Reading Public Museum Reviews

The museum itself has some great attractions, but the walking area around it and gardens are gorgeous!

A beautiful place to hold an event or just enjoy the planetarium programs! We attended a wedding event catered by Boscov's. The event was lovely. The children were able to watch a show in the planetarium and enjoy popcorn.

The Reading Public Museum is not as big as a major science or art museum, but it is still educational and enjoyable. It costs $10 for adults and I usually spend a couple of hours each time I visit. I especially enjoy the painting exhibits and I check back often for the temporary exhibits. Those exhibits have included Degas, Chihuly, Haring, Tiffany lamps, and Painters of Berks, just to name a few. The museum has recently updated the Native American gallery. There are two levels of galleries which are not overly big. Exhibits include armor, Egyptian, Oriental, Central American and Native American cultures, natural science and art. This year the museum is celebrating 100 years so I highly recommend a visit to this small, but excellent museum.

They are constantly changing what they bring in for everyone to enjoy. Yes they have regular exibits but they bring in many traveling ones as well. We have been to this museum so many times and enjoyed every minute spent there. We return to see the regular permanant ones, so interesting. The concerts are wonderful as well. We love the grounds outside the Museum as well. It is a place that touches the interests of any age...

We arrived in Reading too late to visit the museum itself so spent time walking the gardens. It was a hot, humid evening and the stroll along the creek, with a tree lined path was very enjoyable. Not a lot of floral plantings, this is more of a natural arboretum, with some of the unique tress identified. There were a lot of local using the paths for their daily exercise, but they didn't interfere with the enjoyment and it wasn't overcrowded. Very flat and level, so walkable for anyone who can't do hills, steps. Plenty of benches through out to sit and enjoy the surroundings.

Love this museum - just the right size for kids. very kid friendly, every room has something hands on that the kids can do. Good to note if you are a berks county library member you can check out a free pass, but make sure to plan ahead the passes go fast.

The Reading Public Museum is a wonderful place to visit. Every changing exhibits, a planetarium, and a very enjoyable garden set park are among the reasons to make this a regular stop. I might also mention that the park is dog friendly, and offers a great place to share the outdoors with your four legged family.

When we first moved to the area we didn't expect this museum to be much to rave about. We have been to museums in New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere. But we have been very surprised at the quality and diversity of the exhibits. The special exhibits are really very well done. We have since joined the museum as members and routinely visit. It's always a pleasant environment and the exhibits remain interesting, even the ones we've seen many times. If you haven't visited you should. You won't be disappointed.

Beautiful grounds with gardens and walking trails. Stunning artwork in a park-like setting. Enjoy the sunflower tunnel.

We rented out the planetarium for her reception. It worked out great! Having married THREE DAUGHTERS in the past 19 months, this was great because it was different then the rest. After the ceremony, guests arrived and toured the Museum. It kept them busy while we did pictures on the grounds. The only draw back now is, if you use their place, you gotta use their "catering partner". We were lucky. We did it just B4 that stupid money making deal!

Awesome Exhibit! My 5 year old daughter was in amazement. She loves dinosaurs and to be able to see them moving with the lights and sounds was like a dream for her. As close as she will ever get to the real thing. Lots of information. Reading Public Museum has a website. Check for hours of operation..they do close early evening most days. Limited hours. In the rest of the museum you will find interesting artifacts. Small in comparison to your larger museums like in Philly or New York. The campus outside is smaller as well but features a beautiful stream with ducks. Tree lined arbortorium is magnificient in the spring and summer. Great for picture taking.

The museum came under a new director a couple years ago. It's a great cultural experience for children and adults alike. every couple months a new show/ gallery comes through. Next month starts a Andy Worhol exhibit. We are members so we will go to that for sure. The planetarium is right next store and I believe they have shows daily. The surrounding grounds are an arboretum with tons of trails and park benches- suitable for strolling or bike riding or walking your dog.. The trail through the museum goes west to connect to the Wyomissing trail system, and East toward the river to connect with The Thun Trail. have done a lot of running around there as well.

This Museum is truely a jewel in the crown of Reading, Pennsylvannia. There is always something for everyone to enjoy. The exhibits get changed so you will have new experiences there, everytime you stop in. Some of the art work is astounding. I always enjoy the Native American Artifacts and the Asian stuff.

They do very well with what they have to work with. Would be great if there was more variety and new displays, but this can be difficult on a budget. Staff and care takers are excellent

We visited the museum on Saturday before Memorial Day. The day was overcast, so we walked through most of the arboretum before heading into the museum. Everything was gorgeous! The gardens are well maintained and most flowers were in bloom. The paths are paved and easy to walk for a preschooler and my step-mother with bad knees. There was a lot to see, but it also wasn't too long of a walk. The museum is reasonably priced and has a lot to see. There are three floors with beautiful staircases and an elevator for each floor. The restrooms are on the ground floor near the entrance, so make sure you use them before heading upstairs. We had to make a few trips up and down while we were there. We really enjoyed all of the exhibits. Each exhibit had a good amount of items and information. Most exhibits also had interactive portions that were nice for my son. We often find ourselves flying through museums without getting to stop and look or read anything for too long, but the interactive stations held his attention and were simple enough that he could understand them, so we could take our time. The children exhibits at the time of our visit were: Nature's Numbers & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All of us really enjoyed the Nature's Numbers room. There were simple activities, and there were some activities that stumped even the adults! The Ninja Turtle exhibit was fun. As with any children's exhibits, especially travelling ones, we found that some of the activities were worn out so much that they didn't function properly which was disappointing, but to a 4 year old, it doesn't matter much. There was so much to do, he was having a blast. There's a small gift shop by the entrance, and we did purchase a couple small items one of which being a little pouch of space rocks that come with little magnifying glasses and an informational booklet with activities. My son's been carrying the pouch around for the past several days and showing everyone his space rocks, so that was actually money well spent in a gift shop...for once. We didn't visit the planetarium but definitely plan to return and add that to our visit. The museum wasn't crowded during our visit. They were beginning to set-up for an event while we were there, but we were still able to enter the reserved rooms and enjoy the art displayed.

Visited the RPM this afternoon to see the Pop Art: Selections from the Weisman Collection exhibition. It was a fantastic display of contemporary works in a wide variety of art media. Definitely something for everyone. The staff were friendly, helpful and accommodating. Beautiful museum grounds. Absolutely worth the trip.

Nice, navigable museum with a planetarium and some interesting special exhibitions. Recent shows included one on Andy Warhol and dinosaurs. As a kid, the mummy was the most memorable. She's still there but there's more to see as well. Nice small gift shop.

We arrived late in the afternoon and chose not to go into the museum, though we will return to do that some day. Instead we enjoyed a stroll through the arboretum with it's beautiful structures and foliage. Enjoyed the pretty bridges and a crane and ducks in the babbling brook. Highly recommend for a relaxing time.

Love the redo and looking foward to the updated gallaries. Warhol was awesome.

Our daughter really enjoyed Kids night out. It's a great program from kids to learn about various topics. They always have at least one art project, get pizza for dinner and have even been in the planetarium. Thank you for offering this great program!

My boyfriend took me to this museum for my birthday, I didn't know it existed until that day. The staff is incredibly kind and helpful as well. Being unfamiliar with our surroundings, they could tell we were a little confused and guided us. It was a lovely day out, too. They have paths that lead around the property along with sculptures outside. We enjoyed our visit.

Would have never even known this existed and found it by accident on tripadvisor while searching for day trip ideas (thanks, tripadvisor!). Cute little museum that entertained the five of us ages 9 to 68 for almost two hours. While the Toothpick and Egyptian (including a real mummy, awesome!) exhibits were outstanding, there were other neat things to see and we enjoyed all of it. Nice mix of exhibits. While a few things seemed to be missing from the exhibits, and there could be more things, overall it's nicely done. Small, free parking lot in a very nice section of town. $10 admission for adults, with children and seniors much less. Compared to the State Museum in Harrisburg it is small, but it does have some better exhibits. After, be sure to check out the Arboretum and walk the paved trail along the creek while enjoying the trees, creek, ducks, geese, and especially Trudy's Garden which is lovely and quite peaceful. There are benches and people with picnic lunches, people walking dogs, and bicyclists. The paved portion turns into an unpaved trail that I imagine goes for quite a way since it covers 25 acres and we didn't see close to that. Would love to go back and check out the rest sometime. Very enjoyable, peaceful, and the Arboretum is a very lovely addition to the museum or just to visit on it's own. Definitely worth a day trip visit and we were glad to find this little gem.

This is an incredible museum with a huge collection of different items in a beautiful building on beautiful grounds. Ok, not the Philly Art Museum, but very good, worthy of cities many times the size. Very impressive gem in a city that has seen better days.

Every time that we attend this Museum we are amazed at the new exhibits. They are placed perfectly in the building and they offer places for children to interact with some of the displays.

This place is pretty nice, but not enough exhibits to pass a day by. For more exhibits and better displays, I would suggest Ben Franklin Institute.

The museum was quite small and seemed like a lot of the rooms were closed. A Harley Davidson exhibit was there, which I don't car about so that affected my review.

Okay, so I admit it, I LIKE museums. I've been to MANY and I have my favorites, it's true. The Reading Public Library always makes me feel like I'm in a movie somehow. Is it the feel of it, or the silence or .... whatever it is, there's so much to see and learn here. Wear "quiet" shoes and for heaven's sake, TAKE YOUR TIME--read about you're looking at and soak it in. I'd say it's definitely more for older teens and up.

Went there to see the Nickolas Muray photographs of Frida Kahlo. Excellent exhibit. A wonderful traveling children’s exhibit from Omaha was there. Surprisingly, we really enjoyed the stuffed animals from around the world that were there. On the top level was another traveling exhibit of 1920s posters by Muncha. There is a balanced permanent exhibit of 20th century art.

I decided to bring up my kids when I saw they had Thomas and A hot wheel area for the kids. We had a great day and they had a blast! I wish it wasn't raining so we could have walked around more outside but we will definitely be back! Great for younger children they didn't want to leave.

For a county museum, this is an excellent. They try to educate visitors with lectures and change exhibits

Changing exhibits, lectures, a nice gift shop, and a planetarium with excellent visual shows make this one of Reading's best cultural icons. This museum will combine art and science in their repertoire. It has lovely grounds that make a nice venue for a picnic or a stroll in good weather.
There is something for the whole family here.

Watch for different exhibitions throughout the year. Museum is great for raining days to go see the exhibits or on a nice day beautiful grounds to just take a walk . there is also a palanaterium in an adjacent building. Great kids shows offered during the year also. You can often see couple getting married on the grounds taking photos or having there wedding in the museum also. Highly recommend for a small community museum.

