What to do in Boston when it rains
A wet day in Boston is no write-off: spend it among the museums and galleries, browse an indoor market, or linger over coffee somewhere cosy.
Museums
Spend a few hours in the city's museums — many are free, and a rainy day is the perfect excuse to take your time.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Museum of Science 1 Science Pk, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210, USA
- Boston Children's Museum 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210, USA
- Institute of Contemporary Art 25 Harbor Shore Dr, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Art galleries
Duck into the art galleries; they're quiet, warm and rarely busier than on a wet day.
- Museum of Illusions Boston 200 State St, Boston, MA 02109, USA
- Artists For Humanity 100 W 2nd St, Boston, MA 02127, USA
- MIT List Visual Arts Center 20 Ames St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Cambridge Community Center 5 Callender St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- The Museum Of Bad Art 1250 Massachusetts Ave Suite 1, Boston, MA 02125, USA
- Boston Center for the Arts 539 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Historic sites
Explore the indoor historic sites and their covered galleries.
- Boston Public Library 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210, USA
- Freedom Trail Freedom Trl, Boston, MA 02108, USA
- Bunker Hill Monument Monument Sq, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- USS Constitution Museum Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Symphony Hall 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Covered markets
Browse the covered market — street-food stalls, local makers and somewhere dry to graze for an hour.
- Quincy Market 206 S Market St, Boston, MA 02109, USA
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace Boston, MA 02109, USA
- Whole Foods Market 348 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Haymarket 100 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
- Trader Joe's 899 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Trader Joe's 500 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Cafés
Claim a window seat in a cosy café and watch the rain instead of walking in it.
- Boston Sail Loft 80 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110, USA
- Tatte Bakery & Cafe | Back Bay 399 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
- Eataly 800 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199, USA
- Trident Booksellers & Cafe 338 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Pressed Cafe 105 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02199, USA
- WNDR Museum 500 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111, USA
Indoor shopping
Hit the covered shopping streets and centres — everything under one roof.
- Encore Boston Harbor 1 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149, USA
- Prudential Center Boston 800 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199, USA
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace Boston, MA 02109, USA
- Assembly Row 355 Artisan Way, Somerville, MA 02145, USA
- CambridgeSide 100 Cambridgeside Pl, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
- Copley Place 100 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Venue suggestions powered by Google — tap a name for the map, and always check opening times before you go. 36 places listed; the list refreshes regularly.