Things To Do in Salisbury On A Rainy Day

Ideas for rainy days in Salisbury

If the weather gets the better of you then don’t let that stop you visiting Salisbury. We’ve plenty to do on a rainy day here. Let us help you plan your days out in the dry with some of the following suggestions:

Explore our cathedral

Discover Salisbury Cathedral, an early English gothic cathedral with lots to see. Find the world’s oldest working clock, see the best preserved Magna Carta within the exhibition at the Chapter House and those that have a head for heights will enjoy a Tower Tour taking you into the roof space of this impressive building. Guides are on-hand to give you more information about what you can see here and this religious building’s impressive history. 

Discover our historic houses

Book onto a tour of former Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath’s home Arundells and find out about Sir Edward’s love of politics, antiques, music and art. Located within the Cathedral Close, it is easy to combine a visit here with a day out to Salisbury Cathedral.
 
Explore the National Trust house of Mompesson House, also within the Cathedral Close. This Queen Anne-style mansion is home to a grand, oak staircase and many intriguing artefacts as well as changing annual exhibitions. 

Around 3 miles out of the city you’ll find Wilton House with its impressive State Rooms and paintings, including those by Rembrandt and Van Dyck. 

Learn more about the area on a visit to one of our museums

Within the Cathedral Close lie both The Salisbury Museum and The Rifles Military Museum both of which have permanent and temporary exhibitions and host regular events throughout the year. 

Just outside the city, at Old Sarum is Boscombe Down Aviation Collection where you can get into the cockpits of several aircraft and watch restoration take place. Volunteer guides are on-hand to showcase some of the various aircrafts’ amazing history.

Solve the clues at one of our escape rooms

See if you can solve the clues and make your way out of Salisbury Escape Room or Live Escape Salisbury. Great for families or team building, you have an hour to see if you solve the mysteries and make it to the hall of fame.

Enjoy the theatre and arts

Enjoy a play or one-off production at Salisbury Playhouse. The Playhouse has a varied programme of events throughout the year and makes a perfect haven from a rainy day, as does its neighbour City Hall. Just a short walk from the city centre will take you to Salisbury Arts Centre, where you can enjoy concerts, exhibitions, theatre and comedy events. 

Explore the gallery of Fisherton Mill and watch the resident artists at work (it’s also a great spot for a cup of tea and cake in the on-site café) or head to the Young Gallery within Salisbury Library to see the changing exhibitions. 

So, as you can see, there’s plenty to see and do here even when the weather’s not playing ball!