News & Events

Diary
Looking for something to do? Our events, activities, talks and tours are all listed here.

Exhibitions
Information and dates for current and upcoming Exhibitions

Just In
View the latest additions to the collection

Museum Surgery
Have your mystery object identified

What's New

  Crime Themed Victorian Schoolroom

Don't miss a Criminally Good Victorian Schoolroom Experience

Join us for our monthly classroom session but with a crime themed twist. Find out about Victorian child thieves and how to 'pick a pocket' or two! Part of the Reading Festival of Crime Writing www.readingfestivalofcrimewriting.org.uk

Ages 5+, Families, at 1.45 & 2.45
£1 per person
Drop in, 35 places per session max.

  Heritage Open Day - Town Hall tours

Town Hall tours, 10am-12 noon

Join Museum staff for a tour of the Victorian Town Hall,
including the Concert Hall, the Waterhouse Chamber
and newly installed Museum displays.

All ages are welcome. Regular tours will run between
10am and 12 noon. No need to book, just turn up.

Behind the Scenes tours, 1pm-3pm

See how the Museum stores and records its collections on site, including art works and insects. A chance to see
19th Century ledgers and the illustrated diary of the first curator.

Regular tours will run between 1pm and 3pm.
No need to book, just turn up.

  Wildlife Art Competition

Why not take part in our fun Summer Wildlife Art Competition? You can use any medium to create a picture of your favourite animal, plant or scene from nature and send it in to us.

Great prizes to be won - Waterstones book vouchers!

Age Groups: 8 and under, 9-13 years & 14-18 years

For an entry form and full details please email mail@readingmuseum.org.uk

  Bronze Age and Roman finds donated to Museum

A Roman coffin from Smallmead in south Reading and two Bronze Age swords and human skull from Wraysbury near Windsor have been given by CEMEX UK to Reading Museum.

The objects have been on loan since the 1980s but were formally presented by CEMEX UK Director Andy Spencer (pictured, left) to Cllr Tom Stanway, Reading's lead councillor for culture and sport (pictured, right), at the museum’s store.

A gravel quarry worker found the Roman wooden coffin in July 1982. The hollow wooden coffin contained the body of woman in her 50s and was dated to 50-150AD.

Please note these objects are not currently on display.

  History Pin

Reading Museum has teamed up with national organisation 'We are what we do' who in partnership with Google Maps, has established History Pin. This innovative website enables you to 'pin' your historic images onto a map anywhere in the world!

You can view old photographs of Reading uploaded from our collection and find out more at www.historypin.com

  Volunteers needed

Reading Museum & Town Hall is looking for individuals interested in volunteering for an exciting new project.

We want to expand our reminiscence service by offering sessions at the museum. The visitors would handle objects, have a brief tour of a gallery and then enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

To make this happen we really need the help of volunteers. They will be responsible for delivering the handling sessions and conducting the tours. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the past and to work closely with a museum that is gaining an excellent reputation for its work with reminiscence.

For more information and a volunteer registration form please contact the museum. The details are listed below.

Telephone: 0118 937 3400
e-mail: curator@readingmuseum.org.uk

  Art School exhibition

Join the museum and the University of Reading to celebrate 150 years of formal art education in the town. The University’s prestigious Fine Art department has its origins in the Reading Government School of Art, which opened in the town centre in 1860.

The exhibition is packed with art made by lecturers and students from Victorian to contemporary works. There is an associated programme of adult events and artist-led workshops in June and July.

  New look for the Museum website - coming soon

This summer watch out for a radical change to the Reading Museum website!

We love our website but it's showing its age a bit now, so we've got a new one coming out in August - the picture gives you an idea what the home page will look like. We'll be taking the opportunity to make some changes to the layout so things should be easier to find, and it will help us make even more news, activities and collection information available in the future.
We hope you'll like it!

Our school loans booking service Loans Online has already moved to the new format, click this link to see it and search for loans boxes.

  The Biscuit Tin Café

The Museum's family-friendly café, just behind the Town Hall reception area, is open Tuesday through till Saturday. Aimed at families and children, the café sells fair trade tea and coffee, homemade biscuits and cakes.

The cafe is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10-4 and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

  Riverside Museum open every day

The Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock tells the story of Reading's two rivers. Its centrepiece is the Dunton's gypsy caravan that was built on the banks of the River Kennet. Admission is free. The Museum is open daily in partnership with the Bel and The Dragon restaurant that also occupies the site.

See the ‘About Us’ page for a location map and opening hours.