Want to have fun in Fort Collins this winter? Here are 5 things to do

Need tips for weathering a Fort Collins winter?

My top one is to stay busy.

While winter is speeding by, there are still plenty of cold days ahead. Fill them with some fun Fort Collins outings, from museum strolls and market stops to coffee shop hangs and crafternoons.

Here are five things to do for some seasonal fun in Fort Collins:

Check out the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

Whether you're looking for kid-friendly activities or just want a good all-around indoor option this winter, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery lets you choose your own adventure. Peruse its immersive kid-focused Schatz Family Exploration Zone or Tot Spot, pluck some strings in its music and sound lab, or settle in for a one-of-a-kind show in its OtterBox Digital Dome Theater. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults; $12.50 for juniors, students and seniors; and free for kids younger than two.

If you'd like a free taste of the museum, head to its history archive. Located just inside the museum's lobby, the archive offers a peek into Fort Collins' past — from shelves of old city directories, reference books and yearbooks to collections of oral history recordings, old news clippings, historic photographs and more. The archive is open to walk-in visitors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

A peek into the past: Here are 7 Fort Collins history artifacts you might not have known existed

Hit up the Fort Collins Winter Farmers Market

Local food producers, artists and other vendors aren't hibernating this winter. Why should farmers markets? The Fort Collins Winter Farmers Market has been in full force this season, bringing fresh produce, local meats and dairy, breads, sweets, handcrafted goods and locally made art pieces to Foothills mall, 215 E. Foothills Parkway.

Markets will continue through winter and spill into spring. They take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on:

• Feb. 24

• March 9

• March 23

• April 6

Fill your plate with some downtown meal deals

Great Plates of Downtown — an annual two-week dining promotion that benefits Food Bank for Larimer County — is coming back to Old Town Fort Collins this winter. From March 1 through 14, diners can choose from a range of meal deals at 44 participating downtown restaurants and ice cream or dessert shops. Unlike past Great Plates promotions, which historically brought $25 meal deals to Old Town, this year's menu specials will range in price from $15 and less to $25, $35 and $45, the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority announced Wednesday.

Go underground

Looking for a cozy place to kill time? Plan your next meal, cocktail or terrarium build — stay with me — at these underground spots, from a cheesy speakeasy to a nostalgic arcade tucked off the hustle and bustle of Old Town Square.

• Pinball Jones, 107 Linden St.: Retreat to this old-school arcade, which is lined with glowing pinball machines, skee ball and other arcade favorites.

• Horsetooth Stem and Roots, 516 S. College Ave.: If you want to do more than peruse its array of plants and pots, head down to this Fort Collins houseplant boutique's basement terrarium bar. There, you can build your own terrarium using the shop's selection of containers, plants and decorations, including add-ons like wood, gems, stones, figurines and more. Small terrariums start at $16. Schedule your terrarium bar visit at thestemandroots.com/services.

• Social, 1 Old Town Square, No. 7: Descend the stairs to Social and find yourself in what Yelp named the nation's best speakeasy bar in 2022 — no secret password required. The underground bar serves up craft cocktails, spirit flights, beer, wine, cider and Prohibition-approved mocktails as well as small plates worth sharing.

• Ace Gillett's Lounge & Supper Club, 239 S. College Ave.: History is around every corner at Old Town's 100-year-old Armstrong Hotel, but just wait until you see what's under it. The hotel's underground bar, Ace Gillett's Lounge & Supper Club, draws on the Armstrong's rich past and offers a ritzy respite from cold winter nights. Come for its cocktails and stay for dinner — or its occasional live jazz nights.

• The Speak Cheesy Lounge, 163 W. Mountain Ave.: Warm yourself over a piping hot pie at The Speak Cheesy Lounge — an underground offshoot of Old Town's Slyce Pizza Co. The unsuspecting pizza spot opened last summer, offering up a casual, cozy escape along Slyce's stretch of Mountain Avenue and Mason Street.

• Sonny Lubick Steakhouse, 115 S. College Ave.: Feeling fancy? Head downtown — and downstairs — to this underground steakhouse. Originally home to iconic Fort Collins eatery Nico's Catacombs, Sonny Lubick Steakhouse took up the mantle of its predecessor and has created a special spot with a cozy, underground ambiance.

Go on a cozy coffee crawl

Warm up this winter at one of Fort Collins' many coffee shops. Earlier this year, the Coloradoan rounded up 17 cozy coffee spots in Fort Collins, with stops that feature everything from your classic cup of joe to inventive cocktails. They are:

• Alley Cat Cafe, 120 W. Laurel St.

• Bean Cycle Roasters, 144 N. College Ave.

• Bindle Coffee, 1933 Jessup Drive

• Butterfly Cafe, 212 Laporte Ave.

• The Cafe at Ginger & Baker, 359 Linden St.

• The Crooked Cup, 147 W. Oak St.

• Cups Community Coffee, 1033 S. Taft Hill Road

• Explorado Market, 11 Old Town Square, Unit 121

• The Fox Den: No Waste Cafe & Roastery, 1680 Laporte Ave.

• Genoa Coffee & Wine, 2614 S. Timberline Road

• Little Bird Bakeshop, 613 S. College Ave.

• Momo Lolo Coffee Shop, 1129 W. Elizabeth St.

• Mugs Old Town, 261 S. College Ave.

• Persimmon, 251 Jefferson St.

• Retreat Bakery Bar, 2601 S. Lemay Ave., Unit 21

• Starry Night Expresso Cafe, 112 S. College Ave.

• Wolverine Publick House, 316 Willow St.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: 5 things to do this winter in Fort Collins, Colorado