What to do and see in London, England: The Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day

Although there have been various earlier entertainment buildings on the site the reconstructed Adelphi Theatre, with its art deco interiors, opened to the public in December 1930 with Jessie Matthews starring in Ever Green.The front-of-house areas of the Adelphi Theatre were restored to their original lustre and extravagance in 1993 when Andrew Lloyd Webber became co-owner and opened his musical production of Sunset Boulevard. Other famous productions at the Adelphi Theatre include Gertrude Lawrence in Cole Porter’s Nymph Errant, Ivor Novello’s The Dancing Years, Bless The Bride, Beatrice Lillie as Auntie Mame, Van Johnson in The Music Man, Lionel Bart’s Blitz! and Maggie May, Charlie Girl with Anna Neagle, a revival of Me and My Girl originally starring Robert Lindsay and Emma Thompson and in the Adelphi Theatre’s longest run (over nine years), the new Broadway production of Kander and Ebb’s Chicago. Revivals of Evita and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat have proved enormously popular. More recently, the theatre played host to the worldwide premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Love Never Dies.

London Underground, better known as the Tube, has 11 lines covering 402km and serving 270 stations. Opened in 1863, it is the world's oldest underground railway network, and one of the largest.

London’s warship experience. Climb on board and explore all 9 decks. Permanently moored on the Thames.

The world's greatest museum of art and design.The V&A's collections are unrivalled in their diversity. Explore historical and contemporary art and design, including works of art from many of the world's richest cultures. Admission free.

A museum of the world, for the world. Discover over two million years of human history and culture. Some of the world-famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies.

A free to visit, national museum in the heart of central London. Originally a private collection, the artwork was bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace in 1897. This attraction features one of the world's best collections of French 18th-century pictures, porcelain and furniture, plus a fantastic array of 17th-century paintings.

Step inside the Museum of London for an unforgettable journey through the capital’s turbulent past. Discover prehistoric London, see how the city changed under Romans and Saxons, wonder at medieval London and examine the tumultuous years when London was ravaged by civil wars, plague and fire. Then venture into the Galleries of Modern London where you can walk the streets of Victorian London, take a stroll in recreated pleasure gardens and marvel at the magnificent Lord Mayor’s Coach. Free entry. Open Monday to Sunday, 10am - 6pm (galleries close at 5.40pm). Closed 24-26 December.

Founded during the First World War, IWM London gives voice to the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live in a world torn apart by conflict. From the wonder of its world-famous atrium to the countless discoveries on each of its six floors, it is a place filled with the power to move, surprise and inspire.

A center of scientific excellence in the discovery of taxonomy and biodiversity, this world-famous museum promotes the discovery and enjoyment of the natural world through such exciting exhibits as the Life and Earth Galleries, wildlife garden and geological collections.