What to Do on a Rainy Day in Keswick

Keswick is a wonderful base for many hikers, canoeists, climbers, and other outdoorsmen (and women!). But what do you do in the Lakes when it’s raining? As we’ve been battered with storms these last few days and are forecasted to be hit by a lot more rain (though let’s be honest, we don’t need a storm for that!), many of the outdoor activities have become restricted.

But if you find yourself in Keswick on a rainy day, fear not, for there is a lot to do in our historical town.

1. Monkey Out at Kong Adventure

One of the main features in Keswick is the giant gorilla with the brightly painted toe and fingernails. It towers outside of Kong Adventure, which not only has an outdoors shop that caters to climbers, cyclists, and runners, but also houses a fantastic climbing wall. They offer climbing sessions for the complete beginner and their routes go up to GRADE, which makes it a great outing for the whole family. This is especially true on Fiver Fridays when they offer all day climbing and bouldering for only a fiver!

In addition to their HEIGHT climbing wall, Kong Adventure also offers a fantastic bouldering room with various challenges, indoor caving, an escape room, cafe, and a play area for younger kids. It is truly the perfect place to spend a rainy day in Keswick.

2. Step Back Into Local History at the Keswick Museum

With over 20,000 objects highlighting many historical events around Keswick, the Keswick Museum is a wonderful place to spend a rainy day in the Lakes. Here, you can learn all about pre-historic worked stones and axes, most notably the techniques used by the Langdale Axe Factory. Take a peek at the Medieval collection, marvelling at the many artefacts found on Lords Island, the seat of the Earls of Derwentwater. Or perhaps you’d like you go a bit further back to the Roman times where you can peruse Samian ceramics and unprovenanced coins before heading over to the geology section where more than 3000 pieces of rocks, fossils, and minerals await your delighted eye.

But the real treasure, in my opinion, is a 700 year old naturally mummified cat! Now that’s something you don’t see often.

There are nine collections at the Keswick Museum: Archaeology, Geology, Natural History, Mountain Heritage Trust, Industrial History, Social History, Decorative Art, Fine Art, and Literature. They also have various exhibitions on throughout the year.

3. Boggle Your Mind at Puzzling Place

Another great way to spend a rainy day in Keswick is by having your mind boggled at the Puzzling Place. Step into the Ames room and shrink into a hobbit! Cross it and grow into a giant! It’s the same method the Lord of the Rings used to create their amazing special effects. With four different rooms dedicated to boggling your mind, the Puzzling Place is sure to be a hit with families and friends alike.

There is also a shop and puzzling area downstairs, which are free to enter. The puzzling area is made up of wooden and metal puzzles, as well as brainteasers. A wonderful way to test your intelligence!

4. Find Inspiration in the Art Galleries in Keswick

And of course, a rainy day in Keswick just wouldn’t be complete without visiting the numerous art galleries that call this beautiful town home. Within only a 2-3 minutes walk, you can actually hit seven art galleries. Starting at St. John’s St. (go left past Gregg’s til you hit the road), on the first stop you have our wonderful team at Northern Lights Gallery. Two shops up, there’s a fantastic display of photography at Viewpoints. On the other side of the street is Viridian Gallery and from there, if you follow the road adjacent (Derwent Street) you’ll get Lens District Gallery at the bottom. Turning right and then taking an immediately left past George Fisher’s, will bring you to Frank Josef Photography and the Cookhouse Gallery, which are right across from each other. If you go back the way you just came and take a left at that junction, heading towards the main street, you’ll see a life-size metal giraffe. There you can finish with a wonderful browse and coffee at the Treeby and Bolton Gallery and Cafe. Alternatively, you can carry on to the other side of town and pop into Gallery 26.

Other things to do in Keswick on a rainy day include visiting the Derwent Pencil Museum, Alhambra Cinema, and Theatre by the Lake.