Rainy-Day & Indoor Activities in the Inland Empire
By Punita Patel
A wet day — or a 105° inland afternoon — doesn't have to mean screen time. Every place on this list keeps the family busy under a roof, from hands-on museums to air-conditioned libraries across the Inland Empire.
30 places · distances from Riverside
Reviewed & updated June 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.
The Cheech (Riverside Art Museum)
Riverside · Museums & Learning
The country's premier Chicano art museum — kids love the giant lenticular 'Lock & Key' piece. First Sundays (Oct–May) are free with a reservation.
~$18 adult; under 12 free
Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center
Eastvale · Museums & Learning
About 15 minutes from Eastvale in the Jurupa Valley, this beloved nonprofit nature museum has life-sized dinosaur sculptures, fossils, rocks and gems, and live reptiles kids can meet. Admission is free but parking is $10 cash per car, so bring cash. Weekends only for the public, and the gift shop and nursery are worth a stroll before you leave.
Admission free; parking $10/car
Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center
Jurupa Valley · Museums & Learning
The Jurupa Valley gem for dino-obsessed kids: nine acres of botanical gardens dotted with more than a dozen life-sized dinosaur sculptures, plus a mammoth. Admission is free, so bring $40 to spend in the nursery or gift shop and your parking gets rebated. Go early on a Saturday before the heat and the school buses arrive.
Free admission; $10 parking (rebated with $40 nursery/gift-shop purchase)
March Field Air Museum
Moreno Valley · Museums & Learning
Right off the 215 next to March Air Reserve Base, this is the Inland Empire's big aviation draw with 70-plus aircraft, including an SR-71 Blackbird and a massive B-52 in the air park. Kids can climb into a cockpit trainer, and the outdoor planes are the showstopper, so wear a hat and sunscreen. Check the calendar for free-admission days around Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
$18 adults, discounts for seniors/kids
March Field Air Museum
Riverside · Museums & Learning
100+ aircraft, mostly on an outdoor flight line — the closest big attraction for Moreno Valley families. The tarmac bakes by midday.
~$15 adult, ~$6 kids
Eastvale Library
Eastvale · Museums & Learning
Eastvale's Riverside County branch sits on the Eleanor Roosevelt High School campus, so plan around its afternoon-heavy hours. It runs free kids' story times and is a reliable cool, quiet escape on triple-digit afternoons. Saturday mornings are the easiest window for a relaxed visit with little ones.
Free
Moreno Valley Public Library (Main Branch)
Moreno Valley · Museums & Learning
The main branch on Alessandro Blvd is a reliable free rainy-day or beat-the-heat option with a children's section and regular story times. Library cards are free for any Riverside or San Bernardino County resident, so visitors staying nearby can borrow too. Check the online events calendar since family programming changes week to week.
Free
Lewis Library & Technology Center
Fontana · Museums & Learning
A large, modern county library with a kids' area and free tech access — a cool, free indoor refuge with regular children's programs.
Free
Rialto Branch Library
Rialto · Museums & Learning
This San Bernardino County branch on W 1st St is an easy free rainy-day or beat-the-heat option right downtown near City Park. Kids can grab books and cool off in the air conditioning, and county libraries run free children's story times and craft programs. Closed Sundays, so plan a Saturday visit if the weekend is your only window.
Free
Ontario Mills
Ontario · Indoor Play
Huge indoor outlet mall with Dave & Buster's, an arcade, a ropes course, and comedy — great for rainy days.
Free entry; attractions extra
Original McDonald's Site & Museum
San Bernardino · Museums & Learning
On the site of the world's first McDonald's (1940) — a quirky free memorabilia museum and fun Route 66 photo stop.
Free (donations)
Ontario Mills
Ontario · Shopping & Treats
California's largest outlet mall (200+ stores) with AMC 30, the Improv and Dave & Buster's — a solid rainy/hot-day fallback. Note your entrance door.
Free entry; attractions ticketed
Victoria Gardens
Rancho Cucamonga · Shopping & Treats
Open-air 'main street' mall with the Cultural Center, a library and the Lewis Family Playhouse (strong kids' theater series). Easy free parking.
Free entry
Yanks Air Museum
Chino · Museums & Learning
Across Chino Airport from Planes of Fame, Yanks holds one of the most complete collections of American aircraft anywhere, kept in gleaming condition inside huge climate-controlled hangars. It's more hushed and polished than its neighbor — a good rainy-day pick. Serious plane families can do both museums in one day since they're a two-minute drive apart.
