# Indoor Activities in Broome WA | Things to Do When It's Too Hot or Wet Canonical: https://bookfromowner.com.au/guides/wa/north-west/broome/indoor-activities/ Type: ActivityGuide Location: Broome, Australia's North West, Western Australia Last updated: 2026-06-01 > Broome's wet season and build-up heat make indoor options essential. Here are the best indoor activities in Broome WA — Sun Pictures, Pearl Luggers, Broome Museum, Short St Gallery, Matso's and more. ## Quick Answer - Best for: Wet-season visitors, hot-day recovery, those who want depth beyond the beach - Price range: Mix of paid and free - Vibe: Cultural, historical, relaxed and sensory - Distance: All within Broome's Chinatown and central precinct ## Featured Properties - Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa: 4.5/5 (968 reviews) Book direct: https://www.cablebeachclub.com/ Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa — Broome - Broome Caravan Park: 4.2/5 (589 reviews) Book direct: https://summerstar.com.au/caravan-parks/broome?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp-website Broome Caravan Park — Broome - Beaches of Broome: 4.4/5 (293 reviews) Book direct: http://www.beachesofbroome.com.au/ Beaches of Broome — Broome ## FAQ Q: What can you do in Broome in the wet season? A: Broome in the wet season (November–April) has limited outdoor options due to the heat, humidity and occasional cyclone activity. The best wet-season indoor activities are Sun Pictures outdoor cinema in the evenings (when temperatures drop and the experience is still viable on dry nights), Pearl Luggers museum on Dampier Terrace, the Broome Museum on Saville Street, Short Street Gallery in Chinatown, the pearl showrooms, and Matso's Broome Brewery for lunch or dinner. The combination easily fills multiple days without repetition. Q: Is Sun Pictures really the world's oldest outdoor cinema? A: Sun Pictures in Broome WA is widely recognised as the oldest continuously operating outdoor cinema in the world, having opened in 1916 as the Sun Bio Pictures. The heritage garden cinema on Carnarvon Street is listed on the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places. It runs a regular programme of current releases and classics; check the current programme before visiting as session options are more limited than a multiplex cinema. Q: What is the Pearl Luggers museum and is it worth visiting? A: Pearl Luggers on Dampier Terrace is a heritage museum preserving two restored pearling luggers — the working boats that carried Broome's pearl industry from the 1880s through the mid-20th century. Guided tours (~90 minutes) cover the boats, the deepsea diving equipment, the multicultural workforce and the pearling industry history in considerable depth. It is consistently rated among the best things to do in Broome and provides essential context for understanding the pearl showrooms and the Japanese Cemetery. It is worth visiting, particularly if you combine it with the museum and the cemetery for the full pearling story. Q: Is Matso's Broome Brewery open in the wet season? A: Matso's on Hamersley Street generally operates year-round but may reduce hours or close on specific days in the wet season (November–March). Check current opening hours before planning around it, as the wet-season schedule differs from dry-season operations. Bookings for dinner are advisable in peak season (July–August); lunch tends to be less crowded. The covered heritage courtyard makes it usable in most weather. Q: Are the pearl showrooms in Broome free to visit? A: Yes — browsing the pearl showrooms in Chinatown is free and without obligation to buy. The showrooms range from well-known national retailers to smaller independents, and staff are generally happy to explain pearl grading and value to visitors who are genuinely curious. The independent showrooms tend to offer a more educational and less pressured experience than the large chain retailers. The best context for a showroom visit is to do the Pearl Luggers museum first — understanding how South Sea pearls are produced makes the display significantly more interesting. Q: What indoor activities are there in Broome for families with kids? A: The best family indoor options in Broome are Sun Pictures cinema (for school-age and older children who can sit through a film), Pearl Luggers museum (for older children and teenagers with an interest in the pearling history — the physical boats and equipment are engaging), Matso's for a family lunch, and the Broome Museum for broader historical context. The pearl showroom browsing suits older children who can handle items with care. For very young children, the Town Beach water park is the best wet-day/hot-day indoor-adjacent option; it is covered and close to central Broome. ## At a Glance - Best wet-season option: Sun Pictures outdoor cinema (evenings, when temperature drops); Pearl Luggers museum (daytime) - History depth: Pearl Luggers and Broome Museum together give the full pearling and town story - Art: Short Street Gallery — Indigenous and contemporary WA art; browse for free - Food and drink indoor: Matso's Broome Brewery — covered courtyard, tropical ales, food menu, open most of the year - Season note: Some venues close or reduce hours in the wet (November–March); check before visiting - Pearl showrooms: Multiple in Chinatown; free to browse; no obligation to buy ## Featured - 1. Sun Pictures outdoor cinema — The world's oldest operating outdoor cinema — an experience, not just a film - Why people love it: A film under the Broome stars from a garden deckchair, in a cinema that has been doing exactly this since 1916 — it is categorically unlike any other cinema experience in Australia. - Don't miss: Arrive 20–30 minutes before the session for the best deckchair positioning, combine with dinner from Chinatown, and stay for the full experience rather than leaving at the credits. - Good to know: Not suitable for very young children who cannot sit through a film. Rain can interrupt in the wet season — check the forecast, and know that outdoor means exactly that. Film programme is limited; check before planning around it. - 2. Pearl Luggers museum — The full depth of Broome's pearling story, told through the actual boats - Why people love it: Standing inside a real pearling lugger and understanding the deepsea diving that built Broome is the kind of museum experience that actually changes how you see the place you're in. - Don't miss: The guided tour of the restored luggers and the deepsea diving equipment — the physical reality of the work makes the pearling history immediate in a way museum displays alone cannot. - Good to know: Without a guided tour, the significance of much of the collection is difficult to appreciate fully — do the guided option rather than self-guiding. Check current tour times as they run at specific hours. - 3. Broome Museum — The broader town story, from the original Yawuru country to the present - Why people love it: The Broome Museum is the town's memory — photographs, voices and objects that give the sweep of history a human face before the more focused museums make it specific. - Don't miss: The 1942 Japanese bombing of Broome harbour section — a significant and little-known WWII event that most Australian visitors have never heard of. - Good to know: Hours can be variable, particularly in the wet season and outside peak dry-season periods — confirm opening times before visiting. Run by volunteers, so staffing levels affect the depth of the experience. - 4. Short Street Gallery — WA Indigenous and contemporary art in a proper gallery setting - Why people love it: Serious Indigenous and contemporary WA art in a proper gallery with no pressure to buy — the best art browsing experience in Broome and an excellent rainy-day cultural option. - Don't miss: Ask the gallery staff to explain the provenance and cultural context of the Indigenous works — the knowledge they bring to the conversation transforms a browse into an education. - Good to know: Hours can reduce in the wet season — check before planning around it. The work ranges widely in price; if the temptation to spend beyond budget is a concern, browse the lower shelves first. - 5. Matso's Broome Brewery — Broome's famous tropical brewery — a covered courtyard, real ales and local food - Why people love it: A mango ale in a tropical heritage courtyard at the end of a hot Broome afternoon — it is the brewery experience that becomes the shorthand for the whole trip. - Don't miss: The covered heritage courtyard for a late-afternoon break between the museums and Sun Pictures — try the mango beer or the ginger beer if not drinking. - Good to know: Bookings are advisable for dinner in peak July–August. Check opening hours before planning around it — the wet-season schedule is lighter. Not primarily a children's destination in the evening; fine for a family lunch. - 6. Pearl showrooms and Chinatown browsing — A free education in South Sea pearls at Broome's own commodity - Why people love it: Walking through the showrooms with the Pearl Luggers context in your head transforms the pearl display from a retail exercise into the punchline of a century-long story. - Don't miss: Visit after the Pearl Luggers museum and the Japanese Cemetery — the showroom experience is transformed when you understand how the pearls were produced and at what human cost. - Good to know: The large national chain retailers can feel pressured; the smaller independent showrooms in Chinatown tend to offer a more educational and relaxed experience. South Sea pearls are expensive — set a clear mental budget before entering any showroom. ## What travellers say - [positive] What a recent visitor said: - [positive] What a recent visitor said: - [positive] What a recent visitor said: