Nottingham is a great city, and there are so many fun things to do there, regardless of whether you’re more of an indoors person or an outdoors person.
However, given that British weather can sometimes ruin plans for outdoor activities, we wanted to round up some of the best indoor activities in Nottingham, so that you have options on your trip there, no matter the weather.
From mini-golf to museums, and everything in between, there’s something for everyone in this list.
So if you’re looking for fun indoor activities in Nottingham, this is the right post to be reading!
1. Go crazy at The Lost City Adventure Golf
Address: The Cornerhouse, Burton St, Nottingham NG1 4DB
Phone number: 0115 985 9455
This fun mini-golf venue is home to two exciting indoor eighteen-hole golf courses, Temple Trail and Sacred Skull.
Temple Trail is set in the depths of the rainforest, and your mission is to reach the temple and win the Inca gold.
Keep an eye out for moving temple walls and an angry Stone Face Rock, and try and make your way to the end of the course in one piece!
The Sacred Skull course will have you sneaking past alligators and tigers in an attempt to reach the end and win your Inca gold.
Keep an eye out for buried treasure, and be prepared to be insulted by the Sacred Skull if you don’t putt a hole-in-one on the final hole!
Mini golf is the ultimate day of fun, no matter how old you are.
And Lost City does mini-golf amazingly.
They offer a bunch of fab packages too, from cocktail making to student packages, so check those out if you’re going in a group.
2. Check out some art at Nottingham Contemporary
Address: Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB
Phone number: 0115 948 9750
Once described by The Guardian as “the most inspiring gallery in the UK”, Nottingham Contemporary has been showcasing international art to the public since 2009.
Since then, they have welcomed over two million visitors to their iconic green and gold building, and it’s not hard to see why.
They house ambitious international art exhibitions with the aim of prompting people to have important discussions about art and culture.
So if you feel like having a cultured day of art, this is definitely the right indoor activity for you!
Their contemporary café serves mostly locally sourced food, and the menu looks absolutely delicious.
So if you get a bit peckish while you’re taking in the art, do stop by the café!
Their shop also offers great gifts for visitors to purchase, so if you fancy picking up a souvenir, then check it out.
3. Visit the National Justice Museum
Address: High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN
Phone number: 0115 952 0555
This amazing museum offers activities and showcases exhibitions which relate to the complex world of law and justice.
There has been a court on the site since around 1375 and a prison since 1449, adding to the feel of being in the home of justice that you get when you visit this museum.
Actors roam around, bringing the museum to life for visitors.
There are even re-enactments of witch trials and hangings for you to observe while you are there.
The re-enactments are often regarded as one of the museum’s best features.
However, there’s plenty more to discover in this incredible museum, so make sure to set aside plenty of time to truly get the most out of what it has to offer its visitors.
4. Go back in time at City of Caves
Address: Garner’s Hill, Nottingham NG1 1HF
Phone number: 0115 988 1955
Fancy indulging in some history during your time in Nottingham
? Then City of Caves might be one of the best indoor activities in Nottingham for you.
It’s part of a maze of over 500 original sandstone caves, dating back to the dark ages, that wind around underneath Nottingham’s streets.
You can buy your tickets along with tickets to the National Justice Museum, too, if you want to make a day of it. A
t just £16 for the combined ticket, it’s pretty reasonable.
There are tours available of the caves which explain their history, and the guides are incredibly knowledgeable, making it well worth your while.
As part of your trip to the caves, you’ll see the only medieval underground tannery in the country.
You’ll also have the chance to explore the remains of the Drury Hill Victorian slums and visit the Anderson air-raid shelter where thousands of people found refuge during the Second World War.
All in all, it’s a really fascinating day out, especially for the history buffs among us!
5. Go bowling at Nottingham Bowl
Address: Belward St, Nottingham NG1 1JZ
Phone number: 0115 950 2110
Who doesn’t love bowling and what better time to do it than on a rainy day?
Or even on a non-rainy day, bowling is still one of the best indoor activities in Nottingham!
It’s also such a fun date idea as it’s different from just sitting in a bar and having a few drinks.
Bowling really gives you the chance to have a giggle with the people you’re with about your terrible bowling skills.
And it’s a great way to get to know someone new in a casual environment, too.
Nottingham Bowl is open every day of the week, and it starts at just £7.50 for one game, or £5 if you’re a student.
They serve pizza and hot dogs, and you can get drinks there too.
So why not make a night of it?
There are few better indoor activities than bowling, after all!
6. Bounce at Planet Bounce
Address: 153-155 Huntingdon St, Nottingham NG1 3NL
Phone number: 0115 988 1745
If you want to let your hair down and look a bit ridiculous while doing it, then Planet Bounce is calling your name. Jump around and defy gravity in this insanely fun inflatable trampoline park!
It’s suitable for people of all ages, but if you’d prefer to go when there are only adults around, then the best time to visit is on a Saturday or Sunday night.
In these 18+ sessions, they dim the lights, blast the music, and the trampoline park becomes a huge bouncy party!
Remember the bouncy castle parties you used to go to as a kid?
Well think that, but ten times bigger and better.
If you’re not as fit as you used to be and you need to refuel after all that jumping around, then head over to their Refuel Café for some refreshments to get your energy back.
7. Go skating at the National Ice Centre
Address: Bolero Square, Belward St, Nottingham NG1 1LA
Phone number: 0843 373 3000
Ever dreamt of being on Dancing on Ice?
Then you better start your practice at the National Ice Centre!
