From ballooning 1,000 feet into the air to discovering stalactites 100 feet underground, Happy Valley offers so many different experiences to make the best family vacation memories. Oh, and don't forget the ice cream for breakfast too!

There are so many opportunities for places to visit, sights to see, food to eat, and teams to cheer-on in Happy Valley. As a visitor, exploring the many opportunities the valley has to offer means having to come for more than just one trip. To help plan your next trip to Happy Valley, we wrote the “must do’s” for each season.

Everyone likes a good ghost story, and here in Centre County we have our fair share of them. The haunted places in and around Penn State lend a little mystery and fun for those looking for a story and an adventure.

Situated in Central Pennsylvania between the big cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, State College is a charming college town that’s a world unto itself. It’s nestled against the Appalachian Mountains in an area known as Happy Valley, and is home to Penn State University, more than 42,000 students, and outdoor adventures galore.

Whether you’ve lived here for decades or are just settling into our region, there are many levels to being “local.” From standards like Arts Fest to deep tracks like Meyer Dairy, here are several ways to experience the area like a true local at every level.

Ah, State College. For many visitors, coming here is a pilgrimage back to ye olde college stomping grounds. But others travel to Central Pennsylvania on business or for reasons unrelated to tailgates or graduation; they never drank the Nittany Lion Kool-Aid and are not sure what all the blue-and-white hype is about, or where to go to find out about it.

Tons of families converge in State College for one main reason in the fall: Penn State football. But many alumni who are happy to be back in the valley for a few days bring with them something they didn’t have when they were Penn State students: Kids!

State College may be the heart of Centre County, but the rolling farmlands, meandering creeks and quiet beauty of the surrounding valleys is part of what makes this area such a great place to live and visit. And it doesn’t get prettier than Penns Valley.

Just a few miles from State College down Rte. 322 East is Boalsburg, a quaint little village with a rich history and a proud heritage. The village was mostly developed between 1809 and 1848, and was named Boalsburg in 1820 after the influential Boal family, whose 200-year-old estate is now a unique museum of American and Pennsylvania history there.