Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery
West Auckland's regional gallery presenting contemporary art and design exhibitions. Five levels with a rooftop terrace and spectacular views in scenic Titirangi. Free entry.
Rainy Day Activities in Auckland
Do Auckland lists 54 activities that work in the rain. Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Art Gallery are free for residents, the council pools are $9, and MOTAT, Stardome and the Zoo sit under $20. All of them are under cover or mostly under cover.
The Tuning Fork
The small room attached to Spark Arena, and the best-sounding venue of its size in the country.
Newmarket Tenpin Bowling
Sixteen maple lanes and twenty pool tables under one roof on York Street. The pick for a big group that will not all want to do the same thing.
Wētā Workshop Unleashed
Step into a fantastical film effects workshop and explore the worlds of horror, sci-fi and fantasy from the five-time Academy Award winning Wētā Workshop. Hands-on, immersive experience.
The Mothership
The closest club to the Viaduct. Independent, house and techno led, with international bookings.
Highwic Historic House
Beautifully preserved Gothic mansion built in 1862, owned by Heritage NZ. Tour the elegant rooms and spectacular gardens for a step back into Victorian Auckland.
Timezone Queen Street
Over a hundred machines across two floors on Queen Street, plus karaoke booths and mini bowling. Best as an hour in town, not an afternoon.
Snowplanet
New Zealand's only indoor snow dome where you can ski, snowboard or snow tube all year round. Three lifts, terrain park and Winter Wonderland for kids. Just 30 minutes north of the city.
Lloyd Elsmore Park Pool & Leisure Centre
Family-friendly Pakuranga pool complex with two 25m pools, learner's pool, splash pool, spa, steam room and sauna, plus an outdoor splash pad. Free for kids under 16.
Otahuhu Pool & Leisure Centre
Six pools including a 25m lane pool, learner pool, toddlers pool, leisure pool, spa and a dedicated bombing pool. Stunning splash pad with flower fountains. Free for families.
Mt Albert Aquatic Centre
Underwater playground with hydroslide, river run and a wave pool that turns on every 30 minutes. Caribbean Pirates theme keeps kids engaged. Indoor pool great in any weather.
The Classic Comedy Club
New Zealand's home of stand-up for twenty-five years, on Queen Street. Friday's ten o'clock L8 show stacks eight professionals and is the one to see.
Game Over Auckland - Jurassic Mini Putt
Twelve indoor holes through full-size animatronic dinosaurs. Twenty to thirty minutes a round, so pair it with the karts. If they can hold a putter, they can play.
Massey Park Pool
Family aquatic centre in Papakura with hydroslide, lazy river, wave pool, and a heated 50m outdoor lane pool in summer. Hosts 'wave raves' with pumping music.
Eden Park Tour
Stadium tours of New Zealand's iconic sports venue, home to the All Blacks. Behind-the-scenes access to changing rooms, players' tunnel and the hallowed turf. 90 minutes.
Kaipātiki Hot Springs (formerly Parakai Springs)
Indoor and large outdoor thermal pools heated to 32°C with a gently sloping beach area for kids and two thrilling hydro slides. BBQs, picnic areas and onsite cafe. Open year-round.
Stardome Observatory & Planetarium
Planetarium shows in One Tree Hill Domain, and on clear nights, telescope viewing with someone to point out what the southern sky has that the north does not.
Escape HQ Auckland CBD
Five sixty-minute rooms on Lorne Street. Dreams of Alice if nobody has done this before, Titanic if they have. Four to six players is where the puzzles land best.
MOTAT - Museum of Transport and Technology
New Zealand's largest transport and technology museum across two sites in Western Springs. Aviation hall, heritage tram rides, historic village and hands-on exhibits make it a great family day out.
Live Wire Super Park Highbury
Indoor entertainment hub with trampolines, foam pits, inflatable zone, ball pit, mini town playground, 6-lane bowling alley, laser tag, mini golf and arcade games.
Neck of the Woods
K Road club and live room that its own crowd paid to keep open. Friday and Saturday only.
Torpedo Bay Navy Museum
Free museum exploring the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy through naval officers' stories from the World Wars. Includes naval-themed playground and seaside cafe.
BOUNCEinc North Shore
Trampoline park with huge free jump area, dodgeball court, X-Run obstacle course, high rope challenge and trampoline wall. Mini area for tots with slides and ball pits.
PINS Tenpin Bowling
The west Auckland lanes in Henderson, with a tap room called Pints attached. Disco bowling Friday and Saturday. Runs later than anything else here.
Butterfly Creek
Wildlife park near Auckland Airport with a tropical butterfly house, NZ's only saltwater crocodiles, kiwi house, petting zoo, animatronic dinosaurs and a mini-train ride. Family Pass $85.
Metrolanes
Twelve lanes on level three of Skyworld, a bar, and an outdoor deck over Aotea Square. Under twelve can walk in. Card only, no cash.
Zero Latency VR Auckland
Free-roam VR on Cook Street. No cables, no backpack, a two hundred square metre arena and up to eight of you at once. From thirteen, or ten with an adult.
Whammy Bar
The heart of Auckland's independent music scene, in the basement of St Kevins Arcade on K Road.
Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq Newmarket
Circus-themed arcade bar on level three of Westfield Newmarket. Bowling, dodgems, VR, cocktails. Over-eighteens only after 8pm Friday and Saturday.
