Berks Connect
Science museumsHershey, Harrisburg and Lebanon

Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts

Harrisburg, PA · 1 hour 18 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person

whitakercenter.org|Day trips from Berks County
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts

Plan the day

Drive1 hour 18 minutes from Reading, 61 miles1 hour 48 minutes from Boyertown · 1 hour 10 minutes from Hamburg · 1 hour 11 minutes from Morgantown
Where222 Market Street, Harrisburg, PAOpen in maps →
OpenYear-round, Friday through Monday; theater shows run on their own datesFriday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
AdmissionUPMC Science Center: adults 18 to 59 $16, juniors 3 to 17 $13, seniors 60+ $13, under 2 free. Select Medical Digital Cinema films: adults $9.50, juniors and seniors $8 (posted October 2026).
Good forlittle kids, big kids, teens, adults

Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is a science center, digital cinema and performance theater under one roof in downtown Harrisburg, PA. Each is ticketed on its own.

Kids Place has a life-sized Operation game, an X-ray table and Pin Ball Falls for the youngest visitors; Carnival of Health, Forces of Nature, Backstage Studio and the STEM Design Studios carry older kids, and the PNC Innovation Zone is for ages 10 and up. The traveling exhibit Mission Aerospace runs September 26, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and the theater books touring shows and concerts.

Before you go

The Walnut Street Garage connects directly to the center; it is paid only through the Metropolis app, so set it up with your plate and card before you arrive. Downtown street parking is free after 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday. Some events need separate registration.

Coming up

Mission Aerospace, a traveling exhibit about everything that flies, runs September 26, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Space Day is Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free with registration, and Science Spooktacular is Friday, October 30, 5 to 7 p.m. with a science center ticket.

Official site →Tickets →

Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.

More science museums worth the drive

Lancaster Science Factory
Science museumsLancaster County

Lancaster Science Factory

Lancaster, PA · 43 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person

The Lancaster Science Factory is a hands-on, interactive science center in Lancaster, PA, for kids in Pre-K through 8th grade and their families. Admission is good for the whole day.

Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion
Science museumsLehigh Valley

Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion

Allentown, PA · 55 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person

Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion is an interactive science museum in downtown Allentown, PA. Its galleries cover the human body, the Lehigh River watershed and Lehigh Valley industry, plus a science theater and traveling exhibits.

The Franklin Institute
Science museumsPhiladelphia and Camden

The Franklin Institute

Philadelphia, PA · 1 hour 17 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person

The Franklin Institute is a science museum at 20th Street in Philadelphia, PA, with three floors of hands-on exhibits, the Fels Planetarium and daily live science shows.

Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Science museumsNorthern Delaware

Delaware Museum of Nature & Science

Wilmington, DE · 1 hour 19 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person

The Delaware Museum of Nature & Science is a natural history museum on Kennett Pike in Wilmington, DE, with galleries on Delaware's ecosystems, life around the world and the Cretaceous Mid-Atlantic.

Maryland Science Center
Science museumsMaryland

Maryland Science Center

Baltimore, MD · 2 hours 24 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person

The Maryland Science Center is a hands-on science museum with a planetarium and IMAX theater at 601 Light Street on the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.

See every one of the science museums on the list →