Hey guys, I come in peace. I'm usually a 24/7 user, but seeing as you guys aren't very active on that site, I figured I would stop by on here, and help out with some game day information that you may find useful.
Parking/Tailgating:
http://www.gopsusports.com/tickets/m-footbl-parking.html
This site has all the information you will need regarding parking. Today at 5:00 is the last day you can order parking passes through the mail. As far as getting into the tailgating lots, I personally believe that taking Park Ave from Atherton Rd is the best way to get to where you are going on game days, as it will take you to practically any of the lots you may be heading, and they keep it moving about as well as can be expected. Be aware that certain parts of campus will be closed to automobiles, particularly curtain road by east halls, but it shouldn't be a huge issue as there are always alternitive routes to where you are going. If you are looking for more of a party atmosphere to tailgate, I definitely recommend lot 12, as that is where a lot of the students tailgate, and is always a wild time. Other than that lot, you will find a good mix of everything from college students to the elderly in the other lots. In all seriousness, do not be shy going up and asking pretty much anybody if you can have a burger or beer or something. Despite what has been posted in other threads, aside from a few friendly jeers, most people are extremely welcoming to anybody that happens to stumble by. The gates to the stadium will open up one hour prior to kickoff. If you want to make it into the game by kickoff, I recommend heading to the stadium 30-45 minutes before kickoff. PSU recently hired a new company to handle the gates and scan tickets. Things ran exceptionally smooth during the Akron game, but it has definitely been a problem in the past. I also highly recommend you try and avoid the gate A area as much as possible, as that is where the students enter, and it can get mind boggingly crowded in that area around the time of kickoff.
Transportation:
https://www.catabus.com/index.htm
The best way to get around on game day is on the CATA busses. The two main busses are the blue loop, which runs clockwise around campus, and the white loop, which runs counterclockwise around campus. Both of these busses are free of charge, but can get quite crowded on game day. There are also several other CATA busses that run at various times practically anywhere around the state college area, like out Vairo Blvd by Walmart, or out towards Toftrees and Waupelani Dr. These busses do cost money though. If memory serves me correctly it is $1.50 per person, but the CATA website should have all that information. There is also a CATA mobile app that gives live updates on bus location and seats available, and it can be extremely useful. Uber and Lyft are both also readily available in State College at a fair rate (at least it was the last time I was in State College). It is about a 20 minute walk from the stadium to the heart of downtown, and maybe an additional 10-15 if you are heading over towards Atherton.
Bar Scene/ Restaurants/ Other things to do:
http://www.statecollege.com/bartour/
Finally I get to the topic I know the most about! The biggest thing is that on football weekends, more likely than not (especially play a team so geographically close) there will be a line for a lot of the bars downtown. Im going to run through as many of them as I can off the top of my head. The most popular bars in State College among students are Primanti's and Champs. Both are sports bars that are great if you want to catch the other CFB games that are happening. Both are reasonably priced, and have typical bar food. I can assure you they will be hopping pretty much all weekend long, and will get quite crowded. The Phyrst is nothing short of a dive, but their drink prices are dirt cheap, and they often have live music. Local whisky (one of my personal favorites) and Adam's Apple are both a bit pricier, but they wshouldn't have the raucous and spirited atmosphere like a lot of the other bars in State College will on weekends, and are a nice place if you just want to chill out, and have a couple drinks. Zeno's is another one of my favorite bars in State College. It is a bit divey, but they have an absolutely incredible selection of craft and IPA beers at reasonable prices. I personally higthly recommend the Neshaminy Creek IPA. The last two bars I want to touch on are RathSkellar and Cafe 210 West. I find a lot of people in their 40s and 50s really enjoy the Rathskellar. They will be playing 70s and 80s rock music, and have a ton of beer on tap at a reasonable price. You won't find a ton of students at this bar, but it should still have a high energy feel that you may enjoy after getting your butts whooped by the lions (sorry had to take at least one shot). The last bar is Cafe 210 West. This is a bar that has live music quite a lot, typically 70s and 80s cover bands, and have a decent amount of outdoor seating, right on College Ave, so this is your bar if you like people-watching drunk idiots.
Outside of the typical bars, Otto's Brewery, and Happy Valley Brewery are both great and have AMAZING food (especially Otto's). The Waffle Shop (there are 3, but the best one is on Atherton towards walmart) is basically the Pamela's of State College; great breakfast food, huge lines that they shuffle in and out fast. American Ale House is also up there amongst my favorite restaurants in State College, along with the Allen Street Grill, and Letterman's sports grill.
If you are looking for kid-friendly activities to do while in State College, there is the Discovery Space of Central PA, which is geared towards hands on activities for younger kids, and my niece absolutely loved when she went. There is also a laser-tag arena in downtown that i've heard good things about. I am not sure about hours or prices for those type of places, so I would definitely do some research online if that is something you are planning on doing. Lastly, and I cannot recommend this enough, hike Mt. Nittany if you have the opportunity. It is not a difficult hike, and would take about 2-3 hours. You get an absolutely stunning view of the campus from the top, and can see Beaver Stadium, a lot of the academic buildings, etc.
As much as I hope we pound the ever living crap out of the Panthers on the fields on Saturday, I sincerely hope you guys have a wonderful time in Happy Valley. A very large majority of us are good people that just love having a good time and watching Penn State Football. I'm planning on meeting up with some old college friends after the game at the either the Rathskellar or Cafe, and i'll be wearing the same '95 rose bowl hat I wear to every game. If you bump into me, don't be a stranger, and we'll toast to college football in the Keystone state. Minus temple, **** Temple.
