PCs, VIP game booths, streamer pods and an area dedicated to tabletop games. Games are brought to life through retro board games, VIP console booths and PC gaming in the dedicated LAN lounge. 

Time Out tip: Fortress also offers food, drinks and entertainment packages for team building events, birthday parties and celebrations.

Winter happens to be the biggest season for theatre and musicals in Melbourne, and there are always plenty of blockbuster shows to choose from. Plus, there's never been a more important time to support the arts.

Time Out tip: Going to the theatre can be expensive, so here are some tips to score cheap theatre tickets.

Rally your mates and unleash your competitive side with a couple of rounds of retro board and arcade games. If your games collection at home is lacklustre, head to one of these cool bars in Melbourne that are stocked with everything from giant chess, Uno and Scrabble to retro arcade games. 

Time Out tip: In our opinion, Connect Four with a round of beers and a game of chess with a couple of Martinis go perfectly together – cheers!

When winter makes its presence felt in Melbourne, head to some of our best pubs that light up their fireplaces so you can beat those winter blues. Our advice? Pull up a barstool, grab a pint, gather your friends by the fire and get cosy. 

Time Out tip: Choose a pub that's also doing a Sunday roast and enjoy a hearty meal by the hearth.

Imagine an old-school cruise, with shuffleboard, darts, ping pong, cabanas and plenty of food and drink. Now add virtual reality games and take away any potential seasickness, and you've got Ballers Clubhouse, a 2,500-square-metre temple devoted to fun. The venue includes six (yes, six!) bars, ten private function spaces, 12 ping pong tables, four shuffleboard courts, six darts booths and a virtual reality games centre. Yep, that's a whole lot of fun times crammed into one space. 

Time Out tip: They've got two locations: in the Melbourne CBD and Carlton, with another one due to open in Geelong.

In the words of House of Pain, "Jump around /Jump up, jump up, and get down". Get your spike in adrenaline by catching some air at these indoor trampoline parks. If you've been feeling like you want to let off some steam, try a workout that's genuinely fun or just simply get in touch with your inner kid, then catch some air time at an indoor trampoline park.

Time Out tip: On top of being super fun, it's also exercise in disguise – a great workout for building core strength, coordination and balance. 

For a great evening indoors, there's nothing quite like rounding up some mates, ordering a round of drinks and belting out a few hits at a karaoke joint. In Melbourne, we're lucky to have a number of karaoke spots where you can let loose, so grab that mic and sing the night away at these karaoke joints suited to all occasions (and confidence levels!).

Time Out tip: Want to loosen up pre-karaoke sesh? Enjoy a delicious dinner or some cool cocktails to get the good vibes going first.