The National Ice Centre have ice skating, ice hockey, and speed skating lessons if you want to refine your skills before taking to the ice solo.
They even offer intensive courses if you really want to become a pro skater.
For those of you who don’t feel you need lessons, you can skate around by yourself and show off your skills to your pals.
Sometimes the National Ice Centre puts on club nights and foam parties.
So if you’re into that kind of thing, it might be worth checking out what’s on before you go.
Foam party on ice? Fun!
Prices vary depending on the activity, but if you’re a student you get a discounted price, so lucky you!
8. Go on a Castle Rock Brewery Tour
Address: Queensbridge Rd, Nottingham NG2 1NB
Phone number: 0115 985 1615
Any beer fans reading this? I’m sure there are! Castle Rock Brewery is the largest independent brewery in Nottingham, and they offer forty-minute tours for beer-lovers to take part in.
The tours are available Monday through Saturday (Saturdays depend on whether there is football on, though), and start at just £12 per person
. This is a seriously reasonable price if you ask me!
You’ll be shown around the brewery and offered a history of the company, before sampling a selection of beers.
The tours tend to be run by Tim Pollard, Nottingham’s official Robin Hood, and this adds an element of fun to the tour.
You’ll also get the chance to pour a pint and take a snap with it so that you can pop it on Instagram – perfect!
And to top it all off, the brewery is home to one of the best vegan restaurants in Nottingham.
9. Have a pint at Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem
Address: Brewhouse Yard, 1, Nottingham NG1 6AD
Phone number: 0115 947 3171
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem is said to be England’s oldest inn, which makes it well worth a visit in its own right!
Tucked beneath the cliff which holds Nottingham Castle, it was once a popular stop for crusading knights.
It has been said that the pub got its name from tales of King Richard the Lionheart making a stop here in 1189AD before journeying to Jerusalem.
As well as being steeped in history, it’s just a really nice pub.
Plus, the pub grub here hits exactly the right spot.
Underneath the pub, the ale is stored in cave cellars which are rooted deep in the sandstone cliff.
In the cellars, you’ll also find an old cockfighting ring as well as a small cell which is thought to have been part of the Castle’s Gaol (jail to us modern folk).
The Gaoler’s chair still sits outside the cell! Cosy up in a warm nook of the pub with a nice cold pint of beer.
There’s nothing better than that!
10. Escape at iLocked Escape Room
Address: Marco Island, 1 Huntingdon St, Nottingham NG1 1AQ,
Phone number: 01159 881323
Escape rooms are the perfect way to spend time indoors, and they’re also a great way to challenge yourself and your pals!
There are three different ones on offer here: Alien, The Mummy and Deep Blue: Sabotage.
Each offers a unique experience to those who try to tackle them.
You could even do all three if you really wanted to.
You’ll have to work well as a team to tackle these rooms, as they’re not easy!
Imagine the satisfaction of being the one to solve the problem that gets you out of the room.
You have just one hour to make your escape from the rooms, so use your time wisely!
11. Catch a film at Savoy Cinema
Address: 233 Derby Rd, Nottingham NG7 1QN
Phone number: 0115 947 5812
Savoy Cinema is Nottingham’s only surviving pre-Second World War cinema.
Cinemas are the perfect way to spend a day indoors, and Savoy Cinema is one of the nicest, cosiest cinemas I’ve been to.
It may be old, but that only makes the cinematic experience even more special!
Student tickets are only a fiver, too, so they won’t break the bank like a lot of cinemas do!
Get your popcorn, pick-n-mix, and Tango Ice Blast and settle in to watch one of the newest films in the cinematic world amid a little piece of history.
12. Visit Wollaton Hall
Address: Wollaton Hall & Deer Park. Nottingham NG8 2AE
Phone number: 0115 876 3100
Attracting loads of visitors on sunny days, Wollaton Hall is situated in beautiful grounds with a deer park.
However, there’s just as much to enjoy here if you fancy spending the day indoors.
Wollaton Hall is an architectural beauty and has been home to illustrious people from barons to Batman.
Yes, Batman! The hall was the set of Wayne Manor in The Dark Knight Rises! Pretty cool, right?
Built in the 1580s, Wollaton Hall has lost none of its elegance over the years.
You can take guided tours of this amazing house, and you will really feel like you’re in an episode of Bridgerton when surrounded by all this grandeur!
Wollaton Hall is also home to Nottingham’s Natural History Museum, which houses an enormous collection of 750,000 objects!
You’ll find rare extinct animal specimens amongst live insects, including a colony of Madagascan hissing cockroaches, and so much more.
Prepare to be impressed, because if there’s anything Wollaton Hall does well, it’s impressing people.
13. Catch a show at Theatre Royal
Address: 0115 989 5555
Phone number: Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
This beautiful theatre sits right in the centre of Nottingham, so it’s impossible to miss!
They always have wonderful shows and productions on, so be sure to check out what’s on, and try and catch a show.
It opened in 1865, and if you really try, you can imagine yourself attending a wonderful opera show in this regal venue.
This is easily one of the best indoor activities in Nottingham for theatre-goers!
So there you have it: you now have a list as long as your arm of fun indoor activities in Nottingham.
It really is an amazing city, and hopefully, this post will help you do something fun during your time here, no matter the weather!
Whether you’re a history nut or a trampoline-loving wild child, I’m certain that one of these indoor activities in Nottingham will be up your street.
If all else fails, you could always spend a day inside at one of the best bottomless brunches in Nottingham, or while away the hours in one of Nottingham’s many coffee shops.
