Heritage Open Days 2026: Reading Temperance Tavern: The Rising Sun Arts Centre

The Reading Temperance Tavern built in 1877 is one of the less well known local buildings designed by Alfred Waterhouse. Explore the historic context with guided tours, temperance drink tasting, magic lantern exhibition, music, readings & talks.

Step inside our Grade II listed former Victorian Temperance Tavern for a short guided tour of our historic building and community gardens.

Experience short talks on the history of the site and its current use as one of Reading's oldest community arts and live music venue.

Demonstration of the magic lantern which was the Victorian precursor to cinema and television and widely used to tell stories of drunkenness and temperance. Magic lantern slides were hand painted onto glass as miniature transparent paintings for projection. Later photographs could be made using models dramatically posing in studios.

Alternatives to beer and other alcoholic drinks were promoted by temperance movements and visitors will be offered samples of alternative drinks to taste. These and more conventional refreshments will be available to purchase at times during the day.

Industrialisation and rapid expansion of towns created big divisions of wealth in Reading. Charles Dickens wrote about the issue of drunkenness and also visited the literary institution to give readings a short walk north of our site. You can listen to his words.

"In the limelight" - an exhibition of Victorian and Edwardian magic lantern lamps. Oil, carbide, gas lamps, limelights, carbon arc lamps and projector bulbs.

There is no need to book as you can view the exhibition or take refreshments and performances will be repeated during the day.