Rainy Day Plans in Hampton That Are Not the Grocery Store

If you only have time for one stop, Virginia Air & Space Science Center is the safest default. The giant-screen 3D theater sits right alongside the museum floor, turning a rained-out afternoon into an actual outing rather than a consolation prize. If you’d rather see a regular feature film, the Best Movie Theaters Near Newport News compares the multiplexes, the IMAX screen and the dine-in option.

Related reading: Community Theaters on the Peninsula Putting on Plays This Season.

Everything past that depends on who you’re bringing and what they actually want to do.

If the goal is history, not just an indoor activity

Two options here, and they reward different kinds of interest.

Related reading: Kids’ Science and Nature Museums Around Newport News.

Casemate Museum of Fort Monroe sits inside the old fort itself and walks through the site’s run from colonial outpost through its Civil War and later military role. It’s a better fit for someone who already cares about the history than for a family just killing time.

Hampton University Museum is a different kind of history stop: founded in 1868, it’s one of the older African American museums in the country, pairing fine arts with university history. At 4.7 stars it’s underused relative to how good it is, which makes it worth the detour even for visitors who wouldn’t normally seek out a museum.

If the kids need to burn off energy, not look at exhibits

Funplex Trampoline Park is the more consistent of Hampton’s two trampoline parks, carrying a strong 4.7 from over 400 reviews. Sky Zone is the other option in town if Funplex doesn’t work for you, but Funplex is the steadier bet.

For a lower-key version of the same idea — active, but not bouncing-off-the-walls active — Sparetimes covers the same “move instead of look at things” need without the trampoline-park intensity.

If the kids are too small for any of that

The Playroom Cafe is an indoor playground built for the crawling-through-kindergarten set. It’s small — just 18 reviews, though a strong 4.5 — and reads more like a neighborhood find than a destination, which is exactly the right scale when a trampoline park would be overkill.

If the point is to get in water, not just pass time indoors

The Hampton Virginia Aquaplex is a sports complex, not a splash-pad. It suits families who want actual laps or swim time over an afternoon of hanging around a pool deck — if that’s not what you’re after, this isn’t the pick.