First Penn State Football Game? Everything You Need to Know

Going to your first Penn State football game is about so much more than watching football. Even if you aren’t a huge football fan, it is hard not to get swept up in the energy of game day in Happy Valley.

My husband grew up going to Penn State games and now loves taking our own kids. We’ve experienced game days with friends and as a family, tailgated and explored downtown, stayed overnight and driven home afterward, and sat in very different areas of Beaver Stadium.

Along the way, we’ve learned there are definitely some things worth knowing before your first game. From parking and where to sit to what to wear, tailgating and exploring campus, here’s what I’d want to know before experiencing a Penn State football game for the first time.

Why Penn State Game Day Is More Than a Football Game

Penn State football has always had a little extra meaning for my husband. His dad worked for a Penn State branch campus, he had aunts and uncles who went to Penn State, and he grew up going to games here and there as a kid and teenager.

He was also a football player himself and dreamed about someday playing on that field. He eventually did play Division I football, although not quite at the caliber of Penn State.

Now he gets to experience Penn State football from a completely different perspective, including taking our own kids. It’s pretty fun watching them get excited about something that meant so much to him growing up.

We’ve also gone without the kids, and the experience is so much fun with a group of friends. Tailgating, walking around campus and being inside Beaver Stadium with more than 100,000 fans feels like an event well beyond the football game itself.

Penn State students and alumni have an incredible amount of pride in their school, and that energy is contagious. You don’t have to be a lifelong Penn State fan, or even the biggest football fan, to appreciate the atmosphere once you’re there.

How Early Should You Arrive for a Penn State Football Game?

Do not plan to arrive at Penn State right before kickoff. A Penn State football game is one of those experiences where the hours before the game are part of the fun.

If it is your first Penn State football game, I would give yourself several hours. That leaves time to deal with traffic and parking without panicking, but more importantly, it gives you time to actually enjoy being there. Walk around campus, visit the Nittany Lion Shrine, see Old Main, grab lunch downtown, shop for Penn State gear or tailgate before heading into Beaver Stadium.

How you spend those hours can look completely different depending on the trip. We’ve had game days centered around tailgating with friends and others where we brought the kids into town, had lunch, shopped and walked around campus. Both are fun.

Traffic is another reason not to cut it close. Penn State uses special one-way traffic patterns around Beaver Stadium beginning before kickoff, and your route can depend on your parking zone. I would figure out your parking plan before you leave home rather than trying to wing it once you get to State College.

Where Should You Park for a Penn State Football Game?

Parking is one thing I would definitely figure out before your first Penn State football game, especially if you want to tailgate.

For the full Penn State tailgating experience, you really want a parking pass for one of the lots around Beaver Stadium. Many of these are basically huge grass fields that turn into rows and rows of Penn State tailgates on game day. Buy your parking pass ahead of time if you can. Penn State sells single-game parking for certain lots, and you can also find parking passes on Ticketmaster and the secondary market.

If you aren’t tailgating, you have more options. There are parking garages on campus and downtown, but they can fill up quickly on football weekends. This is another reason we like getting to State College early instead of trying to roll in right before kickoff.

My biggest advice is to decide what kind of game day you want first. If you want to set up chairs, food and drinks and spend hours tailgating, get a stadium-area parking pass ahead of time. If you’re planning to spend the day downtown and on campus instead, paying for a tailgating lot may not be worth it.

Because parking options, prices and traffic patterns can change, I would also check Penn State’s current football parking information before game day.

Should You Tailgate at a Penn State Football Game?

Tailgating is a huge part of Penn State football game day, and if you get the chance to do it, it is definitely worth experiencing. The parking lots around Beaver Stadium fill with tents, food, drinks, music and Penn State fans hours before kickoff. There is a lot of energy around the stadium long before the game actually starts.

One important thing to know: if you want to tailgate, you’ll need a parking pass for one of the tailgating lots around Beaver Stadium. This is something I would plan and buy ahead of time, not try to figure out when you arrive.

