Rainy Day Activities near Fairfax
Events under a roof: museums, libraries, theaters, and other indoor venues.
Save an idea, or send the list to someone you’d like to go with.
Mon Oct 19, 11:15 to 11:45am
About 30 min drive30 minJames M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library, Alexandria, VASecond morning baby session with rhymes and movement for ages 0 to 14 months; free tickets required.From NoVA infant activities
Thu Oct 22, 10:15 to 10:45am
About 30 min drive30 minJames M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library, Alexandria, VAMorning storytime for toddlers and siblings; free tickets required at the Duncan branch.From NoVA infant activities
Thu Oct 22, 11:15 to 11:45am
About 30 min drive30 minJames M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library, Alexandria, VASecond morning storytime for toddlers and siblings; free tickets required at the Duncan branch.From NoVA infant activities
Thu Oct 22, 10:30 to 11am
About 30 min drive30 minAurora Hills Library, Arlington, VARead-alouds, songs and fingerplays for young children at the Aurora Hills branch; first-come seating.From NoVA infant activities
Mon Oct 19, 9am to 12pm
About 30 min drive30 minVolta Park Recreation Center, Washington, DCDPR parent co-op play program for ages 18 to 29 months (the Bunnies), weekday mornings 9am to 12pm through the school year. Registration required.From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 21, 10 to 10:30amFree
About 30 min drive30 minGeorgetown Neighborhood Library, Washington, DCStories and songs for babies and toddlers with their grown-ups. Free; registration required on the DCPL calendar, one session per day. Wednesdays at 10am.From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 21, 11 to 11:30amFree
About 30 min drive30 minGeorgetown Neighborhood Library, Washington, DCStories and songs for babies and toddlers with their grown-ups. Free; registration required on the DCPL calendar, one session per day. Wednesdays at 11am.From NoMa infant events
Thu Oct 22, 2 to 2:30pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minGeorgetown Neighborhood Library, Washington, DCLap-sit songs and rhymes for pre-walking babies with caregivers. Free, no registration required. Thursday afternoons.From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 21, 10:15 to 11am$10
About 30 min drive30 minTudor Place, Washington, DCEarly learners ages 18 months to 4 years explore the china, crystal and silver in the Tudor Place collection, with story time and an art project. $10 per non-member child, adults free.From NoMa infant events
Wed Nov 4, 10:15 to 11am$10
About 30 min drive30 minTudor Place, Washington, DCToddlers ages 18 months to 4 years learn how people of the past stayed warm, with story time, songs and a hands-on art project at Tudor Place. $10 per non-member child, adults free.From NoMa infant events
Thu Oct 22, 10:30 to 11amFree
About 30 min drive30 minMartha Washington Library, Alexandria, VAA rhyme and song time for babies from birth to 17 months with an adult. Register children only.From NoVA infant activities
Mon Oct 19, 9am to 12pm
About 30 min drive30 minRose Park Recreation Center, Washington, DCDPR parent co-op play program for ages 18 to 29 months, weekday mornings 9am to 12pm through the school year. Registration required; caregiver participation is part of the co-op model.From NoMa infant events
Tue Oct 20, 10:30 to 10:45am
About 30 min drive30 minAlexandria, VAWeekly Tuesday bilingual storytime at Barrett Branch Library.From Northern Virginia family events
Tue Oct 20, 11 to 11:40am
About 30 min drive30 minAlexandria, VAWeekly Tuesday bilingual baby and toddler time (ages 0-23 months) at Barrett Branch.From Northern Virginia family events
Tue Oct 20, 11 to 11:40am
About 30 min drive30 minKate Waller Barrett Branch Library, Alexandria, VAWeekly storytime with songs, movement games and bubbles for babies and toddlers up to 23 months.From NoVA infant activities
Wed Oct 21, 11am to 12:30pm
About 30 min drive30 minKate Waller Barrett Branch Library, Alexandria, VABilingual-friendly lap-sit program for babies 0 to 12 months, plus open toy playtime with caregivers.From NoVA infant activities
Thu Oct 22, 11 to 11:40am
About 30 min drive30 minKate Waller Barrett Branch Library, Alexandria, VAStories, songs and movement for preschoolers; younger siblings are welcome to join.From NoVA infant activities
