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Most of Palo Alto's rain falls between November and March, often in a handful of storms rather than steady drizzle. A wet day here rarely means a cold one, but it does mean the Dish, the Baylands and the playgrounds are off the table. The good news is that the city and the Stanford campus next door have more indoor options than you might expect for a town of under 70,000 people. Several of the best are free.
This guide groups them by type: museums, family stops, libraries, film and theater, games and books, then the cafes that make a good place to wait out a downpour. Our weather guide shows what to expect month by month.
Free museums at Stanford
The two art museums on the Stanford campus sit side by side on Lomita Drive and both are free. On a rainy day they are the best value in the area.
Cantor Arts Center
The Cantor Arts Center opened in 1894 as the Leland Stanford Jr. Museum and now holds a collection that spans continents and thousands of years. Galleries cover everything from ancient objects to photography and contemporary work. Special exhibitions rotate through the year. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rodin Sculpture Garden outside is open around the clock, so save it for a break in the clouds.
Anderson Collection
Next door, the Anderson Collection shows postwar American art built around one Bay Area family's gift of 121 works. The rooms are large and calm, which suits a slow wet afternoon. It lists its hours as Thursday through Monday. One note for fall 2026: Jackson Pollock's "Lucifer" is on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art until January 31, 2027.
Parking on campus is paid by zone on weekdays but free in many central zones on weekends. Hoover Tower's observation deck is closed until January 25, 2027, so skip it on this trip.
Indoor stops for families
Junior Museum and Zoo
The Junior Museum and Zoo at 1451 Middlefield Road mixes hands-on science exhibits with a small zoo. The zoo is outdoors, but the indoor galleries hold a scale model of the solar system, a Rainbow Tunnel and other exhibits aimed at young children. It is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays. Book a timed entry online, since the museum says it cannot guarantee entry without one. From November 1, 2026 it closes at 4:30 p.m.
Museum of American Heritage
The Museum of American Heritage at 351 Homer Avenue is a free museum of everyday technology, from sewing machines to radios, set inside a 1907 house. It is open Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and asks for a suggested donation. Older kids who like taking things apart tend to love it.
Palo Alto Art Center
The city-run Palo Alto Art Center at 1313 Newell Road has free exhibitions in the former city hall building beside Rinconada Park. It also runs classes in its studios for children and adults. Check the city's exhibition page for what is on.
Libraries
Palo Alto's five library branches are the classic free rainy day refuge. Two stand out.
- Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Road. The largest branch, open seven days a week with evening hours Monday through Thursday. It has a big children's area. Ada's Cafe is in the same building.
- Children's Library, 1276 Harriet Street. Built in 1940 for children from birth through 5th grade, with a garden setting and a cozy scale. It is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Rinconada, Downtown and College Terrace round out the system. Check the library hours page on the day. See our libraries guide for story times and how visitors can use the Stanford libraries.
Classic films and live theater
The Stanford Theatre
A rainy evening is made for the Stanford Theatre at 221 University Avenue. The restored 1925 movie palace shows only classic films, from silent comedies to Hollywood titles of the 1960s, usually as double features in themed series. A Wurlitzer organ rises from the pit to play during intermissions. Tickets are sold at the box office on the day of the show. The theater lists low prices. Check the schedule before you go, since the program changes by season.
For new independent films, Landmark's Aquarius Theatre at 430 Emerson Street is a two-screen art house a few blocks away.
Theater and concerts
The Lucie Stern Theatre on Middlefield Road hosts TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto Players and the city's Children's Theatre, so there is often a matinee on weekends. Our theater guide lists who plays where. On campus, Bing Concert Hall presents concerts through Stanford Live most of the academic year.
Board games, bookstores and chocolate
Gamelandia
Gamelandia at 290 California Avenue is a tabletop game store with an open play library of more than 600 games. You can book a table, pick a game and play it in the store, which takes the guesswork out of choosing a gift. It also runs trading card nights and kids programs. It stays open until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and until 9 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, according to its listing.
Bookstores
Bell's Books at 536 Emerson Street has sold new, used and rare books since 1935 across two floors. Books Inc. at Town and Country Village carries new titles, The Stanford Bookstore on campus carries books and Stanford gear. Kepler's in Menlo Park hosts author events. The Friends of the Palo Alto Library hold a big used book sale at Cubberley Community Center on November 14 and 15, 2026. See our bookstores guide.
A chocolate workshop
Timothy Adams Chocolates on Bryant Street runs hands-on chocolate workshops for groups, ending with bonbons to take home. Small groups book Saturday afternoons. Reserve ahead.
A note on skating
The Winter Lodge at 3009 Middlefield Road is the most popular winter outing for local kids, but it is an outdoor rink. The 2026 to 2027 season runs from October 16, 2026 to April 11, 2027 and tickets are sold online only. It works well on the dry days between storms. On a stormy day, check the rink's website for session changes before you drive over.
Cafes to wait out the rain
A good cafe table is the simplest rainy day plan of all. A few reliable choices:
- Verve Coffee Roasters downtown from the Santa Cruz roaster, open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily according to its listing.
- Mademoiselle Colette at 499 Lytton Avenue for French pastry and a light lunch.
- Palo Alto Cafe on Middlefield Road in Midtown, a family-run cafe that roasts its own coffee.
- Yutori on El Camino Real, a Japanese cafe and market with matcha by day.
- Palo Alto Creamery at 566 Emerson Street, a diner since 1923, for a milkshake and all-day breakfast.
A sample rainy day
- Breakfast at a downtown cafe, then a morning at the Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection.
- Lunch on University Avenue, or at the Stanford Shopping Center if you can dash between covered walkways.
- With kids: an afternoon slot at the Junior Museum and Zoo. Without: an hour or two at Bell's Books and a game at Gamelandia.
- An early dinner downtown, then a double feature at the Stanford Theatre.
Rain rarely lasts all weekend here. If your trip runs long, stay somewhere walkable to the theater and the cafes and compare hotels in downtown Palo Alto.
Frequently asked questions
What can you do in Palo Alto when it rains?
Visit the free Cantor Arts Center or Anderson Collection at Stanford, book the Junior Museum and Zoo or spend an afternoon at the Mitchell Park Library. In the evening, catch a classic film at the Stanford Theatre. Gamelandia on California Avenue lets you play board games from a library of more than 600.
Are the Stanford museums free?
Yes. The Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection are both free. The Cantor is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The Anderson Collection lists its hours as Thursday through Monday.
Is the Junior Museum and Zoo good on a rainy day?
Yes, for young children. The indoor science exhibits fill a rainy hour well, although the zoo itself is outdoors. Book a timed entry online and note that it closes at 4:30 p.m. from November 1, 2026.
Is the Winter Lodge ice rink indoors?
No. The Winter Lodge at 3009 Middlefield Road is an outdoor rink. Its 2026 to 2027 season runs from October 16, 2026 to April 11, 2027. Check its website for session changes before going on a stormy day.
Where can kids play indoors in Palo Alto?
The Children's Library on Harriet Street and the Mitchell Park Library both have big children's sections. The Junior Museum and Zoo has indoor exhibits. Gamelandia runs kids programs and has tables for open play.