Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Reading (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: IMAX, House at 16 Mineral Street, and Parker Tavern. Also, be sure to include Reading Police Department in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Reading (Massachusetts).
Table of Contents
IMAX
Theater in Reading, Massachusetts. The Sunbrella IMAX Theaters are two IMAX Digital 3D theaters located in Jordan's Furniture stores in Natick, Massachusetts and Reading, Massachusetts.
The theater in Natick was the first one to open in August 2002. It features a screen that is 76 feet wide by 55 feet high, 12,000 watt sound, 279 Tempur-Pedic seats, and digitally remastered Hollywood films.
After the success of the theater in Natick, they opened their second theater during October 2004 in Reading which includes many of the features of the Natick IMAX with a seating capacity of 500.
The theaters were originally sponsored by Verizon Communications. In April 2011, the sponsorship with Verizon ended, and Tempurpedic took over the naming rights. In October 2014, Sunbrella was named sponsor of Jordan's Furniture IMAX theaters.
In September 2012, both theaters removed their 15/70 Film projectors and replaced them with digital projectors. In September 2015, Reading theater was upgraded to an IMAX with Laser projection system. IMAX with Laser uses a dual 4K Laser projection system.[1]
Address: 50 Walkers Brook Dr, 01867 Reading (Reading)
House at 16 Mineral Street
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. 16 Mineral Street in Reading, Massachusetts is a well-preserved Second Empire cottage. It was built c. 1874 and probably moved to its present location not long afterward, during a building boom in that part of the town. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[2]
Parker Tavern
Museum in Reading, Massachusetts. The Parker Tavern is a historic house museum in Reading, Massachusetts, United States. Built in 1694, it is the oldest extant structure in Reading. The saltbox was built by Abraham Bryant, a farmer and blacksmith, and Ephraim Parker operated a tavern on the premises in the 18th century. It has been a local history museum since 1923, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[3]
Address: 103 Washington St, 01867-3523 Reading (Reading)
Reading Police Department
City hall, Police, Safety
Address: 15 Union St, Reading (Reading)
Reading Public Library
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The Reading Public Library is located in Reading, Massachusetts. Previously known as the Highland School, the two-story brick-and-concrete Renaissance Revival building was designed by architect Horace G. Wadlin and built in 1896–97. The building served the town's public school needs until 1981. It is the town's most architecturally distinguished school building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the year it was converted for use as the library.[4]
Address: 64 Middlesex Ave, 01867 Reading (Reading)
Joseph Temple House
The Joseph Temple House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. The Second Empire wood-frame house was built in 1872 by Joseph Temple, owner of locally prominent necktie manufacturer. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[5]
Alden Batchelder House
The Alden Batchelder House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in the early 1850s, it is an excellent example of an early Italianate design. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[6]
House at 44 Temple Street
The House at 44 Temple Street in Reading, Massachusetts is an excellent local example of the Bungalow style of architecture. Built c. 1910, it has a low hip roof with exceptionally wide eaves supported by exposed rafters. The front of the roof is further supported by two large decorative knee braces. Large square shingled piers anchor the balustrade of the front porch. One of its early owners, Annie Bliss, wrote a column in the local Reading Chronicle, and ran a candy shop out of her home.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[7]
Jacob Manning House
The Jacob Manning House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1877 for garden nursery owner Jacob Manning, this 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house is an excellent local example of Stick style architecture. It has a steeply pitched roof, multiple gables, tall thin windows, and decorative half-timber woodwork. The owner, Jacob Manning, owned one of the largest nurseries in the area, and was responsible for the landscaping of the Massachusetts pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World Fair.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[8]
Joseph Bancroft House
The Joseph Bancroft House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in the early 1830s, it is a prominent local example of Federal period architecture. It was built for a member of the locally prominent Bancroft family, who inherited a large tract of land in the area. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[9]
Carter Mansion
The Carter Mansion is a historic house located in Reading, Massachusetts.[10]
Capt. Nathaniel Parker Red House
Historical place in Reading, Massachusetts. The Capt. Nathaniel Parker Red House is a historic house at 77–83 Ash Street in Reading, Massachusetts. It is a 2+1⁄2-story vernacular Georgian house, five bays wide, with entrances on its north and south facades. The southern entry is slightly more elegant, with flanking pilasters and a transom window. The house was built sometime before 1755, and was already a well-known landmark because it was painted, and served as a tavern on the coach road. The Tavern served as a meeting place for many revolutionaries and minute men, notably Marquis de Lafayette, and Alexander Hamilton. The house remained in the hands of militia captain Nathaniel Parker and his descendants into the late 19th century. The construction of the Andover Turnpike in 1806–07, bypassing its location, prompted a decline in the tavern's business.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[11]
House at 42 Salem Street
The House at 42 Salem Street in Reading, Massachusetts is a transitional Greek Revival-Italianate house. Built sometime before 1854, its gable end faces the street, with the door on the left bay of three, a typical Greek Revival side hall layout. The doorway is topped by a heavy Italianate hood. The windows have shallow pedimented lintels, and the left facade has a projecting square bay. The house was occupied for many years by S. H. Dinsmore, a cabinetmaker who originally worked from a shop in the rear of the property and later moved to a larger space a short way down Salem Street. The house is typical of small industry that developed along Salem Street in the second half of the 19th century. It is next door to the Washington Damon House.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[12]
House at 26 Center Avenue
