Guidebook for State College

Martin
Guidebook for State College

Food Scene

Great coffee and pastries.
38 locals recommend
Harrison's Wine Grill & Catering
38 locals recommend
Great coffee and pastries.
Menu always changing. Amazing small plates, sourced locally, along with great drinks.
38 locals recommend
Barrel 21 Distillery and Dining
2255 N Atherton St
38 locals recommend
Menu always changing. Amazing small plates, sourced locally, along with great drinks.
Incredible specials, great local beers, good place to get a solid, healthy meal and a good beer at a low price. Lots of local microbrews (every day there's a $2 special on the brewer's choice)
104 locals recommend
Happy Valley Brewing Company
137 Elmwood St
104 locals recommend
Incredible specials, great local beers, good place to get a solid, healthy meal and a good beer at a low price. Lots of local microbrews (every day there's a $2 special on the brewer's choice)
Solid Italian food, within walking distance.
57 locals recommend
Faccia Luna Pizzeria
1229 S Atherton St
57 locals recommend
Solid Italian food, within walking distance.
Great brunch. Go early or prepare to wait!
47 locals recommend
The Naked Egg
320 Pine Grove Rd
47 locals recommend
Great brunch. Go early or prepare to wait!
Great Southern food and drinks. Happy hour specials. Accessible via the hike and bike trail near our house.
56 locals recommend
Gigi's Southern Table
2080 Cato Ave
56 locals recommend
Great Southern food and drinks. Happy hour specials. Accessible via the hike and bike trail near our house.
Fresh, homemade pasta to take home and cook.
Fasta & Ravioli Co.
129 S Fraser St
Fresh, homemade pasta to take home and cook.

Entertainment & Activities

Amazing innertube sledding (with special lift) plus skiing and snowboarding (not world class by any means, but close and affordable). In the summer and fall snow-less months this is a great place to sightsee and provides a great view of the valley looking N/NW.
64 locals recommend
Tussey Mountain Ski and Recreation
301 Bear Meadows Rd
64 locals recommend
Amazing innertube sledding (with special lift) plus skiing and snowboarding (not world class by any means, but close and affordable). In the summer and fall snow-less months this is a great place to sightsee and provides a great view of the valley looking N/NW.

Parks & Nature

Gorgeous seasonal displays of plants and flowers. Fun, amazing kids garden. Beautiful sunset views and the entrance to longer forest hiking trails.
124 locals recommend
The Arboretum at Penn State
Bigler Road
124 locals recommend
Gorgeous seasonal displays of plants and flowers. Fun, amazing kids garden. Beautiful sunset views and the entrance to longer forest hiking trails.
Gorgeous lake, perfect for a serene afternoon. Kayak rentals for cheap. Barbecue grills and good swimming in the summer.
72 locals recommend
Bald Eagle State Park
149 Main Park Rd
72 locals recommend
Gorgeous lake, perfect for a serene afternoon. Kayak rentals for cheap. Barbecue grills and good swimming in the summer.
An iconic hiking trail just a few miles away, in a land conservancy maintained by PSU alums. Beautiful vistas and a few different trails to explore. Bring sturdy shoes and a water bottle.
28 locals recommend
Mount Nittany
28 locals recommend
An iconic hiking trail just a few miles away, in a land conservancy maintained by PSU alums. Beautiful vistas and a few different trails to explore. Bring sturdy shoes and a water bottle.
A mellow nearby park with a small arboretum and picnic pavilion. Good for reading, picnics, a leisurely stroll. Lots of trees and flowers in bloom in the summer and beautiful fall foliage.
Lederer Park
1101 University Dr
A mellow nearby park with a small arboretum and picnic pavilion. Good for reading, picnics, a leisurely stroll. Lots of trees and flowers in bloom in the summer and beautiful fall foliage.
Beautiful views looking south. A historic, working farm adjacent to the park.
18 locals recommend
Tom Tudek Memorial Park
400 Herman Dr
18 locals recommend
Beautiful views looking south. A historic, working farm adjacent to the park.
Great lake swimming 20 minutes away. Cool, fresh water. Totally free! Barbecue and picnic areas.
30 locals recommend
Whipple Dam State Park
3746 Laurel Run Rd
30 locals recommend
Great lake swimming 20 minutes away. Cool, fresh water. Totally free! Barbecue and picnic areas.
Environmental education center with cool seasonal walks and workshops.
39 locals recommend
Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
3400 Discovery Rd
39 locals recommend
Environmental education center with cool seasonal walks and workshops.
Amazing hiking trail along Spring Creek. Totally flat, okay for cycling as well. Lose yourself in nature! Safe, free parking available on either side of the trailhead.
Fishermans paradise spring creek
99 Fishermans Paradise Rd
Amazing hiking trail along Spring Creek. Totally flat, okay for cycling as well. Lose yourself in nature! Safe, free parking available on either side of the trailhead.