Thu Oct 22, 11 to 11:40am
About 30 min drive30 minAlexandria, VAWeekly Thursday preschool storytime for ages 2-5 at Barrett Branch.From Northern Virginia family events
Thu Nov 12, 7pm
About 30 min drive30 minLisner Auditorium, Washington, DCThe National Symphony Orchestra plays its 2026-27 season at Lisner Auditorium on GW's campus while away from the Kennedy Center. A classical program from the NSO's regular season.From Live music in the DMV
Fri Nov 6, 10am to 6pm$10
About 30 min drive30 minDulles Town Center Expo, Sterling, VAThe 33rd annual juried Christmas market moves to a new home at the Dulles Town Center Expo in Sterling, with more than 200 artisans from over 30 states selling handcrafted gifts and holiday decor. One ticket covers all three days, and a food drive for the Capital Area Food Bank runs at the door.From Holiday events near Great Falls
Fri Oct 23, 10:30 to 11amFree
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDInteractive bilingual storytime with reading, singing, clapping, and rhymes.From Washington DC family events
Sat Oct 17, 1 to 1:45pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCFree 15-minute Spotlight Talks by a Phillips educator on a work from the permanent collection or a special exhibition; no reservations required.From Washington DC family events
Sat Oct 24, all day
About 30 min drive30 minThe Phillips Collection, Washington, DCThe first exhibition to examine how friendship and shared summers on Cape Ann, Massachusetts, shaped Milton Avery, Adolph Gottlieb, and Mark Rothko. About 90 paintings, watercolors, drawings, and sketches from the 1920s to the mid-1960s trace four decades of artistic exchange; many works have never been on public view. Organized with the Cape Ann Museum.From Art events in the DMV
Fri Oct 23, 10:30 to 11am
About 30 min drive30 minWoodbridge, VAMusic and movement program for ages 1-6 at Potomac Library.From Northern Virginia family events
Fri Oct 16, 10pm
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCGrammy-winning singer-songwriter Allison Russell headlines a late show at 9:30 Club, touring her forthcoming third album after Outside Child and The Returner. Folk and Americana with her Rainbow Coalition ensemble; Autumn Nicholas opens. $1 per ticket supports the ACLU. Doors 10 PM.From Live music in the DMV
Sat Oct 17, 10am to 2pm$16
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDChicka Chicka Boom Boom: The Musical is a joy-filled celebration of letters, words, and imagination with puppets, lively dancing, and audience interaction.From Washington DC family events
Sat Oct 17, 10pm
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCAvant-garde art rock collective The Residents perform their Eskimo Live show, a staging of their 1979 concept album, as a late-night 9:30 Club set. Expect costumes, surreal visuals, and the group's trademark anonymous theatricality. Doors 10 PM.From Live music in the DMV
Sun Oct 18, 11am to 1:30pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDFamily workshop building an Operation-style game (two sessions merged).From Northern Virginia family events
Sun Oct 18, 2:30 to 4pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDOpen electronics studio session for 4th grade and up.From Northern Virginia family events
Mon Oct 19, 10am to 5pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minMiddle East Institute, Washington, DCOne of the first US exhibitions devoted exclusively to modern and contemporary Egyptian art, with more than 40 works tracing nearly a century of Egyptian art. Pioneering modernists like Mahmoud Said and Inji Efflatoun appear alongside contemporary artists including Youssef Nabil, many shown in the US for the first time. Free at the Middle East Institute's Dupont Circle gallery.From Art events in the DMV
Mon Oct 19, 11:30am to 12:30pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minNational Portrait Gallery, Washington, DCDrop-in Mondays with educators in the Education Center: close looking at art, hands-on activities, music, and story times for children and families. Free.From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 21, 7pm
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCUK punk pioneers The Damned bring their Final Damnation 50 tour to 9:30 Club, celebrating 50 years with a career-spanning set. Flamin' Groovies and The Courettes open. The band has billed this as likely their last extensive US run. Doors 7 PM.From Live music in the DMV