26 Center Avenue in Reading, Massachusetts is an architecturally eclectic cottage, with a mix of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate features. Built c. 1854–1875, it is a rare surviving remnant of a residential subdivision once dubbed "Mudville" for the condition of its unpaved roads. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[13]
Luther Elliott House
The Luther Elliott House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. The modestly sized 1.5-story wood-frame house was built in 1850, by Luther Elliott, a local cabinetmaker who developed an innovative method of sawing wood veneers. The house has numerous well preserved Greek Revival features, including corner pilasters, and a front door surrounded with sidelight windows and pilasters supporting a tall entablature.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[14]
House at 322 Haven Street
322 Haven Street in Reading, Massachusetts is well preserved cottage with Gothic and Italianate features. Built sometime before 1889, its use of even modest Gothic features is unusual in Reading, where the Gothic Revival was not particularly popular. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[15]
Harnden–Browne House
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The Harnden–Browne House is a historic house at 60-62 Salem Street in Reading, Massachusetts, exemplifying the adaptation of older buildings to new architectural styles. The 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house was built in 1831 by Sylvester Harnden, likely in a Georgian-Federal vernacular style. Later in the 19th century it was restyled with some Queen Anne details, and converted to a boarding house. In 1928 it was owned by Thomas Browne, an Irish immigrant who first roomed in the house.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[16]
House at 129 High Street
129 High Street in Reading, Massachusetts is a well-preserved, modestly scaled Queen Anne Victorian house. Built sometime in the 1890s, it typifies local Victorian architecture of the period, in a neighborhood that was once built out with many similar homes. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[17]
House at 79–81 Salem Street
The House at 79–81 Salem Street, also known as the Samuel Allen House, in Reading, Massachusetts was a modest Greek Revival two-family cottage. The wood-frame house was built sometime between 1830 and 1854 was a typical vernacular Greek Revival house, with a five-bay facade and a paired central entrance. When the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the two entrances were flanked by pilasters supporting an unusually tall entablature; the house was later covered in synthetic siding, and a projecting portion at the top of the entablature was removed. The structure was completely torn down in 2021 for new construction.[18]
House at 11 Beach Street
11 Beach Street in Reading, Massachusetts is a modest Queen Anne cottage, built c. 1875-1889 based on a published design. Its first documented owner was Emily Ruggles, a prominent local businesswoman and real estate developer. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[19]
Brande House
The Brande House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1895, the house is a distinctive local example of a Queen Anne Victorian with Shingle and Stick style features. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[20]
Charles Manning House
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The Charles Manning House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house, three bays wide, with a front-facing gable roof, clapboard siding, and a granite foundation. Built c. 1850, it has well-preserved Greek Revival details. It has a typical three-bay side-hall plan, with corner pilasters and a main entry surround consisting of long sidelight windows framed by pilasters and topped by an entablature. The windows are topped by shallow pedimented lintels. Charles Manning was a longtime Reading resident and part of its woodworking community, building parlor desks. Reading's Manning Street is named for him.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[21]
Reading Municipal Building
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The former Reading Municipal Building is a historic building at 49 Pleasant Street in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1885, this two-story brick building was the town's first municipal structure, housing the town offices, jail, and fire station. In 1918 all functions except fire services moved out of the building. It now serves as Reading's Pleasant Street Senior Center. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[22]
Rev. Peter Sanborn House
The Rev. Peter Sanborn House is a historic house at 55 Lowell Street in Reading, Massachusetts. The 2+1⁄2-story Federal style wood-frame house was built c. 1812 by Reverent Peter Sanborn, minister of the Third Parish Church and a significant community leader. It was purchased from Sanborn's estate in 1860 by Benjamin Boyce, a clockmaker and son-in-law of Daniel Pratt, a significant local businessman. It was modified by subsequent owners to add Victorian styling, but most of these changes were removed as part of restoration efforts in the late 20th century. The house has simple vernacular Federal styling.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[23]
Octagon House
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The Octagon House is a historic octagon house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1860 by Doctor Horace Wakefield, it is a distinctive variant of the type, executed as a series of small octagonal shapes around a central cupola. The building is fashioned from large, heavy timbers in the manner of a log cabin, with long first-floor windows. The porches and eaves have heavy zigzag trim and brackets, some of which have carvings resembling gargoyles.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[24]
Parker House
The Parker House is a historic house at 52 Salem Street in Reading, Massachusetts. It is a 2+1⁄2-story vernacular Federal-style wood-frame house, five bays wide, with a side gable roof, clapboard siding, and a granite foundation. Its center entrance is particularly fine, with tall sidelight windows flanked by pilasters, and topped by an entablature with a shallow hood. The house was built in 1792, although its center chimney may date from an older house built on the site in 1715. Jonas Parker, the builder, was active in the American Revolution. A portion of Parker's farm was dedicated as Memorial Park in 1919.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[25]
Rowhouses at 256–274 Haven Street
The Rowhouses at 256–274 Haven Street are a series of historic rowhouses in Reading, Massachusetts, USA. They were built in 1886 by Edward Manning on the site of a millyard that had been destroyed by fire a few years before. The rowhouses are in a Greek Revival/Italianate style, unusual given that these styles had passed out of fashion by that time. They are the only period rowhouses in Reading.
