The New Palmer Museum and the Arboretum at Penn State: A Free Half-Day Plan

    By Matt Glick · Updated October 30, 2026

    Most visitors to State College never make it to the north edge of campus where Park Avenue meets Bigler Road. They should. Two of the best free things to do in town now sit side by side there: the Palmer Museum of Art and The Arboretum at Penn State. The Palmer reopened in a new building in 2024, and the Arboretum's gardens come right up to its door, so you can walk from the galleries straight into the gardens. Together they make an easy, unhurried half day. They're good for a rainy morning, for parents killing time during a campus visit, or for anyone who wants something quieter than College Avenue.

    Check before you go: hours change on holidays, football weekends and special events. Look at palmermuseum.psu.edu and arboretum.psu.edu the day of your visit.

    If you knew the old Palmer, forget it

    For years, the Palmer Museum was in a building on Curtin Road in the middle of campus. That's no longer the case. On June 1, 2024, the museum opened a new 73,000-square-foot building designed by the architecture firm Allied Works. It sits inside the Arboretum and serves as a gateway to the botanic gardens. Penn State says the new building nearly doubles the museum's footprint. It includes 20 galleries, a museum store, a café, outdoor terraces and a sculpture path. The museum calls itself the largest university art museum in Pennsylvania.

    Older guidebooks and websites, including some that still rank well in search, may give the old location and hours. Use the details below instead.

    The basics

    Palmer Museum of Art

    • Address: 650 Bigler Road, University Park, PA 16802
    • Admission: free. A $7 donation is suggested, and no reservation is needed. Check in at the front desk.
    • Hours:
      • Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., with late hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
      • Sunday, noon–5 p.m.
      • Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and University holidays.
    • Late-night Thursdays: the museum often schedules drop-in tours, gallery talks, studio sessions and other programs on Thursday evenings.

    The Arboretum at Penn State

    • Location: East Park Avenue and Bigler Road.
    • Hours: open every day from dawn until dusk.
    • Admission: free, both for the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens and for the larger Arboretum lands beyond them.

    Parking

    Visitor parking for both is in the Lewis Katz Building lot (Orange A), across Bigler Road from the museum and gardens. There are ADA spaces near the Bigler Road entrance to the lot.

    • It isn't free. The Arboretum's visitor page says fees apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week for drivers without a valid Penn State permit. It's $1 an hour (plus a small card fee), paid at the pay station or through the HonkMobile app (zone PSUOA).
    • Weekday time limits: from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, visitors can buy up to two hours. After 3 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, you can buy up to 10 hours.
    • Backup option: the East Parking Deck on Bigler Road, also $1 an hour.
    • Football weekends are different. The Katz lot is used for game-day operations and can be closed or priced differently. If you're visiting around a home game, check the museum's website first, or pick a non-game day.
    • No car? The museum says the free campus shuttle stops right in front of it.

    A suggested half-day (about 3–4 hours)

    1. Start inside: the Palmer (90 minutes to 2 hours)

    The museum's collection has about 11,000 objects, including American art, European Old Master paintings, contemporary studio glass, ceramics from many cultures, and African and Asian art, plus prints, drawings and photographs. Penn State has highlighted the American paintings in particular. The new galleries were designed with big windows onto the surrounding landscape, so the views of the mountains and valleys outside are part of the experience.

    Don't miss the feature staircase. It holds a large, site-specific glass installation by Dale Chihuly, a wall of blue glass forms that's easy to spot and photographs well.

    Visitor tips from the museum's own guidelines:

    • Backpacks, large bags, camera bags and umbrellas aren't allowed in the galleries. There are free lockers in the coatroom.
    • Non-flash photos are welcome unless a label says otherwise. Tripods and selfie sticks aren't allowed.
    • Sketching is encouraged, but only in pencil or colored pencil.
    • Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building.
    • Wooden gallery stools are stacked around the galleries if you want to sit with a painting for a while.

    2. Coffee break (20–30 minutes)

    The new building has a café. It's a good spot to sit for a few minutes before heading outside. (Check current café hours, which may differ from the galleries'.)

    3. Walk out into the gardens (60–90 minutes)

    Leave through the museum and you're in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, the formal, planted heart of the Arboretum. A few highlights:

    • Childhood's Gate Children's Garden. It's built around central Pennsylvania's own geology, plants and animals, and it's the best stop on campus if you have young kids with energy to burn.
    • The Pollinator and Bird Garden. About three acres that show off Pennsylvania's pollinators and birds and the plants they depend on. It's at its best from late spring through early fall.
    • The event lawn and the big oak. Wide open lawn with views back toward the museum. It's a good place for a family photo, especially during Parents' Weekend or graduation.

    4. Optional: go beyond the gardens

    The Arboretum is much bigger than the formal gardens. Its fields and woodlands are open for walking and biking, and the Bellefonte Central Rail Trail runs through the Arboretum lands, with connections from neighborhoods like College Heights and Toftrees. You can't drive through the larger Arboretum; it's foot and bike traffic only.

    When to go

    • Best days: Wednesday through Sunday, when both are open. On Mondays and Tuesdays you can still walk the gardens, but the museum is closed.
    • Best seasons for the gardens: late spring through early fall for blooms. October is great for color in the surrounding fields and trees.
    • Rainy day? Spend longer in the galleries and save the gardens for when it clears.
    • Evenings: Thursday's late museum hours make a good evening plan. Just remember the gardens close at dusk, so walk them first.

    Good for

    • Penn State families with a free afternoon during a campus visit.
    • Couples looking for a calm, free date.
    • Families with young kids, thanks to the Children's Garden.
    • Anyone avoiding crowds on a busy weekend downtown.

    Sources: Palmer Museum of Art website; Penn State News ("Palmer Museum of Art's new building pairs art and nature," April 2024, and "New Palmer Museum of Art now open," June 2024); The Arboretum at Penn State, "Hours, Admission, Directions, Parking." All checked October 30, 2026. See something out of date? Let us know.

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