Fun Things to Do Indoors in Austin
July 15, 2025
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The weather in Austin is often fantastic, but there are some days when you’d prefer to just stay indoors. Summer temps can soar, making air conditioning a must. And although we average 300 sunny days per year, yes, it does sometimes rain here!
Whether you’re looking to beat the heat or avoid the rain, the Heywood Hotel concierge team has ideas for fun indoor activities in Austin, Texas.
Visit a Museum or Gallery
Balloon Museum
If you’re looking for a fun, interactive museum experience, visit Balloon Museum’s “Let’s Fly – Art Has No Limits” multi-sensory exhibition. This pop-up museum runs from June to November 2025 and features interactive exhibitions of large-scale, inflatable art.
Pro tip: Enjoy free passes to the Balloon Museum when you book the Summer Fun package at the Heywood Hotel!
Blanton Museum of Art
A tried and true indoor activity is visiting a museum to soak in art and culture. First on your list should be the Blanton Museum of Art. The museum is located on the University of Texas campus and is home to temporary exhibitions and permanent installations, such as Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin.”
The museum features indoor and outdoor exhibits, along with the Butler Sound Gallery, dedicated to sound art, and the Moody Patio. Pro tip: Visit Blanton on Tuesdays when admission to the museum is free.
Here are a few more Austin museums worth visiting:
- LBJ Presidential Library and Museum: Located on the UT campus, this museum features LBJ’s papers as well as several excellent exhibits from that era.
- The Contemporary Austin: If you’re looking for art in the downtown area, you’ll find the Jones Center on Congress Avenue, one of two museum locations from The Contemporary Austin. The other location is Laguna Gloria, an outdoor sculpture garden in West Austin.
- Mexic-Arte Museum: Also located downtown, this museum features traditional and contemporary Mexican and Latin American art and culture. Want free admission to Mexic-Arte Museum? Book a Summer Fun package with the Heywood Hotel!
- Unchained Art Gallery: Literally steps from the Heywood Hotel, Unchained Art features international and local contemporary art, including photography, sculptures, paintings and tech-art.
- Women & Their Work Gallery: Located just a couple blocks east of the Heywood Hotel, this gallery space showcases contemporary art created by women living and working in Texas and beyond. Admission is free or donation-based.
- Gray Duck Gallery: Also located in our neighborhood, this small contemporary gallery space is in a modernized 100-year-old house.
- French Legation Museum: Located just a mile from the hotel in one of the oldest houses in Austin, French Legation Museum is dedicated to telling the story of Texas’ settlement and growth.
Go Bowling or Mini Golfing
Pins Mechanical
New to Austin’s entertainment scene, Pins Mechanical features duckpin bowling along with other activities including pinball, foosball, ping pong, and arcade games. There’s also an extensive drink menu, making it easy to spend a few hours here on a rainy day in Austin. Pins Mechanical is located in the St. Elmo’s District, about six miles from the Heywood Hotel.
Holey Moley
There are few things as nostalgic and fun as mini golf. And fortunately for anyone looking to beat the heat or avoid the rain in Austin, Holey Moley Indoor Mini Golf offers an indoor experience. Play 9, 18, or 27 holes of mini-golf at this immersive space with local art, mini-golf, and karaoke. Want free passes to Holey Moley? Book a Summer Fun package with the Heywood Hotel!)
Punch Bowl Social
Located nearby in downtown Austin, Punch Bowl Social offers an intimate bowling alley (there are only seven lanes!), among other activities like karaoke and arcade games.
If you’re looking for classic bowling alleys, there are a couple a little further away from the hotel including Highland Lanes in North Austin and Westgate Lanes in South Austin.
Tour the City
AO Tours Austin
Hop on a panoramic (air conditioned!) bus to see Austin’s major landmarks, art installations, and public parks, plus views of the Texas Hill Country with AO Tours Austin. There are multiple tour options available, all conducted by expert drivers who tell informative and entertaining stories about Austin. The Heywood Hotel concierge team is happy to coordinate! Book your Summer Fun package to get a free tour scheduled.
Texas Capitol
Located downtown, the Texas Capitol is one of the largest and most distinguished capitol buildings in the nation. There’s a lot of rich history and stunning architecture to take in–you may even get a glimpse into a legislative session depending on when you visit. Consider going on a free 30-minute guided tour, which takes place every 30 to 45 minutes, or go at your own pace with a self-guided tour.
Go Indoor Rock Climbing
Just because the weather isn’t ideal doesn’t mean you can’t be active! A good way to get your blood pumping, rain or shine, is through exercise, and indoor rock climbing is an opportunity to make working out fun.
Located on the Eastside, just a little over two miles from the Heywood Hotel, is the Bouldering Project. Here, you can challenge yourself to do bouldering, which is rock climbing without using ropes or harnesses. The gym also offers yoga and fitness classes.
Another indoor climbing gym is Crux Climbing Center, with locations in the Highland neighborhood and in Pflugerville (with plans for a South location set to open in 2026!). The facility offers climbing and bouldering, as well as fitness and yoga classes.