Have been visiting our Reading Public Musuem since grade school trips over 70 years ago, watching it evolve from a musty old building with dusty stuffed animals, a mummy, and magnificent oil paintings into a modern eclectic collection of everything from the same stuffed animals to the intriguing technical Mona Lisa exhibit that just closed on Labor Day. There are now a lot of interactive exhibits for kids some of which this non-techno granny finds incomprehensible. The art exhibits are, as always, well displayed and lit.

About 20 years ago I volunteered for several years as committee chair of their very popular American Indian Festival which, sadly, was discontinued because it was decided that it didn't make enough profit. :( The Native Americans who performed and exhibited were enthused and honored to be involved with an organization that was educational in its focus. As were those of us on the planning committee.

The museum has a delightful separate planetarium that is an unusual resource for an area of this size. The museum's parklike setting is lovely and the venue for frequent weddings.

There are many things to interest children as well as adults, and the entry fees are reasonable. We are proud of our local "gem" of a museum that houses a bit of everything from around the world.

NBS

The season passes pay for themselves in two visits. And you could easily visit the same exhibits twice although they are changed every 2-3 months. Plus, the pass include the Planetarium!!

The surrounding area is beautiful and well-kept.

Our family looks forward to visiting the museum at least once a month.

It's a three in one. Art and artifact museum, arboretum and planetarium. Fine arts and historic exhibits. Arboretum is like going to a small botanical gardens. Did not get to the planetarium.

I went to the museum pretty much every year it was donation based entry and they had alot of neat things to see. I dont know what happened but it looks like they lost half the collection and now are charging a hefty admission. Its NOT worth it.

Awesome blown glass exhibit on limited display! Kid friendly areas to explore and interact with art. Great European and Japanese weapons room.

Have really enjoyed our visits there - both because our grandkids had a great time - but also since we did too!

Love this museum! Great changing exhibits that appeal to all ages, including younger children. We were there for an exhibit of toys from the 1900s. It was fun for our grandchildren and for us to see toys of our youth. The permanent museum collection is a very nice collection that includes works of art and a collection of taxidermy animals from all over the world. The museum is located very close to Reading, but not in the city. It is actually in a beautiful park with a small sculpture garden, a lovely stream, a walking path and herb garden. On the same property, there is a planetarium which offers several shows each day for a separate entrance fee. You can make a whole day of this location.

The Reading Museum is a jewel in West Reading. It houses many up scale exhibits and paintings. There is also an awesome planetarium on site. The museum is surrounded by gardens and a stream, with a walking path!

In Berks on business with free time on a wonderful day to visit the Museum and grounds of this long time area landmark in the suburb of West Reading (a suburb not part of Reading) . Lovely well kept grounds with a "babbling brook" and a great variety of specimen plants and trees. The Museum is small with interesting exhibits and permanent collections of art and sculpture. Of particular interest to me was the Drinking Girl statue which was referenced by John Updike as a favorite of his when he visited as a young boy. John was schooled in art at Oxford and has a keen eye along with his ability for detailed description evident in his writings. The Drinking Girl herself is worth the visit. The only negative came from a fellow walker who noted that rest rooms were not available to garden visitors as those in the Museum were mark for "ONLY Museum Visitors" leaving other to fend for themselves. Certainly an inconsiderate situation for those not paying the fee to the museum.

Great value close to home. Traveling exhibits are always interesting. Also good permanent exhibits. Also can get a yearly membership and use it for other museums like Franklin Institute and Academy of Natural Sciences In Philly

This is the first museum I ever visited as a little girl. I think it has a lot to do with my love of museums. It has changed very much over the years but the important things has stayed the same. I can't even say which part I like best. The arboretum has blossomed under the last 11 years because of the Berks County Master Gardeners and many many volunteer workers. The newly refurbished planetarium is first class. There is always something new happening, but the old favorites remain. And members can visit anytime free. That does not include special events to which members get a discount.

Love the fact that they change things around, the blown glass display currently on is Awesome! You have to go and see it for yourself!

if you are on a budget but like to see the museum, make sure you go to the Library first. they have passes for free admission to the museum

Always has exhibits and events for kids. Makes a nice day out when the exhibits overlap and you can enjoy art and kids events/learning experiences.

This Museum has been the part of my life. Reading School District students used to have they annual art show displayed at this Museum.This was also the most looked forward to field trip every year. They have world class art and usually a special exhibit going on several time per year.

The Reading Public Museum is a beautiful small museum filled with some wonderful art, interesting artifacts and many other things. The traveling shows that they bring in attract a wide variety of age groups. Right now there is a wonderful dinosaur exhibit which my grandchildren found extremely fasctinating.

Excellent museum worth visiting. Extensive M.C. Escher exhibit. We loved the natural habitat animal displays and the Ancient Egypt mummy. The museum is very family and kid-friendly and everyone seemed to be enjoying the dinosaur train. There is a planetarium next door.

I recently attended a corporate party at the Planetarium (well, back in July!) and it was THE coolest venue for the cocktail party. Delicious food, the staff were great to work with and the space was so unique!

Visiting Reading? Most locals have been to the Reading Museum and Planetarium, so they know what a gem this place is. Best to review their website to see all that is offered before making plans to go. This is a small museum and one can see it all in less than 2 hours. The planetarium tix should be purchased in advance to ensure you get date and time you want. My favorite is the grounds ... follow the stream behind the planetarium for a manageable walk along the path and over walking bridges to view trees and plants and nature. Quiet and inviting with benches to rest if needed. End at Trudy’s garden and make your way back.

This is a world class museum. Constantly changing exhibits, great staff, very active schedule of events. If locals don't take advantage of this museum they are missing something special.

We went to this museum the second to last day of the dinosaur exhibit. The exhibit was amazing. The dinosaurs were huge and so real with their movements and noises. My two year old was scared but my 7 year old twins loved it. My husband and I enjoyed all the other exhibits as well. Very nice place and with discount tickets from Mc Donalds it was so reasonable.

We are members and make it there abour every 2 weeks. If not in the exhibits at least to the aboretium.

Keep a close on on the exhibits as they are interesting, fascinating, a great first date or a place to take your children. The staff are lovely and it's a very nice place to go on a nice spring day... One can walk the grounds/park just outside the museum and see various indigenous plants, ducks and geese, and folks running, walking their dogs, or just sitting on a blanket on the grass enjoying the beauty. So, if you're here or heading here, check it out!

Great museum for everyone! I was visiting family and decided to take my nieces and nephew to the Reading museum. Not expecting much to do there and only spending an hour or so in the museum, boy I was wrong. There was a bunch to do and see, play with, and learn, it was amazing! We spent just about the whole day there. And all of us had a blast, young and old! We even got the grandparents to surf!

We were up in the Reading area for a baseball game, and were looking for something to fill some time with the kids. We are glad we checked out this place!

The dinosaur displays - animatronic dinosaurs in front of the museum and on the second floor, were great hits with our kids (although they might be a little loud for kids under 3).

The brain teaser display was also a big hit with both parents and the kids - they loved playing with the blocks, while my wife and I tried our hand at some of the puzzles.

Besides these sections (which I believe are part of temporary exhibits), the kids also enjoyed the swords and armor, mummies and especially the nature exhibits (there is an exhibit on animal poop - what kid wouldn't love that?). There were also lots of hands-on things for the kids to do as well - magnet races, binoculars, etc.

There are a few rooms of art as well. I enjoyed looking at the paintings, but not so much the kids (although they did enjoy one of the modern art paintings showing a couple of butts).

The grounds around the museum are also nice. We were hoping to look around, but by the time we were done, it was time to feed the kids.

The Reading Public Museum was a great find for us, and was a fantastic way to spend a family afternoon in Reading. Our kids are normally good for about an hour in a place like this, and we managed to do 2 1/2 hours. We would definitely recommend it for someone looking for something to do in the Reading area!

My husband & I went to see the Dale Chiluly exhibit. We were so impressed by the glass work. The museum has had plenty of limited exhibit which we attend. The small
museum takes pride in the permanent displays. We never miss a chance to see the
mummy or the shruken head.

All I knew about Reading was the outlets (which are no longer there). So when friends suggested we drive to the Reading Museum, I was skeptical. After all, Philadelphia has its wonderful Art Museum as well as Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Barnes.
Well, we were in for a delightful surprise. There is a permanent collection - each painting is a gem - as well as special exhibits. Hurry there as these will only be there until 9/9/15.
The first of the 2 special exhibits was about the Mona Lisa and was fascinating. A
photographer using special equipment was able to go under layers of glazing and years of "decay" to help the viewer see what DaVinci painted. The second exhibit focused on several artists who have painted fakes and forgeries. It not only featured their works but also helped us understand their reasons for painting. A short video added more information to the exhibit. We left wondering how many forgeries are currently hanging in museums as Manets, or Vermeers.
To "add the icing to the cake", the museum is next to a beautiful park. So we were able to take a walk and admire the lovely flowers. It would be a great spot to picnic if you don't want to drive a few mile into the main street where there are lots of restaurants.

Interesting place, went there for the Norman Rockwell exhibit. $10 a person is a fair price. If you are expecting the Smithsonian of the Franklin Institute is Philly you will be disappointed. This is a nice mix of adult displays and kids hands on displays. Saw lots of grand parents taking their grand kids there. Nice park and arboretum out front and the planeterium is across the parking lot from the main museum. Yes I have been to bigger better museums but this is a great local treasure for The city of Reading.

We love the museum. Beautiful grounds for walking , great exhibits. Reasonable admission. Something for everyone. Even an area where kids can learn " hands on." Exhibits change every so often keeps it interesting.

Worth a stop. While I wouldn't make a trip just for this, I do suggest it if you have some time kill. Planetarium is nice too.

Family spent a hot day indoors watching the 2pm show at the planetarium. It was well produced. We then ventured into the main museum and they had a nice variety of exhibits to keep the entire family engaged. We joined as a member and plan to return during the summer months!

You may think that you have to travel to a big city to find nice museums, but Reading Public Museum dispels that notion. The RPM contains an indoor museum, arboretum, and planetarium; so there's something for everyone.

The museum has numerous sections containing a decent collection of paintings, sculpture, statues, and a temporary exhibit hall. We came during an astronaut exhibit, which was extremely fun for my two sons (ages 6 and 4). I was impressed with the variety of artifacts in the Asian section and the natural history portion with dozens of statues of animals in their various habitats.

The arboretum is nice; filled with statues, and generally a nice place to take a walk. You do not have to pay the admission fee to enjoy the arboretum.

I was disappointed that we couldn't go to the planetarium. The website should post the daily hours and make it explicitly clear that they are not open on Saturdays.

OMG it was so much fun! My kids are 4 and 1 and they loved it! My fiancé and I loved it as well. It's for all ages.