Parking/Tailgating:
http://www.gopsusports.com/tickets/m-footbl-parking.html
This site has all the information you will need regarding parking. Today at 5:00 is the last day you can order parking passes through the mail. As far as getting into the tailgating lots, I personally believe that taking Park Ave from Atherton Rd is the best way to get to where you are going on game days, as it will take you to practically any of the lots you may be heading, and they keep it moving about as well as can be expected. Be aware that certain parts of campus will be closed to automobiles, particularly curtain road by east halls, but it shouldn't be a huge issue as there are always alternitive routes to where you are going. If you are looking for more of a party atmosphere to tailgate, I definitely recommend lot 12, as that is where a lot of the students tailgate, and is always a wild time. Other than that lot, you will find a good mix of everything from college students to the elderly in the other lots. In all seriousness, do not be shy going up and asking pretty much anybody if you can have a burger or beer or something. Despite what has been posted in other threads, aside from a few friendly jeers, most people are extremely welcoming to anybody that happens to stumble by. The gates to the stadium will open up one hour prior to kickoff. If you want to make it into the game by kickoff, I recommend heading to the stadium 30-45 minutes before kickoff. PSU recently hired a new company to handle the gates and scan tickets. Things ran exceptionally smooth during the Akron game, but it has definitely been a problem in the past. I also highly recommend you try and avoid the gate A area as much as possible, as that is where the students enter, and it can get mind boggingly crowded in that area around the time of kickoff.
Transportation:
https://www.catabus.com/index.htm
The best way to get around on game day is on the CATA busses. The two main busses are the blue loop, which runs clockwise around campus, and the white loop, which runs counterclockwise around campus. Both of these busses are free of charge, but can get quite crowded on game day. There are also several other CATA busses that run at various times practically anywhere around the state college area, like out Vairo Blvd by Walmart, or out towards Toftrees and Waupelani Dr. These busses do cost money though. If memory serves me correctly it is $1.50 per person, but the CATA website should have all that information. There is also a CATA mobile app that gives live updates on bus location and seats available, and it can be extremely useful. Uber and Lyft are both also readily available in State College at a fair rate (at least it was the last time I was in State College). It is about a 20 minute walk from the stadium to the heart of downtown, and maybe an additional 10-15 if you are heading over towards Atherton.
Bar Scene/ Restaurants/ Other things to do:
http://www.statecollege.com/bartour/
Finally I get to the topic I know the most about! The biggest thing is that on football weekends, more likely than not (especially play a team so geographically close) there will be a line for a lot of the bars downtown. Im going to run through as many of them as I can off the top of my head. The most popular bars in State College among students are Primanti's and Champs. Both are sports bars that are great if you want to catch the other CFB games that are happening. Both are reasonably priced, and have typical bar food. I can assure you they will be hopping pretty much all weekend long, and will get quite crowded. The Phyrst is nothing short of a dive, but their drink prices are dirt cheap, and they often have live music. Local whisky (one of my personal favorites) and Adam's Apple are both a bit pricier, but they wshouldn't have the raucous and spirited atmosphere like a lot of the other bars in State College will on weekends, and are a nice place if you just want to chill out, and have a couple drinks. Zeno's is another one of my favorite bars in State College. It is a bit divey, but they have an absolutely incredible selection of craft and IPA beers at reasonable prices. I personally higthly recommend the Neshaminy Creek IPA. The last two bars I want to touch on are RathSkellar and Cafe 210 West. I find a lot of people in their 40s and 50s really enjoy the Rathskellar. They will be playing 70s and 80s rock music, and have a ton of beer on tap at a reasonable price. You won't find a ton of students at this bar, but it should still have a high energy feel that you may enjoy after getting your butts whooped by the lions (sorry had to take at least one shot). The last bar is Cafe 210 West. This is a bar that has live music quite a lot, typically 70s and 80s cover bands, and have a decent amount of outdoor seating, right on College Ave, so this is your bar if you like people-watching drunk idiots.
Outside of the typical bars, Otto's Brewery, and Happy Valley Brewery are both great and have AMAZING food (especially Otto's). The Waffle Shop (there are 3, but the best one is on Atherton towards walmart) is basically the Pamela's of State College; great breakfast food, huge lines that they shuffle in and out fast. American Ale House is also up there amongst my favorite restaurants in State College, along with the Allen Street Grill, and Letterman's sports grill.
If you are looking for kid-friendly activities to do while in State College, there is the Discovery Space of Central PA, which is geared towards hands on activities for younger kids, and my niece absolutely loved when she went. There is also a laser-tag arena in downtown that i've heard good things about. I am not sure about hours or prices for those type of places, so I would definitely do some research online if that is something you are planning on doing. Lastly, and I cannot recommend this enough, hike Mt. Nittany if you have the opportunity. It is not a difficult hike, and would take about 2-3 hours. You get an absolutely stunning view of the campus from the top, and can see Beaver Stadium, a lot of the academic buildings, etc.
As much as I hope we pound the ever living crap out of the Panthers on the fields on Saturday, I sincerely hope you guys have a wonderful time in Happy Valley. A very large majority of us are good people that just love having a good time and watching Penn State Football. I'm planning on meeting up with some old college friends after the game at the either the Rathskellar or Cafe, and i'll be wearing the same '95 rose bowl hat I wear to every game. If you bump into me, don't be a stranger, and we'll toast to college football in the Keystone state. Minus temple, **** Temple.
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