Residing in a town frequently dubbed “Rainesville,” you’re likely to experience more than a handful of rainy afternoons in town.
Unfortunately, exploring the beautiful local nature or strolling downtown are not viable options in the downpour. We know that laying in bed binge-watching Netflix may seem like the most appealing option, but instead of sinking into a pile of pillows, head out and enjoy some of Gainesville’s best indoor options.
Art
Painting with a Twist: Painting itself is enough to rock some of our worlds. Add booze to the mix and you’ll definitely experience a day of fuzzy fun. Painting with a Twist, located on 618 NW 60th St., combines wine and art classes. The classes are taught by local artists and you can choose from over 5,000 paintings. When the rain is falling and the lightning lights up the skies, sometimes it brings out our creative side.
The Midnight: Arts and Drafts Sunday at The Midnight is something we all should experience on a rainy day. You can paint for the day or bring a project you’ve been working on. The bartender provides supplies and live music on the patio adds to the vibe.
Games
The Brass Tap: Every Tuesday and Thursday night, Brass Tap has trivia nights. First place winner gets a $25 gift card and second place winner gets a $15 gift card. On Tuesday selected drafts are $3.50 from 8:30 p.m. to close and on Thursdays the selected drafts are 50 percent off from 8:30 p.m. until close.
Breweries: Both First Magnitude and Swamp Head breweries have board games in their tap rooms. You can enjoy a delicious local brew and playing an outrageous game of Cards Against Humanity.
Maude’s: Head to Maude’s, the cozy downtown coffee shop, for some old school board games and a hot cup of joe. What’s better than being snuggled up in a booth playing Scrabble?
Movies
Hippodrome: The Hippodrome prides itself on being the only art-house cinema. The movies shown range from critically-acclaimed world cinema to independent films only the cool kids know about. Awesome throwback films are also part of the Hippodrome’s charm.
Civic Media Center: The Civic Media Center, which is known for it’s art, poetry jams and classes that culture the public, also brings to Gainesville Movie Mondays. Most of the films that this venue show revolve around hard-hitting documentaries that bring attention to important social issues all around the world.
Coffee
Cozy up in a local coffee or tea shop and unwind. Sip on some coffee, use the productive space to get work you’ve been setting aside done and enjoy a change of scenery. We promise, Marston won’t be missed.
To see what coffee shop is your best fit, check out our Gainesville Coffee Manifesto.
Museums
Florida Museum of Natural History: Learning about the past and exploring some of earth’s natural environments while indoors can be a great experience for you and your friends. It may not be as exciting as a boozy day at Ginnie Springs, but learning some fun history about Gainesville and the world on a rainy day sounds better than sitting at home watching re-runs of the Kardashians.
Harn Museum of Art: Take a trip to an art museum to view and appreciate the art of Gainesville. You would be surprised at how much inspiration you find in other people’s creations and hard work. Plus, there’s a world famous Monet!
