Indoor Activities for Kids in Central Valley, California: 11 Spots for Rainy Days (2026)
Oct 20, 2026
•
1 min read
Valley weather cancels plenty of plans. Tule fog rolls in during late fall and hangs around into early spring, thick enough that school districts run fog-delay schedules. By July the thermometer in Fresno and Bakersfield parks itself above 100 degrees for days at a time, a stretch that families using GetOut in Arizona know well. Then a winter storm shows up and soaks the whole Valley.
We put together this list of indoor activities for kids in Central Valley, California, for all of those days. Every spot is included with a GetOut Central Valley membership. The list starts in Merced and heads south to Bakersfield, so you can scroll straight to your end of the Valley.
Indoor Fun for Kids in Central Valley at a Glance
Here's the whole lineup in one place, with the GetOut offer for each venue.
Venue
City
Best For
GetOut Offer
How Often
Kids Discovery Station
Merced
Preschoolers and early grade-schoolers
1 free admission
Once a year
We Rock The Spectrum
Clovis
Kids of all abilities
Free 2-hour session
Once a year
MetalMark Climbing
Fresno
School-age kids and teens
Free bouldering day pass (before 3 pm)
Once a year
Fresno Airsoft
Kerman
Older kids and teens
1 free admission
Once a year
Freeway Lanes
Selma
All ages, after school
1 game of bowling (4 to 7 pm)
Once a week
Orbit Lanes
Dinuba
All ages, daytime
1 free game (not valid 5 to 10 pm)
Once a week
Adventure Park
Visalia
Laser tag and arcade fans
Unlimited attraction day pass
Once a year
McDermont X
Lindsay
High-energy kids and teens
All-access day pass ($30 value)
Once a year
Children's Storybook Garden & Museum
Hanford
Young readers
1 general admission
Once a year
Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science
Bakersfield
Fossil and animal fans
1 free admission
Once a year
Bakersfield Esports
Bakersfield
Gamers, tweens and teens
60 free minutes of game time
Once a year
11 Best Indoor Activities for Kids in Central Valley, California
1. Kids Discovery Station (Merced)
Two UC Merced professors opened Kids Discovery Station after years of visiting children's museums with their own son on work trips. Merced didn't have one of its own. More than 65,000 visitors have come through since the doors opened.
The exhibits run on pretend play and building, and the staff keeps adding new ones to the indoor space. Preschoolers and early grade-schoolers who learn with their hands fit right in here.
Where: 350 W Yosemite Ave, Merced, CA 95348
GetOut offer: One free admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: The museum also hosts birthday parties and evening engineering workshops for kids.
2. We Rock The Spectrum (Clovis)
We Rock The Spectrum opened at Bullard and Minnewawa in June 2026. It's the first location of this sensory gym chain anywhere in the Central Valley, and owner Christopher Reyes brought it to Clovis after his own kids spent time at similar gyms in Los Angeles.
Kids of every ability play side by side. You'll find suspended swings, crash pads, calming spaces and an arts and crafts area spread across close to 5,000 square feet. The Clovis gym is a Certified Autism Center, so the staff has training in supporting sensory-sensitive kids. Regular admission is $19 per child.
Where: 80 W Bullard Ave, Ste 110, Clovis, CA 93612
GetOut offer: One free 2-hour session
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Sign the waiver online before you go. A grown-up stays with each child, and adults wear socks.
3. MetalMark Climbing (Fresno)
MetalMark has been Fresno's climbing gym since 2011. Floor-to-ceiling windows light up its 45-foot walls.
Your GetOut pass gets kids onto the bouldering side of the gym. Bouldering means climbing the 13-foot walls with no ropes or harness, with thick padding on the floor below. School-age kids pick it up fast, and teens can push themselves on the harder routes for hours.
Where: 4042 N Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93726
GetOut offer: One free bouldering day pass
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Use the pass before 3 pm. Climbing shoe rental costs extra, and parents keep an eye on their own kids on the mats.
4. Fresno Airsoft (Kerman)
Fresno Airsoft sits out in Kerman, 15 miles west of Fresno. Teams battle across an indoor and outdoor field packed with obstacles and places to take cover.
The arena welcomes all ages, and airsoft pellets sting. Older kids and teens who can follow safety rules and shrug off a hit get the most out of a session here. Full face protection is standard on the field.
Where: 13250 W Annadale Ave, Kerman, CA 93630
GetOut offer: One free admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Gear isn't part of the offer, so bring your own or budget for rentals.
5. Freeway Lanes (Selma)
Freeway Lanes sits just off Highway 99 on East Dinuba Avenue in Selma. Besides the lanes, there's an arcade, pool tables, a food counter and cosmic bowling at night.
