The community is invited to gather at the Reading Public Museum on Thursday, May 1 at 3pm to witness and celebrate two exciting moments: the devotion of a time capsule exactly 100 years after The Museum’s cornerstone was laid, and the dedication of an Artemis 1 Moon Tree planted in the Arboretum.
This gathering will celebrate a century of The Museum’s building and grounds, honoring its enduring commitment to education; its founders’vision; and its lasting impact as it embarks on the next 100 years.
On May 1, 1925, distinguished members of RPM staff, the Reading School District, and the community gathered to lay the cornerstone of their new Museum. This moment is memorialized in a black and white photograph (on display in the current exhibition 100 Years: A Cornerstone of Our Community.) Laying the cornerstone of RPM marked the fulfillment of Dr. Levi Mengel’s vision of building an educational museum of world treasures.
Inside the 1925 cornerstone was placed a time capsule containing an American flag, a Holy Bible, a set of 1925 coins ranging from 1 cent to $1.00, daily newspapers from April 30 and May 1, 1925, and the names of Reading School Board Members, the architect, and the builder, among other things.
On the same day 100 years later, the organization will gather at the same cornerstone where a second time capsule will be dedicated to mark this centenary milestone. The new time capsule will take inspiration from the original 1925 contents while including new materials that mark the achievements and growth experienced by The Museum in the past century. A Time Capsule Committee consisting of Museum staff, past Museum Executive Directors and Board Chairs, Reading School District administrators, a relative of founder Dr. Levi W. Mengel, Museum volunteers, and local politicians was tasked with collecting materials to fill the 2025 capsule.
On May 1, 2025, the organization will recreate the 1925 cornerstone-laying photograph as they dedicate the capsule, surrounded by Committee participants and Museum staff.
Following the time capsule dedication, attendees will follow the footpath to gather in front of The Museum’s NASA Moon Tree to commemorate its planting.
Last spring, the Reading Public Museum Arboretum became the home of a very special sycamore tree sapling. As a part of the Artemis 1 mission, the seed from which it grew spent 4 weeks traveling thousands of miles beyond the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft before returning to Earth to be grown by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services. The thriving sycamore joins 25 acres of plantings, some of which have stood for as long as The Museum building itself.
The Moon Tree represents The Museums continued commitment to inspiring curiosity and fostering learning about science, the outdoors, space exploration, and the interconnectedness of Earth and the universe.
“The Museum is delighted to celebrate 100 years in its iconic building in the 18th Ward of Reading. The continuing existence of our building and grounds exemplify the timeless need for communities to have unyielding places to gather, learn, and be inspired” said Geoffrey K. Fleming, Executive Director and CEO. “We hope that the community will join us in celebrating as we enter the next 100 years of serving Reading and beyond.”
The ceremonial gathering is free to the public and will host a local food truck for the purchase of refreshments.
The Reading Public Museum is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA. Admission per day is: $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (w/ID), and free to Members and children three years old and under. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. readingpublicmuseum.org
Reading School District students are granted free Museum and Planetarium access and may be accompanied by two adults at no cost. Students must show a District ID card, and the adults who accompany them must show proof they reside in zip codes within the District.