Indoor play
Open regularly · Rochester
Ontario Play & Cafe
Screen-free indoor play for kids 10 and under, with a water table, foam blocks and a climber, plus an on-site café.
107 picks · Updated October 26, 2026
Rainy Day Ideas in Rochester
What can we do with kids on a rainy day in Rochester? Start with Ontario Play & Cafe, Bounce Hopper or Dice Versa. All indoors, sorted by type, so you can pick by how much energy needs burning: a museum for a calm morning, a trampoline park for a wild afternoon.
Written by the ROC Kids Activities team. Listings checked weekly.
Indoor play
Indoor play
Open regularly · Pittsford
Bounce Hopper
Large indoor inflatables across from Pittsford Plaza for ages 1–12, with a separate soft area for toddlers.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Rochester
Dice Versa
Rochester's board game lounge, where one cover charge buys unlimited time with a big library of games. Good for families with school-age kids and teen hangouts.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Rochester
Dynamic Movement Gym (formerly Rochester Parkour)
A parkour and movement gym on University Avenue offering kids' and teen parkour/ninja sessions.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Irondequoit
Kids Empire Irondequoit
A large chain indoor playground that opened in the old Culver Ridge movie theater, with tall climbing structures, slides and toddler areas. Open every day, including holidays.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Henrietta
Rochester Sports Garden
An indoor sports complex with rentable batting cages, turf fields, basketball courts and a table tennis club.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Penfield
Tree Town Cafe
A neighborhood coffee shop on Penfield Road with indoor and outdoor play corners for young kids. Closed Sundays.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Henrietta
The Warrior Factory
A ninja-warrior obstacle gym with courses for adults and a dedicated kids' area used for classes and parties.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Pittsford
Roc Kid City
A newer premium indoor playground with separate sections for different ages, ball pits and tunnel climbers. Designed for kids 10 and under, with bookable hourly sessions.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Gates
Rochester Regional Health Total Sports Experience
A big indoor sports complex in Gates with turf and courts that hosts youth leagues and sports-themed birthday parties.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Gates
Pure Imagination Cafe
A family cafe on Buffalo Road in Gates with a dedicated children's play and reading corner alongside a casual food menu.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Henrietta
Play Palace
An indoor play space in Henrietta for babies through early tweens, sold as day passes or memberships. Useful as a rainy-day burn-off for mixed-age siblings.
Indoor play
Open regularly · East Rochester
USA Ninja Challenge East Rochester
A ninja-warrior training gym with obstacle classes for kids as young as 4 and teen programs. Mainly class-based, so check for open-gym or party times.
Indoor play
Open regularly · East Rochester
Rochester Gymnastics Academy
A gymnastics school with open gym sessions where kids can tumble, bounce and swing outside of class. Toddler classes are available for the youngest.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Perinton
Bricks ROC
A LEGO-focused shop opened in 2024 with a minifigure build bar and a back room families can rent for building parties.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Webster
Northern Hemisphere Gymnastics
A Webster gymnastics school that runs weekly drop-in open gymnastics and open ninja sessions during the school year.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Perinton
Ladybugs Play
A play center aimed squarely at preschoolers, with pretend-play setups and climbing sized for small kids. A calmer pick than the big trampoline parks.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Webster
Play-A-Latte
A play cafe in the Webster Towne Center plaza where kids up to age 7 play while parents order coffee. It opened in September 2025 and runs timed play sessions.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Hilton
Mamaste Cafe and Play
A cafe with an attached children's play space in Hilton, aimed at families with young kids.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Macedon
The Playpen
A small indoor play center in Macedon for kids roughly 1-10, offering open play, drop-off sessions, crafts and events.
Indoor play
Open regularly · Batavia
House of Bounce Batavia
An inflatable and soft-play center for kids 12 and under, with a foam pit, rock wall and a sensory bean box. Open play is booked in two-hour reserved sessions.
Trampolines & active
Trampolines & active
Open regularly · Victor
Funtastic Adventure Park
Trampolines, a Gel Blaster arena and a separate KidZone for younger kids, attached to Eastview Mall.