Your GetOut game resets every week. It runs from 4 to 7 pm, right when kids get home from school with energy to spare. Freeway Lanes also kicks off Friday night in our Central Valley family weekend itinerary.
Where: 8265 E Dinuba Ave, #9411, Selma, CA 93662
GetOut offer: One game of bowling, 4 to 7 pm
How often: Once a week
Good to know: Shoe rental costs extra.
6. Orbit Lanes (Dinuba)
Orbit Lanes in Dinuba has a retro sign out front, claw machines in the arcade, pizza from the kitchen and a Sunday buffet. The lanes run on string pinsetters, put in during a 2022 renovation.
Pair this one with Freeway Lanes. Both offers reset weekly, and their hours barely overlap, so between the two you've got bowling covered from late morning into the evening.
Where: 250 S L St, Dinuba, CA 93618
GetOut offer: One free game of bowling
How often: Once a week
Good to know: The offer isn't valid from 5 to 10 pm, and shoe rental costs extra.
7. Adventure Park (Visalia)
Most of Adventure Park on West Cypress Avenue lives outdoors, with go-karts, mini golf, bumper boats and seasonal waterslides. When the weather turns, head inside to the air-conditioned arcade and the laser tag arena.
The GetOut day pass changes with the seasons. From late September to early May, it covers unlimited laser tag and mini golf. You also get a $20 arcade card to spend while the rain comes down outside.
Where: 5600 W Cypress Ave, Visalia, CA 93291
GetOut offer: One unlimited attraction day pass
How often: Once a year
Good to know: From Memorial Day weekend to mid-September, the pass covers waterslides, bumper boats, mini golf and the $20 arcade card.
8. McDermont X (Lindsay)
McDermont X packs an indoor surf wave, a rock wall, a glow-in-the-dark laser tag arena with a trench, arcade games, indoor courts and a fitness center into one building in Lindsay.
On the FlowRider, kids lie on a bodyboard and ride a wave that never stops rolling. Surfing indoors in the middle of a foggy January feels a little ridiculous, in the best way. The GetOut all-access pass, worth $30, covers the FlowRider, rock wall, laser tag, fitness center and a $10 arcade card.
Where: 365 N Sweetbriar Ave, Lindsay, CA 93247
GetOut offer: One free all-access day pass
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Pack swimsuits and towels for the FlowRider.
9. Children's Storybook Garden & Museum (Hanford)
In downtown Hanford, a restored house and its yard have been turned into scenes from children's books. You'll spot The Three Little Pigs and Peter Rabbit around the garden.
Inside, the museum runs hands-on programs that connect reading to gardening and healthy eating. Part of the visit happens outdoors, so save this one for a gray or drizzly day, the kind GetOut families in Oregon get used to by November.
Where: 175 E 10th St, Hanford, CA 93230
GetOut offer: One general admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Open play runs on Monday and Saturday mornings. Special events aren't part of the offer.
10. Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science (Bakersfield)
Millions of years ago, Bakersfield sat at the bottom of an ocean full of sharks. The Buena Vista Museum displays jaws and teeth pulled from Shark Tooth Hill, a marine fossil bed just northeast of town.
Three floors of exhibits fill the downtown building. Kids who like animals will also find a taxidermy collection from Africa.
Where: 2018 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301
GetOut offer: One free admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: The museum opens Thursday through Sunday. Reserve your spot with a quick call to (661) 324-6350.
11. Bakersfield Esports (Bakersfield)
Bakersfield Esports is a gaming lounge on Golden State Highway with high-end PCs, consoles, VR headsets and tabletop card games.
Tweens and teens who groan at the word "museum" will spend an hour here without a single complaint. It's open noon to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday and stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Where: 7104 Golden State Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93308
GetOut offer: 60 free minutes of game time
How often: Once a year
Good to know: You also get $5 off a day pass, and you can use that discount as often as you like.
Rainy Day Activities for Kids in Central Valley by Age
Toddlers and preschoolers: Kids Discovery Station, We Rock The Spectrum, the Children's Storybook Garden & Museum and bowling with bumpers at either alley.
School-age kids (6 to 10): Bouldering at MetalMark, a game at Freeway Lanes or Orbit Lanes, laser tag at Adventure Park and the shark fossils at Buena Vista Museum.
Tweens and teens: The FlowRider at McDermont X, team battles at Fresno Airsoft, gaming at Bakersfield Esports and the tougher routes at MetalMark.
Kids with sensory needs: We Rock The Spectrum was built for them, with trained staff and calm spaces for when the gym gets busy.
