The gloomy weather season is here, but being cooped up inside can be positive. While the rain settles the dust, washes off grime, quenches droughts, and brings green life back to our state, take some time to explore new indoor places of entertainment near you. Bookmark this article as a handy helper for the day’s cabin fever sets in and your family needs a dose of fun!

Wunderland Electric Castle: this company offers a wide variety of family entertainment, like arcades, movies, escape rooms, dark rides, go-karts, laser tag, and more! They have locations in Salem, Beaverton, Gresham, Milwaukie, and Avalon and almost always have coupon specials on admission, posting a new special every week.  

The Rock Boxx: explore this indoor bouldering gym in Salem that boasts 5,400 square feet of walls for all ages to enjoy classes or simply work out on site. Because this is a bouldering gym, no ropes are involved, the walls are 10-14’ high, and the floors are heavily padded! There are also options for joining a youth program or renting a party room. 

Oregon Axe Throwing: this family-owned business encourages you to listen to their motto: “Life is short, have fun,” by booking a 90-minute spot for you and others (12+ years old) to be instructed in throwing axes safely for 30 minutes. Then, you will all be given the space and supplies to try it out for an hour! They have expanded into two brick-and-mortar locations (one in Springfield and one in Salem), but they also have an innovative mobile trailer that can bring axe-throwing fun to your own event! 

Athletic Edge: get impressed by this elaborate gymnastics center featuring tumbling and competitive youth programs on the south side of their Salem building while housing Adventure Park, a 3-story indoor playground with cafe and mini golf, on the north side! There is also an onsite daily preschool that offers seasonal kid camps.

Exitus Salem: specializing in a variety of thrilling escape rooms, this Salem company also hosts another business onsite called Wrecking Ballers. True to the name, this is a unique form of entertainment that allows you to personally select from a wide variety of items to break and smash to your heart’s content (for ages 16+) or book private paint rooms with endless opportunities for mess and all-age fun!

Create a Memory: my family’s favorite place in Salem to pass a couple of happy hours for as cheap as $6 each. Here, your family can custom paint a wide selection of pottery pieces (like piggy banks, bowls, Christmas ornaments, and much more). Or, spend time learning how to create fused glass artworks with the help of friendly professionals. There are no appointments necessary for groups of less than 6!

Play Street Museum: let your kids experience fun while learning at this educational play space and museum that can be booked in 1.5 appointments or even reserved entirely for parties or field trips. While Beaverton is the only PSM location to play at currently, there are plans to open a second museum in Happy Valley as of early 2024!

Get Air: this indoor park features thousands of square feet of wall-to-wall trampolines that can be enjoyed by big and small alike (for safety, there is a designated kiddie court for smaller jumpers)! There is also a foam pit, dodgeball, massage chairs, and party rooms for rent! Currently, there are two locations: Salem and Eugene.

Salem Public Library: not only a place to find books or do homework, but it also hosts events and contests to engage with the community and posts the details on its info page. Take a language class, accompany your littles to storytime, or visit during a seasonal event like the haunted house on October 28th. Libraries around our state actively encourage community involvement through these events, so check out your local schedules! 

Ticket to Play Cafe: finding a new game for the family can be tricky, especially when you are forced to purchase a game without a chance to play it first! This Salem game room features over 400 different games that can all be rented and played in-house. Play as long as you like, find new favorites, and refuel at their cafe with sandwiches, pizza, soups, and more.

Albany Historic Carousel: riding one of the 44 animals on this carousel ranges from the classic horses all the way to giraffes, tigers, and dragons, and can be followed up by time in the museum exhibits and gift shop as well. The city often hosts events here, such as their yearly carnival or a visit from Santa on November 3rd!

Warpaint International: now featuring two different indoor fields, your family (over 8) can choose to play paintball in a wild-west-themed arena or engage in airsoft or an all-ages laser tag battle within a biotech laboratory! Private party packages here start at $99 and frequently offer discount days and weekly specials.