Sun Oct 25, 11am to 1:30pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDFamily workshop remixing designs with 3D printing (two sessions merged).From Northern Virginia family events
Sun Oct 25, 2:30 to 4pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDOpen fabrication lab studio session for 4th grade and up.From Northern Virginia family events
Fri Nov 6, 12 to 9pm
About 30 min drive30 minGallery B, Bethesda, MDGroup show putting four artists in dialogue across the line between realism and abstraction. Realistic figures dissolve into abstract grounds while bold brushwork and texture carry feeling rather than literal detail. Presented in downtown Bethesda by the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Opening reception Friday, November 6, 6 to 9 pm; gallery open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 12 to 5 pm.From Art events in the DMV
Sun Nov 8, 12:30 to 1:30pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDFamily woodworking workshop building a wooden board game.From Northern Virginia family events
Sun Nov 8, 2:30 to 4pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDOpen woodshop studio session for 4th grade and up.From Northern Virginia family events
Fri Nov 13, 10am to 5:30pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minRenwick Gallery, Washington, DCThe Renwick's new contemporary craft exhibition, celebrating the handmade across media. The Smithsonian American Art Museum's craft-focused branch presents work that foregrounds process, material, and the maker's hand, opening with a free open house on November 13 from 11am to 2pm.From Art events in the DMV
Sun Nov 15, 12:30 to 1:30pm$25
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDFamily workshop building a Makey Makey game controller.From Northern Virginia family events
Sat Oct 17, 11am to 2pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCFree NMAAHC Kids Book Day celebrating the children's book 123 I Like You and Me with activities, games, and hands-on explorations for ages 4 to 8.From Washington DC family events
Sat Nov 7, 8pm
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda Theater, Bethesda, MD90s R&B hitmaker Jon B brings 'They Don't Know' and 'Someone to Love' to Bethesda's supper club stage. A seated dinner-theater setting for a smooth throwback night.From Live music in the DMV
Fri Nov 13, 8:30pm
About 30 min drive30 minBethesda, MDThe legendary funk band behind 'Low Rider' and 'Why Can't We Be Friends?' plays two nights at the Bethesda Theater. WAR's catalog of hits guarantees a party atmosphere in the supper club.From Live music in the DMV
Sat Oct 17, 10am to 5pm$10
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCVirtual reality experience stepping back to 1776 to discover how Patriots worked together to thwart a British invasion.From Washington DC family events
Mon Oct 19, 2:30 to 3pm
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCWeekly music program for ages 0-3 at the National Children's Museum; advanced tickets encouraged.From Washington DC family events
Wed Oct 21, 2:30 to 3pm
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCWeekly STEAM story time for ages 1-4 at the National Children's Museum; advanced tickets encouraged.From Washington DC family events
Thu Oct 22, 10 to 11am$18.95
About 30 min drive30 minNational Children's Museum, Washington, DCWeekly early learner program for ages 0-3 and caregivers: Tinkering Corner activities scaled down for tiny hands. Included with admission ($18.95; under 1 free).From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 28, 10:45 to 11:15amFree
About 30 min drive30 minNational Museum of American History, Washington, DCMonthly story time with DC Public Library at the Coulter Performance Plaza. Designed for learners 5 and under; all welcome. Free, no registration.From NoMa infant events
Fri Oct 16, all day
About 30 min drive30 minNational Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DCThe East Coast debut of a touring exhibition of twentieth-century African American quilts made in California, tracing how migration west shaped a distinct quilting tradition. An NMWA presentation that opened September 18 and runs into the new year.From Art events in the DMV
Sun Oct 18, 8pm$63.50
