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State
College, Pennsylvania Welcome to The Penn State Lions Den!
Shop and stroll in a college town, a colonial village or an historic Victorian gem. Take a scenic drive past Amish farms, or hike a mountain trail. Explore underground in one of our hauntingly beautiful show caves, or soar above patchwork fields in a glider or hot-air ballon. Sail and swim our lakes in summer; ski and snowboard our slopes in winter. Make your first stop the Centre County/ Penn State Visitors Center across from Beaver Stadium on the Penn State Campus. Open daily, the center offers a cyber cafe and interactive touch-screen kiosks that allow you to direct dial for more information. State College Hotel Guide Attractions In Penns Valley (east on Route 45), you can explore natural wonders including Penn's Cave, America's only all-water caven. Enjoy a one-mile boat tour, and learn the cave's role in the tragic love of a French trapper for a beautiful Native-American princess. Afterward, explore the Wildlife Park. Nearby, marvel at giant rock formations on a guided tour of Woodward Cave. Just south of Centre County in Hesston is Raystown Lake, the state's largest man-made lake and home to Seven Points Marina. There you can take to the water in your own boat or enjoy a leisurely cruise on the Raystown Princess. Nearby is Lincoln Caverns, open to the public for more than 70 years. Just 20 miles southwest of State College in Tipton is DelGrosso's Amusement Park, and a few miles farther in Altoona, is Lakemont Park. Both offer family fun with carnival-style rides, go-carts, mini-golf and water parks. Next door to Lakemont is Blair County Ballpark, home to the Altoona Curve, a Pittsburgh Pirates AA affiliate. East of Centre County is Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg. Famous for the "best bumper cars in America," the park also features one of the country's 10 best roller coaster and one of the highest Ferris wheels around. Southeast of Centre County, you'll reach Big Valley, home to a large Amish community and the Dairyland Antique Center, with an outdoor flea market, giftshop, cafe and ice cream parlor. Historic Sites Take a trip back in time to explore Centre County's proud past. A good place to start is the Centre Furnace Mansion, once home to a prominent ironmaster and now headquarters of the Centre County Historical Society. In nearby colonial Boalsburg, where Memorial Day was first observed in 1864, you'll find the bronze "Statue of the Three Ladies," commemorating the first laying of Memorial Day wreaths. Also in Boalsburg, on the grounds of the Boal Mansion Museum, is the Columbus Chapel, containing relics of famed explorer Christopher Columbus. Across the road is another historic site initiated by the Boal family, the 28th Division Shrine, honering Pennsylvania's "citizen soldiers." In Bellefonte, a walking tour is the perfect way to enjoy the town's classic Georgian and Victorian architecture. View the surrounding countryside from a Bellefonte Historical Railroad car in May through October. Travel north to the restored 1810-1921 iron community of Historic Curtin Village and Eagle Iron Works. In Snow Sho, the Lions David House Heritage Museum displays artifacts from the community's mining history. At the western edge nof Centre County, Philipsburg boasts late-1800s homes, the historic Union Church and lovely Fountain Park. East of Centre County is the small town of Mifflinburg, whose proud past as a buggy-building center is highlighted at the Mifflinburg Buggy Museum. Travel south to Altoona to explore early military history at Fort Roberdeau. Events During the second week in July, State College unites with Penn State University to present a celebration of more than 300 visual artists from around the country. The annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, one of the top arts festivals in America, also features performing artists, children's events and delicious food. Also in July are State College's spectacular Central PA 4th Fest fireworks and Philipsburg's annual Heritage Days. In December, the Festival of Trees turns Penn State's Ag Arena into a forest of handcrafted expressions of the season. And what better way to ring in the New Year than with music and performances, a downtown parade, ice sculptures and hot cider, all at State College's First Night Festivities. North of State College, Bellefonte hosts a variety of events, from the Big Spring Festival and summer concerts in Talleyrand Park to the Bellefonte Arts & Crafts Fair and the annual Bellefonte Victorian Christmas. In nearby Boalsburg, you'll find a celebration of the birth of Memorial Day each May, and the Boalsburg Village Colonial Christmas in December. In August, Penn State's Ag Progress Days highlight agriculture's key role in the state. The town of Aaronsburg, originally laid out by Aaron Levy in 1786 to be the state capital, hosts the Haines Township Fall Festival. While in Penns Valley, be sure to visit Centre Hall; during the last week of August, it's home to