Insider’s Guide to Penn State with the best things to do in State College PA

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State College is the quintessential American college town. It’s cute, walkable, and has a great bus system.

Expect lots of Penn State stores, lots of student bars, and cute hipster places for the grad students/professionals to take refuge from the undergrads with.

For academics and professionals on a visit to Penn State for conferences, it’s truly a cute compact college town with all you need for a peaceful visit.

• Where is Penn State?
• Fun things to do in State College PA
• Fun things to do at Penn State
• Where to stay in State College / Where to stay
• Where to eat in State College PA for every budget
• What to do at night in State College (besides drink)
• Where to drink in State College
  • Where to go dancing in State college
• Where to stay in State College
• Things to do near State College (Day Trips from State College)
• How to get to State College
• Getting Around State College & Penn State
• Free downloadable map

If you imagine a rectangle and make a point in the center, you have found State College. The city of State College is located about 2.5 hours from Pittsburgh, 5 hours from New York City, and 3 hours from Philadelphia.  (It’s NOT UPenn. UPenn is in Philadelphia)

The Pennsylvania State University is commonly called Penn State.  If you’re wondering why people just say Penn State instead of State College is because the town was built around the university after the Civil War. State College is basically Penn State, but one is the campus—and one is the town around it.

Most of the best stuff to do while visiting State College is centered around the Penn State University (what a shocker!)…

Go to the Arboretum at Penn State.  This beautiful garden is FREE and one of my favorite places to walk in fall due to its gorgeous viewpoint.

Visit the Palmer Museum of Art. This art museum is 100% free and full of some really great art. Check the opening hours carefully.

Attend the MANY free festivals at Penn State:

• • See big name music acts for FREE at the Movin’ On Music Festival. (Late Spring)

• • Central PA Arts Festival.  Pick up some affordable art for your apartment. Summer. (Summer)

• • Penn State Jazz Festival. Summer.

• • Penn State Pumpkin Festival (Fall)

• • SOMA annual Arts Crawl. For all my hipster/indie loving readers. This is MY favorite festival at Penn State. (Spring)

• You’ve probably heard a million things about THON already, but this famous all night dance marathon raises millions each year for charity.  (Spring)

Stroll across Old Main. People watch and take in the beautiful architecture.  It’s so pretty year-round and you’ll understand why I think that Penn State has one of the prettiest campuses I’ve visited in the United States.

Have an ice cream at the Penn State Creamery. You’re not allowed to mix flavors (unless you’re a US President) and I usually get a cup as their portions are ridiculously large.

IF I get a cone, I get a cup just in case.  If you don’t do anything else, this is a MUST.  Expect long-lines during Penn State game day weekends. (Note they have dairy-free sorbet.)

Attend a Penn State Football Game and/or Tailgate. Regardless of whether you’re a football person, experience ONE tailgate just to experience Penn State football culture.

I’m amazed how Penn State inspires its alumni to come back year after year. If you want to tailgate, bring your own foldable table/chairs/cups and arrive early (6am!). Penn State tickets are NOT cheap, so be sure to buy your Penn State tickets before.

Take a photo with the Nittany Lion statue.

For students: Join a club.  There’s hundreds of clubs at Penn State, so just look for one that caters to your interests. It’s a bit harder to find non-undergrad ones but many departments have graduate specific clubs to join. You’re guaranteed to find one that caters to your interests.

Outdoor lovers: ask at the Penn State Adventure Recreation Center for their upcoming trips (open to all with fee).

Walk around downtown State College

Stop into Webster’s for a great used book selection and awesome coffee.

Go shopping in State College. There’s lots of cute shops to step into with good prices for reasonable Penn State shirts and/or gear.

Get a library card at the Schlow Library.  They have a great book section.

Browse the weekly Farmer’s Market.  Many Amish from nearby towns come to sell their fruits/veggies/jams, so you can get some delicious high quality food along with some beautiful flowers (depending on the season).

Pub trivia in State College: I love the trivia at Zeno’s.

Rock climb on Friday nights at the YMCA. So cheap and so fun.  Passing their belay test is tough, but everyone is very friendly!

Attend a show at the historic State Theatre.  They put on Broadway productions and show indie movies.

Do Korean-Style Karaoke (KTV) with friends. (Rooms are rented by the hour)

Get tickets for an event at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Chill in Webster’s (open later some nights) with a good book and coffee.  They often have events, including poetry readings, Tango, and a LGBTQA night.