Mixed-age families: Bowling and McDermont X work best when a toddler and a teenager share the back seat.
Tips for Planning Indoor Fun for Kids in Central Valley
Lean on the bowling alleys. Freeway Lanes and Orbit Lanes both reset every week, so you can go back on the next dreary afternoon.
Group stops by area. Clovis, Fresno, Kerman and Selma sit close together. Dinuba, Visalia, Hanford and Lindsay make a good southern loop, and Bakersfield has two spots of its own.
Stay close on fog days. When dense tule fog settles in, pick the venue nearest home and save the drive for a clear day.
Spread out the yearly passes. Nine of these 11 venues allow one visit a year, so space them out across the seasons.
Make Every Indoor Day Count With GetOut
Paying at the door adds up fast once you've got two or three kids in tow. A GetOut Central Valley membership covers 22+ venues for 12 months, and you manage it all from the GetOut app. You pick a venue in the app and show your pass at the counter. Heading to the Bay Area for a weekend? The GetOut Northern California membership has its own lineup up there.
Membership comes with a 60-day refund guarantee. When the sun comes back out, the same pass gets you into Wild Water Adventure Park and Project Survival Cat Haven. Families who split the holidays between the Valley and Los Angeles or San Diego can pair it with the GetOut Southern California membership.
What are the best indoor activities for kids in Central Valley, California?
McDermont X in Lindsay has an indoor FlowRider and laser tag, and MetalMark Climbing in Fresno is great for bouldering. Younger kids love Kids Discovery Station in Merced, while fossil fans head to Buena Vista Museum in Bakersfield. All 11 spots in this guide come with a GetOut Central Valley membership.
Which indoor spots work best for toddlers?
Kids Discovery Station and We Rock The Spectrum are built for little ones. The Children's Storybook Garden & Museum in Hanford suits preschoolers who love being read to.
Can I use my GetOut pass more than once at the same venue?
Yes, at Freeway Lanes and Orbit Lanes. Both allow one visit per week. The other nine venues on this list allow one visit per year. Here's more on why families love their GetOut membership.
Do any of these venues need reservations?
Buena Vista Museum takes reservations by phone at (661) 324-6350. We Rock The Spectrum needs a signed waiver before your visit.
What are good rainy day activities for teens in the Central Valley?
Teens head for McDermont X, Fresno Airsoft, Bakersfield Esports and MetalMark Climbing.
Valley weather cancels plenty of plans. Tule fog rolls in during late fall and hangs around into early spring, thick enough that school districts run fog-delay schedules. By July the thermometer in Fresno and Bakersfield parks itself above 100 degrees for days at a time, a stretch that families using GetOut in Arizona know well. Then a winter storm shows up and soaks the whole Valley.
We put together this list of indoor activities for kids in Central Valley, California, for all of those days. Every spot is included with a GetOut Central Valley membership. The list starts in Merced and heads south to Bakersfield, so you can scroll straight to your end of the Valley.
Indoor Fun for Kids in Central Valley at a Glance
Here's the whole lineup in one place, with the GetOut offer for each venue.
Venue
City
Best For
GetOut Offer
How Often
Kids Discovery Station
Merced
Preschoolers and early grade-schoolers
1 free admission
Once a year
We Rock The Spectrum
Clovis
Kids of all abilities
Free 2-hour session
Once a year
MetalMark Climbing
Fresno
School-age kids and teens
Free bouldering day pass (before 3 pm)
Once a year
Fresno Airsoft
Kerman
Older kids and teens
1 free admission
Once a year
Freeway Lanes
Selma
All ages, after school
1 game of bowling (4 to 7 pm)
Once a week
Orbit Lanes
Dinuba
All ages, daytime
1 free game (not valid 5 to 10 pm)
Once a week
Adventure Park
Visalia
Laser tag and arcade fans
Unlimited attraction day pass
Once a year
McDermont X
Lindsay
High-energy kids and teens
All-access day pass ($30 value)
Once a year
Children's Storybook Garden & Museum
Hanford
Young readers
1 general admission
Once a year
Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science
Bakersfield
Fossil and animal fans
1 free admission
Once a year
Bakersfield Esports
Bakersfield
Gamers, tweens and teens
60 free minutes of game time
Once a year
11 Best Indoor Activities for Kids in Central Valley, California
1. Kids Discovery Station (Merced)
Two UC Merced professors opened Kids Discovery Station after years of visiting children's museums with their own son on work trips. Merced didn't have one of its own. More than 65,000 visitors have come through since the doors opened.
The exhibits run on pretend play and building, and the staff keeps adding new ones to the indoor space. Preschoolers and early grade-schoolers who learn with their hands fit right in here.
