Don’t let the gloomy weather get you down. There are plenty of fun places to visit on a gray day in Goodyear, Arizona. From impressive museums to calm library environments, our Crème de la Crème team covers the best family-friendly attractions in the Goodyear area to help you beat the rainy day blues.

Discover Your Inner Artist at a Pottery Painting Studio

A teacher and a small girl painting an earthware bowl in Goodyear, AZ

Crop artisan and little girl painting earthware in workshop by Gustavo Fring is licensed with Pexels License

The best contrast to a gray day is a palette full of color. Visit As You Wish Pottery in Glendale, Arizona, to spark your family’s creativity. Here, you can each select a pottery piece to paint, like a cup, bowl, plate, or square tile. Everybody is an artist at As You Wish Pottery, no matter their skill level. The staff will provide all the tools and instructions needed to create a masterpiece. Reservations are strongly recommended, but the facility accepts walk-ins if space is available.

  • Location: 9410 Hanna Drive #A-109, Glendale.
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Rock and Bowl at a Bowling Alley

Reserve a lane at Glenfair Lanes in Glendale, Arizona, and test your bowling skills. Families can quickly turn a miserable afternoon into one that’s full of entertainment when they bowl together. If the weather has canceled your weekend outdoors, consider purchasing the Family Fun Package at Glenfair Lanes. For $59.99, families of up to six people can bowl for two hours. The price includes a shoe rental, a large pitcher of soda, and a pizza add-on for $15. Weekday lane reservations are also available.

  • Location: 6110 N. 59th Ave., Glendale.
  • Hours: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.

Learn Something New at a Museum

Visiting a museum near Goodyear, Arizona is an excellent way to support the local community and your child’s educational development. The following indoor museums cover a range of themes, including science, imagination, and history.

Arizona Science Center

Children can get a hands-on learning experience at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The Science Center houses several interactive exhibits, like All About Me, where kids learn how the body works; Flight Zone, where kids can climb into an airplane fuselage; or My Digital World, where kids can explore different communication technologies. Check out the Dorrance Planetarium for an incredible show about the solar system or the Arizona skies.

  • Location: 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix.
  • Hours: Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed for certain holidays and private events.

Children’s Museum of Phoenix

Engage your child’s mind at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and let them build, climb, and role-play throughout the exhibits. Stop by Texture Cafe, where kids can use their imaginations to cook up some interesting meals, or shop at The Market, a pretend-play grocery store where kids can develop physical, cognitive, and social skills. Parents of babies and toddlers will love the environments designated for them to explore, like the museum’s third floor for children 3 and under or Baby Zones with safe and soft, padded play areas.

  • Location: 215 N. 7th St., Phoenix.
  • Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Open select Mondays.

Arizona Heritage Center

Take a moment out of a gloomy weather day and tour the Arizona Heritage Center, a local gem where Arizonans can learn more about their beloved state. Families can inspect unique gems and rocks from the desert, get a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the Roosevelt Dam, or discover the people who inhabited the area in the 19th century. Some of the permanent exhibits in the Arizona Heritage Center feature fun photo opportunities like a World War II jeep, an AT-6A military training airplane observation deck, or a Bob’s Big Boy statue.

  • Location: 1300 N. College Ave., Tempe.
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Let Out Some Energy at a Trampoline Park

Your children will likely have a lot of built-up energy from being stuck inside the house due to inclement weather. Thankfully, the Avondale Uptown Jungle Fun Park is the perfect place to run, jump, and climb on a rainy day. The facility hosts numerous exciting attractions like trampolines, obstacle courses, climbing walls, and super slides. Kids can channel their inner ninja warrior or superhero and make new friends in this positive, social environment.

The Uptown Jungle Fun Park offers 90-minute or 120-minute play sessions giving kids plenty of time to let loose. Grip socks are available for purchase, and all visitors must sign a waiver before entering the indoor play area. The facility also offers a special discount rate and playtime window for children 5 and under from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

  • Location: 1725 N. Dysart Road, Avondale.
  • Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Relax and Read a Book at Your Local Library

For those who love the calming sensation a gray day can bring, spend some time at the Georgia T. Lord Library in Goodyear, Arizona. There is plenty of space to find a cozy spot to read a book in the two-story, 24,000-square-foot library. 

Families with younger kids can enjoy the treehouse-themed children’s area, or those with teenagers can let them take a break in the dedicated teen space. The library also features over 30 public computers and a self-service cafe. Residents are encouraged to sign up for a free library card to make the most of their local library.

  • Location: 1900 N. Civic Square, Goodyear.
  • Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Next time the weather turns gloomy and gray, visit one of these local attractions to brighten your day. Our team at Crème de la Crème of Goodyear loves supporting families in maximizing their lives in Arizona. Did we mention your favorite place or leave one out? Let us know if there are other things to do on a gray day in Goodyear, AZ.