State College – A Guide to Penn State Nightlife and University Culture

July 9, 2023 by admin

Nestled withing the foothills of central Pennsylvania is an old agricultural college town, with a reputation for party like no other. During the day students scurry the campus with a nervous energy, dragging books in heavy bags strapped to their backs and at night the streets come alive with a different energy, a pulse that can only come from the young and impulsive. Beyond the masonry buildings of the institution, at nearby Mt. Nittany, the Nittany lion, a proud mountain animal, once stalked its prey. Today it is the symbol of the campus and the object of its most photographed statue.

Geography

As previously mentioned, State College is located in the foothills of central Pennsylvania. The city sits half way between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh and sits at an altitude of 1200ft (370m), an elevation way above sea level.

History of State College

The history of the town is strongly linked to the university it is tied to, much like a living organism coexisting inside another much as the clown fish works with the anemone. As such I will seek to mingle both the story of the town as well as the university together, and give further details on the finer points of the unique Penn college experience later in this post.

State College was but a village until the inception of Penn State. This new college was conceived in 1855 as an agricultural institution and it fit right into its quaint pastoral setting. The school’s lowly beginnings are reflected in its first name, the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania. It quickly evolved to become the Pennsylvania State College (this was renamed to The Pennsylvania State University in 1953). In 1882, the college added an engineering curriculum, a program that the university is still distinguished for to this day. By 1896, the town had gained a considerable amount of self governing powers. By the 20th century the college held the largest undergraduate enrolment in the state.

All this growth was almost unencumbered by scandal until 2011. Penn state is known for its football team the Nittany Lions, and the team was rocked by a sex scandal involving assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. In response the NCAA levied fines and punishments upon the school unmatched in college athletic history.

Recreation Hall (right), an important campus athletic facility, was built in 1929.

Exploring Penn State College

The campus is large and spread out and although there is some parking available, it is limited to a single visitors lot. Get your best shoes on and get ready to walk!

Grab an Ice Cream at the Creamery

Although my visit to Penn State happened in the dead of winter, I was told by everyone in town that I needed to stop by the university creamery for an ice cream. As an agricultural institution, Penn state was at the forefront of food research and specifically dairy science. In 1892 the creamery was founded, it was the first collegiate ice cream manufacturing program and led the school to becoming a prime research hub for frozen foods.Today the building will serve you some delicious dairy products including it’s famous ice cream!

Learn About Cool Bugs at the Frost Entomological Museum

Walking around campus, it is easy to miss this museum containing a massive collection of bugs dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. This includes over two million arthropod, and ten’s of thousands of Aphididae, Anoplura and Odonata‘s. The collection is named after Stuart W. Frost, a professor at the university and the founder of the institution. A proud naturalist, he collected specimens until his death.

Explore the Historic Faculty Homes

In the center of campus you will find a collection of single detached homes. At the date of the founding of the university, the fledgling university needed to entice professors to the still remote area. The university offered the homes as free accommodation for the staff as part of their compensation. Since the institution was still small back then the professors, and the students would freely mingle in an almost familial atmosphere.

The cottages are made of wood, spruce and cedar, with large porches. As the institution expanded and the need for on campus professor residences receded, they were turned into sorority houses ushering a new chapter in the history of the school. The 19th century buildings can be found north east of the Old Main, sandwiched between the Chemistry department buildings.

Marvel at the Old Main

Located in the very heart of the campus, Old Main is the crown jewel of the historic administrative buildings. You will find its iconic spire in the central part of the southern tier of the campus, near the limit of the town of State College, almost as a welcoming beacon to the community. At its base is a tree lined alley connecting to East College Street as well as a massive lawn serving as a public space. The building dates from 1930 and was built over the footprint of the original 1863 structure. On the west side of the structure you will find the original hall bell on display.

Inside the building you will find beautiful 20th century painted frescoes. that are worth a look. It also once held the bones of Old Coaly, one of hte mules who helped carry supplies during the construction of the building. A beloved and reliable animal it was purchased by the university and served as the unofficial mascot of the school. His skeleton has been relocated to the HUB–Robeson Center center nearby if you want to pay tribute to him!

