Forget the rain! And jump in!
Seventeen things to do in Swindon when the sun ain't shinin'!
COVID-19: please note, some venues may be closed or offering a restricted service
Just when you've made plans for the day the dark clouds start looming and hey presto - it's lashing it down! So what do you do? We recommend making the most of things and trying any one of 17 of the following...
Fancy a film?
Get in lane A great solution for rainy days. Great for all the family too.
Gentlemen (and women!), start your engines
Their race karts are the fastest indoor go karts in the South and the fast and demanding race circuit will put your driving skills to the test.
It's even better on a rainy Friday, where you can enjoy a 7 minute race session for just a fiver! What else can you get in Swindon for just £5?
A spot of culture
Far more exciting than you think, especially with some of the exhibits on offer at STEAM Museum and at the Swindon Art Gallery.
In the pool
And where better than the Oasis? The Health Hydro in the town centre or the big boys pool at The Link. There's even the covered pool in Highworth.
At Cotswold Water Park
The exercise alone will keep you warm and it's brilliant fun - especially for beginners.
Just getting round the lake is challenge enough!
Get a FREE day pass
Swindon has a whole plethora of fitness clubs and gyms to use, and all the deatils are available via the link below.
Clubs like De Vere Village, David Lloyd and Nuffield Health also have pools, saunas and jacuzzis as well - plus some have supervised organised activities for the kids.
So why not ask for a FREE day pass?
Painting and decorating Children, love 'em, can be a nightmare when it's wet. Apart from getting out the monopoly and waiting for the fights to start, or seeing what's on the TV, a fun day painting, candle decorating or card making could be the answer.
A taste of the tropics
With hundreds of butterflies flitting about, plus other exotic animals to enjoy, it's a little covered tropical paradise just off junction 16.
Spend 'til the sun comes out If all else fails, go on, give the credit card a bash. With the biggest designer outlet centre in Europe right in the middle of town, it's no wonder the place is packed when it starts raining.
As in previous years, the Swindon Designer Outlet will be organising various free children's activities throughout the summer. See their website for full details.
Take cover at the Wyvern
Not the obvious. But with a great programme of events throughout the summer - there's definitely something for everyone.
Sip back and blank it all out
A dreadful thing to suggest, we know. To even recommend that alcohol might deaden the shear boredom of being stuck in Swindon on a wet, grey day is hardly a ringing tribute to our great town. But it's kinda' true.
Go on. Order a beer and pretend it's the south of France.
Blast off a bucket at the driving range
There are three covered driving ranges in Swindon, and for about £4 you can happily take out all your frustration at the weather by hitting a golf ball as hard as you can.
Good fun, we reckon. But try not to combine with option 12....
.... oh, go on then!
A spot of tennis?
Best option: have an indoor game of tennis at the Delta or David Lloyd.
Twenty years ago you couldn't have had either. The Delta is open to the public but you'll have to be a member to try out the others - or you could try one of their FREE membership trials?
Now... there's a thought!
Ice Skating
Dancing on Ice here we come! Hire some skates at the Link Centre and you'll be on your bum, laughing in no time!
Bounce About
If you've never heard of an 'Urban Activity Centre', prepare yourself to enjoy one here in Swindon.
Six lanes of seamless trampolines and two giant foam pits with over 5,000 foam cubes to land in means that you can perfect your somersaults or just throw yourself in at the new Freedog centre at Kembrey Park.
Pot black?
All a bit Dirty Den, but we love snooker. All those easy pinks and difficult browns.
Best bet, try scoring a 147 at Jesters Snooker Club. Our Kirsty's biggest break was 5 (red, green, red - in off!), so surely you can beat that?
Have a flutter?
The pub? Snooker? Now betting? Wow! What an afternoon!
Far from us to encourage a lifestyle where drinking and gambling are blatantly promoted, but betting shops are far different places than they were in your dad's heyday. All fags and nags.
They're now all big screens and coffee machines. And decent loos.
So while it may be chucking it down in Gorse Hill, there's excitement to be had from Goodwood. And 50p each-way? That's not going to harm anyone, is it?
More than just books (funnily enough), we think it's a great place to while away a few hours.
Best of all being the free broadband and the new coffee shop. Hey! You can look at SwindonWeb all day, just like us.
Whether your're 6 or 66 you'll love the adrenaline pumping exhilaration of stalking your opponents and unleashing a volley of Laser Fire at Laserquest in West Swindon.
Open daily from 10am 'til late, facilities also include a new Space Play Soft Play and a Wired Inn LAN Gaming Centre.
Sit back and surf
And we don't mean at home on the settee in front of the TV with a pizza to hand (tempting as that sounds!).
With the marvellous invention of mobile broadband, it's now possible to surf the internet almost anywhere - but you still can't beat a nice coffee shop, pub or bar for wasting away a few hours on the world wide web.
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