Reading Public Library
A hub for knowledge and community events, the Reading Public Library features extensive collections, digital resources, and comfortable reading nooks. Visitors can browse thousands of books, attend author talks, children’s story hours, and multimedia workshops. Free Wi-Fi and community meeting rooms make it a favorite spot for study and gatherings.
Phone: (781) 944-0840
Memorial Park Farmers’ Market
From June through October every Saturday morning, this vibrant farmers’ market at Memorial Park offers fresh produce, artisanal cheeses, baked goods, and local crafts. Sample farm-fresh berries and homemade jams while enjoying live acoustic music. Bring a picnic blanket and make a little brunch of it on the lawn.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Ipswich Riverwalk Trail
Enjoy a scenic 3-mile paved path along the Ipswich River, perfect for walking, jogging, biking, and birdwatching. Trailheads on Lowell Street and at the Town Forest parking lot feature benches and interpretive signage about local wildlife. Well-maintained and family-friendly, it’s a peaceful escape right in town.
Phone: (781) 942-9077
West Street Historic District Walking Tour
Pick up a free self-guided tour map and explore a 1-mile loop of West Street’s 18th and 19th-century homes, churches, and civic buildings. Historic plaques detail each site’s architectural features and stories. Ideal for architecture buffs and history lovers, the tree-lined street offers a charming stroll.
Phone: (781) 942-9001
Walkers Brook Drive Shopping Center
A premier shopping destination with a mix of outlet stores, boutiques, and eateries. From fashion and home goods to specialty treats, it offers convenient parking and seasonal sidewalk sales. A central plaza, kids’ play area, and rotating food trucks make it a true day-out spot.
Phone: (781) 944-6363
KidsQuest VR Experience at Jordan’s Furniture
A cutting-edge virtual reality playground where kids and teens dive into interactive games, educational simulations, and immersive adventures. Complimentary with Jordan’s Furniture purchase, it’s perfect for birthday parties or weekend family fun. Reservations recommended on busy holiday weekends.
Phone: (781) 942-9816
Reading YMCA
The Reading YMCA offers indoor pools, fitness classes, sports leagues, and community programs for all ages. Drop-in passes provide access to cardio and weight rooms, while registered programs run youth swim lessons and summer camps. Accessible facilities and friendly staff ensure a welcoming atmosphere.
Phone: (781) 942-2805
Memorial Park Summer Concert Series
Enjoy free outdoor concerts each Friday evening from June through August at the Memorial Park bandstand. Local bands cover jazz, classical, rock, and folk genres. Pack a picnic or grab dinner from on-site food trucks as you relax on the lawn under the stars.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Parker Tavern
Built in 1694, the Parker Tavern is Reading’s oldest surviving structure and a fine example of a colonial-era saltbox. Originally owned by blacksmith Abraham Bryant, it served as a tavern under Ephraim Parker during the Revolutionary period and later became a local history museum. Its preserved wood-frame construction and granite foundation illustrate early masonry and timber framing techniques.
Phone: 781-944-2957
Joseph Bancroft House
Constructed around 1833, this Federal-style wood-frame dwelling features a symmetrical five-bay façade with classical pilasters and entablature at its center entrance. Built for Joseph Bancroft, scion of a prominent local milling and shoemaking family, it exemplifies the refined proportions and clapboard siding of early 19th-century civic architecture. Its preservation informs best practices in historic envelope repair.
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Samuel Bancroft House
Dating to 1748, the Georgian-style Samuel Bancroft House is one of Reading’s oldest colonial-period homes. Its five-bay façade and high-set windows reflect mid-18th-century craftsmanship in timber framing and clapboard work. As part of the West Street Historic District, it offers valuable insights into period-correct restoration of early Georgian proportions and moldings.
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Francis Brooks House
Built in the late 1880s, the Francis Brooks House is an exemplary Queen Anne/Stick-style Victorian residence. Its asymmetrical façade, decorative turned porch posts, and Stick-work sunburst motifs showcase the ornate carpentry and patterned shingles prized by 19th-century builders. Preservation of its intricate woodwork informs modern approaches to restoring period-accurate trim.
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Carter Mansion
Originally built in 1802 in the Federal style and later enhanced with Italianate and Queen Anne features, the Carter Mansion exemplifies adaptive architectural tastes through the 19th century. Its bracketed porches, carved window surrounds, and granite stair engraving embody craftsmanship that restoration masons now strive to replicate. The mansion’s layered history offers a case study in phased exterior envelope renovations.