Stumbled across two special exhibitions at the Reading Public Museum and was thoroughly delighted and impressed. They included an in depth technical study of the Mona Lisa. (Has anyone ever wondered what was on the reverse of the wooden panel? Or why she is missing eyebrows?) And then there was the second special exhibit highlighting four major players in the field of forgery with a good many original examples of their fakes. (And I know the idea of "original fakes" sounds silly to me as well.) Make the trip and do not miss this most extraordinary and informative show which closes in just a few weeks.

Took my two grandsons 12 & 14 from Denver, CO to see the Mona Lisa exhibit in July and was afraid they would be bored, but they were fascinated with all the "secrets" as well as the other interesting displays as you enter that area. For such a small museum, it is jammed packed with wonderful exhibits, history and displays.

Well done exhibits in this mid sized museum. Variety of things make a visit interesting for anyone looking for a museum.

I had been talking about it for awhile and finally took the plunge. I took my wife to this place and it was wonderful!! Just walking through every room and checking everything out. Really Cool! Oh, one last thing, I am now a member of the Museum!!!

Much improved - very interesting and many new exhibits . If you have been to the old Museum you need to go to see what's New ! It's all grown up and we are proud to have the Museum as a part of the fabric of the community !

The Museum isn't what i consider "downtown" so don't let that be a consideration.....nice area. There is an admission price, the gentleman taking our money wasn't the most friendly type, maybe a bad day. We forgot our NARM card, plus he didn't really care I worked for another museum. The Museum itself has lots to offer but it's hard to distinguish what they really want to provide. Their history started with stuffed animals from the world, old artifacts and now fine arts.....I've seen a few of their traveling exhibitions at other museums, they really ought to consider having those works of art on display.

Currently there is a Coney Island exhibition but lots of items are reproductions. The panels of info in certain areas were hard to read as far as height and at times hard to figure which work of art. There also is a robotics exhibition, again almost are reproductions.

Take time for a nice walk around the outside grounds. There is a planetarium as well.

If you want to travel around the world from ancient Egypt to modern times to pure Nature and world famous artists it is all here in Reading PA. The great thing is you, don"t have to fight traffic to get here and parking is free. A wonderful adventure for the whole family.

A friend had seen an article about one of the exhibits, so we decided to travel here as a day trip to view the museum. It's situated on acres of lovely gardens, along a small river, and is easily accessible from major roads, with plenty of parking. We even got to observe an outdoor wedding ceremony in the gardens. Inside, there were several exhibits...one on art forgery and the other on the Mona Lisa's history and restoration process. I personally was in love with their huge stained glass window, and enjoyed reading the explanation of the many details included in it. One word of warning...their 'cafe' that is advertised on the website is not really much ..it's a tiny little corner area that sells a few candy bars and sandwiches. Not my idea of a cafe, and since I am gluten free, it's a good thing my friend packed us a picnic, or I would not have had much to choose from to eat.

Something for everyone... Special Events, Shows and Programs for all to enjoy.
I can truly say that I cannot think of a better place to take a stroll and relax along the Wyomissing Creek and listen to the babbling rush of the water over the rocks or sit a while on one of the many park benches placed along the walkways donated in memory of loved ones and friends. I especially enjoy the perennial garden and Garden of Remembrance since I am a volunteer in this magnificent garden which is ever changing thoughtout the season.....Also Trudy's Garden is a nice destination only a short stroll from the main Museum area.

A beautiful museum and outdoor formal gardens. Wonderful place to take family and friends. They free guided tours

I lived in Reading as a child and young adult, we used to go to the museum a lot to enjoy the scenery - yes even as kids ! I moved away from Reading many years ago, this year when I came back for the holidays I visited the museum along with many other Reading area well known places, it hasn't changed in terms of being a place to want to go back to again and again. The scenery is beautiful and the area serene. It's great for just enjoying the scenery. There is a planetarium on the grounds. This is a wonderful place for small exhibits, there are lots of things for kids to do, I think this is why we kept going back there as children.

The museum is so worth the price (which was only $26 for 3 of us) for a nice family outing. Lots of interesting exhibits. A lot of hands on stuff for the younger kids. Recently took my 7y/o brother and he didn't want to leave. Also very educational! We got to see the dinosaurs and it was awesome not just plain old bones (which is great don't get me wrong) but this definitely took learning about them to another level. I wasn't pleased with the planetarium, as you paid an extra $24 to see a half hour show and then had a small room to look at. Wouldn't really suggest it but try it if you really want! Just make sure you look at the shows because there are about 3 different ones. Maybe the other ones are a bit better. Just a great and relaxing day. Worth the trip!

The exhibits are always changing. The collection is a mix of the current and permanent collection. Sometimes, the displays are interactive. There is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The people are always striving o improve upon their exhibits. This is a great place for people of all ages. And, when you are done, stroll along the very beautiful, Wyomissing Trail.

The museum had an exhibit with an Egyptian Mummy and my kids were fascinated with it. The way the artifacts are displayed draw kids in to check each one out. There is an amazing area that allows kids to climb a rock wall, go virtual surfing, and look at minerals that glow. During the Spring-Fall there is a beautiful area outside to walk along a path and enjoy the scenery. Unfortunately the Planetarium was closed due to a wedding and we are looking forward to checking that out next! Would definitely go here again!

The Reading Public Museum is a must on a trip to Reading. They have things to just look at and things hands on. They even have a mummy which we love. Kids go crazy for it. Great Place & Affordable!

I wanted to do something different with the family over President's Day Weekend and when I heard that the Museum was hosting the Lego Castle Adventure exhibit I knew I had found the place. The museum, located in West Reading was a short drive from Allentown (where we live) so it made an ideal 1/2 day trip. When we arrived at the museum we found a shortage of parking and ended up parking up the street. While I was initially a bit put off by that fact (it was quite cold) it gave us the opportunity to walk down the picturesque Wyomissing Creek to the museum grounds. I'm willing to bet that it's beautiful in the Spring and Fall. We waited in a mid-length line as many like-minded families were there to see the Lego exhibit as well, however it moved smoothly and within 15 minutes we were exploring the museum. The Lego exhibit, while small, was quite fun for my 9 year old son and I have to admit that I enjoyed it as well. We spent approximately 45 minutes there before venturing into the rest of the museum. What you won't find is a Philadelphia / NYC museum experience, but what you will find is a thoughtfully curated collection presented in a very family-friendly manner. I was concerned that my son might get bored but it held his attention the whole time. For folks interested in History (local and world) as well as those that appreciate art it's a bite sized museum that truly provides you the opportunity to be able to absorb everything you see. The Jelly Belly® Masterpieces of Jelly Bean Art exhibit is a fun way to conclude your trip. I'd definitely recommend the museum and would also love to visit the planetarium and arboretum.

Ive been going to the reading museum for about 25 years. Every year they have less and less on display. Only thing they still have thats any good is the mummy. I remember loads of native American antiquities and other things, now they are all gone replaced with modern art and silly puppets.

Grandson loves dinosaurs and was not disappointed! Animation fantastic ! Reading about the types of dinosaurs made his day!

This was an interesting museum with lots to see. Give yourself around 2-3 hours to roam. There is a ground floor with a little and two additional floors.
Military discount is available even though not listed on the site.

I was on the committee to plan my organization's 50th anniversary celebration. The Reading Public Museum was the best choice for so many reasons- it fit our budget perfectly, was central to our members, and was a unique event space that offered so much.

Kara was phenomenal to work with. She was responsive, knowledgeable, and so kind as we worked through our planning. She was able to offer us different layout options and had that invaluable expertise to make sure our event ran as smoothly as possible.

While I'm not sure of the additional staff member names, I want to make sure I mention that every person we interacted with, even down to the parking attendant, was nothing but professional and kind.

Should I need to plan another event in the Reading area, I'm 100% going with the Reading Public Museum!

My rating is based on the outside grounds and I do like museums. This is a great place to take pictures, have an outside wedding, take a walk or sit and relax. A good place for admiring nature and getting a breath of fresh air.

We live nearby but never visited here until we attended a Reading Philharmonic Orchestra concert here; after the performance we toured the galleries. There is a nice collection of classical artwork, historic artifacts, and native people's exhibits. Our favorite, though, was the well-done mounted wildlife displays of mammals, birds, etc.; there was a good variety included, all placed in recreated natural habitats and with informational signage about the varies species on display.

Families will enjoy the special children's section in the museum (although the noise from that area did carry into the adjacent galleries, making it difficult for one to concentrate and read the signage).

The current special exhibit features a display of several Ice Age animals. Although interesting to see, this gallery contained a large amount of empty space that could have be used to "flesh out" the mammal samples a bit more, i.e. more scientific background on this epoch and how those particular animals fit into their natural habitats.

For a small city, the Reading Public Museum has a truly impressive collection of art which includes works by Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Warhol and many more. Locals and tourists alike are often surprised by the quality of the museum and its collection. Their temporary exhibits are most often geared toward kids, with interactive elements and educational programs. If you visit on a nice day, be sure to take a walk around the breathtaking arboretum just outside the museum. It is very well cared for and the flowers are absolutely gorgeous in spring and summer. Next door, the Planetarium offers some interesting programs - my favorite is "Fridays with Floyd" on the final Friday of the month.

I took my grandsons to the museum when they had the Dinosaur exhibit. They LOVED it! While we were there, we toured the entire building.........they were fascinated by the exhibits and asked a lot of questions. I love questions! It helps them learn. We visited May 2016

It was raining the day we decided to go. They had the history of the Boy Scouts display that was interesting. I needed to walk and because the day was so raining this was an excellent choice. Very impressed with the religious history and artefacts here. Really cool mummy, and very accurate religious documentation of various tribes and beliefs not only for native Americans, but Europeans as well. The three floors were filled with information and activities for kids. We had a very nice walk.

This museum is amazing for its size. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. There is a wide variety of exhibits that will interest everyone in your family. One might expect this wide variety at larger museums. This amazing little gem is well worth the trip!

When the idea was first tossed around to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Reading Public Museum I honestly can say I really wasn't thrilled, but my husband insisted we check it out during our Sunday afternoon adventures. Well, I must say, after paying our reasonbly priced admission fee, I was pleasantly suprised. We spent about 3 hours in the museum not only seeing the Warhol exhibit but additionally adventuring into the permanent exhibits, such as, ancient civilization, natural science, north american indian and modern & contemporary to name a few. Free off street parking is available. There is also a planetarium and arboretum on site which we did not go to. If you are looking for something to do, I would definately recommend this place!

We spent an entire Sunday afternoon and probably could have stayed longer but we had timed tickets to the final planetarium show of the day. Our kids really enjoyed the Native American exhibits, as well as the mummy, and the rocks, minerals and animals of the Pennsylvania region. My husband and I were pleasantly surprised by the art exhibits and the civil war special collection. The kids, 9 and 11, felt the planetarium show was best suited for younger children, but enjoyed it all the same. We all loved the surrounding arboretum grounds with beautiful gardens, sculptures and picnic benches. Truly a little gem, well worth the visit.

