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State College

The Atlas Obscura Guide To State College

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in State College, Pennsylvania

Updated January 25, 2026

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Unusual Attractions in State College

State College, Pennsylvania

Frost Entomological Museum

Penn State's giant bug collection.

View of mural facing east

State College, Pennsylvania

Willard Mural

No one knows who painted this mysterious mural in a Penn State basement.

A similar view to the vintage postcard with the modern Willard Building in the background.

State College, Pennsylvania

Penn State Obelisk

This stone polylith serves as both a 100+ year old experiment and monument to the history of science.

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Are we missing something unusual?

The museum’s many treasured works are free to see.

University Park, Pennsylvania

Palmer Museum of Art

Catch these free-to-view artworks that span centuries in this Central Pennsylvania museum.

1 mile from State College

A researcher performing an experiment on animal nutrition using the Armsby Respiration Calorimeter in the early 1900s.

College Township, Pennsylvania

The Armsby Calorimeter

This 19th century machine put animals (including humans) in boxes to study how they metabolized calories.

1 mile from State College

Part of the vast collection displayed at the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum.

Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum

Step back in time here, as the old world and new world meet.

3 miles from State College

M4A1(76)W Sherman tank. Nearly 50,000 Sherman tanks saw service in World War II and Korea. Accepted in 1944, this later version featured a larger gun and more secure ammunition storage.

Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Military Museum

A history of the U.S. military, with a focus on Pennsylvania's contributions.

3 miles from State College

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Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.

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