Home in Happy Valley
Penn State University Park is situated next to the quintessential college town of State College, in a region of Pennsylvania affectionately known as Happy Valley. It’s a place that makes an appearance on many “best” lists because of its friendly atmosphere, rich connection to education, natural resources, and strong economy.
- #8 Best College Towns in America (bestcollegereviews.com, 2022)
- #15 Best College Towns (Business Insider, 2018)
- #98 Top 100 Best Places to Live in America (Livability, 2021)
- #26 Best Small Places for Business and Careers (Forbes, 2019)
- #27 Top 30 Most Beautiful College Towns (valuecolleges.com, 2022)
- #31 Best Small College Town in the USA (preply.com, 2022)
- #14 Safest College Towns in America (SafeWise, 2018)
- Most Educated City in Pennsylvania, (247wallst.com)
Whether you are a nature lover or prefer the arts, Central Pennsylvania boasts a wide variety of activities to appeal to almost every taste.
For the Outdoorsperson
- Allegrippis Trails
- Bald Eagle State Park
- Blue Knob All-Seasons Resort
- Centre County Grange Fair
- Colyer Lake
- Shaver’s Creek
- Fisherman’s Paradise
- Mount Nittany
- Raystown Lake
- Rothrock State Forest
- Spring Creek Canyon
- Tussey Mountain
- Whipple Dam
For the Arts, History, and Music Buff
- American Philatelic Society
- Bellefonte Historical Railway Society
- Bellefonte Art Museum
- Bryce Jordan Center
- Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
- Centre for the Performing Arts
- Forum Speaker Series
- Nittany Valley Symphony
- Palmer Museum of Art
- Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra
- Pennsylvania Military Museum
- Penn State Theatres
- People’s Choice Festival
- Railroaders Memorial Museum
- Schlow Centre Region Library
- State College Community Theatre
- State Theater
- Swigart Antique Auto Museum
- The Village of Boalsburg
For the Foodie
- Big Spring Distillery
- Boalsburg Farmers’ Market
- The Carnegie Inn
- Downtown Farmers Market
- Elk Creek Café + Aleworks
- Fasta & Ravioli Company
- Mount Nittany Winery
- Happy Valley Winery
- The Nittany Lion Inn
- North Atherton Farmers Market
- Otto’s Pub and Brewery
- Seven Mountains Wine Cellars
- State College Winters Farmer’s Market
- The Tavern Restaurant
For the Whole Family
- Bald Eagle State Park
- Bellefonte Historical Railway
- Blue Knob All-Seasons Resort
- Colyer Lake
- Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
- Centre County Grange Fair
- Centre Region Parks and Recreation
- DelGrosso’s Amusement Park
- Fourth Fest
- First Night State College
- Mount Nittany
- Raystown Lake
- Schlow Centre Region Library
- Shaver’s Creek
- State College Spikes
- Penn State Athletics
- Tussey Mountain
- Whipple Dam
- YMCA of Centre County
For the Sports Fan
Resources
Schools
- Bellefonte Area School District
- The Goddard School
- Penns Valley Area School District
- State College Area School District
- Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania
Local Government
- The Borough of Bellefonte
- Centre Region Council of Governments
- State College Borough
- The Village of Boalsburg