If you’re an animal lover, I recommend visiting Centre County PAWS, the local dog and cat shelter. They are always accepting volunteers to help out if you’re going to live in State College long-term.  Both my husband and I were volunteers who adopted our cat from PAWS.

They need help with various tasks, so get in touch with them to see what they need help with.  It’s rewarding work that allows you to play with kittens or puppies (what else can one ask for?).  They also need help fostering animals, so if you’re allowed a pet in your apartment, consider helping them foster a pet.

Depending on your budget, there’s lots of accommodation options in State College. For those on the 0 budget, the Couchsurfing community here in alive and well with few people using it, making the probability of finding a good host high.

Expect to pay more for a hotel in State college on football weekends, move-in weekend or during graduation. 

The Stevens Motel is a clean and affordable option for those looking for a budget hotel in state college. They’re in the range of $50 per night and they’re around the corner from the Waffle Shop. My husband’s parents swear by this budget motel close to Penn State about 20 minutes from campus. You need to book directly.

• • My parents prefer the Quality Inn when they visit State College. Easiest with a car due to the massive hill to campus. Bus runs next to the hotel.

• • The Penn Stater. A lot of people swear by this mid-range hotel closer to the dorms.

• • The Atherton Hotel is in the heart of downtown, perfect for those looking to be close to restaurants and food.
• Days Inn Penn State is convenient for those attending conferences as it’s also in the heart of downtown State College.

The Nittany Lion Inn is currently closed, but it is my top recommendation. I stayed here when I first visited and it was just a great experience. Hopefully, its renovation allows the magic of the original building to shine through!

This is a highly biased list of my favorite places to eat in State College.  Finding good restaurants in State College on a budget can seem tough, but there are actually a lot of great options (as there are so many students).

There are a lot of mid-range options for food in state college for those visiting students and/or visiting for conferences as well.

For those looking for romantic things to do in State College or a nice restaurant, there are also many luxury options, but it’s best to make a reservation ahead.

The Waffle Shop. This Greek diner with a LONG line on the weekend is CASH ONLY (there’s an ATM inside) and the real deal. Come here for brunch, which is ridiculously affordable and good. (Vegan friendly)

Mad Mex for cheap Tex-Mex during Happy Hour. (Check ahead)

McLanahan’s Downtown Market.  Their sandwiches are SO good and SO cheap.  To-go only, but open for lunch/dinner.

Chopstick Express for cheap Chinese food. Be careful what you get and ask those in front in line what’s good.

Irving’s for breakfast.

Meyer’s Dairy for farm fresh ice cream since 1887.

Big Bowl Noodle House. Cash only, but their soups are so tasty!

Wings Over Happy Valley. MY FAVORITE wings in State College and they deliver LATE.da

Pita Cabana. This restaurant owned by a Lebanese family is the real deal.  Their portions are super generous and it’s a full day’s meal.

Honorary Mention: Sheetz. Ordering food using a machine in a gas station seems like a really bad idea, but their sandwiches and coffee (made fresh to order custom to your specifications) are really good.(For clarification, you pick it up at the counter after it’s prepared by the staff. Don’t lose your receipt!) PA locals swear by this local chain.

Green Bowl for Unlimited vegan/organic food cooked to order with whatever sauces you want. Set price, but one of my favorite places to bring my parents.

Fiddlehead for large salads and delicious soups. Seats are limited, but super vegan friendly.

Webster’s for coffee, desserts, and heavy vegan lunch/dinner.

Indian Pavilion for delicious Indian food that will last you two days. Be careful ordering or you might have a feast for 4.

Wegman’s for tasty sandwiches and a great buffet.  (Casual and also a supermarket)

Carver’s Deli for reasonable sandwiches and salads.

Rey Azteca for the best Mexican food in State College.

The Allen Street Grill for American food.

American Ale House. I consider having dinner here on of the most romantic things to do in State College.

The Tavern has a nice ambiance although it has more a professor-y vibe.

Otto’s for great local beer and delicious food with large portions.

Happy Valley Brewing Company is one of my favorites for a beautiful and delicious meal paired perfectly with good beer.   They are constantly reinventing their menu.  You can get there by bus, but easiest with car.

This is a college town and welp, Penn State is a party school and drinking is one of the fun things to do in State College.

