Boston Winter Guide: 33 Indoor Things to Do When It’s Frigid Outside

Yes, Boston winters can be brutal. The harbor wind is punishing, you can see your breathe. But here’s the thing: There are things to do in the cold. You just have to know where to look: Inside!

Instead of hibernating at home until March, we’ve rounded up the best places to eat, drink, play, and explore without having to stay bundled up. Let your kids bounce off the walls at a massive trampoline park (better there than at home). Challenge your friends to a round of mini golf where the tech does the scorekeeping. Sip a three-martini lunch like it’s 1962, or lose yourself in a 200-year-old Chinese home reassembled inside a museum.

Whether you’re looking for family-friendly chaos, adults-only competition, fireside dining, or a creative escape, we’ve got you covered. Bundle up for the walk there, but once you’re inside, you might forget it’s freezing at all.

Kids & Play | Fun & Games | Food & Booze | Arts & Culture

Kids & Play

Photo by Suzanne Kreiter / The Boston Globe

1. Get scooped at the Museum of Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for the chance to eat unlimited ice cream and swim in a pool of gigantic pink sprinkles at the Museum of Ice Cream. Revel in the Hall of Freezers, the Cookie Living Room, the airplane-themed Creamliner, and the aptly named Funway Park (complete with games) at this experiential attraction, which touched down in Boston in 2024, before ending with a joyful slide into the aforementioned pool of sweetness. Take a peek here.

Seaport, museumoficecream.com.

Courtesy of Sloomoo Institute

2. Have a Slime Party at Sloomoo Minimoo.

Playing with slime is all fun and games—that is, until your carpets and couches are covered with ooze, too. Get the same sensory experience without the crazy mess at the recently opened Sloomoo Minimoo in Faneuil Hall. Here, kiddos create their own goop at the Sloomoo Slime Bar. Then they can test out the gooey stuff on the giant slime slingshot and the “Sloomoo & Repeat” slime wall, turning what would be a home disaster into structured, contained chaos. Get a sneak peek here.

Downtown, sloomoo.com.

3. The Holiday Outing, Upgraded: Mandarin Oriental

Searching for a Christmastime experience they’ll actually remember as adults? Book the Mandarin Oriental, Boston’s Nutcracker Experience, and thank us later. The package includes a one-night stay, premium seating in the Queen’s Box at the Citizens Opera House, and access to a VIP lounge for preshow and intermission munchies (because kids need all the snacks). Speaking of which: The room itself comes stocked with a Nutcracker-inspired cake and L.A. Burdick’s adorable chocolate mice.

Back Bay and Theater District, mandarinoriental.com.

4. Supercharge Playtime.

It feels almost illegal to put together a list of family-focused indoor spaces and not include a place where your little balls of energy can literally bounce off the walls. Wrentham’s Supercharged Entertainment is our go-to, thanks to 127,000 square feet of high-octane activities—think: a trampoline area with a full-size dodgeball court, a multilevel go-karting track, and a “Ninja Wipeout” course (good luck on the red balls).

Wrentham, superchargedma.com.

5. Play in the Sand, Even in Snow.

If you thought playing in the sand ended on your last beach day of the year, think again. Sandmagination, which bills itself as New England’s largest indoor sandbox, is here with endless tactile play in a colorful, mural-bedecked Northshore Mall space. For the parents, there’s hot coffee, free WiFi, and peace of mind in the form of eye-wash stations.

Peabody, sandmagination.com.

6. See Puppets.

Puppet shows are better than TV shows—which is why we’re so glad the wonderfully analog Puppet Showplace Theater is still alive and kicking. December brings a host of ultra-cute shows, from the Hanukkats, who go on a journey to recover the missing letters on their dreidel, to a Christmas singalong to a vacation- week showing of Sleeping Beauty by the Tanglewood Marionettes. It’s old-school entertainment that still works.

Brookline, puppetshowplace.org.

Courtesy Puttshack

7. Putt in the Seaport.

Mini golf isn’t just for Cape Cod vacays. Even on the coldest day of the year, the temperature inside indoor-mini-golf hang Puttshack stays balmy. The four colorful, “wicked smaht” courses tally the score for you, leaving everyone free to focus on their game.

Seaport, puttshack.com.