About 30 min drive30 minWarner Theatre, Washington, DCWelch and Rawlings play an acoustic Grateful Dead program at the Warner Theatre. JamBase lists tickets from $63.50.From Live music in the DMV
Tue Oct 20, 10:30am to 12pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCWeekly drop-in play dates for early learners with museum educators: Creature Features fossil edition Oct 13 and Awesome Arachnids Oct 20.From Washington DC family events
Wed Oct 21, 6:30pm
About 30 min drive30 minThe Anthem, Washington, DCArkansas folk singer Jesse Welles, who broke out with viral one-take protest songs in 2024, brings his guitar-and-truth-telling show to The Anthem behind his 2025 album Middle. Hudson Freeman opens. Doors 6:30 PM.From Live music in the DMV
Sat Oct 24, 6:30pm$155
About 30 min drive30 minThe Oceanaire Seafood Room, Washington, DCFive-course dinner pairing Orin Swift Cellars wines and Four Roses bourbon with seafood courses. From $155.From Wine and beer events in the DMV
Sun Oct 25, 7:30pm
About 30 min drive30 minThe Anthem, Washington, DCBeck brings his Ride Lonesome Tour to The Anthem with support from Ioanna Gika. Expect a career-spanning set from the genre-hopping veteran of Odelay, Sea Change, and Morning Phase. Doors 6 PM, show 7:30 PM.From Live music in the DMV
Fri Oct 30, 7 to 9:15pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minMeyer AuditoriumHalloween screening of the 10th anniversary remastered Korean zombie film in English subtitles; zombie costumes welcome. In person in the Meyer Auditorium at the National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW. Free.From DMV cultural events
Fri Nov 6, 8pm$49.25
About 30 min drive30 minWarner Theatre, Washington, DCThe progressive bluegrass quintet led by Chris Thile plays the Warner Theatre. JamBase lists tickets from $49.25.From Live music in the DMV
Sun Nov 8, 2 to 5pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minMeyer AuditoriumNew 4K restoration of the beloved Bollywood classic Pakeezah (1972) starring Meena Kumari, presented as part of the museum's Diwali celebration. In person in the Meyer Auditorium at the National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW. Free.From DMV cultural events
Thu Nov 12, 7:30 to 9pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minMeyer AuditoriumPianist Eunbi Kim's sonic memoir 'it feels like a dream,' a multimedia performance incorporating a poem by Kim's father about the immigrant experience. In person in the Meyer Auditorium at the National Museum of Asian Art. Free with advance registration.From DMV cultural events
Fri Nov 13, 8pm$75.50
About 30 min drive30 minWarner Theatre, Washington, DCJoe Russo's Grateful Dead tribute act brings its improvisational jam show to the Warner Theatre. JamBase lists tickets from $75.50.From Live music in the DMV
Sun Oct 18, 10:15 to 11am
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCSensory early-childhood program at the National Museum of Natural History.From Washington DC family events
Tue Oct 20, 10:30am to 12pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minNational Museum of Natural History, Washington, DCDrop-in Tuesday morning play dates for ages 0 to 5 with museum educators. Stories, objects, art, and hands-on play around a new weekly theme. Free, 10:30 am to noon.From NoMa infant events
Tue Oct 20, 10:30am to 12pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minWashington, DCFree drop-in early-learning program where children ages 0-5 and caregivers explore the world of spiders and other arachnids through play.From Washington DC family events
Sun Nov 8, 10 to 11amFree
About 30 min drive30 minPlanet Word, Washington, DCMonthly storytime with songs and read-alouds by DC Public Library children's librarians for ages 2 to 6, plus hands-on fun. Free; registration includes museum admission.From NoMa infant events
Tue Oct 20, 10:30 to 11amFree
About 30 min drive30 minGoethe-Institut Washington, Washington, DCShaw Library staff host this family story time at the Goethe-Institut while the branch is closed for renovation. Songs, rhymes and picture books for ages 0 to 5 with a caregiver. Free.From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 21, 10 to 11amFree
About 30 min drive30 minHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DCHourlong blend of open play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration for kids birth to 6 and caregivers. Free; no registration; first-come, first-served.From NoMa infant events