We’ve tailgated with friends and had a great time, but we don’t tailgate every time we go. Some of our favorite game days with the kids have involved spending those hours exploring Penn State instead.

If it is your first visit, I wouldn’t feel like you have to choose a big tailgate just because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do. We also love heading into downtown State College for lunch, walking around campus, shopping a little and visiting some of the Penn State landmarks before the game.

If you have friends with a tailgate, absolutely join them. If you don’t, you can still have a full Penn State game-day experience without one. For a first trip, I actually think seeing some of campus and State College is worth making time for either way.

What Should You Do Before a Penn State Football Game?

If this is your first Penn State football game, make time to see at least a little of campus and downtown State College before heading into Beaver Stadium. When we aren’t tailgating with friends, this is usually how we like to spend the hours before the game.

The Nittany Lion Shrine is an iconic first stop. Be prepared for a line on a football weekend. It can get pretty long, but if it is your first visit, I think the classic photo with the lion is worth waiting for at least once.

We also like walking through campus to see Old Main and heading toward College Avenue in downtown State College. My kids especially love going into all of the Penn State-themed stores. There is an almost ridiculous amount of Penn State gear to look through, and shopping downtown has become part of the fun for them.

When we aren’t tailgating, we also like having lunch downtown. Restaurants are busy and there are Penn State fans everywhere getting ready for the game. You start feeling the excitement long before you ever get to Beaver Stadium.

Then there is the Berkey Creamery. It is another Penn State classic and absolutely worth doing, but timing matters. We’ve gone after a game when the line was at least 30 minutes long. If getting ice cream is high on your list, I would try to fit the Creamery in earlier rather than assuming you’ll make a quick stop after the game.

If you’re going without the kids, downtown is also a completely different kind of fun. There are plenty of bars packed with Penn State fans before the game, and we’ve had game days where that was part of the experience instead. Champs is one of the popular downtown spots, along with several longtime State College bars around College and Beaver Avenues. Just expect pretty much everywhere to be busy on a home football weekend.

You don’t have to spend the entire day checking Penn State landmarks off a list. Walk around, shop a little, grab lunch and enjoy being surrounded by everyone getting excited for the game. That is part of the Penn State experience too.

What Is the Seating Like at Beaver Stadium?

One thing that surprised me about Beaver Stadium is just how different the experience can be depending on where you sit. We’ve had pretty good seats in the main bowl, and we’ve also experienced the very top of the stadium. I would absolutely think about more than just price when choosing your seats.

Much of Beaver Stadium has bleacher seating, and when the stadium is full, you are packed in pretty tightly. Don’t expect the personal space you would have with individual stadium seats.

Beaver Stadium has been undergoing a huge renovation, including major changes to the west side and upper bowl. At our first game of the 2026 season, our son wanted to walk all the way up to the highest seating area to check out the changes and see the stadium from the top. Of course, the rest of us followed him.

I zipline and do plenty of things involving heights, but I did not like it up there at all. The combination of the sheer height and steep incline was too much for me. It was also noticeably windier at the top, even though it wasn’t a particularly windy September day. I immediately told my husband never to buy us tickets that high. I can only imagine what it feels like up there during a cold November or December game.

The stairs and aisles are another consideration. Some areas can feel steep and tight when thousands of people are moving around, and we’ve watched older fans stumble while navigating them. If anyone in your group has trouble with stairs, balance or mobility, I would look carefully at the location of your seats and Penn State’s accessibility options before buying tickets.

For most people, I wouldn’t be afraid of upper-level seats just because they’re high. The view of Beaver Stadium packed with more than 100,000 fans is incredible. Just know yourself, and maybe don’t let your adventurous kid be the one who decides how high you need to go.

What Should You Wear to a Penn State Football Game?

Before deciding what to wear to a Penn State football game, check two things: the weather and the game-day theme. Both can make a much bigger difference than you might expect.

