Reading Public Museum (RPM)

Admissions and tours - 2022 saw a significant increase in general admissions; 50,479 to the Museum, and 11,295 to the neag planetarium at the Reading Public Museum. We also saw substantially increased tour activity with 10,489 Museum tours and 10,271 tours to the planetarium. Tours are available to pre-k to senior groups, customized to meet the educational needs of the specific group and provided by professionally trained Museum personnel. To assist schools in covering the costs of tours, the Museum offers a funding program called "feed their imagination" (fti). Through the generous support of donors, the fti program allows groups to visit the Museum and planetarium by covering expenses such as admission and bussing costs. This funding program is integral to keeping our education and collection accessible to everyone in our community and bringing students into the Museum who otherwise would not have that opportunity. In 2022, approximately 41% of tours were partially or completely underwritten by the Museum's feed their imagination fund.the Museum and neag planetarium received a total of 82,534 guests in 2022. While no official count is kept, annual visits to the Museum arboretum and sculpture garden easily exceed 120,000 per year. the arboretum, a valuable community resource is maintained and managed by the Reading Public Museum at no cost to the Public. Temporary/special exhibits and permanent collection throughout the year the Museum provides patrons the opportunity to explore two kinds of exhibits. the Museum has permanent galleries which feature and educate about unique items from the permanent collection, including a mummified person which is over 2,000 years old. Patrons can also enjoy temporary/special exhibits from external institutions spanning many topics and target audiences. Rpm presented 9 temporary exhibitions in 2022, including 5 from external sources and 4 curated from our collection. Additionally, 104 works of art were acquired by gift and purchase for the Museum's permanent collection. An ever-increasing number of objects from the collection are accessible to the Public via emuseum, and several hundred more were added in 2022. Travelling exhibits the Museum makes available Museum owned exhibitions to other museums around the world. Allowing exhibitions to tour provides the Museum the opportunity to expand our mission beyond the immediate berks county community. In 2022, three touring exhibits were rented and displayed in museums located in annapolis, md; quincy, fl; and harrisburg, pa. the exhibition rentals in 2022 involved a total of 118 different works of art. In addition to entire exhibitions, the Museum loans individual works of art, and one such loan occurred in 2022.

Children's programssensory hours special programming, among other sensory-inclusive events, designed for individuals with a range of sensory sensitivities who otherwise would not be able to experience and enjoy the Museum. Children, families, and caregivers can visit the Museum before it opens which allows visitors to explore in a quiet, uncrowded environment. 2022 saw 130 attendees at various sensory programs. Family holiday events designed for the entire family, these events provide a special place for families to celebrate different holidays. There are four holiday events every year including easter at the Museum, trick or treat at the Museum, pictures with santa, and noon year's eve. These programs are a space safe for children to celebrate holidays and receive take-home educational kits and treats. We welcomed approximately 1,200 adults and children to these events in 2022.summer camp Museum discovery camp offered nine one-week camp experiences in 2022 focusing on a different educational component each week. the camps keep children engaged in learning over the summer by exploring each week's focus using the exhibits and collections owned by the Museum as well as hands on experiments and crafts. In 2022 the Museum filled 208 camp spaces over the nine weeks of camp.scout workshops and overnight stays scout workshops and overnights offer a wide variety of learning opportunities set in a unique environment. Some topics include science, arboretum exploration, and space exploration through the planetarium. In the Museum, scouts explore topics such as engineering, art, and book-binding. the Museum even offers its own girl scout badge. In 2022, scout programs saw 853 participants including scouts and adult leaders. Home school days home school days are offered twice a month during the school year. These programs are designed to supplement home school learning by providing enrichment opportunities in various subjects through special Museum tours and hands-on projects. Approximately 160 participants attended home school days in 2022.full steam ahead started in the fall 2017 steam is a toddler science program for parents and children providing hands-on exploration of science and art related topics. the program is offered twice a month during most months of the year. 60 toddlers and parents participated in the program throughout 2022.adult programsspecial events the Museum hosts internal events to engage the community every year. Three of these special events have become staples in the Museum's calendar as well as in the community: golfin' in the galleries, dogs & brews, and night at the Museum. These events raise significant funds for the Museum and solidify the relationships the Museum has built with our local supporters. In 2022, these three events combined saw 516 guests.senior series this monthly event invites seniors and anyone interested to visit the Museum and learn about different topics. These topics typically include information on current special exhibits, screenings of films, lectures, and behind the scenes glimpses of the Museum's collection. the event is free with paid Museum admission or membership. Senior series had approximately 300 attendees in 2022.arboretum education this program features presentations and lectures by master gardeners and other industry specialists, utilizing the arboretum and greenhouse resources. Approximately 300 people attended this series in 2022.yoga under the stars held in the neag planetarium dome and led by a certified yoga instructor, participants relax and exercise under the views of the planetarium. Each series consists of 5-6 weekly sessions. Total attendance in 2022 was 360 participants.bus trips trips throughout the year allow Museum patrons to visit other museums from Washington, d.c. to new york city to experience a special exhibit or just a general visit to experience that Museum. In 2022, 65 guests participated in bus trips.