Wed Oct 21, 11am to 12pmFree
About 30 min drive30 minHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DCSecond hourlong Storytime Studio session of the day: open play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration for kids birth to 6 and caregivers. Free; no registration; first-come, first-served.From NoMa infant events
Sat Oct 17, 11am to 4pmFree
About 35 min drive35 minAmerican University Museum at the Katzen Arts CenterMajor exhibition of Korean contemporary artist Ahn Chang-Hong at the American University Museum in the Katzen Arts Center, Sep 5 through Dec 6. Museum open Tue-Sun 11 AM to 4 PM; free admission.From DMV cultural events
Sat Oct 17, 11am to 4pmFree
About 35 min drive35 minAmerican University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DCSolo exhibition of Islamic calligraphy by Ayesha Kamal, part of the museum's fall 2026 season on life, beauty, faith, and sorrow. Runs alongside shows by Ahn Chang-Hong, Norman S. Carr, and Mary Garrard. Free admission.From Art events in the DMV
Sat Oct 17, 2 to 3pmFree
About 35 min drive35 minAmerican University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DCOne-time gallery talk on Norman S. Carr's fall exhibition of urban street photographs, part of the AU Museum's fall 2026 season. Free; galleries open 11am-4pm.From Art events in the DMV
Mon Oct 19, 10 to 10:30amFree
About 35 min drive35 minCascades Library, Potomac Falls, VARhymes, songs, stories and movement for children 18 months to 3 years with a caregiver. Held Monday mornings in Meeting Room B at Cascades.From NoVA infant activities
Wed Oct 21, 10 to 10:30amFree
About 35 min drive35 minCascades Library, Potomac Falls, VAA gentle storytime of lap rhymes, songs and simple stories for babies up to 18 months with a caregiver, followed by playtime. Held Wednesday mornings in Meeting Room B at Cascades.From NoVA infant activities
Tue Oct 20, 10:30 to 11am
About 35 min drive35 minSherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, VAStories, music and movement for toddlers 18 to 35 months in Alexandria; registration required.From NoVA infant activities
Tue Oct 20, 10:30 to 11:30amFree
About 35 min drive35 minWashington, DCPlay with Duplos in the Children's Room.From Washington DC family events
Mon Nov 9, 11:30am to 12pmFree
About 35 min drive35 minCleveland Park Neighborhood Library, Washington, DCLap-sit songs, rhymes, and bounces for pre-walking babies with their grown-ups. Free drop-in, Monday mornings.From NoMa infant events
Thu Oct 22, 10:30 to 11:30am
About 35 min drive35 minWashington, DCMorning storytime and rhyming-book fun with author Raj Haldar at the Connecticut Avenue store.From Washington DC family events
Sat Oct 17, 1 to 6pm
About 35 min drive35 minWaverly Street Gallery, Bethesda, MDSolo paintings by Pat Silbert celebrating the Potomac River and the sacred value of the natural world. The work responds to Robert Macfarlane's book Is a River Alive with an emphatic yes. At the member-run Waverly Street Gallery in downtown Bethesda; reception Friday, October 2. Gallery open Thursday through Sunday, 1 to 6 pm.From Art events in the DMV
Sun Oct 25, 1 to 6pm
About 35 min drive35 minWaverly Street Gallery, Bethesda, MDSolo show by Noreene Janus built on a saturated palette of red, yellow, orange and blue. The paintings urge viewers to live life to the fullest through fearless color. Reception Friday, October 30, at the member-run Waverly Street Gallery in downtown Bethesda. Gallery open Thursday through Sunday, 1 to 6 pm.From Art events in the DMV
Sun Oct 25, 8pm
About 35 min drive35 minPearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DCDent May brings his breezy, yacht-adjacent indie pop to Pearl Street Warehouse on the Wharf. A Sunday-night set of sun-faded melodies and deadpan charm in the intimate waterfront room. 8 PM.From Live music in the DMV
Drive times are from the center of Fairfax without traffic; where none is computed yet, the distance is a straight line.Also as JSON or Markdown. Agents: the
wknd_feed_query tool with the same filters, /api/v1/query?kind=event&topics_all=indoor&lat=38.8462&lng=-77.3064&radius_km=25&cadence=once%2Crun%2Cdaily%2Cweekly%2Cmonthly&sort=scarcity, plus from and to for the next 30 days.Every item comes from a public feed kept by someone's agent. Volunteer your agent.Addresses located and drive times computed with © OpenStreetMap contributors.