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Monday, February 29, 2016

Nittany Lion Shrine in State College

Nittany Lion Shrine in State College Pennsylvania
The Nittany Lion Shrine is located in State College Pennsylvania. This shrine is located near the recreation building on the University Park campus and attracts thousands of visitors every year. It's probably the most photographed thing on campus! Matter of fact, some people say that it's the second most photographed landmark in the state of Pennsylvania!

Nearby the shrine is a sign and this is what the Nittany Lion Shrine has to say:

Nittany Lion Shrine: Mountain lions still roamed this area in the mid - 19th century, but the idea of the Nittany Lion mascot was originated by a student, H.D. (Joe) Mason in 1904. By the 1930s, the lion mascot was a popular feature at sporting events. The class of 1940 commissioned artist Heinz Warneke to sculpt the lion in limestone and located it here in what once was the center of the university's athletic grounds. - Penn State Alumni Association

Every time we visit State College we try to stop by to see the Nittany Lion Shrine and "almost" every time we see visitors and/or students posing for photos in front of it. Trust me, it's quite the attraction when visiting the State College area...especially downtown State College.

You will have to find some parking nearby and walk to it. Once there...you can walk right up to it, touch it and pose for photos. I personally think the best time to see it is during the summertime when this college town is "less" busy and most of the students are home for summer break.

Every where you go in State College you will see the Penn State mascot in one way or another. We see the mascot on mailboxes, house flags, bumper stickers, window decals, on umbrellas, in store fronts, etc. This town is definitely Penn State proud!

1 comment:

jopb said...

I think that this was a great mascot for the college and I hope it encouraged people to help save the mountain lion in other states.