What decoden looks like. / Illustration by Dale Stephanos

8. Craft DIY Projects with Help.

When it’s too wet to go out and too cold to play, the Crafts Zone offers a screen-free escape that’ll keep kids (and adults) entertained for hours. Try DIY projects like jewelry making, rug tufting, or decoden, the Japanese art of decorating items with “cream glue” that looks like frosting, then loading them up with tiny charms—mini cheeseburgers, Hello Kitty characters, stars, and bows. Choose your project (phone cases, alarm clocks), pick your charms, pipe your “frosting,” and finish with a dusting of non-edible sprinkles. You’ll walk out with something cute and personal that’ll take up dresser space for years. Totally worth it.

Natick and Brookline, crafts.zone

See also: I Took My Kid to a DIY Craft Studio in Natick and We Both Left Happy

Roxy’s Arcade. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

Fun & Games

1. Hit a Cambridge Arcade.

You may enter this speakeasy through an unassuming freezer door, but the lively crowds, music, and competitive spirit at Roxy’s Arcade mean the chill stops there. The bar arcade offers the likes of Mario Kart, Guitar Hero, and pinball galore, plus themed cocktails (try the “Rainbow Road”) and gourmet grilled cheese to fuel your late-night gaming.

Cambridge, roxysarcade.com.

The courts at Bosse. / Courtesy photo

2. Dink at Bosse.

Winter has a way of turning us all into couch potatoes. Thankfully, Bosse is here with a fitness routine that’s way more fun than a lonely treadmill run. The Natick pickleball megacomplex (and Best of Boston winner) has 21 pickleball courts with lessons and free play, plus golf simulators and wellness offerings, including a cold plunge and hammam to keep the chill at bay.

Natick, bosse.net.

Courtesy of Urban Wild

3. Bowl in style.

You know that old-school bowling alley with the sticky floors and the sad vending machine? Urban Wild is the opposite of that. With gamified lanes, DJ shows, and live music on select weekends—not to mention a party vibe that includes a giant shareable cocktail served in a cooler (!)—this is a nightlife destination you’ll want to visit all winter long.

Charlestown, urbanwildboston.com.

Courtesy F1

4. Simulate a Formula 1 Race.

This is the one spot where Boston’s icy streets and potholes are never a problem. The country’s first F1 Arcade, which opened in the Seaport in 2024, offers 69 racing simulators, each with the thrill of a Formula 1 track sans physical danger—all while you stay warm and dry inside. Team up, race against each other, or go it alone.

Seaport, f1arcade.com.

5. Try to Escape

When stir-craziness hits and you need a new place to be stuck inside, Trapology Boston delivers with half a dozen escape-room options, from a “Hot Dog Heist” robbery to the scary, potentially haunted camp in “The Retreat,” each involving puzzles, elaborate storylines, and immersive sets. Though the “Brain Experiment” featuring malevolent AI might be a little too topical. Consider yourself warned.

Downtown, trapologyboston.com.

Illustration by Dale Stephanos

6. Explore Virtual Reality.

Strap on a VR headset at Key to Amaze and suddenly you’re defending an elven village from dragons, battling zombies in an apocalypse, or firing cannonballs from a pirate ship—all while standing on what looks like a dance floor in Kenmore Square. The immersive experience offers dozens of games, from mini golf to survival shooters, where your real-world movements translate to virtual action. Fair warning: Your arms will be sore from all the ducking, dodging, and arrow-shooting. Read all about Makena Gera’s VR adventure here.

Fenway/Kenmore, keytoamaze.com.

7. Throw a Karaoke Party.

Everyone could use a pop-star moment now and again (outside of the confines of your car, that is), and the futuristic, robo-themed Viva Karaoke x Studios has you covered. If you’re too shy to get up on the main stage, opt for a private room, which can fit up to 30 friends.

Chinatown and Allston, vivakaraoke.com.

8. Play a Board Game.

Playing a board game is the age-old boredom-breaker, but Tavern of Tales kicks game night up a notch. Bring friends, grab a table, and play everything from Dungeons & Dragons to Codenames to classics like Candy Land. A drink menu with cocktails, beer, and shots means just about anything can become a drinking game.

Roxbury, tavernoftales.com.

Photo by Amanda Schaub, A&Co.

