Rainy-Day & Indoor Fun in Fargo-Moorhead
The bad-weather playbook — where to take the kids when it's twenty below or pouring, sorted by free, energy-burn, and field-trip.
Every Fargo dad needs a backup plan. When it's pouring in June or twenty below in January, here's where to go — grouped by what you actually need: a free win, a place to burn off energy, or a proper rainy-day field trip. Hours and admission change with the season, so call ahead, but these are the metro's reliable indoor standbys.
Free (or nearly) indoor wins
For when you just need out of the house without spending money.
Scheels (the indoor Ferris wheel)Fargo
Yes, there's a 45-foot Ferris wheel inside the sporting-goods store, plus an arcade, an aquarium, and a fudge counter. Walking through is free; a ride is a couple bucks. An easy 45 minutes when you're out of ideas.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: Free to walk
- Best for: All ages
Read on the venue's own site August 14, 2026
West Acres Mall play areaFargo
A free indoor playground inside the mall, with room to walk laps while the kids run. The classic winter energy-burner.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: Free
- Best for: Toddlers to age 8
Read on the venue's own site August 14, 2026
Fargo Public LibraryFargo & West Fargo
Free story times, play areas, and a warm place to camp out for an hour. Check the calendar for kids' programs before you go.
- City: Fargo & West Fargo
- Cost: Free
- Best for: Babies to grade-schoolers
Read on the venue's own site August 14, 2026
Plains Art MuseumFargo
Free admission, hands-on family days, and big open downtown galleries. The Rourke in Moorhead is another free art option.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: Free
- Best for: Age 4 and up
Read on the venue's own site August 25, 2026
Burn the energy off
For when they need to run, climb, and jump until the batteries die.
Rustad Recreation CenterWest Fargo
An indoor playground plus three full-size basketball courts, an indoor turf with batting cages that their own page sizes as both 35 by 70 and 30 by 75 yards, and a 1/8-mile elevated track that is free to use while the building is open — built exactly for burning toddler and big-kid energy when it’s brutal out. Open gym, volleyball and pickleball run on a schedule that changes weekly, so check it before you drive over. No pool here, despite being the park district’s main building.
- City: West Fargo
- Cost: $5 per active participant; under 2 free
- Passes: $40 punch card, 10 sessions
- Best for: All ages
Read on the venue's own site September 11, 2026
Fargo Parks Sports CenterFargo
South Fargo's multipurpose facility — indoor turf, an indoor track, and courts. Bring a ball and let them loose.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: $
- Best for: Age 3 and up
Read on the venue's own site July 30, 2026
Indoor play & trampoline centersMetro
The metro has indoor play and trampoline spots tailor-made for a rainy Saturday. Book a slot online when you can — weekends fill up fast.
- City: Fargo-Moorhead
- Cost: $
- Best for: Toddlers to teens
Hulbert Aquatic CenterWest Fargo
The metro's indoor swimming option once the outdoor pools shut for the year. Open Swim opens the warm-water lesson pool to the public — the shallow, warmer of the two pools, which is the one you want with small kids. Times move with the competition schedule, so check their calendar rather than turning up. Note it's run by West Fargo Public Schools, not the park district, whose facilities are all outdoor or dry.
- City: West Fargo
- Cost: $ admission; day rates and punch passes
- Best for: All ages
Read on the venue's own site July 30, 2026
Rainy-day field trips
For when you want the day to feel like an outing, not just killing time.
Fargo Air MuseumFargo
Real planes the kids can get close to, hands-on exhibits, and room to roam. A solid two-hour stop.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: $
- Best for: Age 3 and up
Read on the venue's own site August 14, 2026
Red River ZooFargo
Mostly outdoor, but it stays open all winter — the animals are cold-climate species, so a crisp day is a great time to go, and you'll nearly have the place to yourselves.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: $
- Best for: All ages
Read on the venue's own site August 14, 2026
Kids play museumsFargo & Moorhead
Hands-on children's play museums on both sides of the river — pretend cities, puppet theaters, and toddler zones. Most take online playtime reservations, so book ahead.
- City: Fargo & Moorhead
- Cost: $
- Best for: Age 8 and under
Fargo TheatreFargo
The restored downtown movie house runs family matinees and classics — a fun change from the multiplex on a wet afternoon.
- City: Fargo
- Cost: $
- Best for: Age 5 and up
Read on the venue's own site August 14, 2026
When the sun's back out
Bookmark these for the next nice day.
Rainy-day picks at a glance
| Spot | City | Cost | Best age | Energy burn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheels Ferris wheel | Fargo | Free+ | All ages | Low |
| West Acres play area | Fargo | Free | Under 8 | Medium |
| Rustad Rec Center | West Fargo | $ | All ages | High |
| Fargo Parks Sports Center | Fargo | $ | 3+ | High |
| Fargo Air Museum | Fargo | $ | 3+ | Low |
| Red River Zoo | Fargo | $ | All ages | Medium |
| Kids play museums | F-M | $ | 8 & under | Medium |
Cost is a rough editorial tier (Free / $ / $) and energy-burn is our own read — call ahead for current hours and admission.
Keep a short list in your phone for the next bad-weather day — when it's pouring and everyone's losing it, you want a decision in ten seconds, not a research project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best free indoor activity in Fargo with kids?
Walking through Scheels to see the indoor Ferris wheel and aquarium, the Fargo Public Library's play areas and story times, the West Acres Mall play area, and free-admission art museums like Plains Art are the easiest free indoor wins in the metro.
Where can kids burn energy indoors in Fargo-Moorhead?
Rustad Recreation Center in West Fargo has a big indoor playground plus turf and courts, the Fargo Parks Sports Center in south Fargo has indoor turf and a track, and the metro has indoor play and trampoline centers built for exactly this.
What's open indoors in winter near Fargo?
The Red River Zoo stays open all winter because its animals are cold-climate species, and the Fargo Air Museum, Plains Art Museum, kids' play museums, and rec centers are open year-round. Hours change seasonally, so check before you go.
Where can I take a toddler on a rainy day in Fargo?
The kids' play museums (designed for age eight and under), library story times, the West Acres play area, and the indoor playground at Rustad Recreation Center are the most toddler-friendly rainy-day options.
Are there indoor pools in the Fargo-Moorhead metro?
Yes. West Fargo's Hulbert Aquatic Center runs public Open Swim in its warm-water lesson pool, and the YMCA of the Northern Sky has the Fercho Aquatic Center. Note that the West Fargo Park District's own facilities are outdoor or dry — Veterans Memorial Pool is a summer outdoor pool and Rustad Recreation Center has courts, turf, a track and an indoor playground but no pool. Open-swim hours move with the competition and lesson schedule, so check before you go.
What are cheap rainy-day ideas for a dad with several kids?
Stack the free options: the library, a lap of West Acres with the play area, Scheels' Ferris wheel and arcade, and free-admission museums. You can fill most of a day for the price of a couple Ferris-wheel rides and lunch.
Every place on this page was read on its own website, and the date beside each one is the day we read it. What that date does and does not promise.
More in this section: Things To Do in Fargo-Moorhead