Phone: (781) 944-1572
Octagon House
Constructed in 1860 by Dr. Horace Wakefield, the Octagon House uniquely blends Octagon Mode layout with Gothic Revival details. Its timber-frame construction, central cupola, and zigzag-trim brackets illustrate innovative 19th-century design theories on ventilation and light. The structure informs modern efforts at conserving unusual floor plans and decorative woodwork.
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Joseph Parker House
Built circa 1795, this Federal-style home features a side-gable roof and symmetrical five-bay façade characteristic of post-Revolutionary architecture. Joseph Parker, a local tavern operator and civic figure, commissioned its fine clapboard siding and proportional window placement. The house’s preservation provides insights into early American framing and weather-resistant siding techniques.
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Pierce House
This 1878 Stick/Eastlake residence at 128 Salem Street showcases intricate stickwork and bracketed eaves. The steeply pitched roof and patterned shingle ornamentation illustrate late-Victorian attention to carpentry detail. Restoration of its ornate trim guides modern contractors in replicating period-accurate millwork.
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Pratt House
Built in 1809, the Pratt House is a transitional Georgian/Federal wood-frame dwelling. Its single-room-deep plan and rear shed-roof extension reflect early 19th-century vernacular building techniques. The house’s preservation illustrates best practices in maintaining original timber framing and clapboard exteriors.
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Stillman Pratt House
Circa late 1840s, this Greek Revival variant features corner Doric pilasters, a full-width porch supported by fluted columns, and architrave window surrounds. Its high-pitched gables and classical detailing make it a rare local example of mid-19th-century style. Restoration of its masonry-style roof overhang and wood columns informs preservation of classical forms.
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Wendell Bancroft House
Built in the late 1860s in the Gothic Revival style, the Wendell Bancroft House features steeply pitched gables, pointed-arch trim, and board-and-batten siding. Constructed for a leading local businessman, it remains one of Reading’s few surviving Gothic residences. Its conservation provides guidance on repairing vertical siding and ornamental trim.
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Roberts House
The 59 Prospect Street Roberts House, dating to 1884, blends Colonial Revival massing with Craftsman-style porch details. Its balanced façade and stone foundation illustrate late Victorian masonry preferences. Restoration of its brick chimneys and wooden porches offers practical lessons in matching historic mortar profiles and carpentry joinery.
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Eaton–Prescott House
Built around 1757, this Georgian/Genevan-Revival dwelling at 284 Summer Ave features original clapboard siding and symmetrical fenestration. Owned by a prominent nursery family, its adaptive uses illustrate colonial-era construction longevity. Preservation of its hand-hewn timbers guides current structural stabilization methods.
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Luther Elliott House
At 309 Haven Street, the 1830s Luther Elliott House exemplifies Greek Revival form with its side-gable roof and classical cornice returns. Its well-preserved façades and sash windows demonstrate early-19th-century carpentry and fenestration standards. Conservation of its wooden cornices informs modern restoration of period millwork.
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Stephen Hall House
This 1888 Queen Anne residence blends patterned shingles, asymmetrical massing, and decorative spindlework. Located near Reading’s center, it stands as a local landmark of Victorian civic pride. Its restoration underscores the importance of matching historic woodwork profiles and shingle patterns.
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William Parker House
Built in 1851 at 55 Walnut Street, this Italianate residence features bracketed eaves, tall narrow windows, and a low-pitched roof. The masonry foundation and ornate cornice brackets highlight mid-19th-century design preferences. Its conservation informs modern approaches to repairing decorative eaves and masonry foundations.
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Washington Damon House
Constructed in 1842, this Federal-style home at 38 Salem Street features side-gabled orientation, clapboard siding, and refined door surrounds with entablature. Washington Damon’s home remains an archetype of civic-era domestic architecture. Its preservation informs repair of original clapboards and Federal-period door surrounds.
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Joseph Temple House
This 1872 Second Empire wood-frame at 42 Chute Street is marked by its mansard roof and elaborate dormer trim. Commissioned by necktie manufacturer Joseph Temple, it embodies industrial-era prosperity and detailed carpentry. Its conservation informs modern work on slate roofing and decorative dormer restoration.
