We are thrilled to welcome pre-booked group visits of 10 people or more to Reading Museum and the historic Reading Abbey Quarter.
Advance booking is essential for groups of 10 people or more, and we recommend booking as far ahead as you can. Entry to the museum is free but we suggest a donation of £5 per person.
Museum talks and tours
We offer a range of talks and tours for groups with prices from £50. Contact us with your request for talks and tours, letting us know the size of your group and the preferred subject and we will let you know what is available. See below for information about our popular Welcome and Wow! and Bayeux tours. For school visits please see our schools page.
Welcome and Wow
A 20-minute introduction to the Museum and an insight into our fascinating collections, delivered by our enthusiastic team. A great way to begin your visit before heading off around the galleries.
Cost £60 for a maximum of 20 people.
Loan Box Collection Talk
This talk runs for around 25 minutes and is an excellent opportunity to handle real objects from our collection. Learn the fascinating history of objects chosen for our loan boxes.
Cost £70 for a maximum of 16 people.
Bayeux Tapestry Tour
A 45-minute guided tour of our famous full-sized facsimile of the Bayeux Tapestry, led by our museum gallery team.
Cost £85 for max 20 people (available Tuesday to Friday, 2:30 pm to 4 pm, or Saturday am. For other times, please enquire).
Outdoor Walking Tours
We offer a programme of outdoor walking tours focusing on the history of Reading Abbey and its surrounding precinct, known as the Reading Abbey Quarter.
All tours start in the Story of Reading gallery at Reading Museum and are led by our knowledgeable, friendly volunteer guides.
Reading Abbey Quarter tour
This tour runs for 90 minutes and explores the heart of medieval Reading. It highlights key features in the Abbey Quarter, including the Hospitium where medieval pilgrims stayed and Reading's involvement in the English Civil War, and ends in the recently-conserved Reading Abbey Ruins.
Cost £155 for 10 to a maximum of 20 people.
Reading Abbey Gateway tour
This 45-minute tour goes inside the restored medieval Abbey Gateway and explores this Grade I listed building’s fascinating history and its role within the Abbey Quarter. Hear about the Abbey monks, visiting royalty, links to novelist Jane Austen and the vital conservation work undertaken as part of the Reading Abbey Revealed project to bring it back to life.
Please note that the Gateway has no step-free access and there are uneven steps and floors.
Cost £85 for 10 to a maximum of 20 people.
2025 - 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth
In 2025 we are planning group tours to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. The famous novelist attended school at the Abbey Gateway in 1785-86 and had family links to Reading and the Thames Valley. Contact us on the form below to find out more.
Travel and coach drop-off
Reading Museum and the Reading Abbey Ruins are located in the town centre, conveniently located less than two minutes from Reading rail station and bus stops. There is a coach drop-off point opposite the Museum on Valpy Street. Find out more about how to get here.
How to book
Please use the group visits enquiry form below for your talk and tour request, letting us know the size of your group and the preferred subject and we will let you know what is available.
If you are interested in an educational visit, please visit our Schools page for further information.
Please note your booking is only provisional until you have received a confirmation email from our Learning Team. If you have any questions, please use our general enquiry form for more details.