Behind old main you will find the Schwab Auditorium, one of the prettiest buildings on campus. Built in 1903, it has a series of large windows and doors that give it a grand feel. It was the first building on campus built by private grant. It serves as a center for the performing arts, including hte occasional Jazz concert.

Check Out the Architectural Diversity on Campus

Outside the buildings specifically mentioned in their own sections such as the Schwab Auditorium, Old Main, the Creamery, Science Buildings and the Faculty Cottages, the University has a wealth of structures worth stopping in to look at.

North of old main you will find the Old Botany dating from 1882, the oldest unaltered building on campus. Built in Richardson Romanesque it still serves as a center for botanical studies. You will find this building just due north of the old main.

Continuing with the theme of food studies, you can find the old faculty of agriculture building (The Pennsylvania State University Department Of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education) behind the department of Plant Pathology located in the north end of campus. It is almost directly north of old main on the if you follow the alley at the east of the building. The almost Frank Lloyd Wright like design was completed in 1923 and the department seeked to merge the study of people with the study of food, two distinct but interconnected disciplines.

As you will see from the following pictures, there is a wealth of styles on campus ranging from the 19 to the 21st century.

One of my favorites in the Schreyer Honors College (SHC) located in the south east side of campus, near College Ave. Another is Recreation Hall (right), an important campus athletic facility, was built in 1929 located in the north west part of the campus. This large masonry structure is hard to miss.

Schreyer Honors College (SHC) at Penn State

Live a Life of Luxury at the Nittany Lion Inn

Just north of the Nittany Lion shrine you will find a cluster of my favorite buildings on campus. The Nittany Lion Inn along with the Biomechanical Science Lab, the later will discussed in the science on campus sub-entry. The Inn is a historic building holding a late night bar called Whiskers, a fine dining restaurant and hotel rooms. The Georgian complex dates from 1931 and is one of the premier hotels in central Pennsylvania. A stones throw from the complex is the anthropological museum of Penn State.

Get Cultured at the Palmer Museum of Art

This rather large university are collection contains over 7000 artifacts ranging from paintings to ceramics. The objects housed here come from all over the world but are mostly of American origin. The building was originally designed in brutality style during the 1970’s. Since then the museum has been expanded and improved to make it more appealing aesthetically.

Learn More About Scientific Research at Penn State

Near the Nittany Inn, you will find the biomechanics tower. Established in 1967, it is the first biomechanics building in the work. Here groundbreaking research was conducted on musculoskeletal issues, health and exercise.

As an agricultural institution it should be no surprise that the institution pioneered research on the Jordan soil plots, studying the long term effects of fertilizers on soils and crops. The plots were located near College Ave, in town. They may be gone but this undertaking represents one of the first scientific endeavors attempted at the institution.

As a major institution of science and engineering you should pop by the physics building in the center of campus. Here, in 1955, Professor of Physics Erwin Mueller was the first to physically “see” an atom. He did this by creating and using a field ion microscope, thus magnifying the particle 2000 times. Penn State is an institution of first, often at the forefront of research. In 1932 it was the first university to open a fuels science laboratory. It was also at the forefront of peaceful nuclear research.

Catch a Football Game (In Season)

Penn State is known for their football team, one of the most storied institutions in the entire NCAA. Students will camp out outside the stadium on game days and the atmosphere is one of a non stop party and possibly the inspiration for the television show Blue Mountain State. If I visit in season next time, I will catch a game!

The real Lion’s den… the football field!

Ride the Fearsome Nitanny Lion

In the North-Western quadrant of the university you will find the lion’s den, home of the most famous statue on campus, that of the Nittany Lion. Make sure to climb aboard its back for a picture with the fearsome beast!

What is a Nittany Lion?

Based in nearby Nittany Mountain, the mountain lion’s name is derived from the Algonquin language. Nittany, ‘nit-a-nee,’ means ‘single mountain.’ referring to the large peak overlooking the town. In reality the animal was more or less a large cougar. Although extinct, the lion has proudly represented the university since 1904, when invented by Joe Mason a player of the baseball team facing off against Princeton and it’s Bengal Tiger. The last Nittany lion was killed in 1856 and is preserved at the university!