The rowhouses were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[26]
Pierce House
The Pierce House is a historic house at 128 Salem Street in Reading, Massachusetts. The 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house was built sometime between 1875 and 1880 for Samuel Pierce, owner of the nearby Pierce Organ Pipe Factory. The house has Stick style/Eastlake style features, including a steeply pitched gable roof with exposed rafter ends, and an elaborately decorated entry porch with square chamfered columns and brackets in the eaves.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[27]
Stephen Hall House
The Stephen Hall House is a historic house at 64 Minot Street in Reading, Massachusetts. The 1+1⁄2-story wood-frame house was built in the 1850s, and is one of Reading's best examples of Gothic Victorian residential architecture. It has board-and-batten siding, long and narrow windows, and a central projecting gabled overhang with Gothic arched windows and a deep eave with brackets. Although it appears to be a near copy of a design published by Andrew Jackson Downing, its plan was apparently copied from a house in Wakefield, and is lacking some of Downing's proportions.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[28]
Masonic Block
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The Masonic Block is an historic commercial block in Reading, Massachusetts. This three story brick building is distinctive in the town for its Renaissance Revival styling. It was built in 1894 by the local Reading Masonic Temple Corporation, and housed the local Masonic lodge on the third floor. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[29]
House at 57 Woburn Street
The House at 57 Woburn Street in Reading, Massachusetts is a Queen Anne style house designed by architect Horace G. Wadlin and built c. 1889 for Alfred Danforth, railroad employee who served for a time as Reading's town clerk. It is one of the town's more elaborate Queen Anne houses, with patterned shingles and an ornately decorated porch. The front-facing gable is particularly elaborate, with wave-form shingling and a pair of sash windows set in a curved recess.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[30]
Parker House
The Parker House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. It is a two-story wood-frame cottage, two bays wide, with a front-facing gable roof, clapboard siding, and a side entrance accessed from its wraparound porch. It is a well-preserved example Queen Anne/Stick style, with high style features that are unusual for a relatively modest house size. Its front gable end is embellished with Stick style woodwork resembling half-timbering, and the porch is supported by basket-handle brackets.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[31]
Ace Art Company
Building in Reading, Massachusetts. The Ace Art Company is a historic commercial and industrial building in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1924, the single-story brick building is the only Art Deco building in Reading. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[32]
Bowser Gazebo
The Bowser Gazebo is a historic gazebo at 25 Linden Street in Reading, Massachusetts. It is an open octagonal wooden structure, measuring about 10 by 10 feet. It has a low cross-hatched balustrade, above which piers rise to support the octagonal bell-cast roof. The piers are paneled, with circular holes in the paneling. Above the piers is a large area of diagonal cross-hatching, with small rounded arches at the non-entry openings and larger round-arch openings at the entrances.
The gazebo was designed by architect Horace G. Wadlin and built sometime before 1894. It is one of the only known surviving 19th century gazebos in Reading. It (and the house on the property) belonged to R. L. Bowser, owner of a local dry goods store.
The gazebo was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[33]
Washington Damon House
The Washington Damon House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts, exhibiting the adaptation of existing housing stock to new architectural style. The 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house was built in 1839, and was at the time a fairly conventional side hall Greek Revival house, although it has small wings on either side that also appear date to that period. It was significantly renovated in 1906, when the wraparound porch was added, as was the Palladian window in the front gable end. When made, these additions included Greek Revival elements that were sensitive to those already present on the structure.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[34]