Things to do with the Kids when visiting Happy Valley: Activities
There is plenty to do in Happy Valley, and that is true for children as well as adults. If you have a few 10 and under in your tribe and you are visiting the Happy Valley region, make sure you spend a day or two accommodating their needs. There are a lot of options to make their Happy Valley experience as enjoyable and memorable as yours!
This is one of three articles highlighting the Museums, Activities and Stores in the Happy Valley region that children might be interested in.
There are numerous kid-friendly events that you can plan a trip to Happy Valley for. Your kids would love Children’s Day at either the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College or the People’s Choice Art Festival in Centre Hall during July. Boalsburg, PA hosts a fair during Memorial Day weekend. There is also Fourth Fest on the Fourth of July in State College, Philipsburg Heritage Days in Philipsburg also in July, the Happy Valley Comic and Collectibles Convention at the end of February in State College, the Centre County Grange Fair at the end of August in Centre Hall. In October there is The Dutch Fall Fest in Aaronsberg and the Punkin’ Chunkin’ Festival in Howard plus many other fun festivals held throughout Happy Valley. To stay on top of all the events, check out The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau’s Event page.
If you’re planning a visit but don’t have a specific event in mind, consider starting at one of the three Happy Valley Adventure Bureau locations for recomendations:
- The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau Store (Located in State College at 204 W. Beaver Ave)
- The Historic Bellefonte Train Station (Located at 320 W. High Street in Bellefonte)
- The Moshannon Valley Heritage Centre (Located at 22 North Front Street in Phillipsburg, PA)
Moshannon Valley Heritage Centre
Each location will be stocked full of information about Happy Valley. Two pieces of information your little ones might be interested in are the Happy Valley Geotour Junior and the Downtown State College Artwalk.
A Geotour is kind of like a scavenger hunt. You sign up for free at www.geocaching.com and then you type in codes to find hidden items or words throughout Happy Valley. Once you find a certain amount, you return to one of the centers and receive a prize.
The State College Artwalk is a map with 38 pieces of art scattered throughout State College, PA. Try to find them all or have the kids choose a few to go and visit. Art ranges from statues of pigs and cats to modern art.
Want your kids to be outside and/or be active? Then take a look at just some of the activities available in Happy Valley!
222 Penns Cave Rd
Centre Hall, PA 16828
www.pennscave.com
Admission: Cavern: Adults - $23.50, Child - $15.50, Safari: Adults - $28.50, Child - $18.50, Combo: Adult - $43.50, Child - $27.50
Penn’s Cave, the only cave in Pennsylvania on the National Register of Historic Places, features glittering stalactites and stalagmites, often in mysteriously familiar shapes, such as “The Statue of Liberty” and “The Garden of the Gods.” The fully guided, interpretive tour by flat-bottom motorboat winds through cavern passageways and, when weather and conditions permit*, includes a ride on Lake Nittanee. Bring a jacket or sweater, as the inside temperature of the cave remains 52 degrees Fahrenheit year-round!
Taking the Wildlife Tour, you’ll be entertained as well as educated on a fully guided bus; even lifelong Pennsylvanians will learn something new about the geology, biology, and geography of the center of our state. You will see Native North American animals such as bison, Texas longhorn cattle, red & silver foxes, black bears, elk, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, wild burros, mountain lions, and the wolf pack of gray and arctic wolves! During a stop along the tour, you will walk through the outdoor natural butterfly garden where, in blooming season, you will see species including Monarchs, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, and Viceroys.
148 Woodward Cave Dr,
Woodward, PA 16882
woodwardcave.com
Admission: Adults-$17, Child - $9
Penn’s Cave is not the only cave system in Happy Valley. Woodward Cave is a karst formation from bedrock that is over 400 million years old.
One of the largest caverns in Pennsylvania, Woodward Cave boasts five spacious rooms hundreds of feet long and cathedral-like ceilings over 50 feet high. It is also home to the largest stalagmite in Pennsylvania—the famous Tower of Babel.
