Erie in Winter: Things to Do from November to March
Holiday lights on the peninsula, junior hockey downtown, an 84-degree indoor waterpark and quiet, snowy trails. Here is what is open, what closes and what it costs.
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Rainy Day and Indoor Things to Do in Erie, PA
Lake weather turns fast. Here are Erie's best indoor plans, with the hours and prices we confirmed on each official site.
Rain on the lake doesn't have to ruin a trip. Erie has an indoor waterpark, a big hands-on children's museum, art and history museums and a downtown theater, most within a few minutes of each other. Here are the best indoor things to do, grouped by who you're traveling with.
Check before you goHours, prices and seasons change. We checked each official site in late October 2026 and link to it. Confirm before you go, especially around holidays.
01With kids
Splash Lagoon
Splash Lagoon, 8091 Peach Street, is an 84-degree indoor waterpark with nine water slides, a 200,000-gallon wave pool, a multi-level tree house, a ropes course and a large arcade. It sells day passes as well as hotel packages. It doesn't open every weekday outside busy periods, so check the waterpark hours calendar first.
expERIEnce Children's Museum
The expERIEnce Children's Museum, 420 French Street downtown, is built for families with children 13 and under. It's open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday 1 to 5 PM, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission is $13 for children 1 to 17 and $12 for adults, with $10 tickets for seniors 62+ and military. There's a free parking lot across French Street.
Tom Ridge Environmental Center
At the entrance to Presque Isle, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center has free interactive exhibits and a 75-foot glass-enclosed observation tower. It's open daily, 8 AM to 4 PM, except major holidays and, from Nov 1 to Mar 31, Sundays and Mondays.
Asbury Woods Nature Center
The nature center at Asbury Woods, 4105 Asbury Road, is free, with ambassador animals and a Discovery Room for kids. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday noon to 5 PM from April to October, closing an hour earlier from November to March.
02Museums
Erie Art Museum
The Erie Art Museum, 20 East 5th Street between State and French, is open Wednesday to Friday 11 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 1 to 6 PM, and closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students, and it's free for visitors 16 and under and active-duty military.
Hagen History Center
The Hagen History Center, 356 West 6th Street, is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday noon to 5 PM. Highlights include a Frank Lloyd Wright Field Office Museum built around Wright's reassembled San Francisco field office and an exhibit on Oliver Hazard Perry. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for veterans, $8 for students, and free for children 6 and under. The museum is cashless. Its Exhibit Building is closed for additions, but the other buildings are open.
Erie Maritime Museum
The Erie Maritime Museum, 150 East Front Street on the bayfront, is the home port of the U.S. Brig Niagara. It's in the middle of an HVAC renovation, its West Wing Gallery is closed and about 50 artifacts are in storage, so admission is "Pay As You Wish" through December 2026. Onboard tours of the Niagara are paused until its Coast Guard inspection is complete.
03Shows and games
Erie Otters hockey
From fall through March, the Erie Otters play Ontario Hockey League games at Erie Insurance Arena downtown. Check the schedule for home dates.
The Warner Theatre
The 1931 Warner Theatre on State Street hosts touring shows, concerts, comedy and the Erie Philharmonic. The Erie Playhouse stages community theater year-round.
04A rainy-day plan
Start at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center for the exhibits and the tower view, have lunch downtown (see where to eat), then spend the afternoon at the Erie Art Museum or the children's museum, a few blocks apart. If the rain clears by evening, head back to the peninsula. The sunset after a storm can be the best of the trip.
| Place | Open | Adult price |
|---|---|---|
| expERIEnce Children's Museum | Mon, Thu–Sat 10–5; Sun 1–5 | $12 (kids $13) |
| Erie Art Museum | Wed–Fri 11–6; Sat 10–5; Sun 1–6 | $10 (16 and under free) |
| Hagen History Center | Tue–Sat 10–5; Sun 12–5 | $14 |
| Erie Maritime Museum | Check the website | Pay as you wish through Dec 2026 |
| Tom Ridge Environmental Center | Daily 8–4 (Tue–Sat, Nov–Mar) | Free |
| Asbury Woods Nature Center | Mon–Sat 10–5, Sun 12–5 (closes at 4, Nov–Mar) | Free |
Hours and prices from each official site, October 2026. Holiday closures apply.
05Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Erie when it rains?
Splash Lagoon, the expERIEnce Children's Museum, the Erie Art Museum, the Hagen History Center, the Erie Maritime Museum and the free Tom Ridge Environmental Center are all indoors.
Is Splash Lagoon open every day?
No. It operates year-round on a set calendar and closes on some weekdays outside busy periods. Check its waterpark hours before you go.
Are any Erie museums free?
The Tom Ridge Environmental Center and the Asbury Woods Nature Center are free. The Erie Art Museum is free for visitors 16 and under, and the Erie Maritime Museum is pay-as-you-wish through December 2026.
We link the official site for every place we name. Hours, prices and schedules change; confirm with the venue before you go.