This was a very eclectic museum. There were paintings, mummies, knight armor, dinosaurs and curious George. There was something for everyone to see. You should check it out if you are in the area.

Also enjoyable and informative for adults. They are constantly changing Museum displays...so you always have a reason to return. The mummy is the highlight. There is plenty to see and learn. All the local schools plan field trips to the museum for the educational value. Bring the family.

My wife and I visit this museum frequently as there are fascinating exhibits, many of which change often. Our grandchildren love this place and many exhibits are designed to appeal to them. Give it a try-you'll love it!

Great place to visit....wonderful exhibits rotate they tge year...family friendly .....parking available and affordable for the entire family

A little over a year ago my Son and his Wife had their wedding reception in the Art Gallery at the Reading Museum. Stephanie Hafer-Shaak took care of us and did a spectacular job helping us plan their wedding reception.
I am also a wedding photographer and have photographed numerous weddings at the Reading Museum's three wedding venues. Plus " Masterpiece by Viva" will be catering your wedding there, won't miss a beat, the food is fantastic and the service is second to none. The grounds are always well taken care of, and the venues are top notch, all in all it is a beautiful place to be photographed and have a wedding reception. The staff is wonderful and they take very good care of their wedding parties. bottom line, I can't say enough about the Reading Public Museum! If you are getting married it is the place to have your wedding and wedding reception, it is a fantastic experience!

We've been to the Reading Public Museum many rimes both befere we Wed in 1968, and afrerwards, Jesse Ritz

A nice multipurpose museum with american art, european art, greco-roman art, archaeology and kids displays. Seems like it would be a great place for a family, with its diverse offering. That said, "no collection" group is so large as to be unbearable for the mildly interested (such as kids walking through some rooms of art). Something for everyone.

Nice place, and sized as you would expect for a city the size of Reading. Price felt a bit high for what it offered (you will not likely like all areas of the museum - for example the kids displays will not appeal to adults). Yet it was not exorbitantly expensive and not a rip off.

It also sits in a beautiful setting - an arboretum/park with a nice stream running through it. The park is a nice place for a stroll, with some sculptures complementing the walk.

There is also a separate Planetarium with a separate entry fee on the grounds.

Good place to see if you are in the Reading area. Though you would not likely travel far to check the place out.

This venue never disappoints. The grounds and gardens are beautiful too. It's great for families with kids as well. There is a fantastic planetarium there, too.

Beautifully nestled in the woods of Wyomissing, Pa. the Reading Public Museum has given and given over a century of fantastic art. Both new and permanent exhibits grace the halls and corridors under its roof and never disappoints. You'll be amazed at its unique collections for all ages as well as its special attention to the fine arts. Not the size of a major city museum but RPM stands above any other museum in its class as one of the best in the country. Don't miss the opportunity to see great art here and bring the whole family.. PS- A newly renovated planetarium sits on the same grounds as the museum giving even more reason to explore your day away!

I had never heard if the Reading Public Museum prior to their advertising for the Lego castle exhibit. The museum was an easy 45 minute trip from western Lehigh County. The new Lego display brought huge crowds to the museum, so parking was hard to come by. We did wait in a very long line to gain admission, but the actual checkin process was easy (we purchased an annual membership). Despite the long lines to get in, we found it easy to move about the exhibits. We headed to the Legos first and the kids loved it (we had 5 kids with us ranging in age from 2-11). We were pleasantly surprised with the rest of the museum too! From art to wildlife to armor - there was a little bit of everything! Lots of hands-on activities for kids throughout the museum too. We spent over 3 hours exploring and look forward to a return visit soon (and look forward to nicer weather to visit the arbortorium too). Great day out!

y wife was at a photo shoot and so I took the kids to check out the Reading museum. It was a Dora day and actually we did not go with the intention of seeing that exhibit. And actually we enjoyed the rest of the museum without the Dora exhibit.
There are many things in this museum that the kids enjoyed.. from the knights and armor, to the great mummy display in the ancient civilizations and the kids loved the founders movable wax figure downstairs.
It is well worth the time to take your kids there or go as adults - there is much to see and enjoy. Plan on a couple of hours of time to see the exhibits. And Enjoy

Nice for lovely strolls along the water. You do need to watch out for geese doodoo, it's everywhere! That being said, it's a beautiful scenic place, great for pictures, great for romantic walks, relaxing..lovely treasure in berks.

This is a fairly small museum, but it does include a planetarium. We saw one of the shows, but not a laser light show, so it was sort of 'so-so'. The planetarium is also kind of small, so get there early to get the back seats, otherwise you'll be cramped looking straight up.

The museum had an interested exhibit about food and nutrition while we were there. They also had an interactive/video/game setup for dinosaurs which my 12-year old found interesting. The art area wasn't enormous, but you could get close to the paintings, and there was enough talent on display to keep all but the biggest art snobs interested in different styles and techniques.

They had an armour section, mummy section, various decorative artst, as well as a contemporary display.

Small enough that you could do the entire museum in a couple hours, but not so small that you felt like you saw nothing. Our family of4 was $60 to get in, a little expensive, but we opted to get a season pass as we visit the area several times a year.

A small museum that uses creativity to engage adults and children. The place was busy, busy, busy with kids and parents playing miniature golf among Italian masterpieces, then taking a break to talk about the paintings. Lots of hands-on exhibits to satisfy the curious and promote learning the fun way! The life-size Thomas the Tank Engine, Island of Sodor Station, and HUGE Brio train table are a big attraction. The curator's taken the boring out of museums and made it entertaining and educational.

I had a pleasant visit with my Son and Grandson. There is a lot to see and learn. We brought a picnic lunch and ate it in the picnic area they provide along a nice babbling brook. There is plenty of parking.

We took our three year old here for his birthday for the Thomas exhibit. It was so worth the trip! We also viewed the other exhibits the museum had to offer and all around had a great time!

I was surprised by the breadth of exhibits in this museum. I expected some Pennsylvania German furniture and pottery and they had that of course, but also

Ancient Greek and Etruscan pottery,
Egyption artifacts ,
Arms and Armor !!
and extensive painting galleries... everything from medieval and classic art to Bucks County Impressionists.

There is a tremendous amount to absorb here

I took my family to the Reading Public Museum not know what to expect. I was pleasently surprised of the variety of displays they had and how well organized they were.
They have exhibits of Acient Egypt to the Mid-Evil Periods. Their best displays are the Lego exhibit and exhibit of diffrent civilizations. I suggest your plan at least 3 hours so you can visit the planetarium also. The staff does not seem as accomodating as I am use to but if you have any issues. The director of the museum is very accomodating and will make sure your visit is satisfying. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars as a place to visit when you are in Reading Pa.

The museum is family friendly. For a museum of this size it offers nice exhibits. They have traveling exhibitions at times. The current one is Aliens and Androids which was interesting. The museum grounds are beautiful and it is very beautiful place to walk and spend some time outdoors. The Planetarium is right next to the museum so it is a great way to spend a day. The price for admission is very reasonable too!

This is the first time we ere there. My granddaughter's father told us about the museum. My granddaughter is studying art in college. She found this a interesting place to see. It was to bad that we were in between shows several room were under construction, getting ready for the next show, They told us about this before we paid. Our granddaughter really enjoyed the paintings and the other art displays. The planetarium left a litlte bit to be desired. We were the only ones (3) in there. The sky show was very much geared to young children; it was all cartoon. If this is the type of show they are using in the planetariums these days, We won't be going to any more. Granddaughter is 18. They do have an elevator to the first and 2nd floor. Students and seniors due get discounts.

You go from stuffed animals, Native American displays to Alphonse Mucha! It even has a lot to amuse the small children. Plus they have a planetarium and a nice little park to stroll through.

Very nice museum. Well taken care of inside and out. The grounds surrounding the museum have some good walking trails. Rather large creek that runs in front of the building that dogs love. Cheap admission.

The Museum is a learning tool for the entire family . They vary the displays throughout the year . They also have a small planetarium. This is a must see for the travelers . You will enjoy every step through the adventure .

This local museum, in a lovely park setting with free, easy parking is a hidden treasure in the city. It has a long history and many worthwhile exhibits. There are rooms with local history and anthropology including Asia, natiive american, minerals, etc. The museum has a good permanent collection, including PA artists, and regular special exhibits such as a wonderful
Chilhully glass exhibit a few years ago. There are also regular concerts at the museum.

A wonderful regional museum that features both natural history and art. Well worth seeking out.

The Museum tries to come up with new exhibits.Some have done well,some are total ripoffs.The recent exhibit of photographs of directors was ridiculous.I could have saved the money and obtained more information on Google.Outside,the dirty old lake,that had giant rats has been replaced with a beautiful creek,however,despite warning signs,people continue to feed the ducks and I suppose the same mess will happen again.

My granddaughter and niece enjoyed themselves immensely. We not only spent time in this special addition but we were able to walk around the other exhibits and enjoyed them as well as the beautiful gardens outside.

One may not think that Reading, PA would boast a lovely museum, and truth be told it is actually located in Wyomissing but is well worth a visit, and membership if local. Their exhibits are presented with great care and the staff is very knowledgeable. The curatorial staff are exceptional.
We were members quite as few years ago, and recently had the opportunity to attend an opening at which I was reminded of the quality and beauty of this gem in my own backyard! There is something for everyone here!

i have been here as a child and have brought my own children and now my grandchildren. It is a nice museum with a wide range of exhibits and the changing exhibits can be quite nice too. Plus the grounds are lovely to stroll on, with flower gardens, a stream, bridge and also a planetarium.

I am rating this museum a 3 today because there were a number of items on display that had no name tag or description on it, and one wing of the museum out of 4 wings was closed because the displays were being changed in that wing. I will definitely return at a later date to see the changing wing displays. A great place for children and the grounds are beautiful. We saw a bridal party having their pictures taken in the gardens. They do have an elevator available if needed.

The museum had 2 special presentations and both were good. After the visit we take a walk around. Quiet place.

We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon here. My 8 year old boy loved the dinosaur and the natural history section. He loved the mummy. The price was good. I wish the planetarium was open on Saturday. We even had a great walk in the arboretum. Reasonably priced. Excellent learning potential. It was curated with an eye to the casual museum goer. There was a lot to learn and we loved our time there.

This place is one of Reading's best kept secrets. The museum itself has an eclectic mix of art, history, and science exhibits, many of them hands-on for the younger set (or young at heart). As others mentioned, the parking lot is too small for such a facility and you may need to search for street parking. Even in the winter, the grounds are pretty and the museum sits adjacent to the Neag Planetarium. You'll need to purchase planetarium tickets at the museum desk. I'd suggest you do this while buying your museum tickets, as the line gets very long. The planetarium has timed shows in the afternoon, each with a different theme.

