A century to the day after the Reading Public Museum laid the cornerstone of its landmark building, dozens gathered on the museum grounds Thursday afternoon to mark the occasion with a pair of ceremonial milestones: the dedication of a new 100-year time capsule and the planting of a NASA Artemis I Moon Tree in the museum’s arboretum. Watch the livestream here.
The commemorative event honored the legacy of Dr. Levi W. Mengel, a Reading School District science teacher and the museum’s founder, whose vision was realized in 1925 with the creation of an institution devoted to hands-on, educational experiences in science, art, and history.
Standing before the original cornerstone where Mengel once stood, Reading Public Museum Executive Director and CEO Geoffrey K. Fleming addressed the crowd.
“Doctor Mengel would be exceedingly proud if he were here today,” Fleming said. “Seeing how far his museum has come—a thriving example of an art, science, and cultural institution that has certainly touched millions of lives in its century of existence.”
Fleming detailed the contents of the original 1925 time capsule—an American flag, Holy Bible, coins, school district documents, and newspapers from the day—as well as the contents of the newly sealed 2025 capsule, which included modern items such as a photo album of the museum campus, an iPhone, memorabilia from the Reading School District, and thank-you letters from local students. The new capsule was developed by a diverse committee of museum staff, local leaders, and community members, and will be housed in a climate-controlled museum vault to be opened in 2125.
Among the featured speakers was Dr. Noahleen Betts, president of the Reading School District Board of Directors, who emphasized the partnership between the museum and the district. She also used the moment to advocate for ongoing support of the district’s planned Innovation Academy, which faces potential funding shortfalls.
“We are asking you to stay united with the Reading School District so that our knights can have the best education that money can buy,” Betts said, linking the new school to Mengel’s original mission of inspiring students through immersive learning.
Following the cornerstone ceremony, the crowd made its way to the arboretum where the museum formally dedicated a sycamore sapling grown from a seed that orbited the moon aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission in 2022. The Reading Public Museum is one of only 11 institutions in Pennsylvania to receive such a tree.
“The Moon Tree represents the museum’s continued commitment to inspiring curiosity and fostering learning about science, the outdoors, space exploration, and the interconnectedness of Earth and the universe,” Fleming said.
The tree’s journey from space to soil was detailed by Rebecca Birch, the museum’s Arboretum and Education Program Manager, who called it a “living symbol of exploration and curiosity.”
“It means our little corner of the world is now part of a much bigger story, one that stretches all the way to the moon and back,” Birch said. “This tree’s story is just beginning, and we’re all part of it now.”
NASA Earth scientist Brian A. Campbell, a Wilson High School graduate, delivered remarks highlighting the agency’s legacy of education and the significance of the Moon Tree initiative. He noted the continuity between the Apollo-era trees planted for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 and the new Artemis saplings being distributed today.
“Our goal is to continue a legacy of inspiration,” Campbell said, “from Apollo 14 in 1971 to Artemis and beyond.”
Pennsylvania State Senator Judy Schwank praised the museum as a rare gem—possibly the only museum in the Commonwealth operated by a school district—and emphasized the importance of continued investment in cultural and educational institutions.
“We need to continue to make sure that we support it in the way that it deserves,” Schwank said. “There’s more here than meets the eye.”
As part of the celebration, the museum waived admission for the rest of the day and offered a limited-time six-month family membership for $19.25, a nod to the year of its founding. Guests were also encouraged to visit the current exhibition “100 Years: A Cornerstone of Our Community” and attend a public lecture on the early history of the museum scheduled for May 7.
The event capped off with the ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the Moon Tree, symbolizing a future rooted in legacy, growth, and discovery.