Where: 350 W Yosemite Ave, Merced, CA 95348
GetOut offer: One free admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: The museum also hosts birthday parties and evening engineering workshops for kids.
2. We Rock The Spectrum (Clovis)
We Rock The Spectrum opened at Bullard and Minnewawa in June 2026. It's the first location of this sensory gym chain anywhere in the Central Valley, and owner Christopher Reyes brought it to Clovis after his own kids spent time at similar gyms in Los Angeles.
Kids of every ability play side by side. You'll find suspended swings, crash pads, calming spaces and an arts and crafts area spread across close to 5,000 square feet. The Clovis gym is a Certified Autism Center, so the staff has training in supporting sensory-sensitive kids. Regular admission is $19 per child.
Where: 80 W Bullard Ave, Ste 110, Clovis, CA 93612
GetOut offer: One free 2-hour session
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Sign the waiver online before you go. A grown-up stays with each child, and adults wear socks.
3. MetalMark Climbing (Fresno)
MetalMark has been Fresno's climbing gym since 2011. Floor-to-ceiling windows light up its 45-foot walls.
Your GetOut pass gets kids onto the bouldering side of the gym. Bouldering means climbing the 13-foot walls with no ropes or harness, with thick padding on the floor below. School-age kids pick it up fast, and teens can push themselves on the harder routes for hours.
Where: 4042 N Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93726
GetOut offer: One free bouldering day pass
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Use the pass before 3 pm. Climbing shoe rental costs extra, and parents keep an eye on their own kids on the mats.
4. Fresno Airsoft (Kerman)
Fresno Airsoft sits out in Kerman, 15 miles west of Fresno. Teams battle across an indoor and outdoor field packed with obstacles and places to take cover.
The arena welcomes all ages, and airsoft pellets sting. Older kids and teens who can follow safety rules and shrug off a hit get the most out of a session here. Full face protection is standard on the field.
Where: 13250 W Annadale Ave, Kerman, CA 93630
GetOut offer: One free admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Gear isn't part of the offer, so bring your own or budget for rentals.
5. Freeway Lanes (Selma)
Freeway Lanes sits just off Highway 99 on East Dinuba Avenue in Selma. Besides the lanes, there's an arcade, pool tables, a food counter and cosmic bowling at night.
Your GetOut game resets every week. It runs from 4 to 7 pm, right when kids get home from school with energy to spare. Freeway Lanes also kicks off Friday night in our Central Valley family weekend itinerary.
Where: 8265 E Dinuba Ave, #9411, Selma, CA 93662
GetOut offer: One game of bowling, 4 to 7 pm
How often: Once a week
Good to know: Shoe rental costs extra.
6. Orbit Lanes (Dinuba)
Orbit Lanes in Dinuba has a retro sign out front, claw machines in the arcade, pizza from the kitchen and a Sunday buffet. The lanes run on string pinsetters, put in during a 2022 renovation.
Pair this one with Freeway Lanes. Both offers reset weekly, and their hours barely overlap, so between the two you've got bowling covered from late morning into the evening.
Where: 250 S L St, Dinuba, CA 93618
GetOut offer: One free game of bowling
How often: Once a week
Good to know: The offer isn't valid from 5 to 10 pm, and shoe rental costs extra.
7. Adventure Park (Visalia)
Most of Adventure Park on West Cypress Avenue lives outdoors, with go-karts, mini golf, bumper boats and seasonal waterslides. When the weather turns, head inside to the air-conditioned arcade and the laser tag arena.
The GetOut day pass changes with the seasons. From late September to early May, it covers unlimited laser tag and mini golf. You also get a $20 arcade card to spend while the rain comes down outside.
Where: 5600 W Cypress Ave, Visalia, CA 93291
GetOut offer: One unlimited attraction day pass
How often: Once a year
Good to know: From Memorial Day weekend to mid-September, the pass covers waterslides, bumper boats, mini golf and the $20 arcade card.
8. McDermont X (Lindsay)
McDermont X packs an indoor surf wave, a rock wall, a glow-in-the-dark laser tag arena with a trench, arcade games, indoor courts and a fitness center into one building in Lindsay.
On the FlowRider, kids lie on a bodyboard and ride a wave that never stops rolling. Surfing indoors in the middle of a foggy January feels a little ridiculous, in the best way. The GetOut all-access pass, worth $30, covers the FlowRider, rock wall, laser tag, fitness center and a $10 arcade card.
Where: 365 N Sweetbriar Ave, Lindsay, CA 93247
GetOut offer: One free all-access day pass
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Pack swimsuits and towels for the FlowRider.
