Public motion picture screenings in Centre County paralleled the growth of the movies as a popular form of public entertainment in rural and small-town America in the first half of the 20th century, and their transformation to part of a wider range of entertainment in the late 20th and early 21st century.
The Mid State Trail is a 327-mile hiking trail that runs from the border of Maryland in Bedford County to the border of New York in Tioga County. Marked with rectangular orange blazes, many miles of the trail pass through the southern and eastern parts of Centre County. The trail originated in the late 1960s, […]
The Centre County Library, founded in 1939, serves readers with four locations and a bookmobile. The creation of what is now a county library system began with the generosity of Bellefonte resident, Ann Elmira Humes,who agreed to donate her home, the historic Miles-Humes House, for a public library.
The Palmer Museum of Art is Penn State’s art museum. It is the largest art museum between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. A new $85 million, 73,000-square-foot museum opened in June 2024 within the Penn State Arboretum. It nearly doubles the museum’s size and includes twenty galleries, as well as new education and event spaces, a museum store and café, and a sculpture path.
The Cold Stream Dam is a popular recreation spot on State Route 322 in Philipsburg. Throughout its history, the dam has suffered mishaps, most notably in 1936, when it broke and water flooded the downtown. However, the dam has survived to remain an important local resource.
The Penn State Blue Band is the university’s marching band that performs at football games and other major events. The band, which is comprised of more than 300 members, is open to all students at the University Park campus.
The State College Spikes is a professional baseball team that plays in Centre County. The club, formerly the New Jersey Cardinals, was purchased in 2002 by a group that also owned the Double-A Eastern League Altoona Curve. The team moved to State College in 2006, playing in the New York-Penn League.
Penn State fielded its first organized football team in 1887 — just 11 years after the rules of the sport were established — and has had a team ever since. The program has been among the most successful in the country, winning national championships in 1982 and 1986.
The Pennsylvania Match Company, founded in Bellefonte in 1899, grew to become one of the largest match producers before a reduced consumer demand for matches led to its closing. Known locally as the “Match Factory,” the sprawling brick complex is now owned by the American Philatelic Society.
The Glennland Building was State College’s tallest building for more than forty years, known for its popular apartments and indoor pool. The building is now a boutique hotel. Located at the corner of Beaver Avenue and Pugh Street, the Glennland was built in 1933 by local businessman O.W. Houts and physician Grover Glenn, for whom […]