Explore Penn State on this walking tour of central campus.
The HUB - Robeson Center
The full name for this facility is the Hetzel Union Building/Paul Robeson Cultural Center. But HUB is an apt description, because it is THE hub for student activities on campus. The HUB was opened in 1955, and replaced space in Old Main as a student union. Student contributions helped to finance construction of the building, which has had several additions. Today, the HUB features eateries, study areas, art galleries, offices for student organizations, and space for multi-cultural activities. Weekends feature alcohol-free activities. Inside, on the first floor, be sure to see the skeleton of Old Coaly, the mule who helped in the construction of the first Old Main building more than 150 years ago.
The Penn State Veterans Plaza
The plaza is a gift of the class of 2011 and honors all Penn State Veterans. It features a sculpture of a warrior’s shield, symbolizing honor and sacrifice. The Greek inscription on the curved wall, in reference to the shield, means “With it, or on it,” a phrase spoken by Spartan mothers to their sons before battle. According to ancient tradition, a warrior was never without his shield. He returned home from battle either carrying his shield, or carried upon it by his comrades. The wall is named for Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, the only Penn State alumnus to receive the Medal of Honor, a distinction given posthumously for his courageous actions in 2005 during the war in Afghanistan.
Old Main
An architectural icon for Penn Staters around the world, Old Main provides offices for the University president, provost, and many other senior administrators. Opened in 1930, it was designed by one of the nation’s premier collegiate architects, Charles Klauder, and is considered by many to be his signature work. The building is open to the public during business hours. If you have a chance, go inside to the Land-Grant Foyer, where you’ll see the majestic Land-Grant Frescoes by Henry Varnum Poor. They depict the first century of the University’s history. Old Main stands on the site of the original main building, which welcomed Penn State’s very first students in 1859. Some of the stone used in today’s Old Main comes from that historic structure.
Obelisk
Erected in 1896 and part of campus legend for generations of students, the Obelisk demonstrates how long-term exposure to weather affects a wide variety of building stones found throughout Pennsylvania. A plaque on the Obelisk’s east side gives more information. A close inspection of the Obelisk reveals distinct differences in how well some of the 281 stones have withstood the elements. The slate, for example, shows evidence of disintegration. The Obelisk also symbolizes Penn State’s early leadership in mining and mineral education.
Hintz Family Alumni Center
Home to the Penn State Alumni Association, the Hintz Family Alumni Center blends traditions, old and new. On its east end, it incorporates the President’s House, the residence of every Penn State president from 1864 through 1970. It is the oldest building on campus. The remaining portion of the alumni center was opened in 2001. Its construction was supported by a gift from Penn Staters Edward and Helen Hintz and their family. The Penn State Alumni Association, founded in 1870, has more than 174,000 dues-paying members, making it the world’s largest organization of its kind. The alumni center welcomes the public during business hours and on most weekends.
Rec Hall
Officially known as the Recreation Building, Rec Hall is the popular name for this historic facility. From its construction in 1929 until the opening of the Bryce Jordan Center in 1996, Rec Hall was Penn State’s primary arena for athletic contests, entertainment events, guest speakers, commencement ceremonies, and other public gatherings. Enlarged and renovated several times, Rec Hall continues to be a popular venue for many intercollegiate sporting events, such as wrestling and gymnastics, as well as for intramural athletics and physical education classes, and still hosts visits to campus by major public figures. Older alumni remember it as the place where they registered for classes at the start of each semester.
Nittany Lion Shrine
Carved from a 13-ton block of Indiana limestone by renowned sculptor Heinz Warneke, the Nittany Lion Shrine is the most photographed site on campus. It was completed in 1942 as a gift to Penn State from the class of 1940. By portraying the Nittany Lion as a mountain lion, Warneke helped define the mascot’s image for later generations of Penn Staters. The shrine was located here because of its proximity to the Nittany Lion Inn and so many athletic venues. Rec Hall, across the street, hosted basketball, wrestling, and other sporting events. Beaver Field, near the site of today’s Kern Building, was home to Nittany Lions football. Facilities for baseball, tennis, and golf also were nearby. New lighting, landscaping, and pathways were added to the shrine in 2013, thanks to a gift from the class of 2012.
