On a day of rain, snow or summer storms, Flagstaff has a museum, a mansion tour, an observatory with a planetarium, a climbing gym and a bowling alley.
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Indoor ideasMuseum of Northern Arizona · Photo: Jllm06 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Credits
An indoor day runs from the museum in the morning to the mansion tour and Lowell in the evening, where the exhibits and shows work even under clouds.
Museum of Northern Arizona
Address3101 N Fort Valley RdHoursDaily 10 am–5 pm, last entry 4 pmCost and what you get$18 adults; free for 9 and underLowell Observatory
Address1400 W Mars Hill RdHoursNoon–10 pm, closed TuesdaysCost and what you get$35 adults; exhibits, shows and a planetariumRiordan Mansion tour
Address409 W Riordan RdHoursTours on the hour, 11 am–4 pm (10 am from April)Cost and what you get$18 adults, $12 ages 7–13Downtown Crag climbing gym
Address205 S San Francisco StHoursMon–Fri 10 am–10 pm, Sat–Sun noon–8 pmCost and what you getRope climbing and boulderingMain Street Boulders
Address1519 Main St, Suite 107HoursOpen to the public Tue–Thu 6–10 pmCost and what you getBoulderingStarlite Lanes
Address3406 E Route 66HoursDaily from 11 amCost and what you getKids up to 15: 2 games and shoes for $12, Tue–Fri before 6 pmMuseum of Northern Arizona Riordan Mansion Lowell Observatory
Flagstaff's indoor sights are some of its best: the museum of the whole Colorado Plateau, the observatory where Pluto was found, and a lumber baron's mansion that still looks like 1904.
The museum and the mansion are both a few minutes from downtown, and Lowell is on Mars Hill, 1.75 miles away.
Morning
WhereMuseum of Northern Arizona, from 10 amWhy3 miles north of downtown on US 180Midday
WhereRiordan Mansion tour, on the hourWhyReserve ahead: groups are smallAfternoon
WhereClimbing at the Downtown Crag or bowling at Starlite LanesWhyBurn off energy indoorsEvening
WhereLowell Observatory until 10 pm (not Tuesdays)WhyPlanetarium and shows, telescopes if it clearsJuly and August are Flagstaff's wettest months, and the rain mostly comes as afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Hikes fit the morning, and the museum the stormy afternoon.
The best rated Flagstaff hotels with an indoor pool on Expedia.
Drury Plaza Hotel FlagstaffMilton Road and NAU 9.6/10 on Expedia · 2,234 reviewsFree parkingPets: dogs and cats, up to 2, up to 40 lb eachBreakfast includedIndoor pool; hot tubCheck prices
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Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Flagstaff Downtown, AZDowntown and Southside 9.4/10 on Expedia · 1,547 reviewsParking $6 a night, coveredNo petsBreakfast includedIndoor pool; hot tubCheck prices
Home2 Suites By Hilton FlagstaffWoodlands Village and I-17 9.4/10 on Expedia · 445 reviewsParking $7 a dayPets: dogs and cats, up to 2, up to 100 lb eachBreakfast includedIndoor poolCheck prices
Hilton Garden Inn - FlagstaffWoodlands Village and I-17 9.2/10 on Expedia · 1,002 reviewsFree parkingPets: dogs and cats, up to 2, set rooms onlyBreakfast extraIndoor pool, 7 am–11 pm; hot tubCheck prices
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Flagstaff NortheastEast Flagstaff and Route 66 9.2/10 on Expedia · 1,000 reviewsParking $7.50 a dayNo petsBreakfast includedIndoor poolCheck pricesThe Museum of Northern Arizona, a Riordan Mansion tour, the Downtown Crag climbing gym, Starlite Lanes and the shows at Lowell Observatory.
Lowell Observatory is open until 10 pm (closed Tuesdays) with exhibits, theater shows and a planetarium, so the evening still works without clear skies.
Yes. The Downtown Crag at 205 S San Francisco St has rope climbing and bouldering, open weekdays 10 am to 10 pm and weekends noon to 8 pm. Under 18s need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
Yes, Starlite Lanes at 3406 E Route 66, open daily from 11 am. On Sundays, 2 games and shoes are $16.
No. The Pioneer Museum, with its 1929 logging locomotive and the 1908 Doney Cabin, is temporarily closed.
July and August, during the summer monsoon, mostly as afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
