For children who love aircraft: Jet Age Museum

Near Gloucestershire Airport, Jet Age Museum brings aircraft and local aviation history together. Ask about the timed cockpit visits on arrival; availability may shape the order in which you explore. This is a particularly useful option for a weekend based in Cheltenham, but it is outside the town centre and needs its own journey.

Rain changes the geography of a family day

The best wet-weather combination is often smaller than the sunny version. In Cheltenham, The Wilson, Regent Arcade and the Everyman sit close enough to keep you in the centre. In Cirencester, Corinium Museum and a meal on Castle Street give the day a similar shape. Trying to visit both towns adds wet coats, fogged windows and another car park without necessarily adding anything the children wanted.

For Cheltenham, breakfast at Boston Tea Party puts you near The Wilson. Let the museum visit have one purpose: the current family activity, an object the child is interested in, or a particular exhibition. When attention has gone, leave. A short visit followed by a conversation over lunch can be more memorable than insisting everyone completes every room.

KIBOU in Regent Arcade is a lunch choice when the children and adults enjoy Japanese food. Check the menu first rather than assuming every child wants sushi. Boston Tea Party is the simpler fallback for a café meal, and The Bottle of Sauce is useful for a later pizza-and-burger dinner. Its weekday kitchen breaks matter: do not arrive midway through the afternoon expecting lunch.

Give the food stop a proper role

For Cirencester, the museum can lead naturally to Malt & Anchor. Fish and chips make the pause legible to a tired child, and the central location avoids another drive. If the family prefers a longer breakfast before the museum, Sam & Jak is the alternative; check its service days, particularly the Monday closure, before promising it.

The point of naming a meal is not to turn a family trip into a restaurant tour. A booked meal gives you a warm place to sit when everyone is damp and hungry. You already know where you are trying to go, what kind of food to expect and whether it needs a reservation.

When an indoor attraction still needs a coat

Jet Age’s aviation focus can be brilliant for the right child, but its hall is unheated and the airport-side location needs a separate journey. The Farm Park has shelter, but moving between the barns and outdoor areas still involves weather. Neither should be presented as a fully warm, dry replacement for a town-centre morning.

If the day revolves around the Everyman, book the actual production and use its start time as the fixed point. A performance has a running time and an audience age, not an interchangeable “rainy afternoon” slot. Leave time to reach your seats and keep the meal on the same side of town. That is the detail which turns a list of indoor venues into a day that works.

The display hall is unheated, so pack a warm layer even though much of the visit is indoors. Standard opening is currently at weekends, with additional dates listed separately. Check the official visiting page before setting out. Admission is free, with donations supporting the museum.

For a flexible town-centre stop: The Wilson

The Wilson Art Gallery & Museum keeps you in central Cheltenham. Look at the current exhibition programme and choose a manageable part of the museum rather than trying to see every display. It is a good candidate when you want to leave room for lunch or a short walk if the rain clears.

Admission arrangements can differ for special exhibitions, and family activities depend on the programme. Check what is running for your visit rather than promising children an activity that may not be available that day.

For a performance: Everyman Theatre

A family production can anchor a rainy afternoon. The Everyman’s programme includes shows for different audiences, so check the specific production’s age guidance, running time and interval before booking. A theatre is a strong choice for a child who will enjoy the show; it is less flexible if you need to come and go.

Allow enough time for the journey and getting seated. The theatre’s visitor information explains its town-centre location, while its access guidance helps visitors choose an appropriate arrival route.

For animals with some shelter: Cotswold Farm Park

Cotswold Farm Park has an indoor Discovery Barn as well as outdoor areas. It suits an unsettled forecast when you are happy to bring waterproofs and move between shelter and fresh air. Treat it as a mixed-weather day rather than assuming every part of the farm is under cover.

For children who need to move: Rugrats & Halfpints, Cirencester

Some wet days call for less looking and more climbing. Rugrats & Halfpints on Meadow Road gives babies a sensory space, toddlers a separate play area and older children a larger frame, games and room to run. That is useful when siblings want different things from the same outing. Book a two-hour session, take socks for everyone and use the on-site café rather than assuming you need to leave for a meal halfway through.

This is not a town-centre stop: drive to Meadow Road and treat the play session as the main activity. If everyone is still keen afterwards, the Corinium Museum offers a quieter second chapter; there is no need to force both into one afternoon.

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For a history-led day: Cirencester

Corinium Museum gives a Cirencester day a Roman-history focus. Pair it with lunch in the centre and keep any outdoor exploration optional. Children interested in objects and stories may enjoy a shorter, focused visit more than a rushed tour of several attractions.

Choose before you leave

• Pick one main visit and check that it is open on your date.
• Book where necessary, especially a performance or holiday-period attraction.
• Confirm facilities you need, including baby changing, pushchair access or a quieter session.
• Leave time for food without relying on every venue having a full lunch service.
• Keep waterproofs handy for walking between the car, entrance and café.

For a broader shortlist, read our guide to things to do with children or explore places tagged for children and wet weather. Check the detail in each entry: a badge helps narrow the options, but the right day still depends on your children and the current programme.

Rainy-day places to eat with children

When you are moving between indoor attractions, keep lunch close to the town you are already in. These options span Cheltenham and Cirencester and are tagged for families on their place pages.

CHELTENHAM · BRUNCH

WoodKraft

A central café for breakfast, brunch and a warm pause between town stops.

CHELTENHAM · FAMILY MEAL

KIBOU Cheltenham

Japanese dishes including sushi, ramen and katsu in Regent Arcade.

CIRENCESTER · EASY OPTION

Malt & Anchor

A casual fish-and-chip restaurant and takeaway near the town centre.