If you’re a Penn State student under 21, I’m sorry, but this is a list for 21+ bar patrons (with the exception of some of the clubs that will allow 18+ in with no drinking).    For all ages: If you’re a coffee drinker, you need to have the best coffee in State College at Saint’s Cafe.

For drinks, I like Cafe 210 for their beer pitchers and group seating,  Local Whiskey for bourbon/whiskey (don’t ever order a triple bourbon), and Mad Mex for margarita happy hour. The best LGBT bar is Chumley’s and their cocktails are amazing.

Don’t worry craft beer aficionados….there’s good beer bars in State College. My favorites places to have a beer in State College is Zeno’s.

Outside of downtown, you’ll be able to take the bus to American Ale House, Happy Valley Brewing Co., and my favorite Otto’s .

Where to dance in State College

Cafe 210 often has live music from cover bands and is a favorite of many alumni, but I hate getting my feet stuck to the floor. The Shandygaff and Phyrst are undergrad-only bars.

There are some fun things to do in Central PA if you’re living in State College. It took me a few years of living in State College to discover these, but Central PA has so much to offer in terms of amazing nature! (It’s good to check with the Penn State Adventure Rec Club for upcoming trips).

Climb Mount Nittany. The trail up Mount Nittany can be accessed via a path close to the cute town of Lemont (for those seeking cute coffee shops). It’s a steep hike, but fairly easy for those at all levels.  The view from the top gives you a nice panorama of Happy Valley.  It takes about 1-2 hours.  Accessible by CATA bus.

Go skiing and go to WingFest at Tussey Mountain. This mountain resort is accessible by bus and you can ski (or go tubing) in winter here! In summer, they have host WingFest, which is one of State College’s best known festival. WestFest is great for seeing great live music and it typically hosts 30+ wing vendors!

Bellefonte. This adorable victorian town is the capital of Centre County.  (It’s pronounced like BELL FONT, not the French way.)   During Christmas, there’s a victorian themed Christmas celebration for those with families.

If you’re into dive bars, you need to visit Omar’s for $1 Draft Beers.  It’s one of those places where the bartender unironically wears the shirt with the 3 wolves and there’s a lot of hunting camo.   Accessible by CATA bus.

Centralia. This infamous town is condemned as it was the center of mining for many years–and a fire started.  The fire is still going and you can still see the smoke rising from the pavement of this nearly abandoned town.  There’s also lots of graffiti for Pennsylvania urbanex lovers. Car needed.

Hike up Indian Steps. This hike includes a scramble up some step-like rocks, however it’s a relaxing hike perfect for a day out of State College 2-4 hours.  Car needed.

Penn’s Cave. This underground cave is a day trip from Penn State.  A good day trip for families.

There are so many great parks with hiking nearby, however Rothrock State Forest is the nearest one.

As a general note, be very careful while hiking during hunting season.  Wear bright colors while hunting, announce yourself, and use caution as deer hunting is legal (with a permit) in PA.

Anyone who has seen Groundhog Day might want want to visit Punxsutawney on its most famous day when the groundhog decides to come out to see his shadow…or not.

Hershey Park is a fun day trip for those with a car.  You can get discount admission vouchers from the area supermarkets.

If you’re craving a big city, Pittsburgh is the perfect weekend trip from State College and New York City is only 5 hours away.. (Check this Pittsburgh local’s guide to Pittsburgh.and this New Yorker’s guide to NYC).

Fly into State College: There’s a small regional airport that you can fly into, but be advised that the connections from other airports (including Dulles/Philly) can be delayed/canceled, so be aware of that when booking something with tight timing.

Take the bus to Penn State: You can take a couple of buses (including Megabus, Fullington Bus, and some other buses that you catch from Chinatown in Manhattan (NYC)) from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York City.  The easiest way to get to Penn State in my opinion is by bus.

You can take the train to Altoona, however, you’ll need to take a taxi from Altoona to Penn State.

It’s really great for walking if you’re in downtown State College, but it’s easy with a car.

You can easily park in downtown State College, however, parking on campus is very tough and expect tickets if you do.

If you’re staying outside of downtown, I recommend taking the bus into downtown with leaving your car by your hotel.  Parking is especially difficult on football weekends.

The CATA bus system is really good although some buses are less frequent (especially on Sundays). There’s a free loop bus around the campus, however you’ll have to pay per ride (or buy a day pass) if you want to take it to the surrounding areas.