Penn State has themed games throughout the season, including the famous White Out and the Stripe Out, when different sections of Beaver Stadium are assigned blue or white.

Fans really get into these themes. At a recent Stripe Out, our son painted his face white with a blue stripe down the middle and sprayed his hair blue. He was completely committed.

I learned just how seriously Penn State fans take the White Out at one particularly cold game. I am always freezing, so I wore one of my warmest coats. It happened to be cream instead of pure white, and an adult actually commented to me that my coat wasn’t white…it was cream. Apparently for hard-core fans, close enough does not apply at a Penn State White Out.

Weather can be the bigger challenge, especially later in the season. At a different White Out in December, temperatures were in the 20s and our son refused to put on his coat because it wasn’t white. He would apparently rather freeze than ruin the White Out.

For cold games, layers are your friend. I didn’t own my heated vest yet when I wore that infamous cream coat, but now it would absolutely be one of the first things I packed. I wear it underneath a sweatshirt or coat, so it keeps me warm without changing what I’m wearing on the outside.

Don’t underestimate how much colder it can feel once you’re sitting in the stadium for several hours, either. You aren’t moving around as much, and as we discovered when we climbed to the top of Beaver Stadium, some seating areas can feel much windier than others.

For a late-season game, I would rather bring an extra layer, hat, gloves and hand warmers and not need all of them than spend four hours wishing I had them.

If you’re going to a late-season game, I have a whole breakdown of the heated gear we actuallse when we know we’ll be sitting outside in the cold for hours.

Most of the same cold-weather game-day essentials we use during sports season work just as well for a freezing afternoon in Beaver Stadium.

What Can You Bring Into Beaver Stadium?

Beaver Stadium has a clear-bag policy, so don’t grab your normal purse on the way out the door and assume you can bring it in. Clear bags can be up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, and small clutch bags up to 5 x 8 x 1 inch are also allowed. I find a small clear crossbody bag to be the easiest option.

One thing I would absolutely do before leaving for the game is download your mobile tickets and add them to your phone’s wallet. Cell reception inside Beaver Stadium is terrible. With more than 100,000 people all trying to use their phones at once, it isn’t surprising, but don’t wait until you’re walking up to the gate to try to pull up your tickets.

Also, once you’re inside, you’re inside. Beaver Stadium doesn’t allow re-entry, so make sure you have what you need before heading through the gates.

I always check Penn State’s current Beaver Stadium policies before we go. The rules can change, and I’d much rather spend two minutes checking them at home than find out I brought something that can’t come through the gate.

What Is a Penn State Football Game Really Like?

The atmosphere inside Beaver Stadium is probably my favorite part of going to a Penn State football game. More than 100,000 people cheering together is loud, exciting and pretty hard not to get caught up in.

Both of our kids enjoy watching football and going to the games. There is so much happening between the football itself, the crowd, the music and everything going on around the stadium that there really isn’t much downtime.

The student section brings a ton of energy, and when the entire stadium gets loud at once, you understand pretty quickly why Penn State football has such a huge following.

This is also why I think a Penn State game is worth experiencing even if you aren’t a huge college football fan. You don’t have to know every player or understand every play to have fun. A big part of the experience is being surrounded by that many people who care so much about what is happening on the field.

By the time you’re cheering along with everyone else, it is pretty easy to forget that you weren’t necessarily a Penn State fan when you walked in.

One practical thing to know is that concessions and bathrooms can have really long lines. There also aren’t nearly as many food choices as you may be used to seeing at a professional stadium, so I wouldn’t count on having a huge selection once you’re inside. They do sell beer at Beaver Stadium.

With that many people in one place, some waiting is just part of the experience. If you see a shorter concession or bathroom line, take advantage of it rather than assuming the next one will be better.

Is a Penn State Football Game Good for Kids?

Definitely. You will see kids of all ages at Penn State games, and we’ve had a lot of fun going as a family.

