20 Things to Do in Calgary on a Rainy Day
- June 1, 2023
- By Cody Battershill
We definitely don't get as much rain as our coastal neighbours living in Vancouver and Victoria, that's a for sure thing! But the good news is that if Mother Nature does decide to unleash a fury of water down upon us, there are plenty of things to do in Calgary on a rainy day regardless of how hard the downpour may be.
Here are some of the best indoor activities in Calgary we thought of for those gloomy rainy days. Also see:
- Top 30 Patios in Calgary
- Best Chicken Wing Mondays in Calgary
- Best Calgary Neighbourhoods for Families
The Big Box
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The Big Box is a great place for families to go on a rainy day. The entertainment facility is conveniently located across from Deerfoot City Mall by Deerfoot Trail & 64th Ave NE intersection, making it relatively easy to locate and access.
Find several different attractions inside that are for all ages, including:
- Laser tag
- Mini golf
- Dodgeball
- Virtual reality
- Arcade games
- Climbing wall
- Nerf Wars
- Bouncy park
- Children's playgrounds
Visitors can customize their packages by picking their choice of services and combos. There is also unlimited day access with an Infinite Day Pass, making it an excellent place for families to enjoy their day together without worrying about the weather.
- 930 64th Avenue NE, Unit 120
- 403-244-2691
- thebigbox.ca
Olympic Oval
Most of us probably already know about the Olympic Oval's year-round public skating.
Yes, most of us probably remember the good old’ days of youth, grabbing the skating bar and being a little hooligan on the speed-skating track where many world records were set in its days of Olympic glory.
But the Olympic Oval has a lot to offer people of all ages. Many university students and adults work out at its facilities, and every so often it hosts major car shows or other indoor conventions of the sort.
See the website for a full schedule and details for the best things to do in Calgary on a rainy day!
- 2500 University Drive NW
- 403-220-7954
- oval.ucalgary.ca/
Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park
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Flying is an indoor trampoline park with two locations, one north and one south, with various attractions and activities suitable for all ages. The park features an enormous recreational area with different jumping zones, foam pits, a Ninja Warrior course, wall-to-wall trampolines, a dodgeball arena and many other exciting features that make it an absolute blast for kids and adults alike.
Visitors can bounce around, play games, and participate in various indoor activities while exercising and having fun. Additionally, the park offers a safe and controlled environment for children to play and has trained staff to help supervise and assist visitors.
If you are looking for a fun and family-friendly activity on a rainy day in Calgary, Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park is worth checking out.
- Flying Squirrel North - 572 Aero Drive NE #105 – 403-879-2148
- Flying Squirrel South - 5342 72nd Avenue SE – 587-387-5867
- flyingsquirrelsports.ca
Nickle Galleries
Another awesome place to visit on a rainy day Calgary is the Nickle Galleries, formerly known as the Nickle Arts Museum.
Located at the University of Calgary, the indoor facility is dedicated to the exhibition and study of artifacts, knowledge and anything else deemed worthy. It is renowned for creating innovative discussions on museum-like topics to do with the past, present and future.
Historical items such as ancient pottery, scrolls and rugs are typically on display; however, the museum changes public displays often and is also host to various weekly activities and events for most age groups. You should check out their schedule if the rain comes a pouring!
- 250 University Drive, University of Calgary
- 403-220-7234
- ucalgary.ca
Chinatown
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Chinatown is one of Calgary's cultural hot spots located between 4th Avenue and Riverfront Avenue from south to north and 1st Street SW to 1st Street SE from west to east.
This place is riddled with fun things to do on a rainy day including browsing a unique collection of Chinese shops at Dragon City Mall and discovering a wide range of foreign foods within the few blocks described above.
Even if you don't buy anything, this can still be an enjoyable cultural experience! Remember that to get from block to block you must cross the street outside, so bring an umbrella just in case.
- Downtown Calgary
MNP Community & Sport Centre
Why choose the MNP Community & Sport Centre (formerly Repsol Sport Centre) as an activity on a rainy day in Calgary? Well, let's just say that it's the most all-inclusive indoor recreational centre of them all!
Drop-in fees are reasonable and for what it has to offer, memberships are the way to go if you live near one of Calgary’s largest recreation facilities. Multi-floor fitness centres, three gymnasiums, hot tubs, saunas, Olympic diving boards and laned pools and more await you at MNP!
