Bear Meadows Natural Area is an 890-acre protected zone within Rothrock State Forest that is known for its unusual swamp and rare plants. It is protected both as a State Forest Natural Area and as a United States National Natural Landmark.
Scotia was the scene of iron ore mining from the late 1700s to the 1940s, supplying ore to Centre County’s early iron furnaces and, years later, to Andrew Carnegie’s Pittsburgh steel mills.The iron pits are part of a larger area now known as the Scotia Barrens, covering parts of Half Moon, Patton, and Ferguson townships.
Harmony Forge, built in 1795 near Milesburg, was one of the first iron forges to operate in what would become Centre County. It flourished as a diversified ironworks but closed in the early 20th century. A mansion built on the site is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the early years of U.S. transcontinental mail, Bellefonte airfields played an important role as a major refueling stop between New York and Chicago. Mail was flown for the first time from Bellefonte on December 18, 1918, Pilots flew an assortment of planes, including de Havilland DH-4s and Curtiss JN-4H “Jennies.”
Ag Hill is the name of the collection of Penn State’s early buildings that supported the School of Agriculture and the university’s mission as a land-grant college. Many of the buildings still remain, although most are used for other purposes.
Lemont is a historic village in College Township nestled at the base of Nittany Mountain. Traditionally known as “The End of the Mountain,” it slowly grew as a settlement in the early 1800s as an important crossroads connecting the Nittany and Penns valleys.
Lincoln Hall was a rooming house for Black male students at Penn State that became a center for African-American campus life from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.The circa 1910 home at 119 North Barnard Street in State College was owned and operated by Harry and Rosa Gifford and their children, Bessie and Emanuel.
The Nittany Lion Inn opened in 1931 to provide first-class accommodations for visitors to Penn State and Centre County. Dubbed “Penn State’s Living Room” by university President Eric Walker, the Georgian-style inn is a sentimental destination for alumni and is a popular venue for univer
The All-American Rathskeller was a beloved drinking establishment for generations of patrons, especially Penn State students. The “Skeller,” as it was known, was the longest-operating bar in State College until it closed in 2017.
Old Main is the administrative headquarters of Penn State and an iconic symbol of the university. Constructed in 1930, it is the second building to occupy the site on a hill that overlooks an expansive lawn descending to what is now College Avenue.