The Best Rainy Day Date Ideas in Boston

Spend a rainy afternoon in the galleries at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Fenway, then head upstairs to 465 Bar and Restaurant for small plates.

The museum is open until 10pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 10am to 5pm Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It is closed Tuesdays.

Catch an evening planetarium show set to the music of Bowie, Pink Floyd or Taylor Swift at the Museum of Science. The exhibit halls are open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Planetarium shows and Omni films can be added to a ticket.

Spend a few hours at the New England Aquarium on Central Wharf, with exhibits overlooking Boston Harbor.

Hours this fall are 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Only a small batch of tickets is sold on site each day.

Catch a movie at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, a nonprofit repertory cinema that has been showing films since 1953. The calendar mixes classics and arthouse films with new releases, double features and 35mm screenings.

All seating is general admission. The Harvard Square Red Line stop is one block away.

Catch a film on one of six screens at Coolidge Corner Theatre, an independent nonprofit cinema in Brookline. Special series include Big Screen Classics, Cinema in 70mm and Cult Classics.

Some shows sell out before showtime.

Play pinball, Big Buck Hunter, Mortal Kombat, or Guitar Hero at Roxy's Arcade, an arcade bar in Central Square reached through a fake freezer door at Roxy's Grilled Cheese. The cocktails are named for games, including the Rainbow Road.

It is open Monday through Thursday from 5pm to 11pm, Friday from 5pm to 1am, and Saturday from noon to 1am, and closed Sundays. The arcade is 21+ at all times except Saturday from noon to 5pm.

Take a beginner glassblowing or flameworking class at NOCA Glass School in North Cambridge. Introductory options include making small figurines.

Participants must be 14 or older. The fall classes listed were sold out, so book ahead.

Pick a game from the free-play shelf at Tavern of Tales, a board game cafe and bar in Mission Hill. Two-player games sit alongside snacks, drinks and Thursday trivia.

It is open Monday through Thursday from 3pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm, and Sunday from 10am to 9pm. Games from the shelf need no reservation, but the private room does.

Spend a few hours with contemporary art at the Institute of Contemporary Art on Boston Harbor in the Seaport. The ICA Wine + Coffee Bar is on site, and the museum stays open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays.

Thursday nights from 5pm to 9pm are free with advance tickets. On First Fridays the museum closes at 5pm for a ticketed 21+ event.

Admission to the Harvard Art Museums in Harvard Square is free every day. Inside, the restored Calderwood Courtyard anchors the first floor, with coffee and snacks available at Jenny's Cafe.

The museums are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm and closed Mondays. Music, food, and drink join the galleries one evening a month, on the last Thursday.