Sovereign Center
The Santander Arena (formerly known as the Sovereign Center) is a 7,160-seat multi-purpose arena, in Reading, Pennsylvania. SMG operates it. Its mildest months, May, June, September and October, bring highs of 66–82°F.
A stadium & arena inside Reading
You can stay in Reading
Sovereign Center is inside Reading, which has 9 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Philadelphia
Philadelphia is about 47 miles southeast and Baltimore is about 80 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Sep and Oct
May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 66–82°. When to go ↓
Established in 2001
Sovereign Center dates from 2001 and is run by SMG. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Month by month
Plan a visit to Sovereign Center around the weather below.
Sovereign Center
The Santander Arena (formerly known as the Sovereign Center) is a 7,160-seat multi-purpose arena, in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was built in 2001. The arena sits on the former site of the Astor Theater; one of several grand movie and theater palaces built in Reading in the early 20th century. Closed in 1975, the theater sat vacant for over two decades. In 1998, the Astor was demolished to make room for the Santander Arena. Early in construction, steps were taken to retain mementos of the Astor, including its ornate Art Deco chandelier and gates. These are on display and in use inside the arena corridors, allowing insight into the ambience of the former movie house.
- Type
- Stadium & arena
- Established
- 2001
- Run by
- SMG
- Wikipedia readers
- 9.5K a year
Staying near Sovereign Center
Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in Reading (9) and Wyomissing (10).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Sovereign Center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | in town | — | 9 4 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 95,832 | $121K | C |
| Wyomissing | 2 mi west | 5 min | 10 10 hotels | 11,285 | $340K | C+ |
| Muhlenberg Township | 4 mi north | 5 min | 7 5 hotels · 1 motel · 1 campground | 22,504 | $233K | B− |
| East Lampeter Township | 26 mi southwest | 40 min | 68 40 hotels · 9 motels · 16 inns & B&Bs · 3 campgrounds | 18,814 | $307K | C+ |
| East Cocalico Township | 12 mi southwest | 20 min | 12 7 hotels · 2 motels · 3 campgrounds | 11,124 | $307K | A |
| Brecknock Township | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 9 7 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 7,730 | $348K | — |
| Amity Township | 10 mi east | 15 min | 7 3 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 13,585 | $363K | A |
| Cumru Township | 5 mi southwest | 5 min | 3 1 hotel · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins | 15,927 | $283K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Other places close by
Each of these is within 50 miles.
Big draw50 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw50 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw45 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
Big draw50 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw49 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw47 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
39 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
48 mi MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityPhoto credits
USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0
.JPG){kind=link}
Good to know about Sovereign Center
Is Sovereign Center in Reading?
Yes. It’s inside Reading, PA.
When is the best time to visit Sovereign Center?
May, June, September and October, with highs of 66–82°.
How far is Sovereign Center from Philadelphia and Baltimore?
About 47 miles southeast of Philadelphia and about 80 miles southwest of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Sovereign Center?
Lancaster (LNS), about 25 miles away. The nearest big hub is Philadelphia (PHL), about 48 miles.
Where should I stay near Sovereign Center?
Wyomissing (2 mi, 10 places to stay), Reading (in town, 9 places to stay) and Muhlenberg Township (4 mi, 7 places to stay).
Local know-how from Reading
Be the first to share a tip in Reading’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.