Reading Public Museum
Reading Public Museum
4.5
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Art, history, science, and culture all under one roof in Reading, Pa.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
265 reviews
Excellent
160
Very good
81
Average
19
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Toadhollowtravellers
PA882 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
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.
Written 11 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curious25385030999
1 contribution
May 2024 • Friends
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!
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!
Written 26 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
poejuggalo
DC29 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
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.
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.
Written 28 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pnemiller
Kutztown, PA2,186 contributions
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.
Chilhully glass exhibit a few years ago. There are also regular concerts at the museum.
Written 28 August 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nb253
Reading, PA11 contributions
Nov 2013 • Friends
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!
Written 7 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crystal N
Reading, PA18 contributions
May 2016 • Family
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.
Written 4 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the rave review and getting your daughter excited about The Museum!
RPM is very excited about Dinosaurs Around the World and are looking forward to having many happy visitors like you stopping by to see the exhibition!
Hope to have you back at RPM again soon.
Written 6 May 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
creeklaying
Bozeman, MT148 contributions
Nov 2013
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!
Written 5 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill M
Memphis, TN353 contributions
Jul 2021
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??
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??
Written 16 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wallace L
Dallastown, PA80 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
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.
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.
Written 4 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback!
Hope we can impress you more on another visit!
Written 29 August 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael S
Reading, PA5 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
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.
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.
Written 10 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
$10.00 Adults
$6.00 Seniors (65+)
$6.00 Children (14-17)
Free-College Students with ID
Free-Children ( 3 and under)
Free-Members
$50 annual membership for Individual (includes free admission to all Planetarium Shows)
Free-Parking
Written 9 February 2018
Is there food for purchase at the museum? If not, is there anything in the immediate area?
Written 20 April 2017
RDGMuseum
Reading, Pennsylvania
There are just snacks in the Gift Shop. There are many places along Penn Ave in west reading (about one mile away) to eat. Ranges from specialty restaurants to McDonald's.
Written 20 April 2017
Is the dinosaur exhibit still open? I'd like to take my grandson on December 11, 2016.
Written 27 November 2016
RDGMuseum
Reading, Pennsylvania
Hi there. Dinosaurs closed the beginning of October. However, Sunday, Dec. 11, santa will be visiting RPM FROM 11am-2pm. Brain Teasers and CitiBlocs are great exhibitions for kiddos to visit. We also have a Thomas the Tank Engine exhibition opening on the 17th! So lots of fun going on over gen next couple weeks. Check out our FACEBOOK or website for more details on events and exhibitions!
Hope to see you soon.
Written 28 November 2016
RDGMuseum
Reading, Pennsylvania
Hi, Sandie! We do have an exhibition called Be the Dinosaur. It is a great exhibition for all ages that allows you to become a simulated dinosaur. You can direct the dino to eat, drink, and interact with other virtual dinos.
We also have a Dig Pit associated with the exhibit that allows kids to unearth fossils!
Keep an eye for Dinosaurs Around the World to arrive in the spring, as well! This exhibition will bring large-scale animatronic dinos to The Museum May-Oct 2016! Certainly will be an exhibition not to miss!
See you at The Museum soon!
Written 24 August 2015
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