Top 5 Things to Do in Fort Walton Beach on a Rainy Day
While we hope that you experience the best weather on every day of your Fort Walton Beach vacation, sometimes Mother Nature may throw a curveball into your plans! If you do happen to experience a rainy day during your vacation, just use this as an opportunity to visit some of the area’s wonderful indoor sights and attractions! Here are the top 5 things to do in Fort Walton Beach on a rainy day:
1. Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
This Fort Walton aquarium is by far one of the best things to do on a rainy day. There are both indoor and outdoor adventures for visitors to enjoy, so you can stay inside when it’s raining and head outside once the rain lets up! Plus, many of the outdoor areas have overhangs you can walk under so you won’t get wet. You can see dolphins, sea lions, stingrays and more. One of the best parts about the Gulfarium is that it’s not just marine animals. This attraction has everything from sea animals to alligators, turtles, birds and more.
2. Indoor Activities at Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone
Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone is popular for its thrilling go kart tracks and unique miniature golf courses, but there are also several fun indoor activities that are perfect for a rainy day! The 16,000 square foot Redemption Arcade features over 65 games, ranging from classics like PacMan to the latest high-tech games such as the Mach Storm first person RPG flight simulator. If you prefer to play a game of laser tag, don’t miss Urban Assault Laser Tag! This wild interactive laser tag maze contains obstacles, interactive mines, police cars, sirens and more! Finally, the 4D Movie Experience combines a 3D movie with motion and special effects to fully immerse you into the on-screen action! Both Wild Willy’s and the Gulfarium are just minutes away from our Fort Walton Beach vacation rentals.
3. Emerald Coast Science Center
If you are on vacation in Fort Walton Beach with your children, it may feel especially challenging to keep the kids entertained on a rainy day! However, once your family steps into the Emerald Coast Science Center, you will find all types of exciting interactive exhibits that the kids will love! Some of the exhibits throughout the facility include classic science kits, futuristic robots, cutting-edge technology and some of the most adorable animals you have ever seen! Altogether, the Emerald Coast Science Center offers more than 45 exhibits within 8,000 square feet of indoor space.
4. Indian Temple Mound Museum
Another one of the top things to do in Fort Walton Beach is the Indian Temple Mound Museum, which opened as the first municipally owned and operated museum in Florida back in 1962! The current museum opened to the public in 1972 and features interpretive exhibits depicting 12,000 years of Native American occupation. While browsing through the Indian Temple Mound Museum, you will discover more than 1,000 artifacts of stone, bone, clay and shell! The museum also showcases one of the finest collections of prehistoric ceramics in the southeastern USA, as well as artifacts from European explorers, local pirates and early settlers.
5. Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum
Take a look to see what education was like in the early 1900’s by visiting the Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum! This historic two-room structure was the first schoolhouse ever constructed for the children of Camp Walton, which was later renamed Fort Walton Beach. When the school opened in 1912, it was a one room schoolhouse with eight grades, 15 students and just one teacher. It was expanded to a second room in 1927 to accommodate high school grades 9 through 12 with another teacher. The Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum is conveniently located just a 1 minute walk from the Indian Temple Mound Museum, making it easy to visit both attractions in one day!
Now that you know some of the great things to do in Fort Walton Beach on a rainy day, you never have to worry about any bad weather spoiling your fun! Plan your Fort Walton Beach vacation today to experience the best of Florida’s Emerald Coast, and be sure to check out all of our vacation rentals in Fort Walton Beach to find the perfect place to stay!