Pah Homestead - Arts House Trust
Free art gallery in a historic 1879 mansion in Monte Cecilia Park. Rotating exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand art. On-site cafe with views of One Tree Hill. Entry by koha/donation.
Ding Dong Lounge
Rock, punk and metal, five nights a week. Live bands upstairs, jam nights, and karaoke after midnight.
New Zealand Maritime Museum
Discover New Zealand's seafaring story from Polynesian voyaging to America's Cup victories. Located on the Viaduct Harbour with options to sail on heritage vessels. Free for Auckland residents.
Escape HQ Takapuna
Four rooms and an outdoor game, five minutes from the beach. Mountain Blizzard is built as two identical rooms so two teams race each other.
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
Walk through shark tunnels, meet sub-Antarctic penguins and explore over 30 live exhibits at Auckland's iconic underwater attraction on the Mission Bay waterfront. Touch a starfish at the Rockpool.
Tepid Baths
Iconic central city swimming pool in a 100-year-old building. 25m seven-lane pool, 15m learners pool, spa, sauna and state-of-the-art fitness centre.
Sweet Axe Throwing Co.
Five lanes just off K Road with coaching before you throw. Structured games, not just an axe and a target. Licensed, from twelve, closed shoes. Book.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
New Zealand's largest art institution with over 15,000 works across four floors of a stunning heritage building. Free entry for NZ residents. Free guided tours daily at 1.30pm.
Auckland Hop-on Hop-off Bus Explorer
Open-top double decker bus around Auckland's top attractions including the Sky Tower, Parnell, Mission Bay and Mount Eden. 24 or 48-hour tickets with audio commentary on board.
Escapism Escape Rooms
Six rooms at Stanmore Bay, each rated for difficulty out of five, so you can pick properly. Forty-five minutes north of town and worth the drive.
Albany Stadium Pool
Modern aquatic centre on the North Shore with leisure and lap pools, splash pad, spa, sauna and over-pool climbing wall. Designed for families and exercisers alike.
All Blacks Experience
A fully guided, state-of-the-art interactive tribute to the All Blacks and New Zealand's national rugby teams. Come face-to-face with the haka and learn about NZ's rugby heritage.
Clip 'n Climb Mt Eden
Colourful, themed climbing walls including stained glass, glow-in-the-dark, timed walls plus a vertical drop slide. Auto-belay system means no climbing partner needed.
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Three floors of New Zealand's stories from Maori and Pacific cultures to natural history and military heritage. Set in a magnificent heritage building in Auckland Domain. Free for Auckland residents.
Extreme Edge Panmure
Over two hundred climbing routes in a converted aircraft hangar, plus auto-belays if you have no partner and a pirate zone for the under-nines.
Gloputt Mini Golf
Sixteen holes under blacklight in Takapuna. Fully indoors, no kitchen, bring your own food. Cheap, weatherproof, and you can usually just turn up.
Sky Tower
Three observation decks at 328 metres, glass floor included. Go near sunset, when the lights come up while you can still make out Rangitoto.
Odyssey Sensory Maze
13 zones of lighting effects, illusions, sounds and obstacles in the heart of the CBD. A self-guided 20-30 minute sensory adventure that all ages can enjoy. Open daily.
West Wave Pool & Leisure Centre
All-ages aquatic centre with one of NZ's longest hydroslides, wave pool, lazy river, 50m lap pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room.
Wintergardens at Auckland Domain
Two historic glasshouses in Auckland Domain - the Tropical House with steamy exotic plants and the Cool House with seasonal displays. Plus Fernz Fernery and formal gardens. Free entry.
Holey Moley Auckland
Eighteen new holes of mini golf built as a bar on the Viaduct, with karaoke rooms and darts. Under-eighteens until 7pm, ID after.
Game Over Auckland
Indoor electric go-karts on a two hundred metre track at Albany, with laser tag and a forty-machine arcade in the same building. Book ahead.
Afterlife Billiards
Twelve pool tables at the top of Queen Street, hired by the hour. Booths, coffee, bubble tea, and the latest hours of anything on this page.
Zone Bowling Botany
Twelve lanes sharing a building with an eighty-machine Timezone, plus laser tag and bumper cars. Groups over six should book for lanes side by side.
Gravity NZ Trampoline Park
1000 sqm of connected trampolines, ninja course, extreme dodgeball, foam pit, basketball hoops and an under-5s area. Sessions on the hour. Two locations: Mt Wellington and Manukau.
Auckland rain tends to pass, so the shorter indoor options work well. An hour at Tepid Baths, a session at Clip 'n Climb, or a museum visit will usually outlast the shower. If it has set in for the day, the bigger museums and Kelly Tarlton's will fill it.
Common questions
What is there to do in Auckland when it rains?
Museums, galleries, indoor pools, bowling alleys, escape rooms, trampoline parks, indoor climbing and VR. Forty nine listings on Do Auckland are marked as rainy day options.
What can you do in the rain in Auckland for free?
Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Art Gallery are free for New Zealand residents. Pah Homestead, Te Uru in Titirangi and Torpedo Bay Navy Museum are free for everyone.
What rainy day activities work with kids?
Butterfly Creek at $16, MOTAT at $19, the council pools at $9 and the trampoline parks. Most have no minimum age, so they work with small children too.