The Reading Pagoda

The Reading Pagoda is Reading's most distinctive landmark: a seven-storey Japanese-style tower in red-painted stucco and tile, sitting on the quartzite ridge of Mount Penn some 300 metres above the city. It is visible for miles at night when illuminated, and it has been the subject of exactly the kind of civic pride that cities with difficult economic histories often invest in their unlikely monuments.

The drive or walk up to the Pagoda gives you panoramic views over Reading, the Schuylkill Valley, and the rolling hills of Berks County. On a clear day, the view extends well beyond the city limits. Inside, there is a small gift shop and an exhibition on the Pagoda's history. Admission is free, which feels right for a building that the city bought for a dollar. The grounds are pleasant and well-maintained.

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A story
The Pagoda was built in 1908 by William Witman Sr. on the rocky ridge of Mount Penn, with the plan of operating it as a resort hotel. Local opposition — residents didn't want a hotel on their ridge — and a failed liquor licence application meant it never opened. Witman, facing ruin, sold it to the City of Reading for one dollar. The city has owned it ever since and turned it into a free public viewpoint, which is arguably a better outcome for the city than a hotel would have been.