There was so much to enjoy in the museum itself with plenty to keep the kids interested. We particularly liked the origami exhibit and two traveling exhibits: Lego Castle Adventure and a truly amazing Jelly Bean art exhibit, which featured mosaics of infamous paintings made entirely from jelly beans. Their historical collection was surprisingly diverse, everything from Ancient Egypt to medieval times to PA Dutch.

The museum is clean and well organized over three floors which can be accessed by stairs or elevator. They do not offer food or drinks, but there are plenty of restaurants in the area. We will definitely return in the spring/summer when their arboretum is in full bloom.

The Reading Public Museum exceeds all expectations for a city this size. Its art collection, science and history collections, combined with planetarium and gorgeous plant and sculpture-filled arboretum are worth repeated visits by people of all ages and interests. Far from the tired and dusty museum of the past, the RPM hosts new and engaging displays of its most fascinating artifacts, especially in the Egyptian and Native American areas. In addition, rotating and traveling exhibits, often with a heavy dose of family appeal, make every visit a new discovery. The museum's creative leadership and staff also make group visits, birthday parties and special events truly memorable. (Museum galleries, planetarium and outdoors are available for rent.) The arboretum is great for dog walks.

It's a very beautiful place to go to you can go n just sit there n watch the ducks n listen to the birds you can always go there in the museum's.it has very interesting stuff to see and can learn thing out to

I'm a biased member who believes in supporting local artistic and educational endeavors - I go to this unexpected gem often. The collections reflect local history with highlights from what can be considered large museum offerings and traveling exhibits. Something for all ages. Worth a visit.

Our family has been members of this museum for a few years. For a city the size of Reading this museum has a great collection including an Egyptian mummy which is always a hit with the kids. They change their exhibits quite often which is nice but also keep many of the more noteworthy (mummy) collections displayed continuously. On our most recent visit we saw artwork being displayed from Andy Warhol and local artist Keith Haring. Its a great way to spend a morning or afternoon in Berks County.

Worth the visit if you're a curious person who enjoys learning and visiting museums. Locals should definitely bring their kids here. Good variety of exhibits and the cost was reasonable. Summer is a good time to go to also enjoy the outdoor scenes just outside the museum. The gift shop clerk was very friendly and helpful.

The Reading Public Museum is a gem! Not only the building but the grounds! The museum almost always has a special interactive exhibit for kids and others for all. It has both visual arts and artifacts. the grounds of the museum are beautiful to stroll or sit on a bench and enjoy!

I've always appreciated this museum. There is something for everyone - oil paintings, sculpture, modern art, and all in a very tasteful setting. More people should attend this fine venue.

If you enjoy the outdoors and a quiet place at the museum is where to go.There is something for everyone.

What a novel idea! The ceremony was performed in a gallery,great decor!! The reception was next door in the planetarium. We danced under the stars. Very novel, yet very cool!

While visiting relatives in the area, we found this highly rated on Trip Advisor. The most interesting exhibit - to our group - was ancient Egyptian artifacts, including a complete mummy! Also, a Native American exhibit was interesting. This included a small section on Inca/Mayan artifacts. Of some interest was some Pennsylvania Dutch artifacts, and medieval armor and weapons.
On the downside, an entire wing was devoted to art from mostly obscure artists, surprising that an organization with an obviously limited budget would spring for such, especially since it had little-to-no connection to the area. A couple rooms with stuffed animals - in this day and age? It had 2 traveling/temporary exhibits - Lego, which was mainly a series of replicas of famous buildings. All 3 of us were disappointed - we were expecting 'more'. The other was an exhibit of clothes worn or similar to those worn by Katherine Hepburn. Underwhelming. C'mon folks - how does this rate 4 or 5 stars??

They have great things for children to do right now Curious George is there and the is a pit on the 1st floor the children can get into and dig up bones,dinosaur eggs and other things. Great place we are there at least once a week.

This museum focuses on art, science, and history. I love contemporary art and they had some great examples there. One of my other favorite exhibits was the animated prehistoric animals. You could hear this exhibit all over the museum. I did find it a bit too loud but the kids seemed to enjoy it. The museum also offers a planetarium and fun hands-on areas for the kids. It's a large place with lots to see so allow yourself enough time so you won't have to rush through.

I've visited the Reading Museum at least 50 times, having been born and raised in Reading. Five decades and over 70 countries since my last visit in 1960, my recollections of the place are still indelible...a life sized Samourai warrior, an Egyptian
mummy, a photorealist painting of an Italian landscape, a giant Amazon fish, Amerindian regalia, etc.. The Musuem's magnificent tranquil park with babbling brook and pond with babbling ducks and geese tops it off. It's a far cry from the Louvre, the Prado, or the Hermitage, but it's the finest little museum I(ve ever seen.

Grounds are exquisite. Exhibits and quality presentations abound.
Not what you would expect in a small town.

We were so taken by the motorcycle exhibit we almost went back! We recommended it to everyone locally. A very nice museum locally.I'm sure we'll go back.

Attend numerous exhibits and events at the museum. Beautiful gardens, creek, and walking paths. Planetarium is phenomenal for a small city venue.

Last time I visited the museum was to take my 2 year old to meet his best friend Curious George! And we had so much fun. The staff was very friendly. I looked online before going to see if George was going to be present and he was. At the exact time. So they keep their word. We took lots of pics. I loved to see my baby happy.

Never realized it existed until last year. Now I vist whenever I get in town. Their special exhibits are excellent and the permanent ones are enough to merit repeat visits. Among the highlights I saw were: A Tiffany exhibit, an interacive Dinosaur exhibit and an unbelievable toothpick sculpture exhibit.
There are many excellent paintings and sculptures always on display.
The museum is beautifully maintained ( inside & out ) and the Staff friendly and helpful.
Put it on your list.

We first visited the Reading Public Museum this past winter, when the Lego display was there. We bought a Membership at that time and wanted to use it again, so we included it in our Staycation 2013. We were nervous about how our kids (12, 10, 7) would enjoy it without a giant Lego display, but it was still a very nice visit.

This time, we only spent about an hour there. The current highlighted displays are "100 Years of the Reading Public Museum" and "Painters of Berks." Both were enjoyable, but didn't really hold the attention of the kids for long. My aspiring artist daughter enjoyed the paintings quite a bit, but my younger ones just wanted to pass by quickly. Our favorites were still the mummy, the armor, and the fossils/animals.

There was far less interactive displays this time, which was a little disappointing. The kids really enjoyed using the animal tracks stampers to see what animal feet look like. But our first visit had far more interactive stations set up for the kids, and they missed that this time.

We still have yet to visit the planetarium, so I am sure we will be back again in the future (planetarium shows are on Sundays). Nor have we walked the grounds of the arbortorium (there was a wedding set up during our visit and we didn't want to be in the way).

Even though my kids were less enthusiastic this visit, it still is a great museum. It continually amazes me that they have such ancient and varied artifacts there. I hope on our next visit to see a star show, and to have more interactive stations for the kids again!

Such a beautiful and pet friendly area! They do have doggie poop bags Incase you forgot yours or run out. There is a bridge that connects the two paths! So many pretty flowers that have plaques that you can tell what they are.

The museum is set in a beautifully landscaped park. the permanent is extensive and rich in it'e art collection particularly the modern area. The butterfly collection is world class. A real emerald solitaire whose collections cover the age range from grade school to geriatric.

The Reading Public Museum has so much to offer. The museum rotates displays annually to keep things "fresh" for the patron or visitor. You can purchase a ticket for the day or purchase a membership. There is so much to see that it takes hours to cover everything in the museum. So, purchase a membership, and you won't be disappointed!!

I'm so happy we visited this charming museum, and that they have an exhibit at the entrance that honors the museum's founder. I appreciated the Native American exhibits, as well as the art. We spent the afternoon roaming the galleries and admiring the attractions, especially the visiting exhibit on Underwater Archaeology, sponsored by Mel Fisher's Atocha museum in Key West. Well done.

Very nice museum with multiple well organized exhibits! We went with our two small children and they enjoyed it. Some kids' interactive areas.

Lovely grounds and excellent exhibits - which change every few months - this is a MUST walk-through for Berks countians!

We loved all of the exhibits we saw in this small but cool museum. And the price was totally right for our budget! The dinosaur exhibition was the best but all of the exhibits were spectacular!

We went for the Toothpick City. It was amazing how much you could do with toothpicks and glue! The museum itself it small but quaint and sitting in a nice surrounding. You could go to the museum and then an easy walk on the park trail. Relaxing and fun!

My husband and I took our 8 yr old daughter to visit the museum and she loved it. I was surprised because she has a very short attention span and nothing really captures her eyes for long but she was so good and so pleased with all she saw and did.

The exhibits were clean and well thought out. Staff was friendly, the price was good, parking easy and we are definitely going back again.

We went to the Reading Public Museum on a Sunday when they have somewhat limited hours. We took in a show called Tales of the Maya Skies. The planetarium is smallish, but the show was very educational and informative. My pre-teen daughters found it very interesting. Caution- the lighting and the seating are very conducive to napping!

After the show we had about an hour to spend in the museum so we went to the top floor and walked through the Andy Warhol exhibit. My wife and I enjoyed the art and the kids enjoyed the Silver Clouds Room- a room full of silver mylar-type balloons that they could play with and throw around (and get chased with by their father).

This muesum is very quiet and has numerous interesting displays and exhibits. This wasn't our first trip here, but we did buy a family membership this time. It's the kind of place where you can spend quality time with the family without feeling rushed.

We have been there twice in the last year, first for the Holocaust Kids art work, It actually made me ILL thinking about the dirty deeds done to those kids. But after all isn't that what you go to a museum for? Some education, some history, not all good history!! And later we saw the Andy Wharol show. That was great stuff!!!! Plenty of regular curiousities too, for all ages. EZ park and a Planetarium to boot! The admission is reasonable but if you're short on dough you can get a pass from your local (Berks Co.) library.

The main attraction is a mummy from the Ptolemaic era that was scanned by a CT scanner. A forensic sculptor made an image of what she might have looked like. Very interesting.

From mummies to dinosaurs to art this museum has it all including speciality exhibits. It's a small museum but very well run and the exhibits are all interesting. I learn something new every time I visit.

I had to wait an hour for business meeting so spent time exploring the nice path along the Wyomissing Creek. The park is a fantastic place to walk with an informal type arboretum a formal garden area and series of bridges back and forth over the creek.

If I lived here this would surely be a regular running/walking trail for me!