What to do in State College (Town)

The town of State College does not have a lot of activities to offers travelers outside of crowded bars, the typical late night fare, but if you are looking for a bite to eat you will have access to a surprisingly varied set of eateries. For those looking for official Penn State merchandise, you can find it in stores on College ave

Once historic building you must hit in the downtown is the historic hotel state college along with the corner taproom on the first floor.

Penn State Nightlife

The goal of our trip was purely to have fun. My companion and good friend had recently lost his employment and so it was a good cheer up. Penn states nightlife revolves around paralleled two streets (College Avenue and Beaver ave.) and the sidestreets in between them. During our time here we hit almost every single bar in the downtown area. Here are a few of our most memorable hangouts.

The Brewery

This classic dive is usually less crowded and caters to a grimier counterpart to its competitors. Here you will find a variety of specials. Come here one a more relaxed night out to get a vibe of the city, this is a great place to be a fly on the wall.

Phyrst

The classic university dive bar is know for its great special and odd traditions. Located in an almost dungeon like basement, I ended up partying with a bunch of alumni parents dropping their kids off at school and reliving the glory years. Witch is a good way to say that they were a blast. If you want to be thrown in the the cesspool that is the State College nightlife this is the place to stat. As an aside, portions of food here are massive – don’t feel like you need to order the large of anything.

As an aside the bouncer was an ass. He would not accept our Canadian ID’s and did not enjoy my brigning up that Pennsylvania passed a law forcing them to accept Canadian drivers licenses. He still made up Uber back home and get our passports.

The Shandygaff

The “Gaff” as it is affectionately called by students is a second story dive where large numbers students gather in packed quarters and pitchers are passed around the bar and close quarters are redefined as no breathing room. When you get used to it, the place is actually quite a bit of fun.

The Saloon

A personal favorite of mine, you will usually find a live band performing in this basement bar. Make sure to order a concoction called “Monkey Boys Bong Water”, the specialty drink of this bar and comes in a variety of flavors. When I first walked in I saw it on the bar menu for it on the wall and I know I had to try it. I ordered one and found out that this jungle juice came in a pitcher. When I asked for glasses for two the bartender looked at me funny, that when I noticed that everyone was carrying their own pitchers around the bar. No splitting! Let me tell you these drinks get you there fast!

Jax Bar & Kitchen

This classy lounge is a good place to waste away an evening chatting with strangers at the bar while drowning in an endless sea of fancy cocktails and whiskeys.

Champs

This multi-story bar is perhaps one of the more popular haunts in the city. The first floor resembles nearby Jax bar, with a large rectangular bar in the center of the first floor and lots of seating room. The real appeal of this place is the basement bar. This are is filled with table games and is filled to the brim with partying college students.

Bill Pickles Tap Room

The typical university bar, Bill Pickles Tap Room serves as a great general purpose hangout. The lively sports bar turn into a fully fledged party atmosphere at night and during the day offers great food options to absorbed the last nights alcohol. I used a combination of clam chowder and chicken strips to cure my stomach churning hangover malady.

Funnily we went to Bill Pickles on our second night in town and we had the same bouncer then the night before at Physt. This time we had no problem getting in, good thing I was not too much of a smart ass the night before.

Day Trips

Bellefonte

This stately town is the seat of the county government and the home to many of Pennsylvania’s governors. The real reason to come here however is the beautiful Victorian architecture and the distillery. The later, housed in an old masonry matchstick factory, is absolutely incredible. For more information on Bellefonte you can read my post on the city here.

Boalsburg

The home of the Pennsylvania Military museum and the largest collection of Columbus artifacts in the New World, this small town is an underrated gem that really should be known by more people. For more information on this town click here.

Mt. Nittany

Overlooking the town is a large mountain, bearing the same name as the lions that once roamed it, Mt. Nittany. This green giant is now a nature conservatory home to many bird species such as bald eagles as well as trails. For a great view of the town and the surrounding farmland you can climb to the top of it. The height of the hill is over 2000 ft (600m) and makes for a great morning or afternoon exercise.

Conclusion

Penn State may seem like a purely party destination but the area holds a number of cultural and culinary destination to keep you busy. From the famous creamery, to the endless blue heritage signs a walk around campus will reveal, State College will take its time to reveal its secrets. When it does, you will be glad to have explored it.

Share on Facebook

Post on X