Our kids like the whole day, not just the game. They like walking around campus, going into all the Penn State stores downtown, finding something to eat and seeing what is going on everywhere. There is so much excitement around State College on game day that getting to your seats is really only one part of it.

Just know that it can be a LONG day. If you arrive hours before kickoff, walk all over campus, go to lunch, shop and then sit through an entire football game, everyone is going to be tired by the end. We don’t try to do every single thing every time we go.

Weather is probably the other big one with kids. September can be beautiful. A late-season game can be absolutely freezing. We’ve done both, and I would much rather carry a few extra layers than listen to someone tell me they’re cold for four hours.

If your kids like football, crowds and big events, I wouldn’t think twice about taking them. Even elementary-aged kids can have a blast. Just don’t feel like you need to do everything all in one day to make it count.

Should You Stay Overnight After a Penn State Football Game?

We’ve done it both ways. We’ve stayed overnight in State College, and we’ve also looked at the hotel prices and decided we’d rather just drive home.

Staying over is definitely nice. After spending hours walking around, going to the game and then dealing with all of the people leaving State College at the same time, it is pretty great knowing you only have to make it back to a hotel.

The problem is that Penn State football weekend hotel prices can be crazy. If it’s a big game, you can end up paying a lot of money for a pretty basic hotel room. That is usually the point when we start debating how tired we are really going to be.

You also don’t necessarily have to stay right in State College. If hotel prices close to campus are ridiculous, widen your search a little. Staying farther out can save quite a bit of money without putting you so far away that you’re spending half the day in the car.

Check State College hotel prices for your game weekend.

For an earlier game, driving home isn’t that bad if you live within a few hours. We’ve done it plenty of times. A night game is a different story. Leaving Beaver Stadium late, getting through traffic and then facing a long drive home makes that hotel room start looking a whole lot better.

If you’re coming from farther away, I would probably make a weekend out of it. It also takes some of the pressure off trying to see campus, explore downtown, tailgate and go to the game all in the same day.

If you do want to stay, book early. State College is definitely not the place where I would wait until the week before a home game and hope to find a bargain.

Planning a Penn State Football Weekend

Once you know you’re going to a Penn State game, there are a few things I would get squared away early. Tickets, parking and hotels are definitely not things I would leave until the last minute on a football weekend.

Game tickets: Before grabbing the cheapest tickets you can find, take a minute to see where the seats actually are. After our adventure to the very top of Beaver Stadium, I know there are some sections I personally won’t be buying! You can check Penn State football tickets on Ticketmaster.

Parking: If you want to tailgate, don’t forget that you need a parking pass too. You can look for Penn State football parking passes on Ticketmaster. I would take care of this ahead of time instead of waiting until you’re on your way to State College to figure out where you’re going to park.

Hotel: If you’re staying overnight, book as early as you can. Penn State football weekend hotel prices can be a little painful. We’ve definitely looked at the price of a very average hotel room and suddenly decided the drive home didn’t sound so bad. You can check State College hotel prices for your game weekend, and don’t be afraid to widen your search outside State College if prices are ridiculous.

Before the game: Don’t overplan this part. Pick a couple of things you really want to do, whether that’s tailgating, lunch downtown, the Nittany Lion Shrine or Berkey Creamery. You don’t need to cram every Penn State experience into your first game day.

One more thing: Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need. Between traffic, crowds and inevitably stopping somewhere you weren’t planning to stop, you’ll probably use it.

Final Thoughts on Your First Penn State Football Game

Penn State game days are just fun. We’ve gone with friends, brought the kids, tailgated, skipped the tailgate, stayed overnight and driven home exhausted afterward. No two trips have looked exactly the same, which is part of the fun.

For your first game, don’t stress about doing everything. Pick a few things you really want to do, get there early and enjoy the day.

Even if you aren’t someone who normally gets excited about college football, it’s pretty hard not to get caught up in Penn State game day once you’re there. There is just something about walking into Beaver Stadium with 100,000+ other people that makes it feel like a much bigger deal than a regular Saturday football game.

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