Trampolines & active
Open regularly · Henrietta
Altitude Trampoline Park Rochester
A big Henrietta trampoline park with dodgeball courts, an airbag drop zone and a battle beam, popular with tweens and teens. It also runs a little-kid area and sensory-friendly jump times.
Trampolines & active
Open regularly · Greece
Nova Trampoline Park
A 45,000-square-foot park that goes well beyond trampolines, with a zip line, ninja course, parkour zone and arcade. Separate toddler courts keep little ones apart from older jumpers.
Climbing
Climbing
Open regularly · Rochester
Central Rock Gym Rochester
A large climbing gym with tall roped walls and a big bouldering area, plus youth climbing clubs and teams. Teens often come here with friends.
Climbing
Open regularly · Rochester
RocVentures Climbing Gym
A climbing gym off University Avenue offering roped routes and bouldering for all levels, with youth programs and group events. A solid weekend option for active tweens and teens.
Climbing
Open regularly · Victor
DICK'S House of Sport (Eastview Mall)
A large sporting-goods store at Eastview Mall with an in-store climbing wall and batting cages that families can use.
Museums & attractions
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
The Strong National Museum of Play
A huge museum devoted to play, with hands-on zones for little kids plus classic and modern video game exhibits that keep tweens and teens busy. Fridays and Saturdays it stays open until 8pm.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House
Guided tours of the home where Susan B. Anthony lived and was arrested for voting. Best for tweens and teens studying history; the first floor is wheelchair accessible.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
Memorial Art Gallery
The University of Rochester's art museum mixes famous paintings with armor, a sculpture park and family storytelling walks. Its Creative Workshop runs art classes for kids and teens.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Three floors of interactive science and regional history, with a water-play area that toddlers love and engineering exhibits for older kids. Sensory Sundays offer fidgets and adaptive gear.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
Strasenburgh Planetarium
RMSC's domed theater runs live star shows for families and music-driven laser shows that draw teens. Exhibit space is open Wednesday to Friday afternoons.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
Edgerton Model Railroad
A big model railroad layout run by volunteers inside the Edgerton R-Center, open to visitors on set days and for holiday open houses.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
George Eastman Museum
George Eastman's mansion and gardens plus galleries on photography and film. Best for school-age kids and teens with an interest in cameras, movies or history.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
Lamberton Conservatory
A glass conservatory beside Highland Park filled with tropical plants plus turtles and fish, making it a warm escape on a winter day.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Rochester
ARTISANworks
A sprawling former factory packed with regional art, antiques, cars and oddities, best for older kids and teens.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Henrietta
New York Museum of Transportation
Kids can ride a restored electric trolley, climb around vintage streetcars and watch a big model railroad. Open Sundays mid-May through October, with holiday trolley weekends in December.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Le Roy
Jell-O Gallery Museum
A small museum in Le Roy, the birthplace of Jell-O, covering the dessert's history and advertising.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Shortsville
Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society Museum
A volunteer-run rail museum in Shortsville's old station with exhibits and equipment, open seasonally on weekends.
Museums & attractions
Open regularly · Geneseo
National Warplane Museum
A museum at Geneseo's airfield with restored WWII-era planes, some of which still fly.
