Visit Us

We encourage visitors to use alternative methods of transport to get to The MERL, but if you need to come by car, some parking is available.

There is a small car park for Museum visitors at the front of our building. Spaces are limited.

Visitors are also welcome to use the University Acacia Road car park adjacent to the Museum. Visitors without a University parking permit must collect a permit from the Museum reception, to be displayed in your car. During University term time this car park can be very busy.

Some street paid parking is available on Redlands Road. There is a maximum stay of 2 hours. Due to the proximity of the Hospital, this parking is in high demand.

The closest public car park is the Queens Road car park.

Reading is easily accessible by regular, fast trains from London Paddington, as well as via London Waterloo. It is well connected by routes from the North, South and West via Bournemouth, Bristol, Oxford, Guildford and Basingstoke.

Reading Buses operate several services which stop close to the Museum.

From the station and Reading town centre:

From stop SA at Reading Station you can catch the Leopard 3, Leopard 10, Silver 9 or Claret 22. Get off the bus outside the Reading Berkshire Hospital on Craven Road or as soon as the bus turns right onto Addington Road (except the Claret 22, which turns left onto Addington Road).

From there it is a 3 minute walk to The MERL:

• Go to the end of Addington Road and turn right on to Redlands Road
• Walk down and cross at the zebra crossing
• Walk 200m down the road and you will find The MERL on your left.

Claret 21 or 21A from stop EJ. Get off the bus at Crown Place passage stop on Kendrick Road.

From there it is a 3 minute walk to The MERL:

• Continue a few metres up the road and turn left into Crown Place passage, just before the Abbey School
• The passage becomes Acacia Road car park
• Continue down the side of the Museum building to the end of the road and the entrance is on the right.

Visit Reading Buses for details or use Google Maps to plan your journey by bus.

We have a secure bike rack in the car park by the main entrance to the Museum.

The walk from The University’s Whiteknights campus takes 15-20 minutes.  Use Google Maps to plan your route to The MERL.