Museums and history
Reading is blessed with some excellent museums, with activities and exhibits throughout to keep visitors of all ages happy. Reading Museum has two sites, Reading Museum and Town Hall and the Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock, both free. The galleries in both sites are packed with interesting objects, both local and international, and offer information on 1,000 years of Reading history. Highlights include a unique Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry and the famous Huntley and Palmers biscuit tins.
The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology holds the fourth-largest collection of Greek ceramics in Britain. It primarily consists of material from the Greek and Greco-Roman civilisations of the Mediterranean, most notably Greek and Etruscan ceramics and terracotta. There is also some prehistoric pottery, as well as metal and stone artefacts of the Greek and Roman eras.
The technically minded will love a trip to the REME Museum of Technology, located next to Arborfield Garrison, the home of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps. The best time for families to visit is during the school holidays, when staff put on great activities from junk modelling to an amazing mini assault course run by real REME soldiers.
Basildon Park is an impressive 18th-century Georgian mansion, surrounded by beautifully maintained parkland, rescued from ruin by Lord and Lady Iliffe in the mid-1950s. The house is open for viewing and features the full restoration project.
Festival
The oldest running music festival in the entire world, Reading Festival takes place every August Bank Holiday alongside the Leeds Festival which shares the same billing. The Reading event is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, near the Caversham Bridge. Known for top-rated international artists like Eminem and Green Day, and UK artists like Jake Bugg and the Arctic Monkeys, the festival is one of the most popular in the country. There is also a Fringe Festival which runs alongside the larger event and runs fringe acts throughout the town.
Food and drink
There is an abundance of fine eateries within Reading itself and no matter your tastes, you'll find something you like here. Stop off at Tutti Frutti for an ice cream or light bite, or visit Café Yolk for a great-tasting breakfast. Enjoy a wonderful family-friendly pub lunch at The Reformation or, for a taste of the unknown, try Pau Brasil for Brazilian and Portuguese dishes. Finally, Himalaya Momo House offers delightfully different Nepalese cuisine.
Whatever you choose to do in Reading, there is a wide variety of Reading hotels to choose from, so book your trip today.