Get Crafty
Ghost Pepper Glass
Want to spend the day flexing your creative muscles? There are a couple of places around town where you can get crafty (and messy!). A unique indoor activity we recommend checking out is Ghost Pepper Glass. The glass blowing studio is located in East Austin, a little over two miles from the Heywood Hotel. Ghost Pepper Glass offers private, hands-on workshops where you can learn how to make a small glass-blown item with the help of an instructor.
Craft
Here in East Austin, stop by Craft, Austin’s very own walk-in craft studio. For just $5, you get access to all of the supplies, tools, and materials in the craft room—and the freedom to create anything you like. If you prefer more structure, Craft also hosts workshops for crafts like tie-dye, calligraphy, soapmaking, and embroidery. You can find the workshop calendar here. Craft is adults-only and is delightfully BYOB.
Upstairs Circus
Another adult craft space is Upstairs Circus. Located downtown on 2nd Street, Upstairs Circus is both a DIY workshop experience and a bar. Simply reserve a spot during their “Project Social Hour” and choose from a menu of over 25 craft projects that you can work on at your own pace—plus, everyone in your party can choose a different project, adding to the fun. You can also order a drink from the full bar to help get your creative juices flowing.
Plant Party
Looking for an indoor activity that’s a bit more relaxed? We recommend a visit to Plant Party. You can book a private workshop to build your own terrarium, or attend one of their scheduled workshops. All supplies are included and the event is BYOB. Plant Party’s East Austin studio is located just a couple of miles from the Heywood Hotel.
Go to a Grown Up Arcade
Cidercade
Pinball and a pint? Sure, why not! Austin has several great arcade options oriented toward adults. The nearest to the Heywood is Cidercade on East Riverside Dr. Cidercade charges just $12 admission for unlimited play on 150+ arcade games. As the name suggests, Cidercade is a cidery, with dozens of hard ciders on tap. Pizza and wings are also served. Best of all, the arcade is 21 and up after 9:00pm.
Pinballz
Another arcade option is Pinballz. The BYOB establishment offers three locations, with the original on Burnet Rd. Pinballz features a variety of arcade games from the 1980s onward, with each play costing $1 to $2.
One Line Racing Center
If you’re looking for a different type of gaming experience, check out One Line Racing Center. The video simulator racing center offers the chance to experience being in the cockpit of the world’s fastest cars. Pro tip: When you book a Summer Fun Package at the Heywood Hotel, you can get a free 30-minute race for two guests!
Visit a Brewery
There’s no shortage of local breweries to sneak away to when you’re looking for things to do indoors in Austin. A few are just a short walk or drive from the Heywood Hotel, including:
- Blue Owl Brewing
- Zilker Brewing Company
- Lazarus Brewing
- Central Machine Works
- Hi Sign Brewing
- Oddwood Brewing
Many of these breweries also offer food or have food trucks onsite, so it’s easy to kill a few hours when you want to stay indoors.
For more tour and brewery ideas, check out our guide to the Best Breweries in Austin or just ask our expert concierge team at the front desk. We’re happy to help you navigate Austin’s craft beer scene.
Go Shopping
East 11th Street District
One of the best shopping districts in town is located less than a mile away from the Heywood Hotel on East 11th Street. There are several shops to visit, including Charm School Vintage for eclectic vintage clothing for men and women, take heart or Apartment F for gifts and home goods, and Kindred Spirits or Lovecraft for women’s clothing and accessories. If you’re in the market for a new book—and in the mood for a glass of wine—pop over to Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar where you can enjoy both.
West End Shopping District
If you want to drive a few miles further into town, make your way to the West End. An iconic Austin neighborhood, the West End–which is the area around West Sixth Street and North Lamar–offers plenty of opportunities to shop when the weather isn’t ideal. Start your day by strolling through the aisles of the spacious Whole Foods Market flagship store. Austin is the birthplace of Whole Foods. This location, their headquarters and flagship store, spans 80,000 square feet and features in-store eateries and bars, a “beer alley,” and great people watching– it’s probably the best location to spot a celebrity in Austin.
On the surrounding blocks around Whole Foods, there are several local shops worth a visit, including Waterloo Records, BookPeople–where you can easily spend a couple of hours perusing the stacks of records and books respectively–Amy’s Ice Cream, and outdoors store Whole Earth Provision. For home goods, check out Wildflower Organics, and for men’s and women’s fashion, By George.
Nearby national stores include West Elm, Lush, Anthropologie and REI.
Check Out the Central Library
One of the best indoor things to do in Austin, rain or shine, is to visit the stunning Central Library. Named “One of the World’s Greatest Places” by TIME Magazine in 2018, Austin’s Central Library is much more than a place to check out books. The beautifully designed six-floor building features several reading rooms and porches, fantastic mid-century modern furniture, and a stunning rooftop patio overlooking the city.
Be sure to also visit Café Crème while you’re there! The locally-owned coffee shop and bakery serves coffee, tea, pastries, and a full menu that includes breakfast tacos and sandwiches.
Feature image courtesy of Blanton Museum.