- 2225 Macleod Trail South
- 403-233-8393
- mnpcentre.com
ClearOne Badminton Centre
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Badminton is a fun sport that can help you maintain fitness and physical shape. It is also a great way to socialize as you try to beat your friends into submission on the court!
Located in the northwest just off Deerfoot Trail and Country Hills Boulevard, ClearOne Badminton Centre is the perfect place to have fun with your family and friends on a rainy day in Calgary.
Membership and drop-in fees are both very affordable. Stay as long as you want, or even sign up for lessons and various tournaments throughout the year! Learn more at Calgary Activities - ClearOne Badminton Centre.
- 1853 120th Avenue NE
- 403-265-3886
- clearonebadminton.com
Southern Jubilee Auditorium
Live bands, opera, comedy, musicals… when it comes to entertainment of these sorts, there is a good chance that it is showing at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
Every week this performing arts centre hosts a variety of events, making it a top contender for things to do in Calgary on a rainy day.
Tickets are mandatory for all shows, however, the auditoriums' large capacity usually means that there are extras available.
- 1415 14th Avenue NW
- 403-297-8000
- broadway.com
Canada Sports Hall of Fame
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Did you know that the Canada Sports Hall of Fame has moved to Calgary's Canada Olympic Park, all the way from Toronto?
This facility has around 100,000 sports artifacts, showcasing the stories of over 660 athletes who have been inducted since its establishment. Induction criteria include Canadian citizenship, having made significant contributions to and development of sport, and achieving a high level of excellence at national and international levels. New members are selected by a panel composed of sports journalists, experts, and past inductees.
The Hall of Fame is an important institution for preserving the history and legacy of Canadian sports, while also inspiring future generations to reach for excellence in athletics.
For sports enthusiasts in Calgary, this may just be the ultimate thing to do in Calgary on a rainy day if you have not been recently or before at all. Learn more at Best Calgary Tourist Attractions - Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
- 88 Canada Olympic Road SW
- 403-247-5452
- sportshall.ca
The Rec Room
The Rec Room at Deerfoot City Mall is full of hype among people of all ages, and for good reason. Featuring dozens of state-of-the-art arcade games, ping pong, axe throwing, virtual reality, pool tables, bowling and more, it is easy to see why The Rec Room is a great place to go on a rainy day in Calgary for some fun.
The massive facility also features a full-service restaurant and sports bar in addition to a quicker cafe-style concession that serves up craft beer, housemade desserts and several delicious poutines.
Do not forget to check out the token store and cash in your tokens for rewards after a night of gaming!
- 901 64 Avenue NE, Unit 1180
- 587-535-6077
- com/calgary
Devonian Gardens
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Downtown Calgary is full of things to do on a rainy day. One of those is a visit to the Devonian Gardens in The Core Shopping Centre.
Located on the top floor, Devonian Gardens features more than 20,000 plants, 500 trees, 50 varieties of plants, a 900 square foot living wall, koi fish ponds and many benches and seating areas and a kids' playground filled with climbing structures great for children’s playtime!
The CORE also has a huge food court right beside the gardens, making this lush indoor oasis the perfect place to stop in at before or after food.
- The CORE Shopping Centre - 400, 317 7 Avenue SW
- 403-441-4940
- calgary.ca/devonian
SPEEDERS Indoor ProKarts
Speeders may very well be the most intense indoor race track in the city. Featuring 100% electric go-karts, this adrenaline-pumping indoor activity will have you going seemingly a million miles an hour against your friends in competitive indoor racing!
Unfortunately if you are under the legal age limit, shorter than 5'1'', weigh more than 300 pounds, have open-toed shoes on or have had a few too many drinks, you won't be able to race at Speeders that day.
If that's the case, we recommend you make your way back to this indoor activity gem another day to check out the high-intensity, very fast go kart racing!
- 58 Aero Drive NE, Unit 109
- 403-233-8393
- speeders.ca/calgary
Eau Claire Market
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Just across the street from the Chinese Cultural Centre is the eclectic Eau Claire Market. Home to a Cineplex Odeon, food court, several restaurants, sports bar & grill, indoor children’s playground and a wide range of unique shops, it's one of the top places to visit in Calgary's city centre on a rainy day!
