Things to do in Clearwater Beach When It’s Raining
When you think of Clearwater Beach, you think of sunshine and white sand beaches. The last thing anyone wants on their vacation is for the weather to ruin it.
Most of the time, Florida rain passes pretty quickly. It will rain really hard for maybe 30 minutes and then the sun will come out again like it never happened.
Days that it rains all day long do happen but they are pretty rare so try not to panic too much if your weather app tells you it’s going to rain on your Clearwater Beach vacation. But in the event it does, there are plenty of indoor activities in and around Clearwater Beach, even when it is raining.
Here is a list of fun things to do if you happen to get a rainy day in Clearwater Beach:
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium was made famous by Winter the Dolphin who starred in the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2. She has sadly died but her legacy lives on.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium focuses on rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life so when you visit, the price of your admission ticket will go towards saving animals just like Winter. If the animals rescued can’t be released back to their natural habitat, the aquarium finds a home for them whether it’s in Clearwater or another location. It’s the perfect place to spend a rainy day.
Of course, the Clearwater Aquarium is the most convenient to visit when you’re staying in Clearwater Beach. But to be completely honest, we do prefer the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. It is larger and also has a playground and a splash pad. If you do want to check out the Florida Aquarium, you could make a day of it by checking out downtown Tampa or Ybor City afterwards.
Salvador Dali Museum
The Salvador Dali Museum is one of the most popular things to do in St Pete. The museum itself is a work of art and has a large collection of works by Salvador Dali. It’s inside and a great way to spend the day.
This will be most convenient to access if you have a rental car. Clearwater Beach area to Downtown St Pete is around 40 minutes depending on traffic. If you don’t have a rental car, but you can also take the Suncoast Beach Trolley to St Pete Beach, or to any of the area’s Gulf Coast beaches, for that matter. From St Pete Beach, you can then get on the Sun Runner, which runs between St Pete Beach to downtown St Pete.
Fairgrounds St Pete
If you’re already going to the Dali Museum, you might want to check out Fairgrounds St Pete while you’re there. It’s basically an interactive art exhibit that is good for all ages (both adults and kids!) Just note that no strollers are allowed if you happen to be traveling with little kids.
Play Pool
Family Billiards is a pool hall in Clearwater and makes for a fun indoor activity! It’s a simple, yet nostalgic-type place that will make you feel like you’re in the 90s. They have a few beers on tap and it’s reasonably priced. They have family-friendly nights as well if you’re traveling with kids.
Go Ice Skating
The Westfield Countryside Mall in Clearwater has an indoor skating rink. It is used by the Tampa Bay Skating Academy. They have public skating times, just make sure to check their hours ahead of time. Since it’s at the mall, you could also spend some time shopping while you’re there.
Bar Hop
If you like grabbing a drink, Clearwater Beach is the right place to be. There are tons of options to get a drink from fancy to dive bars.
Here are some great bars in Clearwater Beach for you:
- Palm Pavilion – A great spot to still feel like you’re outside with their open-air areas. They often have live music and they also have a full menu if you’re hungry.
- Surfside Taphouse – They have great beer options with tons of beer on tap and good specials
- Three Daughters – This is their second location; they are one of the most popular breweries in St Pete. Most restaurants carry their Beach Blonde Ale. This location is located on the third floor so there are some good views here.
- Shipwreck is a dive bar that’s worth checking out. You’ll probably either love it or hate it (I love it!)
Grab Good Food
If you’re a foodie, then this could be a good opportunity to try some good restaurants in Clearwater Beach. You could go on an appetizer crawl or get one thing from each place. Clearwater Beach has everything from casual restaurants to fine dining.
Highland Recreation Complex
The Highland Recreation Complex is in Largo but it’s worth a visit if you have kids. They have Play World, which is a huge 3-story climbing playground. It’s very affordable as well, only $6 for non-members ($3 for members). If you have kids 5 and under, they occasionally have times set aside for those younger kids as well.
Indoor Play Spaces
For kids, there are tons of indoor attractions and indoor play spaces. When traveling from Clearwater Beach, most of these will be easiest to visit from a car.
