40+ best indoor activities when it's miserable outside in Charlotte

Get artsy with splatter painting

At Splatter Charlotte, a locally owned art studio in Optimist Park, you'll spend an hour getting to splatter paint your own 30in x 40in canvas.

Stop by: Find Splatter Charlotte at 2315 N Davidson St (Suite 100), in the same building as Urban District Market and MADabolic NoDa.

Pretend you're on a TV game show

Game Show Battle Rooms in Ballantyne lets players compete in challenges inspired by popular game shows, like "Wheel of Fortune" and "Family Feud."

• You can reserve a time slot here.

Stop by: Find Game Show Battle Rooms at 14815 Ballantyne Village Way Suite F-200 in Ballantyne Village (upstairs, near Salon Lofts).

Get blasted with paint, foam or slime at Beat the Bomb

Beat the Bomb is an escape-room style experience in lower South End, where teams of four to six will gear up in hazmat suits for an hour-long "bomb mission" experience.

• If you lose, you'll get doused in paint, foam or slime.

Stop by: Find Beat The Bomb at 3638 Tryclan Dr, near Gilde Brewery.

Feel like you're in a video game at Activate Games

Located in east Charlotte, Activate is an immersive gaming experience with 20 locations nationwide in cities like Houston, Chicago and Atlanta.

• Here are five things to know before you go.

Stop by: Find Activate at 1848 Galleria Blvd, Suite 9B.

Grab your pickleball paddles

Check out Charlotte’s new indoor/outdoor pickleball bar, restaurant and cafe, Rally, located in LoSo.

• Court reservations can be made for up to twelve players and for up to two hours. Equipment is included.

Go deeper: Pickleball restaurant and bar with 8 courts opens in LoSo

Go to the Museum of Illusions

Uptown's Museum of Illusions includes more than 60 interactive exhibits that play different visual tricks on your mind. You’ll find holograms, optical illusions and plenty of Insta-friendly exhibits. Carve out 45-90 minutes to walk through the exhibit.

Go deeper: 5 takeaways from my visit to Charlotte’s Museum of Illusions

Grab a scoop of ice cream, or two

There’s nothing like a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. Here are 25 options to choose from.

Play indoor putt-putt

The Puttery is a swanky mini golf course-meets-bar concept in South End, with two courses, a full bar and plenty of lounge space to hang out before or after a game.

• Book a reservation here.

Go deeper: 7 takeaways from my first time at Puttery, Charlotte’s cool new mini-golf bar

Test your swing even further

If mini-golf’s not your thing but you still want to practice your swing, head to one of Charlotte's two TopGolf locations: University City and Southwest Charlotte, near Steele Creek.

Stop by: TopGolf University City is located at 9110 Drivers Way. TopGolf Southwest is located at 8024 Savoy Corporate Drive.

Go deeper: Where to take your parents when they visit Charlotte

Play games old and new at a bar-cade

Super Abari, a nearly 5,000-square-foot game bar and arcade in the Belmont neighborhood, has 35 pinball machines, 60 arcade games and a massive Nintendo Game Boy, plus a bar and a “living room” lounge area.

Of note: You must be at least 21 years old to visit, except on Saturday and Sunday from noon until 6pm when all ages are welcome.

Go deeper: Highly anticipated bar-cade opens in Belmont

Go duckpin bowling

Duckpin bowling, which uses smaller and lighter pins than regular bowling, has proven to be all the rage in recent years.

Stop by: Pins Mechanical Co., Slingshot in South End, Pinhouse in Plaza Midwood and SupperClub SouthEnd are all great spots for a game with friends.

Pet some cats and drink some coffee

Calling all cat lovers! You can hang out with adoptable cats at Mac Tabby Cat Cafe in NoDa for 30 or 60-minute time slots. Reservations are recommended but not required.

If you go: There's also a small cafe area (totally separate from the cat room for sanitation regulations) where you can grab baked goods, coffee or kombucha. 

Test your detective skills at an escape room

You don’t need to leave Charlotte to find a daring adventure. Here are a few nearby escape rooms to check out:

• Escape Tactic Escape Room in Lower South End (130 Southside Dr.)
• Timed Out Escape in Ballantyne (12239 N Community House Road)
• Exit Strategy: University City (9539 Pinnacle Dr.) and Lower South End (4215 Stuart Andrew Blvd).
• The Box Escape Room in east Charlotte (6604 East W.T. Harris Blvd).

