State College is a home rule municipality (styled as a "borough") in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Along with the adjoining College Township, it is home to the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University.
Most of downtown State College can be seen by simply walking around the compact downtown and university campus. Although a car is convenient to get to the outskirts of town, a bike is sufficient. If you prefer to take public transportation, CATA provides on-time bus service to most of the county. There are also free buses running through the downtown area, as well as through campus. Most State College routes run from 6AM until 2:30AM (shortly after last call) the following morning.
1 Pennsylvania State University, ☏ +1 814-865-4700. Penn State, home of the Nittany Lions, is the main campus of a university system with nearly 100,000 students in all. The State College campus has over 45,000 students, and its undergraduate enrollment of over 40,000 makes it one of the five largest university campuses in America by undergraduate enrollment. 2 Matson Museum of Anthropology (second floor of the Carpenter Building), ☏ +1 814-865-3853. M-F 11AM-4PM. Small, free anthropology museum with a collection of archaeological, cultural, and biological artifacts. Free. (updated Sep 2021) 3 Nittany Lion Shrine (just off of Curtin Road.).
Watch a Penn State football game. Ride your bicycle: There are many dedicated paths and bike lanes around town. Nearby Rothrock State Forest, which has hosted world-class mountain bike races, has miles of trails for all levels of mountain biking. Many of the country roads surrounding State College are also ideal for road cycling. The Centre Region Bicycle Coalition has more information on cycling in the State College area. 4th of July fireworks. 1 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. A variety of artists come to display their work on the streets of downtown State College and surrounding campus area.
There are the usual number of chain restaurants and various student eats spots, but a number of must-attend restaurants also exist. 1 Lupita's Authentic Mexican Food, 3180 W College Ave, ☏ +1 814-954-8768. M-Sa 11AM-8PM. State College's most authentic Mexican cuisine is in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant located inside a Uni-Mart. A Downtown location also exists. Serving Oaxacan street food. (updated Jan 2023) 2 The Tavern, 220 E College Avenue, ☏ +1 814-238-6116. Dinner: Tu-Su 5-9PM, lunch: Sa Su 11:30AM-3PM. Upscale downtown restaurant serving classy cuisine, including fresh local salads and wagyu steaks. Adjacent to Penn State, and a town mainstay.
Drinking is what State College is known for, second only to football. Whether you prefer sports bars, dance clubs, or Irish pubs, with over 20 bars in a mile radius, everyone is sure to find something to their liking. 1 Phyrst, 111-1/2 East Beaver Ave, ☏ +1 814-238-1406. Daily 5PM-2AM. The Phryst is one of State College's basement bars with a dedication to local music scene, friendly atmosphere, pool tables. Order a cheesesteak or a famous egg roll and enjoy local music. (updated Jan 2023)
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Aug, State College typically sees ~27°C daytime highs and 6 rainy days.
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