By Todd Miner, owner of Vamos! Lion Chariot Tours
There's nothing quite like a Penn State football Saturday in Happy Valley. The tailgates, the sea of blue and white, the crowds streaming toward Beaver Stadium and more than 100,000 fans coming together for Game Day make it one of college football's great experiences.
You've got your tickets. Now it's time to plan the rest of your Game Day.
Where will you park? How long is the walk to Beaver Stadium? What's the best way to get between downtown State College, campus, your parking area and the tailgates?
With a little advance planning, getting around can be much easier — and a lot less stressful. Here's what visitors should know about Beaver Stadium parking and Game Day transportation at Penn State.
Beaver Stadium parking: plan ahead
If parking in one of the football lots surrounding Beaver Stadium, arranging parking in advance is strongly recommended.
Game Day traffic controls direct different parking areas from different approaches, so check your designated route before leaving for State College rather than relying on normal GPS directions alone.
Tailgating occurs throughout the many parking areas surrounding Beaver Stadium, including numerous numbered and reserved lots.
Penn State also utilizes several on-campus parking decks — including the East, Eisenhower, Nittany, HUB and West decks — on a first-come, first-served basis on football Game Days.
Because parking rates, access routes and restrictions can change, consult Penn State's current Game Day and event parking information before traveling.
The walk to Beaver Stadium can take anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes, depending on parking location and walking speed.
Roads, landmarks and meeting points
Several familiar campus roads and landmarks become important reference points on football Saturdays.
Major routes around the stadium and central campus include Curtin Road, University Drive, Park Avenue, Porter Road, Shortlidge Road and Pollock Road.
Common landmarks and meeting points include Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center, the We Are sculpture, The Arboretum at Penn State, Katz Law School, the Nittany Lion Shrine, Berkey Creamery and HUB-Robeson Center.
Knowing these names can be useful when arranging transportation or explaining your location during a busy Game Day.
Getting around Penn State on Game Day
Most visitors use some combination of walking, CATA buses and shuttles, rideshare, bikes and pedicabs.
Walking
For shorter distances, walking is often best. But Penn State is a large campus, and its hills can make even a relatively short distance more challenging than it may seem.
That is especially worth considering for older visitors, families with young children and anyone with mobility limitations.
CATA buses and Game Day service
CATA provides special transportation service on Penn State football Game Days.
Check CATA's current Penn State Game Day shuttle and bus information before traveling.
Rideshare
Uber and Lyft are options, though Game Day traffic, restricted pickup and drop-off locations and high demand can result in longer waits and higher prices.
Cellular service can also become unreliable near Beaver Stadium as large numbers of people use the network simultaneously. Allow extra time and have a backup plan.
Bikes
Spin electric-assist bikes are available across Penn State's campus and at locations around State College. They can be useful for visitors accustomed to riding e-bikes, though heavy pedestrian traffic makes football Saturday different from riding around campus on a normal day.
Pedicabs
Pedicabs can be an especially useful transportation option because of their ability to maneuver through many areas that are off limits to automobiles on Game Days.
Details on reserving a Vamos! Game Day pedicab appear below.
Three Game Day tips for first-time visitors
1. Have your mobile ticket ready
Don't assume you'll have a strong cellular signal in and around Beaver Stadium, where heavy network demand can affect connectivity.
Penn State recommends putting tickets into your phone's digital wallet ahead of time. Screenshots are not valid tickets.
Review Penn State's mobile ticket instructions before your visit.
2. Check the current bag policy
Penn State's stadium bag rules are strictly enforced.
Check the current University Bag Policy before leaving for Beaver Stadium rather than relying on what was permitted during a previous visit.
3. Arrive early and dress for the weather
September and November football weekends in Happy Valley can be very different experiences.
Allow more time than you think you need for traffic, parking, walking and stadium entry. Dress for the forecast, and remember that evening temperatures can drop considerably from daytime highs.
Premium reserved Vamos! Game Day rides
Vamos! Lion Chariot Tours offers a limited number of premium, advance-reserved pedicab pickups and drop-offs on Penn State football Saturdays.
These premium Game Day rides must be arranged prior to Game Day and are not guaranteed until confirmed.
Typical destinations include Beaver Stadium, downtown State College, Penn State parking decks, nearby hotels and tailgate areas.
Common prearranged pickup locations include the East, Eisenhower and Nittany decks, with the West Deck, downtown State College and other locations sometimes available depending on access.
Prearranged pickups can also be reserved at The Nittany Lion Inn, with downtown hotels such as Graduate State College, Hyatt Place and Scholar State College sometimes available depending on Game Day access.
The cost of a reserved pedicab ride varies, usually ranging between $50 and $100. Each pedicab typically carries two to three passengers.
How close can a pedicab get to Beaver Stadium?
Vamos typically drops passengers near major approaches to Beaver Stadium, including the area around University Drive and Curtin Road or Park Avenue and Porter Road.
A closer drop-off to Beaver Stadium may be possible, but it cannot be guaranteed, as stadium access generally becomes more difficult as kickoff approaches.
Every pickup and drop-off location should therefore be confirmed in advance.
What about after the game?
Reserving a postgame pedicab ride is considerably more challenging because of very heavy pedestrian traffic, vehicle congestion, changing road restrictions and limited cellular service.
For that reason, Vamos reserved rides are primarily offered before the game. Postgame reservations may be possible in limited cases, especially if passengers are willing to leave before the game ends.
That said, if you have not reserved a ride and happen to see an available Vamos pedicab, you are welcome to flag it down for immediate transportation.
Other independent pedicab operators also work some Penn State football Saturdays and are not affiliated with Vamos.
Vamos! Lion Chariot Tours is locally based in State College and has been carrying Penn State visitors since 2012.
To inquire about a premium reserved Game Day ride, call or text (814) 404-2782.
Make your Penn State football weekend more than just Game Day
Saturday brings the excitement. Friday and Sunday give you the opportunity to actually explore Penn State.
On football Saturdays, Vamos focuses primarily on transportation rather than narrated campus tours. Heavy pedestrian traffic, changing road access and Game Day activity make it difficult to provide a relaxed tour experience.
An exception may be Saturday morning when kickoff is later in the day.
Friday and Sunday are different.
A private Vamos! Lion Chariot tour lets visitors explore the campus at a comfortable pace while learning the history and stories behind Penn State's best-known places.
Depending on your tour, stops can include the Nittany Lion Shrine, Old Main, Beaver Stadium, the We Are sculpture, Hintz Alumni Center, The Arboretum at Penn State and Berkey Creamery.
For many visitors, that makes a private tour a perfect complement to a Penn State football weekend: Experience Game Day on Saturday. Experience Penn State on Friday or Sunday.
Private tours are available in 60-, 75- and 90-minute options and can accommodate up to three adults per pedicab.
To reserve a private Penn State campus tour during your football weekend — or inquire about Game Day transportation — call or text Vamos! Lion Chariot Tours at (814) 404-2782, or email vamoslion@gmail.com.
We Are!