Food & Booze

1. Dine Among Decorations.

The cheer is absolutely immersive at the Venetian’s Holiday Pop-Up, which runs through January 31. Nearly 6,000 ornaments, plus decorations and lights, adorn the ceiling at this venerable Italian restaurant in Weymouth (co-owned by Eric Papachristos of La Padrona and Trade fame), where both the naughty and the nice are welcome to join the festive spectacle.

Weymouth, venetian-weymouth.com.

See also: Greater Boston’s Most Festive Holiday Restaurants, Bars, Pop-Ups

Photo by Lisa Richov

2. Do a Retro Lunch Hour.

Go full three-martini-retro with Locke-Ober Lunches at Yvonne’s. On select days in December, the restaurant pays homage to its roots by channeling its legendary progenitor, Locke-Ober. That means it’s bringing back the classics—think rich truffle roast chicken, savory Blushing Bunny (a hearty English cheddar rarebit), and the theatrical Baked Alaska. The number of martinis is fully your choice, but we encourage you to embrace the spirit.

Downtown, yvonnesboston.com.

Photo by Morgan Mannino

3. Pay Homage to Fromage.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to visit a climate-controlled cave surrounded by tons of cheese (no…just us?), Formaggio Kitchen’s monthly “Brave the Caves” cheese-cave tours are your chance. And because it’s impossible to look at 80-pound wheels of Comté without getting hungry, the experience comes with a few choice samples.

Cambridge, formaggiokitchen.com.

4. Sip and Learn.

Bully Boy Distiller’s tour and tasting is an absolute steal at 15 bucks, and you’ll get way more than just a buzz out of it. The 45-minute crash course covers science, manufacturing, marketing, and history—all while you’re savoring the house-made amaro, rum, and whiskey made on-site.

Roxbury, bullyboydistillers.com.

5. Igloos, Yurts, and Domes, Oh My!

Five-plus years post-COVID, weatherproof private dining is still a thing. You can snuggle up in a yurt at the Bowery Bar, dine under the sparkling lights of an igloo riverside at the Royal Sonesta’s ArtBar, or get luxurious in a park-side dome at the Inn at Hastings Park. The options fit anywhere from five to eight guests—perfect for a private chilly-weather celebration.

Dorchester, bowery-bar.com; Cambridge, artbarcambridge.com; Lexington, innathastingspark.com.

See also: Boston’s Most Festive Holiday Restaurants, Bars, Pop-Ups

Fondue at Woods Hill Pier 4. / Courtesy

6. Warm Up at Woods Hill Pier 4.

Skip the slopes and get right to the après at Woods Hill Pier 4, where you can dive into classic cheese fondue and customizable “hot cocoa bombs.” Pick your poison: an assortment of flavors from cookies and cream to caramel, topped with chocolate spoons, peppermint marshmallows, and whipped cream, then kicked into high gear with a shot of rum, bourbon, or vodka.

Seaport, woodshillpier4.com.

7. Take a Cocktail-Making Class.

Ready to step up your home-bar game? Sam Treadway, Backbar’s resident cocktail whiz, offers occasional Sunday-afternoon cocktail-making classes. Courses range from Home Bartending 101 to Tiki Time and cost 75 bucks per person, which gets you two cocktails and some seriously upgraded bartending skills.

Somerville, backbarunion.com.

Illustration by Dale Stephanos

8. Attend a Cooking Class.

Skip the restaurant and learn to make the meal yourself at Mei Mei’s dumpling-making classes. The South Boston spot holds regular hands-on sessions where you’ll learn to fold half-moons, triangles, and pleated dumplings (results may vary). A staffer guides you through each technique before you pan-fry your creations to golden-brown perfection. Wine and beer flow freely throughout, making it easy to bond with strangers—or third-wheel a date night—over your misshapen masterpieces. Read Wyndham Lewis’s experience here.

South Boston, meimeidumplings.com.