Stopped here for a break while headed to NJ. The reviews suggested 1 hour for the visit. I think I'm recommending 3 to 4. The place is impressive in its extent.

It's primarily an art museum, with an impressive collection of mostly American paintings, but with some works from Europe and a rather extensive gallery of Asian. But they also are paleontology and archaeology, with some nice fossils and very good galleries on native American cultures. On this visit they had a special exhibition, "Toytopia", that included iconic playthings going back to the 1920s--extremely engaging and thorough.

In the past my time in Reading was spent at their outlet mall. We now have it on our radar for a return so we can bask in this museum.

The regular collection has a few prize artifacts. Great museum for kids. The high light here are the grounds and the temporary displays.

Loved taking my niece and nephew here for there dino exhibit. They just loved being able to see and learn about their favorite dinosaurs

We definitely found the Reading Museum to be more than a place to learn at but a place of absolute beauty! Our son has had numerous photos taken throughout the gardens, along the stream, on the bridges, etc... The grounds keeper at this site has done an amazing job! The artifacts inside are intriguing to kids and adults alike.

This is a fantastic museum that is deceivingly big! Permanent exhibits include tons of artwork and little bits of world history from ancient to modern with an incredible amount of artifacts.

If you just wanted to stop by and not read anything, I would suggest about an hour to slowly walk through the museum. If you wanted to read information and interact with some of the exhibits, you could easily spend 3 hours here. This is truly a museum for adults and kids.

There is also a large arboretum with a trail that loops around part of the river right in front of the museum. There is also a planetarium with shows. One could easily spend as little as an hour or as long as half a day.

The museum was having a Lego Castle exhibit that was like none other. Plenty for the kids to do. The museum was clean, well organized and made for a great learning experience. It was small and probably would only take a half day or so to explore. On site planetarium was a bonus.

This is a wonderful place to visit. It's lovely to walk around the outside of the museum as well when the weather is warm to see all the flowers and trees blooming. Great place to go for a Sunday stroll.

Inexpensive to enter. They had a few children's exhibits that were packed with kids. Two other tours with kids going on. OK place but nothing spectacular. Decent parking at the time and only a couple miles from our hotel. Local food and drink abound. Hope you have a GPS, lots of twists and turns getting there. Very sparse information. ex: Had a horse mussel from 1783 and that's about all they had about it. Had a 4,000 year old wood carved Egyptian miniature death boat with no real description, just a date. Very sterile.

Grounds and museum are lovely. Celestial Observatory. A real Egyptian Mummy. Art. And tons of other exhibits.

The kids wanted to view the Dinosaur attraction that was advertised via their website and the attraction was not available. Half of the Museum was closed and was not accessible. It was very frustrating because this was not addressed in the time of entry. They did however enjoyed the mummy and outdoor surroundings located around the museum.

This museum is nice, but limited. Famous mummy here, which kids always think is pretty cool. They do hold special events that can be a bit more exciting. They have a nice planetarium on the grounds and really lovely walking paths on both sides of the creek. The gardens are very lovely and this is for me, is the bigger attraction. I really love walking down here, taking pictures and enjoying the tranquility and beauty! Definitely want to wear some comfy walking shoes and enjoy the pretty grounds! Bring your camera for some great photo shots and nice place to take family pictures too! Enjoy!

This is a awesome place to take your kids on a rainy day! Walking along the river is always beautiful too.

My kids wanted to rate the Reading Public Museum 6 stars based mostly on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exhibit. I agree, as the exhibit was really great. We spent most of our time exploring the "sewers of NYC" on the third floor. The hands-on exhibits for the kids were fun and play friendly. The pizza shooter being one of the favorites! The structures were very detailed and looked just like the Ninja Turtle toys we have at home (including the Sewer Lair). Beyond that special exhibit, there were so many other things to love about this museum. The art in the 3rd floor gallery was beautiful and the stained glass windows as you walk up the stairs to the third floor were amazing. Joan Danziger's Beetle Mania artwork was so colorful and detailed, and it was such a prolific collection. The hand carved baskets in the North American Indian exhibit were so fascinating. It's unbelievable to think about how time consuming such a project was as you study the intricacy of the carvings. Having family with Pennsylvania Dutch German history, I really loved looking at the grandfather clocks, chests, tin wear, and other furniture in that particular exhibit. My only suggestion would be that the Nature's Numbers exhibit could use a little TLC. Being that it is a kid oriented hands-on area, I know it is a difficult task to upkeep, but like other children's museums have done (BCCC), they should close that section (or parts of it) for a few days and clean it and fix any exhibits that are broken.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this smaller museum, that is located actually in west Reading, behind the Reading hospital. Our only disappointment was that the Planetarium wasn't open the day we visited because of a special event occurring that evening. We spent most of an afternoon, doing all three floors. They rotate their exhibits, so you see different ones each time you come. They have art, historical, scientific and children exhibits. In the summertime you can visit the gardens outside as well. The admission is inexpensive and it is easy to navigate.

Museum has interesting exhibits which change often. Beautiful setting by the water near Reading Hospital. Helpful staff provide tour guides for a group. Nice setting for a wedding or any kind of a party. Great gift shop with interesting jewelry for sale at low prices.

Kids were enthralled with the interactive money display - kept them busy for the better part of two hours. The scavenger hunt in the art gallery also kept them occupied and allowed me some time for quiet viewing. There is not a lot to do with three active children in this area, this was a welcome find. The planetarium show "in my back yard" felt a little dated, drawing "lame" reviews from the kids - but even it had a certain charm.

heartily reccomend

We visited on a nice weekend to visit the dinosaur exhibit. The price of admission was reasonable and my children had a wonderful time. The animatronics were life like where my youngest at first was afraid to even take a picture near the dinosaur. There is also a hands on kids educational section the kids spent another hour in having fun and learning. For adults there is beautiful artwork on display. We keep meaning to go back to see the Thomas and Friends exhibit that's now on.

We visited the Reading Public Museum on a rainy day and decided that we would do our tour at a leisurely pace, trying not to miss anything. It was a wonderful experience and well worth the very reasonable admission prices that are available, especially seniors and students. The exhibits are interesting, and well presented and the Neag Planetarium is an added bonus for those who are enthralled with all things celestial.

I have visited many of the leading museums from NYC to DC, including smaller museums in the Brandywine and Delaware areas. This Reading Public Museum can't be missed. Start with a walk along the creek, through sculpture gardens, Trudy's Garden, unbelievable beautifully maintained in a very upscale setting and neighborhood. Moving inside, wonderful exhibits of paintings, Egyptology, armor, and collections seen in the larger museums. A great place for school trips, especially Middle School aged students. Pay attention to the wind chimes in and around Trudy's Garden. Another visiter had to point out the unique shape of the garden to me ... see if you notice!

The Reading Public Museum is one of Berks County's greatest treasures! They have a vast collection on display throughout the year and have recently upgraded many displays which include some interactive activities. They also offer special exhibits to increase our sense of wonder and amazement.

We were shocked to find the breadth of the collection in Reading. PA. Thanks to Mr. Mengel for starting this museum so many years ago.

I've known the museum for 64 years, since my parents took me when I was 3 - been going ever since. My favorite collections are the world famous art, American Indian, and Pa. German, but they also have bugs, Egyptian, scientific and many more. The 25 acres of grounds are spectacular with many gardens and a live botanic collection.

I recently attended the opening of the Sci Fi exhibit and kid related activities with my grandchildren. What a great museum! I returned a week later with an older granddaughter and we viewed all the exhibits. Just the right size for spending a few hours without being overwhelmed. Planetarium shows scheduled in the afternoon. Lovely walking paths. Easy to get to without the hassel of much traffic. A local gem!

This is a great museum in every sense of the word. There are always new and exciting exhibits and things to see. The near by Planetarium is an amazing place to visit also. The sourounding gardens and grounds are also a treat.

We spent a two hours at this museum on a Friday afternoon. It is a nice museum with a balance of science and art. The Dinosaur exhibition was nice. I am sure kids would love this exhibition. It was a very hot day and we do want to do the walking tour outdoors in the Arboretum, but will wait for a cooler day. There is no charge to walk around the Arboretum, but it does cost $10.00 to enter the museum and a additional cost for the Planetarium. All in all a nice afternoon and looking forward to the Arboretum walk.

I took my granddaughters just this past week. We saw the dinosaurs exhibit. I take them whenever there is a special event. There is something for ages. They like to go into the modern art section and we share what each painting looks like to them. The ground are beautiful and worth the walk. The gardens are well kept. There is art pieces scattered throughout the grounds. Take your camera. Lots of photo moments.

There is something for everyone. I enjoyed the special exhibit on costumes from the movies. Paintings were from local artists as well as very established artists. A big surprise was the extensive exhibit of animals from around the world. The children had a generous area where they could interact with the cartoon character, Arthur, a small classroom, they could be on TV and much more.
We walked through the Arboreteum even though it was winter, it was still impressive.

We went to see the Dinosaur exhibit and BOY were we disappointed!! Only four dinosaurs were there to see. However, if the dinosaurs were not there, I would be even more disappointed as the staff was very short with us and did not have a lot of knowledge of their displays. I would have much rather driven to DC or Philly to go to those museums. Reading did a good job of hyping the dinosaur exhibit to get people to come to the museum. However, I know my family and I will not be returning to the Reading Museum again.

Set in park, in West Reading, behind hospital area. Park around well maintained, diverse, w/ quiet stream.

Wonderful museum, planeterium and arboretum on Wyomissing creek. The museum contains history and art collections. The current collection contains German folks art. The museum is very beautiful and really a pleasant place to visit and spend a morning or afternoon.

My son had a day off school so we decided to drive to Reading to visit the Reading Museum.

We arrived early and enjoyed walking through arboretum and looking at the sculptures. We entered the museum and tour the entire facility. The artifacts and works of art on display are quite good. That said, the collection on display is quite small. We were particularly interested in the ancient classical history. These artifacts (covering Greece, Rome, Etruscan and Egyptian history) were housed in one room. However the display included many Greek pieces, some Etruscan pieces (which you don't see too often), a mummy and sacophagus, and some large Roman amphora. We were unable to visit the armor room since some work was ongoing with the lighting.

We also enjoyed the European artwork collection. It was small but there were a number of very interesting pieces by well known artists (including Degas, Corot and others), as well as some pieces going back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

We had been to the museum before and remembered more artifacts being on display, but that could just be our faulty memories.

Several displays were geared heavily towards young kids - a whole "Clifford the Big Red Dog" playroom (which may have displaced some the classical history collection I remembered). The Native American and natural history displays were also heavily geared toward young kids.

The atrium café consisted of some snacks and a case of drinks at the gift shop counter (no actual café).

We enjoyed the visit and were pleased with the pieces we saw...we really wish there was more to see!