Nittany Lion Inn
Owned and operated by Penn State, the Nittany Lion Inn has been providing on-campus dining, lodging, and conference facilities since 1931. It has also offered important practical experiences to generations of students in the University’s hospitality programs. Expanded several times, the Inn now features 223 guest rooms and suites. The Inn owes its location to the adjacent highway, once called the Lakes to Sea Highway, which for many years served as the main transportation artery between the campus and other parts of the state. The Inn is a member of the prestigious National Trust Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust in Historic Preservation.
Pattee Mall
The mall takes its name from Pattee Library, which stands at the mall’s upper end. Hard to imagine, but until the library’s construction in 1940, the mall was a busy street leading from downtown State College through the heart of campus. At Pattee Mall’s lower end are the Allen Street gates, which symbolically mark the boundary between town and campus. The oldest buildings along the mall include Schwab Auditorium, built in 1902 with a gift from steel king Charles Schwab; and Carnegie Building, whose construction was made possible by a gift from Schwab’s fellow industrialist, Andrew Carnegie. Both men served on Penn State’s Board of Trustees. The stately elms lining the mall date back to the 1890s. Of the campus’ original elms, more than half have been claimed by either Dutch elm disease or elm yellows disease. Wood from removed elm trees has been used to create the Penn State Elms Collection, with a portion of the proceeds going toward planting replacement trees.
Pattee and Paterno Labraries
Pattee Library, opened in 1940, and Paterno Library, dedicated in 2000, are a combined complex and the largest facility of the University Libraries. Pattee and Paterno contain eight subject libraries and numerous areas of interest to visitors, including a Leisure Reading Collection, exhibits, MacKinnon’s Cafe, and a display of what is often called the original Nittany Lion. Self-guided tours are encouraged. Be sure to pick up a brochure at any of the welcome desks. Penn State’s Libraries, with 24 campus locations across the commonwealth, rank among North America’s top ten university research libraries, offering more than 7 million volumes, hundreds of online databases, and 386,000 e-books.
Pasquerilla Spiritual Center
The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center is the largest multi-faith center of its kind in the country. As the home for the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs, it offers space for the almost fifty religious and spiritual student organizations on campus and a welcoming, supportive environment to practice religion. Pasquerilla hosts worship services for many different religions and supports a variety of events that all members of the Penn State community are encouraged to attend, regardless of faith. Connected to the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center is the Helen Eakin Eisenhower Chapel, the beautiful chapel that is a popular spot for intimate weddings and commitment ceremonies, which are exclusively reserved for Penn State students, alumni, and employees.
The Palmer Museum of Art
Penn State’s art museum opened its doors in 1972. In 1987, it was named for benefactors James and Barbara Palmer, whose generous lead gift helped to make possible a major expansion. Today, the Palmer boasts an eye-catching facade and plaza designed by the noted post-modern architect Charles Moore in the early 1990s. The monumental bronze lion paws at the entrance, designed by Pittsburgh artist Paul Bowden, pay homage to Penn State’s Nittany Lion, and playfully reference the longstanding tradition of displaying sculpted lions at the entrance of important civic buildings. With a permanent collection of some 8,000 objects spanning thirty-five centuries, the Palmer Museum maintains an active exhibition schedule and is a cultural resource for both the University and the surrounding region.
Berkey Creamery
Located on the first floor of Penn State’s Food Science Building, the Berkey Creamery processes milk and manufactures ice cream and other dairy products. Its retail sales room hand-dips more than 750,000 ice cream cones and bowls each year, and is a favorite spot for students, returning alumni, and visitors. The Creamery also provides dairy products for University food services, and researchers use its facilities to study the effects of processing and storage on a dairy product’s microbiological makeup, nutritional value, and flavor. Penn State has had a creamery operation continuously since 1865. This is the fifth location, and its name honors Earl and Jeanne Berkey, whose generous lead gift helped make the current facility possible.
Millennium Science Complex
One of the newest and most impressive buildings on campus, the Millennium Science Complex was completed in 2011 and, as the largest academic building at the University, offers 297,000 square feet of laboratory and research space. The complex is home to Penn State's Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Materials Research Institute - two institutes respected for performing cutting-edge research that now have the opportunity for increased collaboration through their union in this advanced facility. In addition to the fantastic scientific facilities, the complex is LEED-certified, features a green roof, and showcases one of the most beautiful garden spaces on campus.
Penn State Bookstore
No visit to Penn State is complete without stopping at the Penn State Official Bookstore. Browse the latest apparel, gifts, and accessories for every Penn State fan.