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Mark Temple House
Built in 1892 at 141 Summer Ave, the Mark Temple House displays Queen Anne and Stick-style features, including patterned shingles and wrap-around porches. Its masonry foundation and ornamental woodwork reflect late-Victorian carpentry excellence. Preservation of its turret and shingle patterns guides current exterior restoration practices.
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Reading Municipal Building
Completed in 1885 and designed by Horace G. Wadlin, this Renaissance Revival brick building served as town offices, a jail, and a fire station. Its round-arch openings and Stick/Eastlake wood tower details make it a civic-era architectural landmark. Its adaptive reuse as a senior center provides a model for converting historic public structures.
Phone: (781) 942-9001
Beanstalk Adventure Ropes Course
Climb, swing, and zip through over 60 aerial challenges at the Beanstalk Ropes Course, nestled within the Jordan’s Furniture complex. Suitable for ages 6 and up, this high-ropes adventure tests balance and bravery on suspensions bridges, nets, and a thrilling zip line finale. Perfect for families, groups, or team-building outings.
Phone: (781) 942-9816
Sunbrella IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan’s Furniture
Experience towering IMAX® cinema in stunning 3D on an 80×60-foot screen with state-of-the-art laser projection and immersive surround sound. Located within Jordan’s Furniture, the Sunbrella IMAX 3D Theater offers daily showings of Hollywood blockbusters and educational documentaries. Enjoy plush seating and concession favorites for the ultimate movie outing.
Phone: (781) 942-9600
Memorial Park
Memorial Park is the heart of Reading’s outdoor life, featuring playgrounds, walking paths, picnic areas, and seasonal ice skating. Renovated in 2010, the park hosts community festivals, concerts, and sports leagues on its multipurpose fields. A memorial area pays tribute to local veterans, making it both a recreational and reflective space.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Creative Playthings Showroom
Let kids test-drive premium pine swing sets, playhouses, and climbers at Creative Playthings’ interactive showroom. Staff demonstrate backyard installations and safety features while families explore design options. A perfect stop for spring and summer inspiration.
Phone: (781) 670-9009
Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading welcomes all faiths for Sunday gatherings, community outreach programs, and concerts. Housed in a historic 19th-century sanctuary, the church is noted for its stained-glass windows and social justice initiatives. Visitors can join meditation groups, film nights, and guest speakers on current issues.
Phone: (781) 944-0494
Hawkes Field House
Located at Reading Memorial High School, the Walter E. Hawkes Field House hosts basketball leagues, fitness classes, town meetings, and robotics competitions. The versatile gym space includes a regulation court, bleacher seating, and space for community expos. Open daily for scheduled events and drop-in activities.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Birch Meadow Park
Birch Meadow Park offers open fields, playgrounds, community tennis courts, and walking trails across 20+ acres. Seasonal field hockey and lacrosse clinics use the multi-purpose fields, while families picnic near the Tot Lot playground. Plenty of parking and restful green space make it a favorite local retreat.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Reading Town Forest
Explore 356 acres of mixed hardwoods, streams, and ponds in the Reading Town Forest. A network of blue, purple, and red-blazed trails offers hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching, and seasonal hunting. Park at 16 Lowell Street and follow the blazes into this native wildlife sanctuary.
Phone: (781) 942-9077
Washington Park
Washington Park features baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a children’s playground. Widely used by school teams and recreational leagues, its well-maintained facilities and shaded picnic areas welcome sports enthusiasts and families alike. Seasonal events include outdoor concerts and movie nights.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Sturges Field
Located on South Street, Sturges Field provides multi-use courts for basketball, tennis, and ice skating in winter. The central playground and picnic areas make it ideal for family outings, while summer soccer leagues utilize the open turf. Nighttime lighting extends play after dark.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Symonds Field
Symonds Field on Symonds Way offers baseball and soccer fields surrounded by walking paths. Well-lit for evening practices and featuring modern dugouts, it’s home to local little league and youth soccer clubs. Free parking and bleacher seating make it spectator-friendly.
Phone: (781) 942-9075
Pete Moscariello Field
Oakland Road’s Pete Moscariello Field features a regulation 90-foot baseball diamond and batting cages, hosting town leagues and weekend tournaments. The well-groomed infield and outfield grass make it popular for family games, and a nearby concession stand serves snacks and drinks.
Phone: 781-942-9136
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