Sing your heart out with karaoke

Invite your friends and rent one of Seoul Food Meat Co.‘s private karaoke rooms. Of course, if your goal is to not remember ever hitting the stage at all, Jeff’s Bucket Shop’s basement karaoke operation on Montford is the place for you.

Hit the race track with indoor karting

Victory Lanes Karting in north Charlotte has an indoor go-kart track (each race is eight minutes long), axe throwing, an arcade, a virtual reality space and bowling.

Stop by: Victory Lanes is located at 2330 Tipton Drive.

• Open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Fridays 11am-midnight, Saturdays 10am-midnight and Sundays 10am-7pm.

Embrace your inner American ninja warrior

Ninja Nation Huntersville is an 11,500-square-foot arena with several obstacle courses complete with bars, boxes and platforms that are frequently re-arranged to keep guests on their toes. You can race against friends on two-lane courses or on the warped wall.

Go deeper: Indoor obstacle course arena called Ninja Nation now open in Huntersville

Go shopping at SouthPark Mall

The massive shopping mall in the SouthPark neighborhood has a footprint of more than 1,750,000 square feet and over 150 stores with brands like Saint Laurent, Golden Goose, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

What's next: Spanish retailer ZARA will join the lineup of retailers in 2026.

Go deeper: SouthPark’s personal shopper will help transform your wardrobe, no matter your budget, age or lifestyle

Unleash your inner lumberjack

Escape the heat with axe throwing — here are a few spots in the area:

• BATL Axe Throwing (Plaza Midwood): 933 Louise Ave.
• BATL Axe Throwing (LoSo): 4128 South Blvd.
• Bad Axe Throwing (Uptown): 350 East 6th St.
• Victory Lanes Karting: 2330 Tipton Dr.

Take an adult arts & crafts class

Check out Wine + Design in Dilworth for a guided painting experience.

Stop by: The studio is at 1419 East Blvd, near Toccare Day Spa.

Rock climb to new heights

Head to Inner Peaks, an indoor climbing center with locations in NoDa, South End and Matthews.

Bonus: Members can bring a first-time climber for free any day of the week.

Go deeper: What to know on your first trip to Inner Peaks, the indoor climbing wall in South End

Laugh until it hurts

Catch a wide range of comedians at The Comedy Zone inside AvidXchange Music Factory or The Comedy Club at Duckworth's in Uptown. If you’re open to some light roasting, try to close to the stage.

Be a scientist for a day

Head to Discovery Place Science in Uptown. The hands-on museum has rotating exhibits, live shows and hands-on labs.

• Admission starts at $18 for kids, $23 for adults and $20 for seniors. Kids under two are free.

If you go: Catch an IMAX® movie there, too.

Hunt for antique treasures

Check out Sleepy Poet Antique Mall on South Boulevard, or one of these five other second-hand furniture stores in the area, to get some unique decor for your home. If you're down to drive head to The Depot, the largest antique mall in the South, located at Gibson Mill in Concord.

Go deeper: Beloved antiques destination Sleepy Poet opens new location, investing $5M

Flip, fly and jump through the air

Big Air Trampoline Park in southeast Charlotte has it all — a ninja-warrior course, trampoline basketball, interactive dodgeball courts, a massive foam pit and even one-on-one jousting.

Stop by: Find Big Air at 2408 Sardis Road N

• Open Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-10pm and Sunday 10am-8pm.

Play all day at a local social house

Queen Park Social and Piedmont Social House are adult playgrounds without the hokeyness of a place like Dave & Buster’s. You’ll find lots of indoor entertainment like bowling, pool, darts, ping-pong, plus board and arcade games. They’ve also got full-service kitchens and bars.

Bonus: Intown Golf Club is a private social club in SouthPark. There’s currently a waitlist to join, but they release a handful of memberships each month. 

Go deeper: Private social club Intown Golf Club opens in SouthPark

Get lost in a book at your local library branch

Reserve a book online in advance or just explore the racks at your local library.

Go deeper: Demolition of the old main library building Uptown begins soon

Cool off on the ice

Head to Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail and figure skate during their public skate periods.

• Admission is $15 Monday-Sunday.

Channel your inner Robin Hood

Test your archery skills at Barefoot Archery's 20-yard, eight-lane USA Archery-approved range.

