20 fun things to do in Rhode Island this winter when you don't want to go outside

Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal
Updated ·3 min read

It’s cold. The skies have been gray. So maybe you’ve hit the feeling where you want to leave the house, but you don’t want to go outside.

Luckily, there are plenty of indoor activities you can do in Rhode Island — places you can take the kids to burn off some energy, or somewhere you can enjoy some warmth and look at some green plants, or learn something new.

All of that can be found in Rhode Island, which means, at most, it’s just a one-hour drive away. Here are some ideas to get you moving.

Check out an indoor play place

Lots of options in this category. You can go for something classic like bowling at Lang’s Bowlarama in Cranston, which has been open since 1960, or roller skating at an indoor rink like United Skates of America in East Providence.

You could also try a newer trend, like one of the many indoor trampoline parks in the state, including SkyZone in Providence or Launch in Warwick. If you’re looking for something a little more adult, consider axe-throwing at a place like The Axe Bar in Lincoln.  Or visit Level99, the newest adult playground at Providence Place.

Cheer for a Rhode Island team

PC's Clifton Moore, left, fends off Esahia Nyiwe and Dylan Addae-Wusu of St. John's in the final minutes of their Jan. 9 game at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars won, 83-80.
PC's Clifton Moore, left, fends off Esahia Nyiwe and Dylan Addae-Wusu of St. John's in the final minutes of their Jan. 9 game at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars won, 83-80.

It’s both basketball and hockey season, which means there are plenty of opportunities to cheer for Rhode Island teams at an indoor venue.

The Providence Bruins are an American Hockey League team, which is a development league for the National Hockey League, meaning you might see the start of the next great player’s career. They play at the Amica Mutual  Pavilion through March.

If basketball is more your speed, check out either the Providence Friars men’s or women’s teamsor the University of Rhode Island Rams women’s or men’s teams.

More: Follow RI's best college teams

Visit a greenhouse

East Providence, RI--March 18, 2015 SPRING bt 3 If the Spring air is still too chilly, go inside the tropical enviorons of the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence, where it's always above 80 degrees on a sunny day. The Koi Pond with its tropical vegitation is a favorite place to stop. Signs of spring--local flowers--and a place to get warm if the cold weather continues: the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence. For a Spring story by Karen Ziner. /The Providence Journal/Bob Thayer

If you want to pretend it’s spring or that you're on a tropical vacation for a couple of hours, visit the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence. The garden is the largest glasshouse display garden in New England, with full-grown palm trees, tropical plants, desert plants and regular old vegetables.

It is best to book tickets before you go.

If you would rather go somewhere where you can enjoy a greenhouse and purchase a plant to bring some of the feeling home with you, Peckham's Greenhouse in Little Compton is a great in-state pick.

More: The 5 best spots to take kids sledding in RI

Go to a brewery or winery

Co-owners Josh Dunlap and Wes Staschke of Whaler's Brewing salute their customers with a shaken beer toast at their South Kingstown facility.
Co-owners Josh Dunlap and Wes Staschke of Whaler's Brewing salute their customers with a shaken beer toast at their South Kingstown facility.

There are more than 20 breweries and tap rooms across the state to try and then at least 10 wineries. If you’re looking for one with an indoor space that offers a lot of the same outdoor game-style space breweries are known for in the summer, try Whalers in South Kingston. Their space has corn hole, oversized connect four, billiards tables and more under a canopy of string lights.

More: Bon appetit: 10 ways to enjoy the taste of France in Rhode Island

Take in some culture at a museum

Visit the museum at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Visit the museum at the Rhode Island School of Design.

There are many different types of museums in the state to explore. If you love art, take in the exhibits at the RISD Museum or the Newport Art Museum, which both have a combination of permanent and temporary exhibits.

For those more interested in the state’s history, take your pick of eras and perspectives. There’s the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter that tells the story of Indigenous people in Rhode Island through the exhibits and the narration of staff members. To learn more about the history of work, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, visit the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket. If you’re looking to explore the opulent era of the Gilded Age, try taking a tour of one of the Newport Mansions.

And for those that are looking for an interactive museum experience, pick from the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Providence or the Providence Children’s Museum which touts itself as “the champions of play.”

Editor's note: This story was updated in January 2024.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Things to do in Rhode Island this winter: 20 fun things to try