Best rainy-day diversions photo
(Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

Best rainy-day diversions

Going Out Guide Staff  |  Updated 11/14/2012

You don't have to stay home under the covers. Beat cabin fever with these go-to spots that can make rainy days a little brighter.

 

Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

Washington, DC

Check in on exhibitions you've been meaning to see, then settle in at the Kogod Courtyard with a book and a glass of wine. In the airy tree-lined space, it's easy to believe you're outdoors, even if you're safely under the cover of a beautiful glass roof.

 

Bedrock Billiards

Washington, DC

When it's dreary out, go somewhere you don't have to look at rain lashing against the windows, and there's something to do besides stare at a TV showing SportsCenter on repeat. Bedrock Billiards is a basement-level hideout that has no windows and is loaded with games: pool tables, shuffleboard, a couple of dart lanes, even Connect Four, Battleship and other old-fashioned options. Throw in one of the area's best non-Internet jukeboxes, and you've got the recipe for a great night in.

 

Massanutten WaterPark

Massanutten, VA

When the kids get restless, you know where to go. Year-round, this Northern Virginia indoor water park is a balmy 84 degrees. Yup, we said year-round. With tube slides, a surfing area, "hot springs" and more, Massanutten can more than rival your favorite summer pools.

 

Landmark's E Street Cinema

Washington, DC

Movie theaters and rainy days go together like warm cookies and milk. But this particular movie theater is underground, shows art movies, and boasts a stock of special treats at the concession stand that take the edge off the fact that you're basically stuck inside -- hot pita bread and hummus, wine and beer, and even vegan cookies. And it's a block from the Metro Center station.

 

Politics & Prose Bookstore

Washington, DC

Catch a stimulating book talk, take a class, settle in with "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" or just dip into Modern Times cafe at this popular local bookstore. And after a hard day of reading, it's just steps to Buck's Fishing & Camping, where a hearty earthy dinner in hunting-lodge environs could make for the perfect end to your perfect rainy day.

 

National Gallery of Art

Washington, DC

You can lose yourself for a day (perhaps even a week) in this massive Washington institution, and with its two buildings connected with an underground tunnel, you don't have to venture out in the rain to cross between them. But for filling a rainy day, there's nothing like this museum's regular schedule of gallery tours, films and Sunday-evening concerts. You might never want to leave.

 

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