Things to do in Laguna Beach when it rains

What stays open on a wet day

A wet day takes you off the sand, and the town still has places to go. The Village has a museum, galleries and shops, and two more stops sit on Laguna Canyon Road. Plan around parking before you plan around the weather. The parking guide explains the lots and meters, and the free Coastal Route trolley on Coast Highway saves you from circling for a space. Getting around lists its hours.

Laguna Art Museum

Laguna Art Museum stands at 307 Cliff Drive. Its own site lists three exhibitions running into January 2027, plus two ongoing shows. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $15 as of October 2026. Youth 19 and under pay nothing. The museum has no parking lot, so use the meters on Cliff Drive and Coast Highway or take the trolley. If your visit falls on the first Thursday of the month, the museum is free from 6 to 9 p.m. during the First Thursdays Art Walk.

Galleries and shops in the Village

Downtown’s shops and restaurants are a short walk from Main Beach, according to the city. The art galleries guide covers where to start among the galleries. For shops, Visit Laguna Beach names the downtown Village, the HIP district on South Coast Highway and North Laguna as the main shopping areas. The shopping guide walks through each. Hours differ by shop, so read the sign on the door.

A show at Laguna Playhouse

Laguna Playhouse sits at 606 Laguna Canyon Road. Its season runs from fall into the following summer, with plays, musicals and a holiday show; the current titles are on its site. The playhouse also runs youth classes, workshops and camps. See performing arts for the rest of the town’s stages.

Pacific Marine Mammal Center

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road. Its visitor yard is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a few holiday closures and weather closures that the center announces on social media, so check its social media before you drive out in a storm. General admission is free, and the center encourages reservations. Visitors can talk with docents, see the rehabilitation pools and use interactive displays. Parking is free but limited. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center page has more.

The library

The Laguna Beach Library is at 363 Glenneyre Street. The OC Public Libraries page lists Monday through Thursday hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The page points to a branch calendar for events and describes an AWE Station, a computer with educational games for children ages 2 to 14.

Museum of Make Believe

The Museum of Make Believe is an indoor, walk-through art exhibit run by a nonprofit at 1590 S. Coast Highway #5, in the Bluebird Center. Its site describes a 1,000-square-foot storybook forest with paintings, miniatures and sculptures, and lists hours of Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It says the Laguna Beach trolley stops out front.

On a first Thursday

If the first Thursday of the month is wet, the evening still works. Visit Laguna Beach lists the Art Walk from 6 to 9 p.m., with free admission to Laguna Art Museum and a free trolley that links member galleries. The museum posts special hours for some Art Walk nights, so check its page. Details for each month are on the Art Walk page.

Where to eat along the way

Two spots listed on the sister happy hour site sit along the way. Zinc Cafe & Market is a downtown cafe and market at 350 Ocean Avenue. Laguna Beer Company is a neighborhood bar at 859 Laguna Canyon Road, the same road as the Playhouse and the marine mammal center. Each entry links to its page on the sister site.

What to skip until the sun is back

OC Parks states that trails in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park may be closed for three days or more following rain. The Nix Nature Center there, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., may close on holidays or when staff are unavailable. Check OC Parks before you drive up.