Blackpool in the rain

Big indoor days out

• Sandcastle Waterpark — tropically warm, slides for all ages, easily half a day.
• The Blackpool Tower complex — Eye, Ballroom, Circus and Dungeon, all under one roof.
• Madame Tussauds and Sea Life — both on the Prom, both an easy hour.
• Blackpool Zoo — more indoor houses than people expect.

Culture and quiet

• Showtown, the museum of fun and entertainment, tells the story of the resort properly.
• The Grand Theatre — matinees most weeks.
• Winter Gardens — exhibitions, shows and the Empress Ballroom.

Cheap and cheerful

• Coral Island and the Golden Mile arcades.
• The Houndshill centre for shopping without weather.
• A tram ride end to end: eleven miles of sea view from a dry seat.

Rules for a wet day

• Book the big attraction slot in the morning; everyone else has the same idea by noon.
• Keep the afternoon loose — the weather here turns twice a day.
• A seafront hotel means you can go back, dry off and come out again.