The cost is OK (if not a bit high for the size of the museum), but would make bringing a family a bit prohibitive. Also, return visits at the cost are probably unlikely.

Been going to the Reading Public Museum since the 1950's. It has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Fascinating exhibits. Everything is done well. Beautiful grounds to walk and or ride a bike. Great outdoor photo ops as well.

This museum is great. The outside grounds are na extra bonus. The museum is full of so many interesting things for kids and adults. They even have their own mummy.

The Reading Museum is awesome. They have so much variety there is truly something for everyone. I've taken my 6 year old grandson twice and we've both enjoyed it. I always wish for more time! More people should enjoy it!

I loved the traveling dinosaur exhibit. The boys loved it,they are ages were 10,6,&3. There was plenty of activities for them to do also. There was also other exhibits for them to see however I wished it was a little cheaper for the size of the museum.

We didn't go inside, so the review is for outside only. Loved the walking trails and beautiful flowers and trees. I loved that the trees were labeled so we could identify them easily. Saw a lot of joggers and people walking their dogs. Very peaceful and relaxing place. Enjoyed it.

We went to the Museum most recently for the Lego Castle exhibit. Our son and his friend enjoyed the exhibits. There were several interactive exhibits, although the lines for each were long. I wish the computer animated exhibits would have had more than one kiosk set up. The parking lot is to small for the amount of activity is the area ( museum, planitarium, arboretum).
I also had issues with the restrooms being unkept and not stocked with supplies.
We spent about an hour and a half there and were glad we went but for the price of admission ($10 for adults and $6 for chiildren) and the hassle of parking, it is something we do not do on a regular basis.

An annual tradition to take a walk here at Easter, great scenery. Love the trails for a bike ride as well

I was looking for an activity to do with my grandkids this summer and found the planetarium online. They have various planetarium presentatins throughout the day and we decided to visit the museum afterward. My grandaughter loved all of the exhibits, especially the dinosaur, beetle, and ninja turtle exhibitions. My one yer old grandson loved them as well. They have a faux dino-dig area for the budding archaeologist also. Doc McStuffins exhibit is planned for January 27 – May 20, 2018. We will definitely be coming for that. It's a little pricey but I'm considering joining to save on the visits. The grounds are beautiful and there are sculptures throughout. We'll definitely pack a lunch on our next visit so that we can enjoy the scenery.

For a city the size of Reading this museum and its collection are fairly impressive - have been to museums in much larger cities that paled in comparison. Interesting rotating exhibits. Some exhibits are explicitly focused towards children which is good for family or young school groups. The surrounding grounds are also a nice park area. Great for family, friends or event pictures.

This museum is small but has great year round exhibits and does wonderful special exhibits several times a year. The grounds are also a great place for a picnic .or to take a walk

Is amazing what can you see in this museum, is very quiet and lonely, that gives you the oportunity to enjoy all the exhibitions, with articles since 3000 year BC, and great information about it.

Caught the Alfonse Mucha exhibit and reveled at the ease of getting around this museum and getting to see three rooms full of this Art Deco founder’s works. The museum was already in high alert and exercising extreme cleaning routines and we felt comfortable throughout our visit. Outside, they have beautiful grounds that make for easy walks. Plus, make time to schedule a visit to the other exhibits, gift shop, and the Planetarium for special performances.

This museum is a pleasant surprise. It is enough to see and take in without being overwhelmed. Jeff at the counter was super friendly and welcoming. The animals section was fascinating as well as the art work on display. The park outside is a beautiful and free place to visit. I will return.

My children and I love to visit. We enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit that was there over the summer. reasonable price and the museum grounds are beautiful!

The building would probably fit into the rotunda of the National Gallery, but this place is a true diamond. There is a wide selection, including dinosaurs for kids, arms and armor, the ancient world, including a mummy, as well as rotating exhibits. The art forgery exhibit was hilarious, and the Mona Lisa exhibit gave me a far better experience than the mobs at the Louvre. The museum is set next to a garden and stream with a nice walking path.

this museum is your typical old school attraction with lots of variety. The exhibits range from rocks & minerals to knights and daggers from Papua. You could easily spend half a day there. I recommend. It also has an impressive art section.

Have to say, wasn't expecting much when I decided to visit - but was I ever surprised! Well maintained, clean, quiet. Super relaxing. Their visiting displays are really impressive. Easy off street parking is a big plus. Great place to have a picnic as well.

Did I mention - they have a mummy!!! Who would have guessed!

The Reading Public Museum is a great local attraction that everyone can enjoy. They have beautiful exhibits and all displays are tastefully done. The grounds surrounding the museum or beautifully maintained and there is also a planetarium that is open on weekends.

The Reading Museum is a great historical point for anyone visiting from any location. The museum is not merely a local attraction, but displays item of importance from all corners of the world. I grew up close to this museum and was fascinated by the riveting rotating displays. I visited as often as possible and I would say that half of everything I know about the world was learned here. There are traveling exhibits that come to the museum for presentation, in addition to the huge collection owned by the museum. Over recent years the museum has displayed more artifacts particular to Pennsylvania and the Pa. Dutch period. The art exhibit is an excellent showing of many famous world artists. The museum started as a private collection, bequeathed to the Reading School District, and now shared with the county.

We did not go into the museum as we arrived late but we did get a chance to walk around the beautiful grounds and enjoyed it along with many other people and canines. Will definitely be back to visit the museum.

We are a family with teens and a grade schooler. We join the museums family plan and go a few times a year. There are new exhibits a few times a year that are always interesting and well thought out. The planetarium has same really good shows too! The grounds are also beautiful to walk in nice weather. A great value in my opinion!

Great little museum to spend a few hours in. Family friendly with different exhibits for children as well. For the size of the museum I was impressed by what they did have. Some of their art did look like it needed some attention but it's not the MET so it's great for what it is! Would recommend it - great value as well.

I enjoyed the many new and old exhibits here. The museum wouldn't be the same without the mummy. My last visit I particularly enjoyed the fashions made from recycled material (like Target bags).

A true hidden gem, their exhibits are always interesting! Their recent science fiction one had Robby the Robot, C3PO and a life size Alien from the Aliens movies!

The Museum is ideal for younger children. They offer educational programs for the young. For the adult they also go out of their way. A while ago they had a flintlock exhibit that only a few people have ever seen. The grounds are beautiful the programs educational and well done.

The museum may not be huge, but it does not dissapoint. There is a variety of art work, they have a mummy in the Egypt section. There is always some new exhibition or event going on there. After visiting the museum you can walk around the arboretum, walk over the little bridges,or just sit on a bench and enjoy the sound of the running water, and in the Spring and Summer you can enjoy watching the different birds that migrate to the area. One of my favorite places to visit!

We have to be able to get the money out there for the rest of our life so we have to do something about the future we have in 9AM

Took grandkids and they had fun playing with the Legos in the traveling exhibit and also enjoyed the pre dinosaur exhibit. Also enjoyed walking along the creek and skipping rocks. If a Berks County library member you can request free passes for the museum. Exhibits change on a regular basis.

For a small city museum you can't get better. It is fun for the family and close to some nice restaurants on Penn Ave. They also have a lovely walking path and a planetarium right next door.

My wife and I get a season pass every year at the cost of only $75 and that allows us and 4 children to enter when ever we want !!! That's a deal !!! Our grandchildren love the place and so do we. They change it up pretty often so there's usually something new for the kids. Another highlight is the outdoor trail and creek running by which in the spring you can start taking a walk with the kids while your there , they love it !!

Scott Zechman

I often go to the Reading Museum. I live within a mile of the museum. What a wonderful place to introduce your children to culture. The Reading Museum is a small, but versatile museum. There is a Planetarium on the same property. The grounds are well maintained with walkways and gardens. There is a small but adaptable gift shop in the museum.

I like that the exhibits are changed often and with a vary of interest. They have children exhibits that are often hands on. Some exhibits have a camera for the children to take pictures,one time there were period costume for my grandchildren to dress up in, as part of the exhibits.

I like to can sit on a bench next to the Wyomissing Creek, and watch the birds landing in the water for hours. It is very peaceful. The land is flat, great for leisurely walks along the many pathways on the 25 acres. There is an Arboretum and flowering gardens that are maintained year round so I get to see the seasonal changes.

The cost is not high, but as a member of the Berks County Library, I can go online a reserve a Free library pass that will admit four persons.

I would suggest it as a year round destination. The Reading Museum grounds are also a great place for Wedding Photos. Sometimes I sit on the bench and watch the photographer take photos.

The Reading Public Museum is a smaller museum but it has some really awesome exhibits - especially the visiting ones. We saw toothpick models made to scale of all of the worlds architectural structures, robotic dinos, and a really cool poetry exhibit about women in writing. The first floor is a bit noisy with kid's activities (Great place for kids), but other then that it is a neat way to spend an afternoon.

My husband had been trying to get me to go to the Museum forever and I kept saying not now, maybe later. He finally wore me down and boy am I glad he did! We had a wonderful time at the museum. They had so many great displays and it was so interesting. There was also a planetarium and gardens, which I didn't expect. I would highly recommend the Reading Museum. Enjoy.

My last trip to the Reading Public Museum was for a college project, however I've been to the museum many times with family or even on a date! I love the museum, there are so many great artifacts and so much to learn! The museum is always clean quiet and very well kept. There's also beautiful landscape on the outside to take a nice walk or even pictures that! I would highly recommend visiting the Reading Public Museum.

We took our little guys to the planetarium to see a show, which was amazing. They stayed still for most of it, which was a surprise. Afterwards, we walked the trail, looked at the ducks and searched for rocks. It was a fun filled day!! Everyone was very nice. We love to visit the museum.

My friend and I visited the Reading Museum for the first time and found it to be a delightful experience. There were 2 special exhibits - one on the Mona Lisa as she would have looked originally with out the changes of time and bad cleanings and one on art fakes. I found the last one so fascinating since some of the fakes on display looked better to me than the real things. The stories of the people who were the artists responsible for the fakes were so interesting. I was sorry we did not have more time to see the grounds which are beautiful.

There's always something cool on display here. Kids usually love this place. They have planetarium shows and laser shows at night.

Had not visited the museum for many years and was pleasently surprised that the same old dusty exhibits were replaced with fresh new ones. Worth a visit.

This museum has a wonderful collection of Pa German artifacts as well as world class paintings by Masters, Native American and ancient world artifacts and a great curator who brings excellent touring exhibits often geared to kids. A wonderful planetarium and lovely grounds make this a place not to be missed. Well worth a special visit!

Absolutely beautiful museum and landscaping. Been going here since I was a kid in the 70s and it's just an amazing place to visit anytime of the year. Incredible artifacts, paintings and more. Outside the grounds are absolutely perfectly landscaped. Great place to walk the dogs too.