Adults $20, kids 5–11 $10, under 5 free
Planes of Fame Air Museum
Chino · Museums & Learning
One of the country's oldest air museums, with dozens of warbirds parked wingtip-to-wingtip in the hangars at Chino Airport. Many planes still fly, so time your visit around a weekend engine run-up or the big spring air show if the kids love things that roar. Bring sun protection — a lot of the collection sits out on the tarmac.
Adults $20, kids 5–11 $10, under 5 free
Planes of Fame Air Museum
Chino · Museums & Learning
Nearly 100 aircraft, many still airworthy — weekends you can climb inside the B-17. Pair it with Yanks Air Museum next door for an aviation day.
~$16 adult; kids discounted
A.K. Smiley Library & Lincoln Shrine
Redlands · Museums & Learning
A storybook 1898 Moorish-style library beside Smiley Park, with the only Lincoln/Civil War museum west of the Mississippi next door — free.
Free
San Bernardino County Museum
Redlands · Museums & Learning
Regional museum with dinosaurs, a huge bird-egg collection, fossils, and hands-on natural-history exhibits.
~$10 adult, kids less
Cesar E. Chavez Library
Perris · Museums & Learning
Freshly renovated in late 2024, this downtown branch of the Riverside County library is a cool, free indoor option with kids' programs and story times. A reliable midday escape from the heat when outdoor parks get too hot. Parking is easy in the downtown civic area right nearby.
Free
San Bernardino County Museum
Redlands · Museums & Learning
Dinosaurs, a huge bird-egg collection, and the Exploration Station STEAM lab — a great beat-the-heat stop right off I-10.
~$10 adult
Southern California Railway Museum
Perris · Museums & Learning
The West Coast's biggest railway museum, where kids can actually ride restored trolleys and trains on weekends. Walking the grounds and climbing aboard parked locomotives is free any open day, so you can come just to explore. Bring hats and water in summer since most of the yard is in full sun.
Free admission & parking; train/trolley rides ~$12–14
Southern California Railway Museum
Perris · Museums & Learning
California's largest railway museum (formerly Orange Empire) — admission and parking are free, and weekends you can ride real trolleys all day.
Grounds free; ride tickets ~$8–13
Chino Youth Museum
Chino · Museums & Learning
A hands-on, kid-scaled museum in downtown Chino with a pretend grocery store, farm, fire truck and other role-play stations built for toddlers through early elementary. It's compact — an easy hour or two rather than a full day. Check their calendar for the free First Friday evening events most months.
Ages 2–54 $10, seniors 55+ $8, under 2 free
Sun City Library
Menifee · Museums & Learning
Part of the Riverside County Library System, this branch is a cool, free indoor escape when the valley heat climbs. Check the calendar before you go, since story times and kids' programs run throughout the week. Sign up for a card on the spot for books to take home.
Free
Beaumont Library District
Beaumont · Museums & Learning
The charming downtown library on E 8th Street is a reliable rainy-day or beat-the-heat stop with a dedicated kids' area and regular story times. It's an independent district library, so check their online calendar for children's programs before you head over. Easy free parking and a quick walk to old-town Beaumont.
Free
Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens
Beaumont · Museums & Learning
Tucked in Cherry Valley, this small decorative-arts museum is surrounded by lovely landscaped gardens kids can wander while you take in the collection. The grounds are the real draw for families — great for a slow stroll and photos. It's only open Thursday through Saturday, so plan around that, and the last tour starts at 4:15.
$10 adults, $5 youth 5–12, under 5 free
Western Science Center
Hemet · Museums & Learning
A compact paleontology museum starring 'Max' the mastodon and Ice Age fossils dug from Diamond Valley Lake.
~$8 adult, ~$6 kids
Pennypickle's Workshop (Temecula Children's Museum)
Temecula · Museums & Learning
A whimsical interactive children's museum themed as a mad inventor's lab full of gadgets and experiments.
~$5–6 per person
Pennypickle's Workshop (Temecula Children's Museum)
Temecula · Museums & Learning
Whimsical inventor-themed interactive museum, best for ages ~4–10. Timed 2-hour sessions sell out — buy online ahead.
~$6/person
Cabazon Dinosaurs
Beaumont · Museums & Learning
About 15 minutes east off the I-10, the giant roadside Dinny and Mr. Rex are a guaranteed kid hit and an Inland Empire icon. Snap photos of the big dinosaurs free from the parking lot, or pay to go inside with the smaller animatronic dinos and a dino-dig area. A great quick stop on the way to or from Palm Springs.
$15 adults, $13 kids, under 3 free (outside photos free)
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