In addition to unique geological features, Woodward Cave is home to one of the most significant winter habitats for bats in Pennsylvania. For over a hundred years, local and federal agencies have closely monitored the cave to track the health of Pennsylvania’s bat population. Every winter, the cave is closed to prevent hibernating bats from being disturbed and to ensure our state’s biological resources are preserved!
328 Discovery Drive
Boalsburg, PA 16827
5.life/climbnittany
Admission: Adults - $19, Child - $13
Climb Nittany is the Centre Region's only public indoor rock-climbing facility.
Rock climbing offers both a physical and mental workout that is very social. It will leave you craving more. The facility provides bouldering (shorter walls, no ropes, thick padding for landing), top rope, and lead climbing.
First time? Don’t worry or be intimidated! The basics of climbing are quick and easy to learn. Take the Discover Climbing class designed for people with little or no climbing experience—a 45-minute beginner course designed for ages 14+ (younger climbers can join as “add-ons”). Learn essential Top Rope climbing skills, including holding the rope.
East Park Avenue and Bigler Road
University Park, PA 16802
arboretum.psu.edu
Admission: Free
The children’s garden section of The Arboretum at Penn State celebrates the flora, fauna, and natural history of central Pennsylvania. Features include sculptures of native wildlife, a simulated cave, a wading stream, raised garden beds, and a glasshouse that serves as a hub for educational programs.
According to Laura Waldhier, a reporter for Penn State’s Campus Life, when the special garden was opened in 2014, Childhood’s Gate was designed especially for visitors between the ages of 3 and 12. The garden will be a place for families from the State College community and the surrounding region, Penn State alumni, and other University Park visitors to learn about and enjoy the natural world. Every feature and structure is designed to facilitate learning and exploration.
177 Rimmey Rd,
Centre Hall, PA 16828
www.rhoneymeade.org
Admission: By Donation
Rhoneymeade, the historic homestead of Grange Fair founder Leonard Rhone, hosts a wide variety of plant species and art. This timeless setting is nestled between the Nittany and Tussey Mountains. In 1986, ClearWater Conservancy finalized its first conservation easement on the Rhoneymeade Farm, permanently removing development rights on the 186-acre property.
An arboretum and sculpture garden, as well as historic buildings, dot the property. Hike around the 150-acre working farm, which includes a wooded labyrinth loop, or tour the 6-acre public gardens, which surround the house and contain outdoor sculptures, ancient specimen trees, and fantastic vistas.
Guests can take an invigorating 2-mile hike around the 150-acre working farm or a shorter, 0.5-mile walking tour of the six-acre public gardens filled with outdoor sculpture, ancient specimen trees and fantastic vistas.
3400 Discovery Rd
Petersburg, PA 16669
www.shaverscreek.org
Admission: Free
Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center is nestled in the ridge-and-valley area of central Pennsylvania, located between State College and Huntingdon, only 12 miles from Penn State’s University Park campus. Shaver’s Creek is only a short hike or stone’s skip across Lake Perez from Penn State’s Stone Valley Recreation Area, which has cabins and boats for rent, picnic facilities, and a high ropes course.
Whether you are interested in aviary, reptiles and amphibians, bird-watching, or exploring ponds and pollinator gardens, there’s always more to discover at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Station. The station has plenty of trails for hiking and bird watching and great spots for picnicking.
227 Nittany Meadow Farm Lane
Boalsburg, PA 16827
www.nittanymeadowfarm.com
Admission: Varies
Special Note – This is a working farm and you must make a reservation to visit or take part in one of their many events.
What kid doesn’t love goats? Here is a chance for them to snuggle one! Nittany Meadow Farm is a small, family-owned farm in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania and it is the only goat-only dairy in Happy Valley!
Activities include goat yoga, goat visits, goats & art, goat grams, and the Goats2Go bus. The farm also produces goat milk and goat milk products.
You can even stay on the farm if you would like! There are two cottages for rent on the property.
The Mini Whinnies at Quarter Acre Woods
10960 South Eagle Valley Road
Port Matilda, PA 16870
mini-w-horsemanship.weebly.com
Admission: Varies
Special Note – This is a working farm and you must make a reservation to visit or take part in one of their many events.
