Overview
Reading is a town of 26,000 people (2020) in Greater Boston. Reading played an active role in the American Revolutionary War. It was prominently involved in the engagements pursuing the retreating British Army after the battles of Lexington and Concord, and has a few sites associated with the Revolutionary Era.
5 sights · 1 things to do · 3 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Reading
Parker Tavern
A house dating back to colonial times. It is a frequent field trip destination for the town's elementary schoolers, and it provides short tours during the more temperate times of year (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
Stephen Hall House
Historic house 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.
Capt. Nathaniel Parker Red House
Built sometime before 1755 and originally a town tavern, the house was a meeting place for notable American Revolutionaries.
St. Athanasius Parish Church
The roof of this catholic church was designed by Louis A. Scibelli and Daniel F. Tulley in 1959, and is one of the largest hyperbolic paraboloids in the Western Hemisphere. The pouring of the concrete roof was done in on…
Burbank Ice Arena
Indoor skating rink open to the public. Pro shop, snack bar, restrooms.
Sunbrella IMAX 3D Theater
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 18°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Mar.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BED Laurence G Hanscom Field, Bedford — 11 mi away. Directions
- BOS Boston Logan International Airport, Boston — 12 mi away (major hub). Directions
Interstate 93 and 95 runs along the border of Reading, you can take the exits off onto Route 129 or Route 28 to travel into town. Traffic on the highway does get quite heavy during rush hour.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Parker Tavern, Stephen Hall House
- Lunch Cafe Capri
- Afternoon Capt. Nathaniel Parker Red House
- Dinner Bagel World
- Evening Venetian Moon
Day 2
- Morning St. Athanasius Parish Church, Burbank Ice Arena
- Lunch Mandarin Reading
- Afternoon Sunbrella IMAX 3D Theater
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
Interstate 93 and 95 runs along the border of Reading, you can take the exits off onto Route 129 or Route 28 to travel into town. Traffic on the highway does get quite heavy during rush hour.
By public transit
The MBTA Commuter Rail (Haverhill/Reading Line) goes through here with a station in the town center. The station is also the terminus of the MBTA's 136/137 bus route.
Get around
The town is very neatly condensed around its main street, so once you're in town, you're pretty close to everything. The streets are in good condition in some places, while other roads are riddled with potholes and other relatively minor problems. The local phone book (not the Yellow Pages) has a map of the town on its back cover. Ask about the phone book at the town hall by the Old South Church in the town square.
Bikers be warned: there isn't much room for cyclists who want to ride on the road, the terrain is hilly, and drivers generally aren't very considerate of cyclists on major roads such as Main Street.
See
See Stephen Hall House
Historic house 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.
See Capt. Nathaniel Parker Red House
Built sometime before 1755 and originally a town tavern, the house was a meeting place for notable American Revolutionaries.
Do
By all accounts, there is little to do in Reading but go elsewhere.
Joking aside, there is the plaza on Walkers Brook Drive; the Jordan's furniture store there has an IMAX theater.
Buy
Eat
Eat Bagel World
By far the most popular bagel shop in town (and there are several!). Expect a lot of high school students on weekdays and expect a huge crowd on Sunday mornings. The prices are reasonable and the service is prompt.
Eat Cafe Capri (Reading Plaza)
It makes good ravioli, steak, and pizza, and delivers all three to locations throughout Reading. When dining in, service is good, and there is rarely a massive crowd.
Eat Mandarin Reading
It offers the best in Chinese and Japanese food in an elegant restaurant setting, certainly fit for business lunches. During the week, they offer a lunch buffet which includes many Chinese dishes, sushi, and desserts. Mandarin also has two great bars: one for sushi, one for drinks. The staff is friendly and the wait times are usually quite reasonable. On Fridays, the wait for lunch is typically long and parking is hard to find.
Drink
Drink Venetian Moon
The martini bar is a popular place to get a drink in Reading.
Sleep
No lodging services have been listed. However, neighboring Wakefield and Woburn have a number of hotels.
Nearby
Wakefield
City / town · 7 listings · 2 mi away
Stoneham
City / town · 4 listings · 3 mi away
North Reading
City / town · 10 listings · 4 mi away
Wilmington
City / town · 16 listings · 4 mi away
Woburn
City / town · 13 listings · 4 mi away
Saugus
City / town · 8 listings · 6 mi away
Malden
City / town · 10 listings · 7 mi away
Medford
City / town · 13 listings · 7 mi away
My experience
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