the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair, the oldest and largest event of its kind. Nearby is Penn's Cave where the Nittany Antique Machinery Association holds its Steam Engine Days twice a year. Parks & Recreation Forested mountains, crystal-clear streams, fresh air, abundant wildlife...Centre County is blessed with breathtaking scenery and plentiful natural resources. Our 216 miles of trout strams make Centre County a fisherman's dream. State-approved trout waters include Bald Eagle Creek, Black Moshannon Creek, Penns Creek, Poe Lake, Six Mile Run, Wallace Run and White Deer Creek. Our six state parks offer something for every outdoor lover, from a simple hike through the woods to a weekend of camping. Outdoor lodging is also available at private campgrounds. At Penn State's Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, kids can gaze at birds of prey such as bald eagles, falcons and hawks. Nearby is the university-run Stone Valley Recreation Area, which has picnic and camping facilities, boating, and hiking and cross-country skiing trails. Bald Eagle State Park has the largest lake in the county and provides numerous water activities. Of course, nothing beats an autumn drive through our beautiful countryside. Fall colors in Centre County generally peak from Oct. 12 to 25. For more information on where to see Pennsylvania's spectacular fall palette, call the Fall Foliage Hot Line at 800-325-5467. Other outdoor activities include downhill skiing on lighted trails at Tussey Mountain or Cross-country skiing on state game lands. Several local parks around State College have hills perfect for sledding during winter months. or, check out the scenery from above with a glider ride from the world-famous Ridge Soaring Gliderport in Julian or a hot-air ballon ride with The Sky's the Limit Ballon Co. in Lemont. Miles and miles of county roads, challenging mountain trails and well-maintained bicycle paths make Centre County a mecca for cyclists of all ages and levels. Maps and cycling information are available at www.centrebike.org The truly adventurous visitors come from across the county to learn new skills in gymnastics, skateboarding, inline skating and BMX frestyle biking at Woodward Camp. Penn State University What would a trip to Penn State Country be without visiting Penn State? Opened in 1855 as The Farmers' High School, The Pennsylvania State University offers visitors plenty to see and do at its University Park campus. Among the most popular draws are Big Ten sports, which attract thousands from around the country to cheer on the Nittany Lions and Lady Lions. On crisp fall Saturdays, University Park becomes one of Pennsylvania's lagest cities as more than 107,000 fans flock to recently expanded Beaver Stadium, the second largest collegiate stadium in the country. Hoops action brings enthusiastic throngs th the 16,000-seat Bryce Jordan Center. Opened in 1996, this state-of-the-art arena has hosted concerts by artists such as Bob Dylan, Elton John, Billy Joel, Janet Jackson, Shania Twain and Garth Brooks. Penn State has 29 intercollegiate athletic programs - 15 men's and 14 women's teams, including gymnastics, wrestling, tennis, soccer and more. Penn State Sports Camps bring thousands of high school athletes to University Park each summer. Want to hit the links during your visit? Check out the university's 18-hole Blue and White golf courses. If golf isn't your game, Penn State has a year-round ice pavilion for skating and the McCoy Natatorium and Fitness Loft for swimming. Call 1-877-465-3368 for information about great Penn State Winter Sports Weekend packages. Performing arts at Penn State take place on numerous stages, including those of Eisenhower Auditorium, the HUB-Robeson Center, Schwab Auditorium, Pavilion Theater and the Playhouse and feature presentations by Pennsylvania Centre Stage and the Center for the Performing Arts. The newest of Penn States's museums is the All-Sports Museum, a two-level, 10,000-square-foot tribute to PSU sports, located inside Beaver Stadium. The Matson Museum of Anthropolgy, the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and the Frost Entomological museum are each free and fascinating. Near the Nittany Lion Inn is the university's most photographed landmark, sculptor Heinz Warneke's Nittany Lion Shrine, a gift of the Class of 1940. Another popular spot is the famous Creamery, with delicious flavors of locally made ice cream ranging from Peachy Paterno to Death by Chocolate! |
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Urban
feel with country appeal -- that's Centre County. We'll give you every
reason - "whatever the season" - to fall in love with Penn
State Country! We're home to Penn State University Park Campus, giving
us a variety of cultural and sporting opportunities. We also have six
state parks, plus thousands of acres of forest and farmland, so we're
never more than a few minutes from the great outdoors. See an opera
or ballet one day; go hiking and fishing the next. Check out the native
wildlife in the woods, then go wild cheering for Penn State's beloved
Nittany Lions.