Nittany Lion Shrine

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One of the most photographed objects in all of Pennsylvania is the Nittany Lion Shrine on the Penn State campus in State College. Originally presented in 1942 as a gift by Penn State's Class of 1940, the Nittany Lion Shrine was sculpted from a large block of Indiana limestone by sculptor Heinz Warneke. Since the statue was dedicated and opened for the public to view, a number of traditions regarding the Nittany Lion Shrine have developed. In 1966, a few of the wives of the coaches of the Penn State football team, including Sue Paterno, painted the statue orange prior to a football game against Syracuse as a way to drum up school spirit. It led to the Guard the Lion Shrine tradition, where the Penn State ROTC volunteers time following the annual Homecoming Parade to guard the statue from possible defacement.




Sources and Links:
About Penn State / All Things Nittany - Nittany Lion Shrine
Onward State - Penn State History Lesson: The Lion Shrine
Daily Collegian - 'It’s who Penn State is': The Nittany Lion shrine turns 75 years old
Lion Ambassadors - Guard the Lion Shrine  

How to Get There:
 
Location: University Park, State College, PA 16801, USA

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