The Nittany Lion Inn

The Nittany Lion Inn has anchored Penn State's University Park campus since 1931, its blue-and-white Georgian colonial architecture set among an oak grove opposite the White Golf Course. Penn State President Emeritus Eric Walker once called it "Penn State's living room," and the inn has hosted guests including U.S. Presidents Lyndon Johnson and George Bush, poet Robert Frost, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and actors Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito. In 2000 it was recognized as a National Trust Historic Hotel of America member. Following a full renovation and reopening in September 2024 under Scholar Hotels, the property now offers 230 refreshed guest rooms and suites alongside more than 12,000 square feet of flexible event space, including a grand ballroom and several smaller ballrooms and boardrooms suited to weddings, receptions, galas, and conferences. All catering is prepared onsite by the inn's culinary team, with menus spanning plated dinners, buffets, and cocktail-style receptions, plus curated bar packages featuring wine, craft cocktails, and local beers. For couples and event hosts, the inn's on-campus setting allows ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, and farewell brunches to unfold in one place, with room blocks and walkable access to Penn State's campus and downtown State College for out-of-town guests.