While the Charlotte weather forecast for the next few days is a bit gloomy, a few clouds can’t keep us down — there’s plenty to do in Charlotte on a rainy day. If you’ve just moved to Charlotte, take a break from unpacking and plan a fun rainy day from some of the ideas below. (And, as always, feel free to share yours ideas in the comments!)

Museums: Go on your own or bring the kids for a taste of Charlotte’s culture and history at one of these CLT museums.

• Discovery Place
• Nascar Hall of Fame
• Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
• Mint Museum of Art
• The Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film
• Levine’s Museum of the New South
• Charlotte Museum of History

Movies/music: Ditch your usual movie theater, and take in a movie or show at one of Charlotte’s more unique options below.

• Manor Theater
• Epicentre Theaters
• Neighborhood Theatre
• Visulite Theatre

Bakeries & coffee shops: Warm food and a good book is a rainy day classic. Here are a few of Charlotte’s favorite bakeries and coffe houses…

• Amelie’s French Bakery
• Dilworth Coffee House
• Smelly Cat Coffee House
• Nova’s Bakery

Bookstores: And here are the bookstores to pair your coffee with!

• The BookMark
• Park Road Books
• Black Forest Books & Toys
• Joseph-Beth Booksellers
• Charlotte libraries

Charlotte’s weather experts are predicting anywhere from 1 – 6 inches of snow this weekend. Are you ready for the winter weather? Make a list, check it twice…or you can just cheat off our list:

• Admit it, you’re making the ever-popular bread & milk run. While you’re at it, grab a few sandwich ingredients that don’t need to be refrigerated (in case you lose power). Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are big crowd-pleasers.
• Prepare for possible power outages by checking your stock of candles, matches, flashlights and batteries.
• Charge your laptop and cell phone now (but unplug them before the storm starts) – if the power goes out later, your electronics will still have enough juice to keep going.
• Go buy or borrow that book you’ve been meaning to read…if you get snowed in, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on your reading.
• And, speaking of home-bound entertainment, gather the board games!
• Know of a great sledding hill across town? Don’t risk driving on slick streets. Instead, scope out the possible sledding spots in and around your neighborhood.
• Make a list of emergency numbers just in case. Write down the number for your family doctor, the power company, etc. and put it on your fridge for easy access.

Hope that helps you make the best of this winter weather. Enjoy your snowy Charlotte weekend!