You’ve spent a fair amount of time in your apartment trying to beat the heat, but what happens when you start to get antsy and just want to be set free? Clearly the answer is to leave your apartment! Yet the idea of leaving your apartment when Chico is heading towards the warm hundreds sounds like a terrible plan.

Lucky for you one of the amazing things about Chico is that it understands the weather can make going outside, even just to swim, awful. Therefore, there are lots of different options when it comes to air-conditioned entertainment. We’ve even created a list for you to pull up on those days where you need to get out of the apartment -- but only to go visit another cool place.

1. Movie Theater

Cinemark is one of the best places to go when you want out of your place and still want to beat the heat. Their AC is a thing of wonder! You might even need to bring a light sweater so you don’t sit through a movie with goose bumps. Check out what movies are currently playing and go relax with a few hours of mindless entertainment. Go on a Tuesday for $5 Movie Night if you don’t feel like spending over $10 for a movie ticket.

2. Local Coffee Shop

Coffee shops are some of the best places to meet friends, grab an iced coffee, work on a project, or even read a new book. Head over to Bidwell Perk for some food and an iced drink while relaxing in one of their lounge chairs; maybe even grab a yummy pastry. To really satisfy your sweet tooth though, take a trip to Upper Crust Bakery, they have a large seating area you can get work done or spend time with friends while munching on one of their freshly baked sweets.

3. Restaurants

Nothing beats the hot weather like going to a restaurant where you can sit down and be taken care of. Whether you're in the mood for Mexican and head to Tres Hombres or brewery style food at Sierra Nevada, you really can’t go wrong as the majority of restaurants have amazing AC units and you get to eat some delicious food.

4. Mall

Visiting the Chico Mall might not be your ideal definition of fun, but it does have spectacular AC. Take a stroll up and down the mall to get in some extra steps for the day. You can try your hand at window shopping or you can try on all the clothes you would never purchase. When you’ve done it all treat yourself to a pretzel at Aunt Annie’s right next to Men’s Warehouse or an ice cream cone at Shubert's! No matter what you choose you’ll stay nice and cool.

5. Bowling Alley

Keep your competitive streak alive with a night of bowling! Bowl to see who can win the most points or see who can make the craziest (yet safest) move to get the pins down. If you don’t want to bowl you can also visit the arcade inside and see who's better at air hockey.

6. Barnes and Noble 

There’s nothing like getting lost in a story while sitting in a nice air-conditioned building surrounded by millions of books. It’s even better when at any point in time you can get up and go buy yourself a cup of coffee or a chocolate chip cookie that has been warmed just slightly to make it a little gooey.

7. Library 

Looking for a new book to read and not wanting to pay for it? Visit our local library and browse the shelves for a new read while also enjoying being out of the heat!

8. Cal Skate

Between the skating rink, rock wall, and old arcade games what more could you ask for when it comes to spending some much-needed time out of your apartment and out of the heat? You can choose to rent a pair of skates or bring your own!

9. Costco

This option only works if you have a Costco card. Once you’ve got your hall pass you're free to go taste all the samples they have out on the floor. By the time you’re done you won’t even need to eat lunch!

10. Jon & Bon's or Shubert's

Nothing says beat the heat like eating frozen yogurt or ice cream. Jon & Bon's downtown has the biggest seating area to relax in as you munch away on your frozen yogurt with all the toppings. Shubert's downtown doesn’t have any seating inside, but they did just open a new location inside the Chico Mall which has lots of different options when it comes to seating.  

11. Enrich Your Mind

Beat the heat this summer by enriching your mind and visiting one of our museums. You can take in different pieces of art at the Museum of Northern California Art and, if you fancy one, see if they have a postcard you can purchase. You can also take a trip to the Gateway Science Museum and check out their summer exhibits!

12. Mom's House  

When in doubt, Mom or Dad's house is the place to go. They usually have a nicely air-conditioned home and if you’re lucky there might even be a free meal in it for you --and maybe even leftovers to tide you over for a few days. You could also get a load of laundry done while you're there! 

Check out other fun things to do in Chico this summer with our North State Living page. It gives you a list of favorite local events, fun things to do, and local eats located in Northern California!