The holiday season may be winding down, but the cold weather is still in town. For many, this means more time indoors and more opportunities for cabin fever to set in. Luckily, LYH has plenty of indoor activities that are fun for the whole family!
Givens Bookstore
Cozy up in a Reading Nook
If a good book and a warm cup of coffee or tea is all you need to get through the winter blues, then Givens Books & Little Dickens is the perfect spot for you. This unique shop is part bookstore, part cafe, and part educational/teacher supply resource. It’s also known for its extensive used book section that takes up two floors! Like a drink to go with your new read? Stop by Corduroy Coffee and Kitchen in the center of the store to get a cup of your favorite warm or cold beverage and even some lunch! It’s the perfect place for indoor activities.
The Lynchburg Museum
Take a History Tour
For history buffs, winter may be one of the best times of the year because the cold weather serves as an excuse to go see historical indoor sites. Luckily, Lynchburg—which was founded only a few years after the Revolutionary War in 1786—has plenty of prized national treasures to choose from. For starters, Thomas Jefferson’s private retreat, Poplar Forest, is tucked away only a couple miles away from Downtown. Patrick Henry, known for his “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech and as the first Governor of Virginia, has his Red Hill Estate right down the road from Lynchburg, and is buried on the property. Of course, if you want an overview of the history behind the Hill City, you can visit the Lynchburg Museum on Court Street.
Amazement Square
Be Amazed At This Interactive Museum
Every parent knows that one of the best way kids learn and discover is through hands-on interactions (despite our best efforts to get them to stop touching that fragile family heirloom.) Luckily, there is a space in Lynchburg for them to explore to their heart’s content. Amazement Square is an interactive museum filled with four floors of hands-on exhibits. There’s even a zip line between each floor for a fun mode of transportation throughout the museum!
Photo Credit: Jump
Jump Around With the Kids
Chances are your child has tons of pent-up energy from being indoors. Take them to Jump, an indoor trampoline park! There, they can jump on wall-to-wall trampolines as well as complete fun challenges like basketball slam dunks (with the help of a trampoline, of course) or compete in a balance beam showdown. Loser falls into the foam pit below!
Image via One Way Out Escape Rooms
One Way Out Escape Rooms
If you haven’t done an escape room before, Lynchburg offers a couple of places where you can go check out this exciting experience. One Way Out Escape Rooms offer a variety of escape rooms that range in difficulty level so you can find the perfect one for you and your crew. Work together to escape the room and have a ton of fun in the process!
(Image Via SeaQuest)
Interact with aquatic life at SeaQuest
SeaQuest is fun for the whole family. You’ll get to see and interact with animals and marine life from around the world, such as stingrays, tropical fish, otters and sloths. As you meet the animals, you will also be educated on their different ecosystems and how you can better help protect their habitats.
Reach new heights at Rise Up Climbing Gym
Reach new heights at Rise Up Climbing gym
If you’ve been feeling cooped up by the cold weather, a day at Rise Up Climbing may be exactly what you need. All experience levels are welcome. Not only can you climb up the rock wall and try your hand at bouldering, but they also offer yoga classes to help you stretch out and challenge your body even more.
Lynchburg Salsa
Dance the night away at Lynchburg Salsa
The best way to stay warm is to move your body, but this time you can add some rhythm. Lynchburg Salsa offers salsa lessons and dancing on Thursday nights at Mission House Coffee in Downtown Lynchburg, and it’s only $5! You can learn the basics and then spend the night mastering them and adding onto them week by week. They also offer private lessons if it becomes your new favorite hobby.
The Maier Museum
Visit an Art Gallery
Whether you admire paintings, drawings, photographs, or sculptures, art enthusiasts will have a field day in Lynchburg with the variety of exhibits the city’s galleries and museums have to offer. Lynchburg’s museums showcase thousands of pieces spanning centuries as well as cultures around the world. Head out to explore, educate, and enrich yourself at art galleries like:
- Daura Museum of Art
- Maier Museum of Art
- Academy Center of the Arts Gallery
- Riverviews Artspace
- Lynchburg Art Club & Gallery
River Ridge Mall
Shop at River Ridge Mall
River Ridge Mall is Lynchburg’s largest shopping attraction where you can spend your entire day shopping, enjoying attractions, and dining. The mall features a newly renovated main court and Regal Cinemas movie theater. The mall also features plenty of popular stores while also housing many local shopping attractions like The Golden Honey, Blue Mountain Barn, and Ulta. River Ridge Mall is also home to Seaquest, Lynchburg’s indoor aquarium attraction.
The Nature Zone
The Nature Zone
Experience animal feeds, touch a turtle, and learn about our ecosystem at the Nature Zone, open Friday and Saturday from 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at the Miller Center in Lynchburg. This weekend option is a great place for indoor activities.
Want to plan out more fun, indoor activities for the cold month ahead? Check out our events page. We update it often with exciting events happening around LYH.