With summer officially here, temperatures are certainly on the rise here in Sacramento. However, even though it's hot outside, there’s no need to let it stop you from enjoying all Sacramento has to offer as there are plenty of indoor activities for you to enjoy. From exploring world-class museums to cooling down with a refreshing drink, here are a few indoor activities you can enjoy on a hot summer day in Sacramento.
Museum pictured: California State Railroad Museum
Image Courtesy of: California State Railroad Museum
Visit a Museum
Sacramento is full of rich history, and there are a number of museums around Sacramento that you can explore if you feel like indulging in California history on a summer day. Take a visit to the Old Sacramento Waterfront to experience the time of the Transcontinental Railroad at the California State Railroad Museum, North America’s largest railroad museum, or learn about Sacramento history around the Gold Rush on an underground tour of the Old Sacramento Waterfront at the Sacramento History Museum. Art enthusiasts can see ancient art from across the world in a beautifully maintained Victorian home at the Crocker Art Museum, which also features a state-of-the-art modern wing, constructed in 2010. Those interested in science, technology, engineering, art, and math can explore the interactive exhibits and winter seasonal design challenges the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity has to offer.
Learn more about Sacramento museums.
Coffee Shop Pictured: Temple Coffee
Image Courtesy of: Temple Coffee
Cool Down with a Cold One
A hot summer day is the perfect excuse to cool down with a cold one. Looking for something boozy? Be sure to check out one of Sacramento's breweries or wineries. Local spots like Midtown Spirits, Urban Roots, and J.J. Pfister Distilling Co. even offer "boozy slushies" during the summer too. If an iced coffee or tea is calling your name, coffee spots like Old Soul Co., Pachamama, and Temple Coffee Roasters offer summer menus with delicious, refreshing drinks.
Make a Splash
Beat the heat by exploring one of the many water activities Sacramento has to offer. Feeling adventurous? Companies like American Whitewater Expeditions, OARS American River Outpost, and Tributary Whitewater Rafting offer unforgettable guided rafting adventures on one of the most popular rafting rivers in California. Want to learn a new skill on the water? Head out to the Sacramento State Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma which offers lessons, camps, and equipment rentals in water activities ranging from sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, and waterskiing, or Wake Up Wakeboarding School which offers half or full-day lessons in wakeboarding, wake surfing, and kneeboarding. Looking to keep it more low-key? Check out one of Sacramento's splash pads or Golfland Sunsplash in Roseville, which is one of Sacramento’s largest commercial waterparks
Read our guide to Five Water Activities to Try this Summer in Sacramento.
Business Pictured: Punch Bowl Social
Image Courtesy of: Punch Bowl Social
Get Active Indoors
After being cooped up in your house all day, you might find yourself needing a place to let your energy out. Sacramento has plenty of places where you can have fun and get active indoors. Grab your friends and family and enjoy axe-throwing at one of Smart Axe’s several locations around the Sacramento area, play a round of mini golf at Underground Mini Golf, or put your puzzle skills to the test at Enchambered Escape Room Sacramento. If you’re looking for bowling, billiards, darts, ping-pong, karaoke and more, head over to Punch Bowl Social in DOCO for an evening of fun.
Learn more about things to do in Sacramento.
Grab a Sweet Treat
Treating yourself to ice cream is more than necessary when the weather heats up in Sacramento. With over 40 flavors of ice cream, fruit freezes, ice cream sandwiches, and beyond, Gunther’s Ice Cream has been a longtime Sacramento favorite since the 1940s. Other local ice cream parlors include Vic’s Ice Cream in South Land Park, Buffalo Pizza and Ice Cream on 10th Street, and Leatherby’s Family Creamery with locations all across the Sacramento region.
Image Courtesy of: Arden Fair
Go Shopping
A summer day is the perfect excuse to buy yourself a whole new summer wardrobe, right? Spend hours on end shopping at the hundreds of stores inside the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento or the Westfield Galleria at Roseville. If keeping up with the latest fashion trends is your style, be sure to check out the Ice Blocks in Midtown. If you're looking for more local shops and boutiques, don't miss out on a trip to the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
Image Courtesy of: Esquire Max Theatre
Watch a Movie
Hot days are the perfect excuse to watch that new movie you’ve been dying to see. Rather than staying inside and binging Netflix all day, take a trip to Sacramento’s Esquire IMAX Theatre to enjoy some buttery popcorn as you watch a movie in 3D on the big screen.
Image Courtesy of: Asha Urban Baths
Have a Spa Day
Who says you can't pamper yourself on a summer day? If you're looking for a traditional spa experience, the La Le Spa at the Westin Sacramento Riverfront Hotel & Spa offers a wide variety of services including deep tissue massages and facials customized to your skin needs. If you're looking to switch it up from the traditional spa experience, enjoy a cold plunge or sauna cleansing at Asha Urban Baths, which is a modern take on the old-world bathhouse.
Remember: It is important to stay hydrated, limit your time outdoors during the peak times of the day, and dress for the heat by wearing loose-fitting clothing and light colors.