Essentials

A quick 5 minute walk. Full service, 24 hour grocery store with regular items plus a small but decent offering of organic food and Asian grocery items.
52 locals recommend
Weis Markets
560 Westerly Pkwy
52 locals recommend
A quick 5 minute walk. Full service, 24 hour grocery store with regular items plus a small but decent offering of organic food and Asian grocery items.
State liquor store right around the corner, good selection of wine and liquor.
9 locals recommend
Fine Wine & Good Spirits
230 W Hamilton Ave
9 locals recommend
State liquor store right around the corner, good selection of wine and liquor.
Post office a ten min walk or three minute drive up Frazer St. out the back door.
United States Postal Service
237 S Fraser St
Post office a ten min walk or three minute drive up Frazer St. out the back door.
Rite Aid
510 Westerly Pkwy
10 minute drive, also accessible via the bus (stop is half a block away at S. Atherton and Logan St.)
41 locals recommend
Trader Joe's
243 Patriot Ln
41 locals recommend
10 minute drive, also accessible via the bus (stop is half a block away at S. Atherton and Logan St.)
The biggest and best grocery store in town with normal grocery items plus a serious selection of gourment cheeses, meats, fish, specialties, international foods and health/organic stuff.
96 locals recommend
Wegmans
345 Colonnade Blvd
96 locals recommend
The biggest and best grocery store in town with normal grocery items plus a serious selection of gourment cheeses, meats, fish, specialties, international foods and health/organic stuff.

Arts & Culture

Historic Victorian town 11 miles away. Amazing mansions and other Victorian buildings. Beautiful, quaint town square. 1830s African Methodist Episcopal Church and Underground Railroad history. Great antique shops.
51 locals recommend
Bellefonte
51 locals recommend
Historic Victorian town 11 miles away. Amazing mansions and other Victorian buildings. Beautiful, quaint town square. 1830s African Methodist Episcopal Church and Underground Railroad history. Great antique shops.
Tour a historic mansion splendidly furnished. Good tour guides explain the history of the region, the iron industry which birthed it, and the founding and growth of the university.
6 locals recommend
Centre County Historical Society
1001 E College Ave
6 locals recommend
Tour a historic mansion splendidly furnished. Good tour guides explain the history of the region, the iron industry which birthed it, and the founding and growth of the university.
Interesting permanent collection and rotating exhibits. FREE
38 locals recommend
Palmer Museum of Art
Bigler Road
38 locals recommend
Interesting permanent collection and rotating exhibits. FREE
Handsome campus with mature trees, cool old and new architecture.
125 locals recommend
Penn State University
125 locals recommend
Handsome campus with mature trees, cool old and new architecture.
Boalsburg Heritage Museum Association
304 E Main St

Drinks & Nightlife

National touring acts come through this newly-open venue.
Bremen Town Ballroom
105 E Main St
National touring acts come through this newly-open venue.
Great local food and beer. Local and national music acts. Nice vibe.
48 locals recommend
Elk Creek Cafe
100 W Main St
48 locals recommend
Great local food and beer. Local and national music acts. Nice vibe.
National touring acts, films and theater works. Check their site online for latest listings.
31 locals recommend
The State Theatre
130 W College Ave
31 locals recommend
National touring acts, films and theater works. Check their site online for latest listings.
Super beer selection at this basement dive. Crowd is generally older and more mature than a lot of downtown drinking establishments.
32 locals recommend
Zeno's Pub
100 W College Ave
32 locals recommend
Super beer selection at this basement dive. Crowd is generally older and more mature than a lot of downtown drinking establishments.
Hookah bar with cafe and Italian sodas. Great vinyl record selection. Occasional live music.
Chronic Town
224 W College Ave
Hookah bar with cafe and Italian sodas. Great vinyl record selection. Occasional live music.
Quintessential dive bar with good cheap beer and live music.
The Brewery
233 E Beaver Ave
Quintessential dive bar with good cheap beer and live music.

Getting Around

Bus station close to campus and downtown.
Greyhound: Bus Station
152 N Atherton St
Bus station close to campus and downtown.
Megabus (to Philly, Pittsburgh and NYC) stop here. Also, various Chinatown NYC buses drop off/leave from here. See their schedules at gotobus.com
23 locals recommend
Walmart Supercenter
1665 N Atherton St
23 locals recommend
Megabus (to Philly, Pittsburgh and NYC) stop here. Also, various Chinatown NYC buses drop off/leave from here. See their schedules at gotobus.com