We Rock the Spectrum is an indoor play space with open play hours every day. They specialize in sensory spaces and all kids are welcome.
Location: 12505 Starkey Rd, Largo, FL
Munchkin Town is designed for kids aged 5 and under. They have a great play area, activities, and open play hours.
Location: 14100 US Highway 19 N Suite 130; Clearwater FL
Little Explorers is designed for younger kids as well. You book a class which is 30 minutes and then you also get one hour of open play time with that class. So make sure to check out their website to register before you drive there.
Location: 35225 US Highway 19 N; Palm Harbor FL
Sky Zone is a great place to spend the day indoors, especially if you have older kids. It is a very large indoor trampoline park. They have a foam pit, ninja warrior obstacle course, and tons of trampolines. There is also a trampoline area with dedicated times for younger kids.
Location: 13000 66th St N, Largo, FL
Great Explorations Children’s Museum has something for every single age. There is a separate area for babies and toddlers. For the older kids, there is a giant tree house for exercise. Or they can explore learning areas where they can use their imaginations playing as a veterinarian, dentist, firefighter, and more.
Location: 1925 4th St N; St Petersburg, FL
Romp n’ Roll has fun classes for kids 5 and under along with their caregiver. They also have open gym options. Both the classes and open gym options need to be booked ahead of time.
Location: 2534 22nd Ave N; St Petersburg FL
Go to a Rays Game
If you’re in Clearwater Beach during baseball season (and chances are you probably are because rainy season tends to coincide with baseball season), the Tampa Bay Rays play indoors. Watching a baseball game makes a really fun rainy day activity for the whole family!
Check Out an Arcade
Celebration Station has a lot of outdoor activities like bumper boats, mini-golf, go-karts, and more. But on a rainy day, their arcade games can give you something fun to do.
24546 US Highway 19 N; Clearwater FL
Check Out a Museum
The Suncoast Beach Trolley will give you easy access to two museums in nearby beach communities. Access to these museums will be even easier; the Indian Rocks Historical Museum is just a short drive from Clearwater Beach. The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum is a little farther away.
Indian Rocks Historical Museum has information on the history of Indian Rocks, including landmarks and shipwrecks. The museum is small but has several artifacts and exhibits.
Location: 203 4th Ave N; Indian Rocks Beach
Gulf Beaches Historical Museum is actually located in a building that used to be a church. The building was built in 1917 which adds to the historic feel. It’s a small museum with a lot of information on local history.
Location: 115 10th Ave; St Pete Beach FL
Take a Day Trip
If it does happen to rain all day in Clearwater Beach, it’s possible that it’s not raining if you head to another direction. There are a ton of things to explore within an hour or so of the Tampa Bay area.
Dunedin is an easy day trip because there is a trolley that goes between Clearwater Beach and Dunedin. There is a water taxi, too but you’re probably not interested in that option if it’s raining.
If you have a car, you could consider these day trips from Clearwater Beach:
- Tampa
- Sarasota
- Safety Harbor
- Tarpon Springs
Axe Throwing
If you’re not familiar with axe throwing, it is exactly what it sounds like. You’ll throw an axe at a bullseye just like darts. It’s a pretty unique indoor activity. Hatchet Hangout is the location that is closest to Clearwater Beach and they also have a location in St Petersburg.
Do know that this activity is for ages 8 and older. So if you have young ones in your group, this might not be the best fit.
TopGolf
There is a new TopGolf in St Pete, around 30 minutes from Clearwater Beach. This is a nice way to still spend some time “outside” since their bay areas are outside but covered.
If you’re not familiar with TopGolf, basically you launch golf balls into an open field. It’s kind of like a driving range but more fun. You can launch golf balls freely or you can play games like trying to hit certain targets placed throughout the field. Plus, there are TVs, drinks, and food available. I’m actually not a big golf person but I love TopGolf.
Clearwater Beach is an excellent decision no matter the weather. And even though no one wants it to rain on vacation, you can still have a great time! I hope you enjoy these ideas on the best things to do in Clearwater Beach on a rainy day.
