Things to Do When it’s Raining in Colorado Springs: 6 Best Indoor Attractions
Quick answer: When it’s raining in Colorado Springs, the best things to do are visiting indoor and weatherproof attractions across the Pikes Peak region. The top six picks are Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, Ghost Town Museum, Miramont Castle, the May Natural History Museum, the Space Foundation Discovery Center, and the Western Museum of Mining & Industry. All six stay open rain or shine, so a wet forecast doesn’t have to cancel your vacation.
The 6 best rainy-day attractions in Colorado Springs at a glance
- Cave of the Winds Mountain Park — Underground cave tours in Manitou Springs that stay a comfortable temperature year-round.
- Ghost Town Museum — An indoor Old West museum near Old Colorado City with thousands of pioneer-era artifacts.
- Miramont Castle — An 1800s Victorian castle in Manitou Springs offering self-guided tours and afternoon tea.
- May Natural History Museum — One of the largest privately owned insect collections in the world (open summer only).
- Space Foundation Discovery Center — A hands-on space science museum with real spaceflight artifacts.
- Western Museum of Mining & Industry — A hands-on mining history museum north of Colorado Springs.
Colorado weather is about as unpredictable as it gets — and in Colorado Springs, where we’re nestled in the cloud-catching Rocky Mountains, it’s even more so. Growing up here, you learn to always keep two things in your car: a jacket and a pair of shorts. (Flip-flops worn year-round? That’s how you spot a native.) Summer brings its share of afternoon showers to the Pikes Peak region, but a little precipitation doesn’t mean your vacation is ruined.
You may have come to play outside, but we’ve got plenty of indoor attractions to fill the damp hours with the Colorado fun you came for. These same spots are perfect for beating the summer heat or escaping winter’s chill, too. After all, an all-weather state should have all-weather fun, right?
Planning a winter trip? Check out our Dressing for Winter Weather in Colorado guide, too.
1. Explore Cave of the Winds Mountain Park
Cave of the Winds Mountain Park is an underground cave system in Manitou Springs that stays a comfortable, consistent temperature year-round, making it an ideal rainy-day stop. Because the tours go underground, the weather above the surface doesn’t affect your visit.
Okay, technically the entrance is outdoors — but it’s hard for rain to soak through millions of years of rock, so consider it a multi-purpose space, ya dig? Adults, kids, and even too-cool teens enjoy touring this network of caverns, stalactites, and stalagmites. The Discovery Tour lasts about 45 minutes, which is perfect timing for a stray thunderstorm to pass. During certain months, you can also book the Lantern Tour, complete with spooky stories, or the Caving 101 Tour, which lets you get your hands (and knees, and shoes) dirty in the cave’s less-traveled passages. The gift shop is a paradise for the rock hound in your life — and every family has at least one. Buy your tickets here.
2. Visit Ghost Town Museum
Ghost Town Museum is an indoor Old West museum located near Old Colorado City, housing thousands of authentic pioneer-era artifacts inside a fully covered, weatherproof building. Despite the name, it isn’t spooky — it’s just plain cool.
Explore real relics of Colorado’s Wild West past as you wander wooden walkways lined with actual structures that once dotted the hillsides and valleys of the Rockies. Highlights include a shooting gallery, stagecoaches, period furniture, clothing, tools, a working nickelodeon, and a fortune teller. There are literally thousands of artifacts to explore, and you won’t have to travel any farther than the edge of Old Colorado City to find them. Here’s a coupon for your visit.
3. Go Back in Time at Miramont Castle
Miramont Castle is a Victorian-era castle built in the 1800s in the hills above Manitou Springs, offering self-guided indoor tours and traditional afternoon tea. It sits on Capitol Hill Avenue like a jewel on a crown — and a little rain only makes a castle visit cozier.
