Pagoda atop the south end of Mount Penn overlooking Reading, Pennsylvania that has been a symbol of the city for more than a century
General Information
Building currently closed due to maintenance
How to Get There
From Philadelphia (57 miles): Get on I-76 W from S Penn Square and John F Kennedy Blvd. Follow I-76 W and US-422 W to US-422 BUS W/Perkiomen Ave in Reiffton. Take the US-422 BUS exit from US-422 W. Continue on US-422 BUS W to destination.
Overview
The Reading Pagoda is a seven-story Japanese-style building perched on a cliff atop Mount Penn, 620 feet above Reading, and a symbol of the city for more than a century. It offers a 30-mile panoramic view of the city and countryside, and houses a small cafe and gift shop. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1972).
Completed in 1908 for $50,000 as the centerpiece of a planned luxury resort, it was donated to Reading in 1911 when the resort plans fell through. A tocsin bell cast in Japan in 1739 hangs in the top story. It survived calls for demolition during World War II, was restored in 1949, and is now managed by the Foundation for the Reading Pagoda within the 1,595-acre Mount Penn Reserve. Nearby are the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower and Skyline Drive.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pagoda (Reading, Pennsylvania)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