9. Children's Storybook Garden & Museum (Hanford)
In downtown Hanford, a restored house and its yard have been turned into scenes from children's books. You'll spot The Three Little Pigs and Peter Rabbit around the garden.
Inside, the museum runs hands-on programs that connect reading to gardening and healthy eating. Part of the visit happens outdoors, so save this one for a gray or drizzly day, the kind GetOut families in Oregon get used to by November.
Where: 175 E 10th St, Hanford, CA 93230
GetOut offer: One general admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: Open play runs on Monday and Saturday mornings. Special events aren't part of the offer.
10. Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science (Bakersfield)
Millions of years ago, Bakersfield sat at the bottom of an ocean full of sharks. The Buena Vista Museum displays jaws and teeth pulled from Shark Tooth Hill, a marine fossil bed just northeast of town.
Three floors of exhibits fill the downtown building. Kids who like animals will also find a taxidermy collection from Africa.
Where: 2018 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301
GetOut offer: One free admission
How often: Once a year
Good to know: The museum opens Thursday through Sunday. Reserve your spot with a quick call to (661) 324-6350.
11. Bakersfield Esports (Bakersfield)
Bakersfield Esports is a gaming lounge on Golden State Highway with high-end PCs, consoles, VR headsets and tabletop card games.
Tweens and teens who groan at the word "museum" will spend an hour here without a single complaint. It's open noon to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday and stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Where: 7104 Golden State Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93308
GetOut offer: 60 free minutes of game time
How often: Once a year
Good to know: You also get $5 off a day pass, and you can use that discount as often as you like.
Rainy Day Activities for Kids in Central Valley by Age
Toddlers and preschoolers: Kids Discovery Station, We Rock The Spectrum, the Children's Storybook Garden & Museum and bowling with bumpers at either alley.
School-age kids (6 to 10): Bouldering at MetalMark, a game at Freeway Lanes or Orbit Lanes, laser tag at Adventure Park and the shark fossils at Buena Vista Museum.
Tweens and teens: The FlowRider at McDermont X, team battles at Fresno Airsoft, gaming at Bakersfield Esports and the tougher routes at MetalMark.
Kids with sensory needs: We Rock The Spectrum was built for them, with trained staff and calm spaces for when the gym gets busy.
Mixed-age families: Bowling and McDermont X work best when a toddler and a teenager share the back seat.
Tips for Planning Indoor Fun for Kids in Central Valley
Lean on the bowling alleys. Freeway Lanes and Orbit Lanes both reset every week, so you can go back on the next dreary afternoon.
Group stops by area. Clovis, Fresno, Kerman and Selma sit close together. Dinuba, Visalia, Hanford and Lindsay make a good southern loop, and Bakersfield has two spots of its own.
Stay close on fog days. When dense tule fog settles in, pick the venue nearest home and save the drive for a clear day.
Spread out the yearly passes. Nine of these 11 venues allow one visit a year, so space them out across the seasons.
Make Every Indoor Day Count With GetOut
Paying at the door adds up fast once you've got two or three kids in tow. A GetOut Central Valley membership covers 22+ venues for 12 months, and you manage it all from the GetOut app. You pick a venue in the app and show your pass at the counter. Heading to the Bay Area for a weekend? The GetOut Northern California membership has its own lineup up there.
Membership comes with a 60-day refund guarantee. When the sun comes back out, the same pass gets you into Wild Water Adventure Park and Project Survival Cat Haven. Families who split the holidays between the Valley and Los Angeles or San Diego can pair it with the GetOut Southern California membership.
What are the best indoor activities for kids in Central Valley, California?
McDermont X in Lindsay has an indoor FlowRider and laser tag, and MetalMark Climbing in Fresno is great for bouldering. Younger kids love Kids Discovery Station in Merced, while fossil fans head to Buena Vista Museum in Bakersfield. All 11 spots in this guide come with a GetOut Central Valley membership.
Which indoor spots work best for toddlers?
Kids Discovery Station and We Rock The Spectrum are built for little ones. The Children's Storybook Garden & Museum in Hanford suits preschoolers who love being read to.
Can I use my GetOut pass more than once at the same venue?
Yes, at Freeway Lanes and Orbit Lanes. Both allow one visit per week. The other nine venues on this list allow one visit per year. Here's more on why families love their GetOut membership.
Do any of these venues need reservations?
Buena Vista Museum takes reservations by phone at (661) 324-6350. We Rock The Spectrum needs a signed waiver before your visit.
What are good rainy day activities for teens in the Central Valley?
Teens head for McDermont X, Fresno Airsoft, Bakersfield Esports and MetalMark Climbing.
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