These rainy day escapes bring nature indoors on Long Island

Into every winter a little rain and snow must fall, but wet weather doesn’t have to throw cold water on a wintertime outing. Here are rainy day refuges where you can go ice-skating, seal-watching, star gazing or walkin’ through a winter wonderland even when the sun won't come out.

Flowers bloom indoors at the Camellia House

Winter is the only season the camellias bloom inside Planting Fields' heated greenhouse, which was built especially for the exotic subtropical plants by the original owners of the former estate. The peak bloom is mid-February, according to arboretum officials.

With several hundred camellia trees and shrubs currently ablaze with pink, red, white and multihued flowers, the "blooms look as good as ever this season," says Michael Ahern, arboretum acting assistant director. Some of the camellia plants date to the original collection the Coe family imported in 1917 from the English island of Guernsey, according to Planting Fields.

The camellias continue to bloom through March, according to arboretum officials.

Need more botanical beauty? Planting Fields’ Main Greenhouse is also open for visitors to explore the arboretum’s collection of tropical plants.

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, Oyster Bay, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, 516-922-8600, parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/plantingfields; cars $8.

Marine mammals at the Long Island Aquarium

If rain cancels your seal hike, you can still flip over the frisky marine mammals that haul out daily in the 800-gallon pool outside the main entrance to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. Rain or shine the two gray seals — 20-year-old Gray Beauty and Buddy Holly, a blind recently rescued one-year-old — swim and play alongside three harbor seals.

The aquarium is also home to California sea lions, Java, Bunker, Lucy and Nila, who don’t spend their days just lion around. You can go nose to snout with them as they swim up to the underwater windows of their Sea Lion Coliseum habitat. They also gobble up attention — and fish — in training and feeding sessions held at their habitat throughout the day.

431 E. Main St., Riverhead, 631-208-9200, longislandaquarium.com. Open year-round, weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Kids 2 and under free, ages 2-13, $27.99 per person, over 13, $39.99 per person.

Gray skies clear at The Vanderbilt Museum Reichert Planetarium

You can see beyond the clouds at Vanderbilt Planetarium shows. Current programs include the new "Exoplanets: Discovering New Worlds," which transports the audience to planets orbiting faraway stars and speculates on alien life; and "Night Sky, Live!," in which an astronomy educator leads a tour of the constellations, stars and celestial events seen in Long Island’s night sky.

180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport, 631-854-5532, vanderbiltmuseum.org/vanderbilt-planetarium/show-schedule. Free for members and kids under 2, $15 for seniors, $13 for kids 12 and under, $16 adults.

Also Try: The Custer Institute and Observatory, 1115 Main Bayview Rd., Southold, 631-765-2626, custerobservatory.org. On rainy days the year-round dusk-to-midnight Saturday Night Observing party moves indoors for guided tours of the observatory’s museum, which includes rare telescopes and a gift shop. Suggested donation is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Bring the ice indoors at Cantiague Park Ice Rink

While America’s Olympians compete in the Beijing Game’s Ice Ribbon, Long Island’s Olympic hopefuls and other winter sports enthusiasts can perfect their figure eights and slap shots inside the county park’s own championship rink.

Cantiague’s National Hockey League-regulation size, 200-foot-by-85-foot rink is a piece of Long Island history on ice. It was the practice arena for the New York Islanders from 1979 to 1992, years that included the then-Uniondale-based team’s run of four consecutive Stanley Cup wins from 1980 to 1983. Cantiague also hosted appearances by sports celebrities such as the NHL’s Eric Nystrom and American Olympic silver and bronze medalist figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. It’s currently the home rink of a figure skating club, Long Island high school and adult hockey leagues, according to county officials.

480 W. John St., Hicksville, 516-571-7056, nassaucountyny.gov/2791/Cantiague-Park. Skate rentals available. Public skate sessions are $10 per resident; $15 per non resident.

Also Try: Dix Hills Park Skating Rink, 575 Vanderbilt Pkwy., Dix Hills, 631-462-5883, sessions are limited to 150 skaters. Reserve and see rates at tohparks.net. Designed like a ski lodge, the Town of Huntington rink features a pro shop, a skate-sharpening service, locker rooms and a food concession.