Door County is known for its beautiful outdoor scenery and tranquil activities such as hiking, biking, and boating, but sometimes the weather doesn’t always cooperate with our pre-planned vacations. Not to worry—there’s still plenty to do in Door County indoors, all over the peninsula! From visiting museums to hands-on craft projects to simply relaxing at your home away from home, you can still have a fun and fulfilling stay while keeping dry and warm indoors!
Visit Museums and Art Galleries
There are several museums around the peninsula detailing the rich history of each village, the maritime exploits, and culture of Door County. The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay tells the stories of the Great Lakes, preserving artifacts that are hundreds of years old! There are exhibits for young children to explore, as well as detailed accounts and displays for history lovers.
Further downtown in Sturgeon Bay is the Miller Art Museum, which is the peninsula’s only fine art museum. Most artists and work there are from Wisconsin, and exhibits frequently rotate between subjects of a variety of media. Admission is free every day, and there are often programs on the weekends for visitors to partake in.
To see more art created by local artists, check out the many galleries in Door County! Art is a very popular pastime for many residents and locals, with most selling their art from a small studio or even their own homes. Explore a variety of art, such as woodcarving, paintings, sculptures, textiles, and so much more. You might even find a special gift to take home with you!
Make Some Art Yourself
Feeling inspired after seeing all of the art in the galleries and museums? Well, let your inner artist shine and create something from the heart at one of Door County’s arts & crafts studios! Hands On Art Studio is a popular destination for young children and teens, where you can make anything that comes to mind. You can experiment with ceramics or mosaics, paint, and even fuse glass! Check out their events calendar on their website to see which workshops are coming up next.
Another fun destination for art is the Peninsula School of Art, which is open to learners, beginners, and experienced artists of all ages. There are always new workshops to try, such as metalsmithing, printmaking, screenprinting, and so much more. There are workshops for kids, teens, and adults, so everyone can find something that suits their artistic ability. It’s highly encouraged to sign up for these classes in advance, so make sure to check out their website to see which ones are coming soon.
See a Theatre Performance or Concert
Like visual art, the performing arts have also firmly rooted themselves in Door County, with several theaters calling the peninsula home. Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek is America’s oldest resident summer theater, with shows available from May through October. Their plays are known for their professional quality and exceptional adaptation of the source material, and the venue is absolutely stunning, located on the shores of the bay of Green Bay. When you stay at the Landmark Resort, you can book our Dinner & A Show Package, which will give you a discounted rate on your suite, a $50 dining credit to our restaurant the Carrington, and tickets to a show of your choosing!
Northern Sky Theater is known as the “theater under the stars,” with its rustic venue located in Peninsula State Park. But don’t worry, you can still see one of their shows despite the rain! They also have an indoor stage with massive windows that showcase the beautiful and scenic park. Like Peninsula Players Theatre, their season runs from May through October, and each of their shows features a Wisconsin twist, many with comedic and musical themes that hit close to home! It’s always a fun time for seasoned showgoers and newcomers to theater, and it’s one of the best rainy-day activities.
Unlike Peninsula Players Theatre and Northern Sky Theater, Door Community Auditorium focuses more on concerts, and their season runs all year round. Enjoy music ranging from gospel to blues, from rock to folk, in an intimate and cozy venue. With such incredible talent, tickets often sell out well in advance, so make sure to get yours as soon as you can!
Dine at Restaurants or Visit the Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries
One of the best pairings with rain outside is a hot dish of comfort food and a good drink to warm up our insides. And Door County is known for its delicious local cuisine and spirits! At our onsite restaurant the Carrington, you don’t have to travel far for a good meal. Order our best-selling Carrington Ribs, topped with Door County cherry BBQ sauce, and an old-fashioned for dinner, and sit by the fireplace as you watch the rain through our floor-to-ceiling windows. Or you can order a takeout pizza from Pizza Bros in Egg Harbor and take it back to your suite at the Landmark Resort for a quiet and relaxing night.
If you’re willing to brave the elements, visit Door Peninsula Winery and Distillery’s covered wine garden, where you can taste a wine flight of your choosing and warm up by the bonfire. Right across the street in Carlsville is Red Oak Winery, which offers wine tastings, slushies, and even bourbon! The Door County Wine Trail features ten different wineries, each with their own unique flair and flavors, and it’s a great way to spend a rainy day!
If wine isn’t your drink of choice, there are plenty of breweries and distilleries, too! Bridge Up Brewing’s taproom in Sturgeon Bay is a great place to hang out with its eclectic style and iconic beer, such as the Knee High cream ale and Stubborn Sturgeon hazy IPA. One Barrel Brewing is one of the most popular breweries in Door County, with a large taproom that serves pizza from Pizza Bros and a rotating selection of delicious taps. Not too far from One Barrel Brewing is Hatch Distilling Co in Egg Harbor, a craft distillery that makes their own mead and wide variety of spirits. Plus, their cocktails are simply unmatched in taste and quality!
Visit the Shops
Sometimes, there’s nothing better than doing a little window shopping on a rainy day. Stay warm and dry at Egg Harbor’s Main Street Shops, which are three buildings right beside each other that house over twenty shops! Stop for a hot latte at Buttercups Coffee, and walk through the gourmet shops, stores, and boutiques selling rustic and artistic home décor, clothing, handmade jewelry, children’s toys and games, and so much more. You’re bound to find something to love at the shops!
There are even more shopping options in Fish Creek. The Hide Side Corner Store is hard to miss with its massive bronze statues out front, and there’s so much more to see inside! Known for their high-quality fur, leather, and fine art, you won’t see anything quite like it anywhere else on the peninsula. There are also plenty of clothing boutiques, jewelry shops, and candy stores to explore in Fish Creek, in case you need a little snack between destinations!
Relax at the Resort
If you don’t want to go out at all, that’s okay, too! Sometimes the best way to spend a rainy day is to simply relax at home. At the Landmark Resort, we offer several indoor activities for you and your family to enjoy while the rain falls outside.
Did you have to postpone your trip to the beach? No worries—we have a heated indoor pool where your kids can splash while you recline in the hot tub. Each of our lodging buildings features a hot tub and sauna as well, so you don’t have to travel to the Pilothouse for the indoor pool if you just want to slow down and rejuvenate.
Included with your stay, we have several books, movies, and board games for you to choose from. Have a movie night with your family in your suite, with a fort built out of blankets and pillows. Play a series of board games, classic and modern, with your friends to see who’s the best! At the end of the night, curl up by the fireplace in our spacious and comfortable lobbies with a book in hand as you listen to the wind howl outside and the rain patter on the wall of windows.
From visiting museums to dining at restaurants to exploring shops to simply relaxing in your suite, there’s still so much you can do to make the most of your rainy-day trip to Door County! Don’t let the rain get you down—make the most of your time on the peninsula with some of these fun indoor activities.