If we could take a historical stroll on the University Park campus of 1910, we'd probably start at the corner of College Avenue and Allen Street. Here we'd first see the two lions perched atop the gates at the mall, which was formerly a through street onto campus. The original stone pillars were purchased from the St. Louis Exposition in 1904 and were topped with statues of two lions holding shields. Dubbed “Ma” and “Pa” lion by students, they became two of the most popular landmarks on campus. The lions were removed in 1930 when an iron grill was added to the gates.
A gift from the Class of 1916, the Memorial Gateway at Allen Street and College Avenue acts as a corridor between downtown State College and campus. Construction on the gateway was started shortly after the commencement of 1916 at what was then the main campus entrance. The gateway into town is meant to symbolize the transition from college life to the “real world.”
This Penn State landmark is part of the iHear Penn State self-guided cell phone campus tour, listed as stop #14. Accessing iHear Penn State is easy. Dial the tour access number (814-308-5020) on your cell phone and follow the instructions. All stops are listed at http://ihear.psu.edu/