The Reading Public Museum has replaced its more than 60-year-old electrical transformer with a new, state-of-the-art, code-compliant unit.
The over $600,000 cost of the unit was funded by the Reading School District, which owns the museum buildings and 22 acres of park-like grounds, mostly in Reading, the museum announced.
The new transformer, engineered and installed by Pagoda Electrical Inc. of Mohnton, will serve the electrical needs of the entire campus, including the main museum building, arboretum, greenhouse and Neag Planetarium, according to a release.
“We are deeply appreciative of the Reading School District’s generous funding of this important upgrade,” Dr. Anna Weitz, board chair of the Foundation for the Reading Public Museum, said in the release. “This helps to ensure the bright future of the museum, and all it has to enrich the lives of those in our diverse community.”
The museum is overseen by three different organizations: the school district; the foundation, which oversees fundraising and daily management; and the Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery, a corporation made up of school board members that owns a major portion of the museum’s collection.
The school district-supported upgrade is particularly timely, the release said, as the museum’s annual holiday display, Yuletide Around the World: a Festival of Trees, opened last month.
Various community and cultural groups decorated the museum’s galleries with 16 trees and other displays celebrating multiple cultures and holiday traditions, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Chinese New Year.
Visitors can stop by the admissions desk for a map and guide to follow as they explore the decorated galleries and learn about different holiday traditions and cultures celebrated in Berks County.
The holiday display will run through Jan. 7.
The museum also is offering three temporary exhibits:
• Voyage to the Deep runs through Jan. 7. The exhibit tells the story of underwater exploration and adventure based on Jules Verne’s classic 1870 novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” The family-friendly experience is highly interactive with engaging displays and tabletops, and hands-on activities, according to the museum’s website.
• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit runs through Jan. 14. The exhibit is based on themes presented in the award-winning PBS Kids television series created by The Fred Rogers Company that follows the adventures of 4-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends. Through immersive experiences, visitors can collaborate to solve problems, use their imaginations to transform their surroundings and learn about empathy, gratitude, sharing and diversity through creative and interactive play.
• Cartography in the Age of Enlightenment runs through Dec. 31. Made up entirely of works from the museum’s permanent collection, the exhibit explores the art and science of mapmaking from about 1685 to 1815. Over 20 maps, including views of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and the Americas, are featured and supplemented with several cartographical instruments.
In addition, several dome shows, along with ongoing exhibits in art, science and history, are underway in the Neag Planetarium.
The Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road, is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
For hours, admission prices and other information, visit the museum’s website at readingpublicmuseum.org.
Source: Berkshire mont
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