The architecture is genuinely unusual, with rooms that turn the same old four-sided square on its head. A self-guided tour takes you through the castle’s halls, distinctive features, and Manitou Springs history. While you’re there, make a reservation for afternoon tea in the Queen’s Parlour, where knowledgeable staff serve your choice of teas amid lace, fine china, and Victorian décor. The high tea adds scones, finger sandwiches, and other treats to fuel your next adventure. We aren’t even punning when we say a fancy tea at Miramont Castle is a royal treat. Preorder your tickets here.
4. Bug Out at the May Natural History Museum
(Open seasonally: Memorial Day through Labor Day only)
The May Natural History Museum is home to one of the largest privately owned insect collections in the world, with more than 8,000 specimens on display indoors. It’s an affordable, completely weatherproof adventure unlike anything else in the region.
Want a rainy-day stop that’s truly off the beaten path? Inside you’ll find giant butterflies, a walking stick bigger than your hand, spiders, moths, beetles, and more — collected from around the world and painstakingly preserved. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you spot Herkimer, the giant Hercules beetle guarding the entrance.
5. Travel the Universe at the Space Foundation Discovery Center
The Space Foundation Discovery Center is an indoor space science museum in Colorado Springs featuring hands-on exhibits and real artifacts from space missions. It’s fully climate-controlled, making it a perfect rainy-day escape for curious minds of any age.
Where better to keep a museum devoted to the final frontier than Colorado, where pioneers once set out to explore a new frontier right here on Earth? Inside, space-themed halls lead to hands-on experiences and actual tools and materials from real expeditions — space suits, robotics, and more. Don’t miss Science On a Sphere, a three-dimensional rendering of Earth and the universe. You can even drive a rover, and special days feature crafts and space-themed activities. Bye-bye, rainy-day blues — we’re going where clouds can’t touch us. Buy your tickets to space here.
6. Get Hands-On at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry
The Western Museum of Mining & Industry is a hands-on mining history museum located on the north side of Colorado Springs, featuring interactive exhibits, gold panning, and working historic machinery — all indoors and out of the weather. It’s affordable, warm, dry, and educational.
If you’re a little farther north when the rain hits, this is your stop. Colorado was the place to be during the Gold Rush days, but the state’s mineral wealth goes far beyond gold — Colorado is packed with metals and minerals critical to the items you use every day. At the museum, you’ll practice your gold-panning skills, learn how miners once lived, and watch heavy machinery come to life. You’ll leave knowing a lot more about Colorado’s mining magic — and you’ll have whiled away the rainy hours in style. Get your tickets now.
Frequently asked questions about rainy days in Colorado Springs
What is there to do in Colorado Springs when it rains? The best rainy-day activities in Colorado Springs are indoor and weatherproof attractions: Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, Ghost Town Museum, Miramont Castle, the May Natural History Museum, the Space Foundation Discovery Center, and the Western Museum of Mining & Industry. All six remain open in wet weather.
Are Colorado Springs attractions open when it rains? Yes. The indoor and underground attractions listed above stay open rain or shine. Cave of the Winds runs its cave tours underground, and the area’s museums are housed indoors, so showers don’t interrupt a visit.
Does it rain a lot in Colorado Springs? Colorado Springs is known for fast-changing weather and brief afternoon showers, especially in summer. Most rain passes quickly, so an indoor attraction is often all you need to wait out a storm before heading back outdoors.
What indoor activities in Colorado Springs are good for families with kids? Family-friendly indoor options include the hands-on exhibits at the Space Foundation Discovery Center, the insect collection at the May Natural History Museum, gold panning at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry, and the cavern tours at Cave of the Winds.
Rainy days in Colorado Springs don’t have to slow you down. If you see storm clouds gathering or a wet forecast on the morning news, pull up this list and save the day with these indoor Colorado Springs attractions — perfect for rainy-day fun.
Keep exploring: 6 High-Altitude Tips for a Great Colorado Springs Vacation · 10+ Reasons Manitou Springs Is the Best Little Town
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