The best part is that Eau Claire's underground parking makes it so you do not have to get wet at all going in or out of the mall.
This area is set to undergo a massive redevelopment that will include residential towers, improved public transit access and new commercial/retail spaces. We can't wait!
- 200 Barclay Parade SW
- 403-264-6450
- eauclairemarket.com
The Shooting Edge
For some, there are few things in this world more exhilarating than shooting a gun. And not just any gun, but a variety of different types all at once. This is exactly what is offered to you at the Shooting Edge.
This gun range/shop has a great setup where you pay a flat rate to shoot and then basically pay for your ammo to fire. You can switch guns as many times as you like to shoot on the range, which is a great way to get a different feel for various weapons while enhancing your overall adrenaline-inducing experience.
The Shooting Edge also offers a range of services for youth accompanied by adults, making it a great place to visit on a rainy day in Calgary.
- 510 77th Avenue SE
- 403-720-4867
- theshootingedge.com
Glenbow Museum
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Canadian history is richer than many people may think. If you are interested in what life was like on the prairies for our European ancestors and for the Aboriginal peoples who were here for countless years before, the Glenbow Museum’s rich archives will make your jaw drop!
The story of these historical groups is incredibly fascinating and can be discovered at the Glenbow Museum's vast collections, separated into four categories: archive, art, library and museum.
Spending an afternoon here on a rainy day in Calgary is fun and engaging if you are interested in this sort of thing! Learn more at Calgary Activities - Glenbow Museum today.
- 130 9th Avenue SW
- 403-268-4100
- glenbow.org
Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club
The rain might make some people feel gloomy, but there is a perfect solution for that rainy day feeling that many of us get, and that is nothing else but dinner and entertainment at Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club!
Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club has a variety of ticket options, plus often walk-ins are accepted as shows aren’t always sold out. We highly recommend checking the event schedule well in advance as some comedians may be more funny and well-known than others!
- Elbow River Casino – 218 18th Avenue SE
- 403-258-2028
- yukyuks.com/Calgary
The Military Museums
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Explore detailed exhibits showing historical wartime battles and other crucial moments in Canada's history, join guided tours and learn straight from military professionals and officials themselves, view a comprehensive collection of picture and art galleries, and more at Calgary's Military Museums.
Perhaps most important of all, discover what sacrifices Canada's War Veterans have made for our country, of which contributed to Canada becoming a sovereign nation and to the betterment of the world.
Oh, and if you are hungry, grab some food and drink from the snack bar and check out the cool gift shop on your way out.
- 4520 Crowchild Trail SW
- 403-974-2850
- themilitarymuseums.ca
Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are a new craze when it comes to indoor activities in Calgary. They are usually quite fun and challenging and are perfect for groups to do any day of the week especially on one that is rainy.
With several escape rooms around town, how should you know which one is best? We highly recommend checking out Google reviews to get an idea of where you would like to go. Each facility offers different types of rooms, making most of these establishments completely unique from one another
Popular Escape Rooms:
- Trapped Escape Room
- Confined Escape Rooms
- A/MAZE Calgary
- Level 1 Escape
- The Locked Room
- Escape 60
Best Shopping Malls
It may already be a given, but heading to one of Calgary's best shopping malls to pick up what you need is always a good thing to do on a rainy day in Calgary.
Whether it be Market Mall, South Centre Mall, Sunridge Mall, Horizon Mall, Cross Iron Mills or The CORE Shopping Centre, they all are great picks for when the rain is somewhat limiting on what you can do outdoors.
Best Movie Theatres
Watching a good Hollywood flick on a rainy night is the best! Catch that movie you have wanted to see for days by yourself or with your loved ones, grab your favourite snacks, huddle into a cozy seat and watch that rainy night away.
We prefer VIP cinemas across the city like at University District, Seton and in Coventry because of their recliner-style lazyboy seats. Chinook Ciniplex is also a great choice because of the nearby amenities which make for a great night out with loved ones, especially on a rainy day!
More Things to Do in Calgary…
Do not let a rainy day get you down! With 20 of these fun and exciting things to do in Calgary on a rainy day, you will surely be having a blast the next time Mother Nature decides to show us a little rainy love!
Until next time, be sure to check out more of the best Calgary activities and events, and join us at Calgaryism on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more of everything to do with our great city today!
