Indoor & rainy-day activities

Lake Forest · Indoor Play

Wall-to-wall inflatables for open-jump sessions — the go-to when little ones need to burn energy and it's too hot outside.

Open-jump ~$12–$15

Mission Viejo · Arts & Culture

Paint-your-own pottery studio — calm, creative, air-conditioned, and you leave with a keepsake. Great for a rainy afternoon.

Studio fee + piece ($15–$40)

Irvine · Indoor Play

The Ducks' practice facility opens its rinks for public skating — a cool, indoor energy-burner on a hot OC afternoon.

~$15 admission + skate rental

Irvine · Indoor Play

A miniature city where kids run the grocery store, fire truck, and farm. Built for ages 0–10 and a lifesaver on hot or rainy days.

~$18.50/person

Dana Point · Museums & Learning

Touch tanks, tall ships, and marine labs right on the Dana Point harbor. Pair it with a harbor walk and ice cream.

~$12.50/person weekends

Irvine · Indoor Play

Electric go-karts on an indoor track with junior karts for kids 48"+. A great rainy-day adrenaline hit for older kids and teens.

~$25 per race

Costa Mesa · Shopping & Treats

Window-shop the famous mall, watch koi in the carousel court, then lace up at the year-round ice rink for a treat-day combo.

Skating ~$17 + rentals

Santa Ana · Museums & Learning

Hands-on science with a hurricane chamber, dino dig, and rock-climbing wall — easily three hours of curious kid energy burned.

~$24.95 adult / $19.95 kid

Santa Ana · Museums & Learning

World-art galleries with rotating exhibitions plus family festivals and hands-on art programs throughout the year.

~$18 adult

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fallbrook · Museums & Learning

Fallbrook sits on some of the richest gem pegmatite in the country, and this volunteer-run museum shows it off — tourmaline, geodes, petrified wood, fossils. Free, and compact enough that a squirmy five-year-old will still make it to the end.

Free admission

Fallbrook · Museums & Learning

A bright downtown gallery with rotating exhibits and family-friendly art programming that gives kids a low-key first museum experience. Time your visit for a free Tuesday to keep it budget-friendly. It's an easy walk from the library and village shops for a full afternoon in town.

Varies; free on Tuesdays

Fallbrook · Museums & Learning

A welcoming branch with a dedicated children's area, free story times, and public computers and WiFi — a great rainy-day or beat-the-heat stop right in the village. Everything here is free, including a library card for visiting-turned-local families.

Free

Fallbrook · Museums & Learning

A small campus with a main museum, the restored 1895 Pittenger House and a barn full of old farm equipment — the centerpiece is a working model train ringed by replicas of twelve early Fallbrook buildings. It's open a three-hour window on weekends, so plan around it.

Free, donations welcome

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

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

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

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

La Habra · Museums & Learning

Housed in a 1923 Union Pacific train depot, this beloved museum lets kids climb aboard a real caboose and explore hands-on exhibits. The star is an authentic hand-carved Dentzel carousel, so save time (and check the height rules) for a ride. Weekday mornings are calmest for younger visitors.

$12/person ages 2+, $11 residents, $10 seniors/military