I spent some time at the American Impressionist exhibit (which is about to close) and in the permanent collection. This is a nice museum that was fairly empty on the mid-week day I visited. It's a great way to spend a few hours.

The park and lawns outside were also fun to walk around today. The stream cutting through the gardens and the park looks very clear. There ducks up and down it. Even peaked at Trudy's Garden. The museum houses a lot of interesting artifacts. This was my second time back in 4 years. My partner had not been in the park for nearly 35 years. She remarked that it had not changed much biologically.

Though the Reading Public Museum is the size you'd expect for a city of Reading's size, you can't say that about the exhibits. There are some great holdings here, both in art and local history, and if you happen to be a literature buff this is the museum that helped hook Pulitzer Prize-winning writer John Updike on the arts. He described the mummy on display (really, how many small museums have one of those??) and a drinking girl fountain (still there, but no longer a fountain), and it's as much of a thrill as going through The John Updike Childhood Home at 117 Philadelphia Avenue.

This museum is really a hidden gem in Berks County. Excellent and impressive collection fo a small museum. Have been a member for 30+ years.

This is a gem of a museum that isn't too large that a museum visit becomes "museum overload". Exhibits that are permanent and also rotating exhibits. Plenty for children and adults. The Katharine Hepburn exhibit is wonderful viewing. A lovely location for walking, sitting and spending an afternoon.

This is a truly wonderful small art museum with other sections on native cultures, science, and nature. The scope of the holdings of this museum is remarkable. They range from Greek Urns, Egyptian mummies, Pennsylvania Dutch artifacts, armor, medieval art, modern art, extensive holdings in Barbizon School Art, etc. There is even a Degas! The museum does a good job of bringing in good modern art collections.

In addition to the museum proper, there is an arboretum and a planetarium.

Parking is easy and right at the museum. The museum is accessible for those with disabilities. The only down site is that there is very limited food at the museum, but the Reading Hospital's cafe is a very short walk away.

We went for the "Clifford the Big Red Dog" exhibit with our young granddaughter and ended with all of our grandchildren joining us for various exhibits. The older two also stayed for the planerium show. We purchased the grandparent package which allows us unlimited visits for a year with upto four grandchildren.
Our son and daughter-in-law purchased the package that allows complementary visits not only to the Reading Museum but to others throughout the country.

We have had a membership the Museum off and on now for years. We love this little gem and I wish people realized how special this place is and would come visit it. It is great fun for kids of all ages and adults! And the gardens are amazing...

I loved my recent visit to this museum! There was a traveling Russian exhibit there, at the time, which was incredible. The grounds are very nice, as well. I did not make it to the planetarium but plan to try that in the future. During my visit, I did find it very distracting that many of the children's interactive sections were close to the main museum areas. It was loud and most museums are not like this. Maybe this will change as exhibits come and go.

Growing up in Reading I have been to this Museum many times for school field trips. I have also come to their various special exhibits like the Legos or Dinosaurs. I'm not sure why but I always found their year round exhibits lacking, granted that could because I've visited so many times. But when they do the special exhibits, they do them right. It's also home to a Planetarium with a great education show as well as a nature walk. I have traveling across the country since PokemonGo released but I hear it's become a hot spot with the locals because of all the PokeStops there along the walk.

I visit this museum frequently for the high quality of the temporary exhibitions and find myself also wandering through the permanent rooms each time. I have spent hours with paintings and children's holocaust art but also with dinosaurs and legos and recommend this local museum as a destination for the whole family.

This museum has been in business for a while and can attract different clients via divergent exhibits.
They also have a nice permanent collection for when no special show is on display.

My wife and I decided to take our grandsons (5 yrs and 7 yrs) to see the dinosaur exhibit this weekend. What a nice time. The Reading Public Museum is a great place to spend the afternoon. We packed a few sandwiches and enjoyed our lunch on the grounds of the museum. We watched the squirrels and ducks in the park area.
The dinosaur exhibit was much smaller than we expected but the exhibit was super! We spend a couple of hours digging for dinosaur bones in the excavating area and learning about the habits of different dinosaurs through the digital games.
We also visited the youth fitness exhibit which the grandsons really enjoyed.
We'll be back to see the Curious George exhibit soon!

Small town Reading has a true gem in the Reading Public Museum. The current exhibition of Berks County artists is just great and it amazes me to see the skill of some of the "local" artists.
In addition the museum has some great other exhibits going back thousands of years. A true must if you live in the area or are visiting.

I love that they change the exhibits around from time to time, so when I am in town it's always on my list of places to visit. Having been going there since I was 6 and I am now 60. The grounds are a fun place to walk around, too.

We have wanted to visit this local museum for a while, and the planetarium on the same grounds, and this week we took an afternoon to do so! The planetarium will be closed for the month of August, so it was good we went when we did. The museum had a nice mix of a variety of exhibits such as insect collection, mammals, geology, people groups, and paintings. The current exhibits of famous buildings made out of toothpicks to scale and also of dinosaurs were well done and very interesting! I think my favorite display was the medieval suit of armor (or was it the mummy?). The website and printed brochure listed different prices -- the current price is $10 for adults at the museum (there is a AAA discount of $1). I would recommend the museum for elementary age children and their parents.

Hardest working little museum I've ever been too. Constant programs, new exhibits, indoor and outdoor entertainment. Been a member for years and always got my money's worth.

This museum is not especially easy to find but when you get there it's worth the effort. We need to go back to see the grounds.
We have been on various occasions and always been pleased.
Our last visit was to see the Dale Chihuly show.
We saw a huge Chihuly show in Tacoma , WA. 8-10 years (?) ago and again at the Boston Museum of Art. All were wonderful.
We are very keen to see what we call the art museums that are The Hidden Treasures of the United States. The Reading Museum may not be as sophisticated as those mentioned but it is still worth the visit.

A very nice museum--check out the mummy. They do a lot of great feature displays. I love when they feature local art. Great gift shop--I visit before Christmas to stock up on unique gifts.

Although I have been visiting this museum steadily since I was a little girl, every time I go I notice and appreciate something new. They have the most wonderful rotating exhibits. The reason my son and I went today was because of the highly advertised Dinosaur exhibition. It was educational and fun to see. The guttural roars of the dinosaurs and the interaction was great. Actually, that was the reason we went, but what we were totally unprepared for was the fascinating "Toothpick World" exhibit that is also on display. It is unbelievable!! How lucky we are to have this beautiful museum and all it has to offer. By the way, if you have a Berks County Public Library card and you obtain a Reading Public Museum pass, it will be free admission for 2 adults and up to 4 children. Do yourself and your family a favor and go!

About three times a year my wife and I enjoy walking the shaded macadam paths throughout the sprawling wooded park in West Reading aside the hospital where squirrels abound and running water is always near to soothe away the cares of the day while reading the name tags on many of the tall mature trees resident for many years! There is plenty of room for the kids to run and play! Flower beds also here and there!

Some neat things to see , worth the trip with the 10 and 11 year olds. Easy to get to, with close parking. Can get pretty codtly.

The Reading Public Museum is a wonderful museum the likes of which are not found very often. The collections and exhibits are first class. The contents cover fine art, contemory art, ancient cultures, natural history, a planetarim and a 20 acre aboretum. Nothing like this around.

We visited recently as a family and then again later in the week with a girl scout trip. Both visits were fun and educational. For a smaller museum there are lots of interesting things to see. There are plenty of things to keep kids engaged, from ages 4 to 9. Older children would probably get more out of a visit than the younger ones. The Egyptian jewelry and jelly bean exhibit were our favorites.

This is truly a hidden secret! Lovely walking paths in the park land!
The museum is just filed with all kinds of treasures and arts. I hope the museum keeps all the beautiful paintings it has had in its possession in the past! I remember certain paintings when I was a little kid!

There is something intriguing for everyone at the Reading Public Museum from exploring the regular collections to visiting special exhibits, walking outdoors or seeing a show in the Planetarium.

What an incredible asset to our town!
I am proud of the taxpayers of Reading for supporting this vital cultural institution since 1913. Until quite recently, they were supplying over 90% of the funds necessary to keep the doors open.
Since the burden of operating expenses is now more equitably shared, the museum has grown and flourished. It's a destination for a day's activities for all ages or, if your time is limited, a place to take a walk through the magnificently groomed grounds.

They frequently rotate the artwork. It is clean and at times they have special exibits. The grounds are beautifully kept.

For a small facility in a smaller town, the RPM is a decent place to visit if you need to spend an extra day in Reading. $10 adult admission for museum and arboretum was quite reasonable.

The RPM is treasured asset for the Reading/Berks County area. A long-standing history of providing a resource for leisure, recreation, education and all-around family enjoyment. The museum itself has great art and history but the grounds are relaxing and offer a great opportunity for walking the well-kept grounds and trails.

Had a great visit to the Reading Pubic Museum. The grandchildren enjoyed the new dinosaur exhibit and explored the armor exhibit as well.

There is currently a magnificent Dale Chihuly exhibit at the museum. I do not know how this small museum managed to get this beautiful collection of artistic hand blown glass which came from the George Stroemple collection in Oswego, Oregon. There are 60 pieces of blown glass which were done in collaboration with Murano Italian glass artists Lino Tagliapietra and Pino Signoretto. There are also 20 Chihuly paintings on display.

There is a movie at the entrance of the exhibit which is well worth watching.

I DO NOT recommend taking young children to the exhibit. There were two unsupervised toddlers running amok when we were there. I held my breath until they left. Because of the fragile nature of this exhibit, the museum asks that you leave large bags in your car. They do not have guarded storage for you to check bags.

I just love his work and I highly recommend a visit to this museum to view this special show which is on until

We have been here on a few occasions. Great place to take grandchildren when they have special exhibits. We saw the dinosaur exhibit with them and then on a separate trip returned more recenlty to see the Thomas the Train and Hot Wheels exhibit. Plus the other exhibits - the paintings and historical artifacts are great to share with grandchildren as well.

Reading, PA has a precious, established, well done and run museum, The Reading Museum. Historically, this museum has brought art and cultural awareness to our area. Today's museum and planetarium continue to bring high quality installations and programs for the enrichment of students and adults. Additionally, the stately building houses a precious collection of art works, displays,and artifacts.
I have enjoyed the museum and its beautiful grounds since my childhood, and I look forward to bringing my grandchildren here for wonderful educational experiences.

This is a great museum for a city of this size. They have some wonderful exhibits and great pieces of art. Very reasonably priced and a couple of exhibits geared exclusively toward children.

beautiful scenery and setting.
great place to have a small wedding.
the planetarium was used for the reception and was very nice. Would be nice if you could have reception in the museum.

Nice little nugget of a museum. They highlight local artists both past and present or art pertaining to the geographical area. Also occasionally get some exhibits by high profile artists.