Games & activities
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
Great Lakes Gaming
A downtown esports and PC gaming lounge in Innovation Square that hosts tournaments and rents private rooms for parties; evening hours.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
Bad Axe Throwing Rochester
Coached axe-throwing lanes downtown, a novel outing for older teens with a parent. Check the minimum-age policy before booking.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
GTFO Escape Rooms
A downtown escape room company known for puzzle-heavy rooms, including a 1990s-themed game that's fun for parents and teens together.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
The Playhouse // Swillburger
A South Wedge arcade bar with burgers, pinball and video games. Families are welcome until 10pm, making it a fun casual dinner-and-games spot.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
The Great Escape Room Rochester
A chain escape room with several puzzle rooms that families can book privately. Works best with kids around 10 and up.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
L&M Lanes
A classic neighborhood bowling alley on Rochester's east side, good for a low-key family game night.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
Omega Escape Room
A Rochester escape room company with themed rooms for families and groups.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
Radio Social
Boutique bowling, a small arcade and games in the restored Stromberg-Carlson radio factory, which replaced Clover Lanes. Check the age policy before visiting with kids in the evening.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Brighton
Color Me Mine Rochester
A paint-your-own-pottery studio that takes walk-ins, so kids can pick a piece and paint it any day. Pieces are glazed and fired for pickup a few days later.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Gates
Locked: A Rochester Escape Room
An escape room venue off Buell Road with several themed puzzle rooms for groups.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Rochester
The Nut House Escape Rooms
Highly rated escape rooms, some of them scary. Better suited to teens than young kids, so check each room's theme before booking.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Gates
ABC Gates Bowl
A family bowling center in Gates with bumpers for little bowlers and birthday packages.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Henrietta
Lasertron
A long-running laser tag arena near the Marketplace Mall with an arcade on site. It's a favorite for tween and teen birthday groups.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Henrietta
Bowl-A-Roll Lanes
A long-running Henrietta bowling center on Jefferson Road with kid-friendly lanes and summer youth specials.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Penfield
Arcade 80's (Flower City Arcade)
A retro arcade packed with 1980s cabinets and pinball, where one admission covers unlimited play. Parents can share the games they grew up with.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Henrietta
Dave & Buster's Rochester
A big arcade and restaurant at the Marketplace Mall that was remodeled with new games. Best for tweens and teens; check the chain's minor escort policy for evenings.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Greece
Domm's Bowling Center
A local bowling center in Greece with leagues and open bowling.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Henrietta
iSmash Rochester
The original iSmash rage room, where groups smash dishes and electronics, splatter black-light paint or throw axes. Mostly for teens; check age rules for younger kids.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Irondequoit
SeaBreeze Bowl
A bowling alley in Irondequoit near the Seabreeze area with leagues and open bowling.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Greece
Chuck E. Cheese (Greece)
The only full Chuck E. Cheese left in the Rochester area, with simple arcade games and pizza for younger kids.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Webster
Lucky Strike Rochester
A huge 64-lane bowling center (formerly Bowlero) with automatic bumpers for kids and an arcade. It runs separate kids' and teen party options.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Henrietta
IndyKart Raceway
Henrietta's indoor go-kart track, with timed races and group bookings. Older kids and teens who meet the height minimum get the most out of it.
Games & activities
Open regularly · East Rochester
Rochester Pinball Collective
One of the region's best pinball spots, with a flat fee that buys unlimited play on select days. Pinball-curious tweens and teens love it.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Greece
Dark Matter Escape Rooms
Escape rooms in Greece offering both traditional puzzle rooms and VR escape games.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Greece
AMF Dewey Garden Lanes
A Bowlero-run bowling center in Greece with weekend unlimited-bowling family deals and kids' party packages.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Chili
Sunset Lanes
A local bowling alley in Chili; league play limits open bowling during the fall-spring season, so check hours.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Perinton
AMF Fairview Lanes
A Bowlero-run bowling center on Fairport Road with weekend family unlimited-bowling deals and party packages.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Pittsford
Mythical Escapes
Fantasy-themed escape rooms on the Pittsford-Victor line. Teens and puzzle-loving tweens do well here.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Webster
Color Me Mine Webster
A paint-your-own-pottery studio on Ridge Road where families pick a ceramic piece, paint it and pick it up after firing.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Perinton
Created by Us Pottery
A paint-your-own-pottery studio in Fairport village, open Tuesday through Sunday for walk-in painting.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Spencerport
Spencerport Bowl
A small-town bowling center in Spencerport that welcomes young bowlers and hosts kids' parties.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Spencerport
ERA - Eric's Retro Arcade
A retro arcade in the village of Spencerport where a single admission gets you free play on classic video games and pinball.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Victor
Chuck's Arcade (Eastview Mall)
Chuck E. Cheese's new arcade-only concept, which replaced Fun Spot Arcade at Eastview Mall in 2025. It mixes classic titles with new games and works well as a break during a mall trip.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Hilton
Pleasure Lanes
A neighborhood bowling alley in Hilton with leagues and open play.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Honeoye Falls
West Main Lanes (Okay Beer Company)
A small-town bowling alley in Honeoye Falls paired with a family-run brewery.