See also: I Made Dumplings at Mei Mei and It Was Worth Being a Third Wheel

Photo by Natasha Moustache

9. Eat by a Fire.

Greater Boston’s fireside dining scene offers some of the region’s most coveted winter tables. In Cambridge, Harvest has a winter tasting menu—including a lobster-ricotta raviolo—that celebrates both New England flavors and the 50th anniversary of Julia Child’s favorite local restaurant, and it’s best enjoyed fireside on the all-season patio with a retractable roof. Just down the street, Pammy’s white double-faced, wood-burning fireplace has made it one of the area’s most competitive reservations, drawing crowds for dishes like the lumache Bolognese. For a more spirited afternoon in the city, The Banks Seafood and Steak transforms the concept of happy hour with its caviar service from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., where mini lobster rolls, tuna tacos, and caviar spoons are served beside a sleek, central four-faced fireplace that anchors the room.

Cambridge, harvestcambridge.com; Cambridge, pammyscambridge.com; Back Bay, thebanksboston.com.

Photo by Troy Wade

Arts & Culture

1. Revel in Wintery Bloom.

Find a burst of color even in the bleakest months at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The majestic courtyard, protected by greenhouse glass, becomes a particularly magical oasis in December and January, when gardeners lean into holiday splendor with rich reds of amaryllis, shimmering white dusty miller, and deep green flowering jade trees, some more than 60 years old.

Fenway, gardnermuseum.org.

See also: Seven Indoor Gardens and Greenhouses to Visit near Boston

Photo by Chris McIntosh

2. Experience SoWa Cool.

If you’re looking for a more direct connection to Boston’s creative heartbeat, skip the sterile galleries and head straight to 450 Harrison Avenue for an immersive experience with the SoWa Artists Guild. On the first Friday of every month (5 p.m.–9 p.m.) and every Sunday (11 a.m.–4 p.m.), the dynamic community of 80-plus local creators opens up their studios for a meet-and-greet. It’s your chance to chat with the painters, jewelry designers, and sculptors about their process—the art is truly fresh off the easel.

South End, sowaartists.com.

3. Transport to 18th-century China.

Step out of Salem and into 18th-century China at the Peabody Essex Museum’s Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home. Built in China’s Huizhou region during the Qing Dynasty and reassembled here in the 1990s, the more than 200-year-old house has 16 bedrooms, an airy courtyard, and koi ponds, and is filled with intricate furniture and cultural heirlooms, making it a place you can really linger when it’s too cold to be outside.

Salem, pem.org.

4. Must-See Theater at A.R.T.

Looking to add a little drama to your weekend? The American Repertory Theater’s musical adaptation of the beloved novel Wonder, which runs from December 9 through February 8, is the place to be. With a score by Grammy-winning duo A Great Big World and a book by Pulitzer Prize–finalist Sarah Ruhl, this story about a boy with a facial disfiguration who navigates the challenges of school for the first time is a touching exploration of both cruelty and kindness.

Cambridge, americanrepertorytheater.org.

5. Be Creative in a Group.

The ICA is known for cutting-edge visual art, but its Art Lab studio is where you can become an artist yourself. Open Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the space lets visitors of all ages work on fun, doable projects related to the current exhibitions. Better yet, you can find instructions for past projects online, so the creativity can keep flowing at home.

Seaport, icaboston.org.

Illustration by Dale Stephanos

6. Take a Dance Class

The Dance Complex in Central Square offers affordable classes in everything from tango to West African dance, all welcoming to beginners. Try bhangra—the high-energy Punjabi folk dance made famous in Bollywood films—where you’ll jump, hop, and gesture your way through choreography that tells stories of horsemen and harvest celebrations. Boston Bhangra’s instructors encourage you to embrace the silly, and even if coordinating footwork with arm movements proves tricky, you’ll be smiling the whole time.

Cambridge, dancecomplex.org.

See also: I Tried a Bhangra Dance Class and My Dad Moves Didn’t Stand a Chance

7. Marvel at a Midcentury Landmark.

As much as we love snow-dusted Colonials decked out for the holidays, sometimes we need a break from all that quaint New England charm. The Gropius House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1938 by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, looks like a retro-futuristic spaceship nestled in the woods. Tours of the surprisingly warm interior, complete with the owner’s original possessions, are offered five times a day on weekends through the winter—so you can really make yourself at home. Just don’t put your feet up on the furniture.

Lincoln, historicnewengland.org.

8. Scope out Art on Sale.

The Copley Society of Art hosts its annual Holiday Small Works sale through late December, offering 350-plus pieces guaranteed to fit both your wall and your budget.

Back Bay, copleysociety.org.