While visiting science centers in nearby Lancaster and Philadelphia with his two young sons, Jim Cinelli, a Lehigh University graduate and president of an environmental engineering firm, started wondering why Reading didn’t have a similar hands-on science center.  After all, the city had a rich history rooted in industrial science and technology, and was home to businesses ranging from the world-class textile mills and steelmakers that put Reading on the map years ago to modern firms that produce state-of-the-art medical devices and cutting edge global data analytics.

It didn’t take long before Jim recruited others in the Berks County community with a passion for science and engineering – retired industry professionals, local teachers and college professors, and many who just wanted to share their love of science with young people.  In 2018, the Reading Science Center was created as a 501c3 and together with financial support of individuals and foundations, these volunteers made the idea a reality.  On weekends and evenings you’d find them retrofitting exhibits purchased from or donated by museums as far away as Minnesota and Pittsburgh, planning hands-on experiments like “lava lamp” and “dancing raisins”, and installing a replica of the Saturn V spaceship.  A global pandemic delayed but did not deter the group, and in October 2020 the Reading Science Center opened its doors to visitors at 645 Penn Street, ready to light a spark for science in the Greater Reading community.