Kids are out of school. Family is visiting. The Bay Area is drenched. What do you do now? You can only bake so many cookies and play so many board games before going crazy. For my family, it was the second day of vacation, as the kids tried to play a rousing game of indoor soccer, when I realized we needed to put on our galoshes and get the hell out.
But what’s open and indoors between now and New Years? Thankfully, a lot. Many museums are open, but you probably already thought of that, so I compiled a list of my favorite less-obvious indoor activities around the Bay that just may save your holidays.
Please check holiday hours before schlepping over. And don’t let your out-of-town visitors say there’s nothing to do here when it’s freezing cold and rainy.
Batting cagesBouldering
Climbers tackle the walls at Mission Cliffs. | Source: Courtesy Mission Cliffs
Many indoor gyms, like Mission Cliffs (opens in new tab), offer bouldering options that are fun for everyone, even if you’re not an experienced rock climber. Check out Dogpatch Boulders (opens in new tab), my kids’ favorite, which doesn’t require any orientation or belaying training — you just sign a waiver, pay a day rate, and let the kids climb their butts off.
Dogpatch Boulders: 2573 3rd St.
Mission Cliffs: 2295 Harrison Street
Bowling
The duck pins in Pacifica may have closed, but the Bay Area is awash in bowling options. Mission Bowling Club (opens in new tab) is my favorite (open to all ages before 6 p.m., then adults only), but you can also bowl at the Presidio, Round One at Stonestown, and Lucky Strike by the ballpark, as well as in Alameda, Pinole, and Petaluma.
Mission Bowling Club: 3178 17th St.
Stonestown Galleria games
The mega grid game at Activate is a family favorite. | Source: Minh Connors for The Standard
You can make a whole rainy-day itinerary out of a visit to the Stonestown Galleria, from shopping to dining. But let’s focus on how to get the wiggles out after being stuck at home. My family’s favorite is Activate, the interactive game room near the movie theater, where you compete in silly competitions, like ducking underneath “Mission Impossible”-style lasers and running across floor tiles that light up. It’s great for kids, grownups — even grandparents.
The mall also has an escape room (Escapology), a VR game room (Immersive Gamebox), a full-blown arcade at RoundOne, and, if all else fails, a Regal movie theater.
Stonestown Galleria: 3251 20th Ave.
Indoor mini golf
A disco ball lights up the first-floor course at Holey Moley. | Source: Astrid Kane/The Standard
Despite being called Subpar Mini Golf (opens in new tab), this spot with locations in SF and Alameda is actually quite great. The SF course is in Ghirardelli Square, so when your 90 minutes of play time are up, you can mosey over to the Cartoon Art Museum (opens in new tab) on Beach Street or grab an umbrella and walk the Hyde Street Pier to the Maritime Museum (opens in new tab). (opens in new tab) The Alameda location is near great restaurants along Park Street, including my favorite, Burma Superstar.
Another SF mini golf option is Holey Moley in the Mission. Formerly Urban Putt, Holey Moley is spread across two floors and is equally packed with families and young adults downing cocktails.
Subpar: 900 North Point St.; 1600 Park St., Alameda
Holey Moley: 1096 S. Van Ness Ave.
Go-karts
My kids are obsessed with racing at K1 (opens in new tab) in South San Francisco. (You have to be 48 inches tall to participate; there’s an arcade on the premises for younger kids.) For grownups who don’t want to race, there’s beer, and watching from the sidelines sort of feels like being at an old-school car race, only with fewer bookies around and far less of an air of desperation.
K1 (opens in new tab): 160 Beacon St., South San Francisco; 6400 Sierra Court, Dublin
Photo boothsCraft cafe
At Sunset Commons (opens in new tab) in the Inner Sunset, you can work on arts and crafts — painting, knitting, printing — while sipping coffee. It’s open the week between Christmas and New Years. Check the calendar for workshops.
Sunset Commons: 1600 Irving St.
Cat cafes
What’s better than sipping hot tea while playing with kitties? It’s extremely cozy, and everyone gets a serotonin boost. However, there is one big risk: You may end up going home with a new pet. When I visited Whiskerwood Haven (opens in new tab) with my kids, I almost adopted two sister cats, and only avoided doing so because one was special needs, and our house didn’t meet the criteria. So if you’re bad at saying no to children, like I am, visit with caution.
Whiskerwood Haven: 3000 Geary Blvd.
KitTea Cat Lounge (opens in new tab): 1266 Valencia St.
Cat Town Oakland (opens in new tab): 2869 Broadway, Oakland
Paint pottery
Painting mugs is one of my favorite things to do with my kids, and not just because mine come out so much better than theirs that it gives them a much-needed dose of humility. We love Terra Mia (opens in new tab) in Noe Valley, but there are a bunch of spots around the Bay to get your paint on.
Terra Mia Ceramic Studio: 1314 Castro St.
Color Me Mine (opens in new tab): 445 Westlake Shopping Center, Daly City; 2205 South Shore Center, Alameda
Axe-throwing
I haven’t done this yet, but only because I’m worried I’d like it too much and reconfigure my entire personality around throwing axes, and then I’d be cast out of society and have to become a wandering woodswoman. But if you are normal, check out this spot.
Axe Ventures (opens in new tab): 2566 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley
Rage rooms
You can let it all out at the Bay Area Smash Room, a rage room Nob Hill. | Source: Miguel Moises