Games & activities
Open regularly · Brockport
Brockport Bowl
A league-focused bowling center in Brockport that also offers open bowling.
Amusement & water parks
Amusement & water parks
Open regularly · Batavia
Palm Island Indoor Waterpark
A hotel indoor water park off the Thruway in Batavia, with slides and pools that work year-round. Call ahead about non-guest day passes.
Skating & snow
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Rochester
Breaking Free Skatepark
An indoor skate park in the same building as RocVentures, giving skaters and scooter riders a year-round place to ride.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Rochester
Genesee Valley Park Sports Complex
The City of Rochester's indoor rink, one of the cheapest public skates around, with weekday and weekend sessions.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Rochester
Skate Luvers Roller Palace
An indoor roller-skating rink on Rochester's west side with public skate sessions and themed skate nights.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Rochester
Tim Hortons Iceplex (formerly Bill Gray's Iceplex)
A busy two-rink ice complex with public skate sessions when hockey isn't booked, plus learn-to-skate programs.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Greece
Horizon Fun F/X
The area's go-to indoor roller rink, with a light show and sound system plus laser tag. Weekend sessions draw lots of tweens and teens.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Greece
Lakeshore Hockey Arena
An indoor hockey arena in Greece that also schedules public skating. It's next to the roller rink, so you can pair the two.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Henrietta
Gene Polisseni Center (RIT)
RIT's modern hockey arena opens for low-cost public skates when the ice is free, and teens can also catch a college hockey game here.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Perinton
Village Sports
A Penfield/Fairport ice facility with midday public skates and extra sessions during school breaks.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Webster
Webster Ice Arena
Webster's indoor rink, which schedules public skating around its hockey programs and charges less for young kids.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Perinton
Rochester Ice Center
The Fairport rink formerly known as Thomas Creek, with weekend public skates and skating lessons.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Scottsville
Scottsville Ice Arena
A smaller community rink with Saturday-evening and Sunday-afternoon public skates and a family rate.
Skating & snow
Open regularly · Canandaigua
Greater Canandaigua Civic Center
An ice arena in Canandaigua with public skate sessions alongside hockey and figure skating programs.
Shows & movies
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
Eastman Theatre (Kodak Hall)
The Eastman School's main concert hall and home of the Rochester Philharmonic, which runs family concerts; many student recitals are free.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
Hochstein Performance Hall
A historic downtown concert hall that hosts the RPO's kid-focused concert series with pre-show activities.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
Geva Theatre
Rochester's professional regional theater, with some productions suitable for kids 5 and up.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
The Little Theatre
A beloved nonprofit art-house cinema that shows independent films and some special family screenings, with a cafe next door. A good first step into indie movies for teens.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
RBTL's Auditorium Theatre
Rochester's main stage for touring Broadway productions, which regularly hosts family-friendly shows.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
West Herr Auditorium Theatre
The large downtown hall where touring Broadway shows and concerts play; best for kids about 6 and up.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
Roc Cinema
A 1914 neighborhood movie house in the South Wedge area with dine-in seating and free Monday movies.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
Dryden Theatre
The George Eastman Museum's historic cinema, which has run kid-friendly matinees of classic family films with free admission for children. Check the current calendar for family titles.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Brighton
JCC CenterStage Theatre
A community theater at the Jewish Community Center that stages shows for young audiences.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Rochester
Kodak Center
A performance venue hosting concerts, comedy and touring kids' shows.
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Henrietta
OFC Creations Theatre Center
A theater company in a converted space on Winton Place staging family musicals and youth productions.
Shows & movies
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Gates
Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester
A multiplex for new releases that has run a discounted summer kids' movie series in past years. Check each spring for the lineup.
Shows & movies
Shows & movies
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Pittsford
Nazareth University Arts Center
A campus performing arts center with many free or low-cost performances.
Shows & movies
Shows & movies
Open regularly · Brockport
Brockport Strand Theatre
A historic village movie theater dating to 1916 with an Art Moderne facade.
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