Stop by: Find Barefoot Archery at 4410 Old Pineville Road.  

Expand your child’s imagination and creativity

ImaginOn, a 102,000-square-foot facility located in Uptown is visited by over 300,000 each year. It includes two theaters, a library for kids 11 and under, a library for teens, a multimedia production studio, multi-use classrooms and an interactive exhibit area.

Go deeper: 20+ family-friendly activities to check out this summer in Charlotte and beyond

Go nuts inside a massive 20-acre amusement park

The 84,000-square-foot indoor portion of Frankie’s Fun Park in Huntersville has 24 bowling lanes, a restaurant, bar, laser tag, a three-story playground, a ride that drops 30 feet, LED-illuminated bumper cars and a massive arcade.

Of note: Entry to the park is free. You pay for the activity you choose.

Go deeper: Frankie’s Fun Park, where Disney World-like attractions meet Las Vegas vibe

Watch games and eat wings at a sports bar

Here’s our guide to the 30 best sports bars in Charlotte. Hungry for wings? We’ve got you covered with Charlotte’s best wing spots.

Explore a museum

Check out Charlotte’s history and more at one of our museums or art galleries. Here are a few:

• Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
• Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
• The Mint Museum Uptown and the Mint Museum Randolph
• Levine Museum of the New South
• McColl Center
• VAPA Center
• Charlotte Museum of History
• Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Shoot your shot at an indoor shooting range

Blackstone Shooting Sports includes a 27-lane indoor shooting range. It’s open daily.

Stuff yourself at brunch

Charlotte doesn’t mess around when it comes to brunch. From classics like 300 East to breweries like Suffolk Punch, here are the 35 best brunch spots in our city, right now.

Grab a pint at a brewery

Charlotte loves local breweries. Here’s a complete list and map of Charlotte’s 40+ local breweries, plus the most popular beer at each.

• Pro tip: Most of them are dog-friendly.

Pour your own candles

You can make your own candles in SouthEnd at Paddywax Candle Bar. The experience is simple — choose a vessel, select a fragrance and then measure, mix and pour to create your own candle.

Go deeper: $45 pour-your-own candle workshop The Candle Bar now open in new South End space

Let the games begin

Play a classic like Monopoly or try a new game at Luck Factory Games at Gibson Mill Market. It’s the state’s largest board game café with a library of more than 1,000 games.

Go deeper: Board game cafe opens in Gibson Mill Market

Learn a new go-to dish at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen classes cover everything from basic knife skills to specific cuisines like Mediterranean or French.

Get creative work done at a coffee shop

Take a break from working at home or the office, if the latter is an option for you. Explore Charlotte’s best coffee shops and enjoy a change of scenery. Here’s our guide on the best coffee shops in Charlotte to work remotely.

Eat, sip and shop inside one of Charlotte’s food halls

• Optimist Hall has more than 20 tenants, including Undercurrent Coffee and Papi Queso.
• Urban District Market is home to 12 new restaurants and a soju distillery called LaBARatory.
• The Market at 7th Street is a non-profit food hall in Uptown, with incubator programs for local business owners. It has 10 vendors, including Orman's Cheese Shop, Resident Culture and Geno D's Pizza, to name a few.
• The Gibson Mill Market in Concord is a bit of a drive but you can easily spend your day there. After you’re done eating, head next door to The Depot at Gibson Mill, the largest antique mall in the southeast.
• Monarch Market in Uptown is one of the latest food halls to open. It has about 12 food stalls including Curry Junction from the family behind Curry Gate.
• Alley 51 in Pineville has a range of international food options, retail boutiques and arcade games.

Reflect on your faith at The Billy Graham Library

This 40,000-square-foot library will allow you a look into the life of Billy Graham, “America’s Pastor.” Admission is free.

Grab a cocktail or mocktail

There’s nothing like a cozy cocktail to make the outside world melt away, but there are plenty of alcohol-free options in Charlotte too.

Head to the theater to watch a show

Whether it’s “Charlotte Squawks” or "Back to the Future: The Musical," they certainly crank the air conditioning in the theater, and the shows entertaining too.

Pamper yourself

Treat yourself to a massage. Charlotte has plenty of options, including Okra in Plaza Midwood, Mood House in Dilworth and Oakhurst.

Go deeper: The best spas and massage studios for a self-care day in Charlotte

Editor's note: This guide was last updated in January 2025.