The Best Rainy Day Things to Do

The three-story Baker Museum on the Artis—Naples campus holds more than 3,500 works, with real depth in 20th- and 21st-century American and Mexican modernism, alongside traveling exhibitions that change through the year. It's an easy two hours out of the weather, and you can pair it with a concert next door in Hayes Hall. Open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays); check current exhibitions and hours before you go.

Professional theatre in a striking new home. Gulfshore Playhouse opened its Baker Theatre and Education Center downtown in 2024, with a 368-seat mainstage for musicals and large productions and a 125-seat studio for newer, more intimate work. The season runs from fall into spring, and a matinee is a rainy afternoon well spent.

Naples' community theatre since 1953, The Naples Players stage musicals, comedies and dramas at the Sugden Community Theatre on Fifth Avenue South, renovated in 2024. Shows run for most of the year, so there's usually something on, and dinner on Fifth Avenue is steps from the door.

A moving, important visit. The Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center in North Naples holds more than 1,000 artifacts, documents and photographs, explored on a docent-led tour, on your own, or with a free audio guide. Allow an hour or two; it isn't recommended for children under 12. Open Tuesday to Sunday afternoons, and booking a timed ticket online is wise.

A movie with dinner at your seat. CMX CinéBistro at Coastland Center pairs oversized recliners with a chef-driven menu and handcrafted cocktails, served during the film, plus a sports bar for anyone who'd rather watch the game. Arrive about 30 minutes early if you're ordering food, and check age rules for late screenings.

Friendly competition under one roof in Bonita Springs. Sports Challenge America has bowling lanes and private simulator bays where you can play golf, baseball, soccer, hockey and even zombie dodgeball with real equipment, plus a sports bar for the grown-ups. Great for families with older kids and for groups.

Rain is the best excuse for a spa day. The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Naples pairs massages, facials and signature rituals with steam rooms, saunas and whirlpools, so you can linger while the storm passes. For more options, see our guide to the best spas in Naples.

Craft beer and a scratch kitchen at Bone Hook Brewing Company, a roomy North Naples brewpub pouring its own IPAs, stouts and lagers alongside burgers, wings and flatbreads. Make it a crawl with Kaleidoscope Beer Company, a small family-run brewery on 3rd Avenue North, and Ankrolab Brewing in the Bayshore arts district, both with indoor taprooms.

Broadway-caliber musicals, plays and concerts from TheatreZone, a professional Equity company performing in the intimate G&L Theatre on the Community School of Naples campus. Its season runs roughly December to May, which makes it a winter and spring pick.

Built in 1895, Historic Palm Cottage is the oldest house in Naples. A docent-led or self-guided tour of its tabby-mortar rooms, period furnishings and the Naples Historical Society's exhibit hall is a lovely way to spend a wet hour in Old Naples. It's seasonal: the cottage closes from mid-July to mid-November, and tours run Tuesday to Saturday afternoons the rest of the year.