Whether you’re looking for something unique to do for an hour or so, want to start lessons, or you’re trying to plan a party for an entire day, The Mini Whinnies at Quarter Acre Woods can help you plan something special! They offer many paid and free activities suitable for most ages and any skill level. No prior horse experience necessary!
320 W. High Street
Bellefonte, PA 16823
bellefonte.net/departments/parks-rec/talleyrand-park/
Admission: Free
Charming. Beautiful. Unique. All words used to describe Talleyrand Park, the centerpiece of Bellefonte’s park system. Talleyrand is one of the most visited parks in the region and covers 3.5 acres. Founded in 1974, the all-volunteer Talleyrand Park Committee continues to this day to improve and maintain the park, collaborating with the Borough of Bellefonte and the Bellefonte Garden Club, while focusing on reflecting the character of Bellefonte’s Victorian Heritage and cultural richness.
Talleyrand has many areas that lend themselves to outdoor recreation and activities. The large open park annex includes space for lawn games, like bocce or croquet, or games of catch. The paved loop is popular destination for walking and running. The loop measures 1 mile for 4 laps and the loop can be expanded to include Waterfront to Lamb Street. Talleyrand Park also features a busy playground adjacent to the restrooms near the Train Station.
The Train Station is home to the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society. The Society is an all-volunteer historical society dedicated to promoting, preserving, and fostering a public appreciation of the railroading heritage of Bellefonte and Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. The Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society owns several historic pieces of rolling stock, including two Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs), a wooden caboose, a snowplow on static display, and a growing fleet of speeder cars. It offers rides on trains during the year. For more information about the society, visit bellefontetrain.org.
251 Curtin Road
Howard, PA 16841
www.curtinvillage.com
Admission: Free
Have a history buff in the family? How about visiting the Eagle Ironworks and Curtin Village? If you do it will be a journey back in time to the nineteenth-century heyday of the longest operating charcoal iron plantation in central Pennsylvania. Through hands-on demonstrations and walking tours of the furnace complex, you’ll enter the world of cold blast, charcoal-fueled iron production, with its ancient processes, massive infrastructure, and peculiar tools and mechanisms.
The Curtin Mansion will engulf you in the genteel ambience of a Federal-era ironmaster’s mansion, furnished in the American Empire and Victorian styles favored by five generations of Curtins, including the birth family of Pennsylvania’s “Civil War Governor,” Andrew Gregg Curtin. A stroll among the humble houses in the workers’ village will evoke echoes of life in a rural outpost once reachable only by creek and bridle path, then by canal, and later by railroad and highway.
Family friendly guided tours occur on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from June through September. The tours begin at 2 PM and last 75-90 minutes.
Miniature Golf
How about taking the kids to a miniature golf course? There are two located close to Penn State University. One is Happy Valley Minigolf at 1890 S. Atherton Street, and the other is located at Tussey Mountain in Boalsburg, PA.
Here are the details:
Happy Valley Minigolf
1890 S Atherton St,
State College, PA
http://www.happyvalleyminigolf...
Admission: Adult - $8, Child - $5
Tussey Mountain Mini Golf
301 Bear Meadows Road
Boalsburg, PA 16827
tusseymountain.com/mini-golf
Admission: Adults - $9, Children - $6
State Parks
You can always take your children to a state park! Happy Valley has six of them, and each one offers something unique for the whole family!
- Bald Eagle State Park - Howard, Pennsylvania, 16841
- Black Moshannon State Park - Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, 16866
- McCalls Dam State Park - Rebersburg, Pennsylvania, 16872
- Penn-Roosevelt State Park - Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, 16652
- Poe Paddy State Park - Woodward, Pennsylvania, 16882
- Poe Valley State Park - Coburn, Pennsylvania, 16832
By no means is the above list of things to do with kids complete. There are new stores, activities, and events popping up every day in Happy Valley. Make sure you visit each organization's website for the most up-to-date information and The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau's website to find new businesses! And make sure when you visit, you have fun!
Remember, you and your kids can put the Happy in Happy Valley!
