Recreation Hall, Curtin Road, University Park, PA

Capacity 8600

It was opened on January 15, 1929 and is still in use.
The architect was Charles Z. Klauder, who had designed the University of Pennsylvania's Palestra. Originally budgeted at $450,000, the final cost of the building amounted to $572,260. The architect, Charles Z. Klauder, also designed the University of Pennsylvania's Palestra, which was constructed in 1927. The Colonial Georgian design was thought to "harmonize" with other new structures on campus. The excavating work required the removal of 12,500 cubic yards of earth and 400 cubic yards of rock, most of which had to be dynamited. The structural work consisted of raising 800 tons of steel in the form of assembled trusses. The project employed 250 people. The Colonial Georgian design of Rec Hall was chosen to "harmonize" with other new structures on campus.

At a cost of $572,000, much of which came from Penn State's Emergency Building Fund campaign of the early 1920s. The building, located adjacent to New Beaver Field and near baseball, tennis, and golf facilities, fixed that corner of campus as the center for Penn State athletics. So much steel was used in Rec Hall (and the Nittany Lion Inn, also under construction) that the Bellefonte Central Railroad laid a temporary track across the golf course and N. Atherton St. to expedite deliveries to the work site.

The first addition to Rec Hall was completed in 1953 at a cost of $1,021,310. A 100-foot expansion of the arena was part of the 1963-64 renovation and increased seating capacity from 5,000 to 7,200.

Rec Hall has undergone many renovations over its history. In recent history, the drop ceiling that was installed in the 1960s was removed in the late 1990s and the building's original roof line was restored, exposing the open steel truss ceiling and upper windows. Along with this, lighting and building acoustics were also improved.
In 2005 electronic LED scoreboards were installed and lower seating bowl bleachers were replaced. Renovation of Rec Hall's south wing was completed in 2006, including expansion of the student fitness center.

Artist Richard Bollinger

The largest crowd in Rec Hall history, 8,600, witnessed the men's basketball team defeat Virginia 93-68 on December 5, 1973.
Another notable game was the 1991 Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournament championship, won by Penn State. Rec Hall is also known as a classic home court advantage, as the women's volleyball team holds the NCAA volleyball record for home match winning streaks (94)[1], which ranks in the top five of any home court winning streak for any sport, men or women's, and is only outranked by the basketball trio of Kentucky, 1943-55 (129); St. Bonaventure, 1948-61 (99) and UCLA, 1970-76 (98).[2]
Penn State teams have won five national championships in Rec Hall: boxing (1929 and 1932), wrestling (1953) and men's gymnastics (1960 and 2007).[3]

September 9, 1973 news ad

Jerry performed here on
12/11/77 JGB
5/8/79 Grateful Dead
5/6/80 Grateful Dead






1.)^Nittany Lions Topped Duke, 3-1, 2010-12-11, http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-volley/recaps/121110aab.html
2.)^Oct. 3, 2000 volleyball match notes, http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/100300aaa.html
3.)^Facilities - about Rec Hall, http://www.gopsusports.com/facilities/rec-hall.html