Penn State’s academic and sports facilities aren’t restricted to students and faculty.

Local bookworms and sports enthusiasts can take advantage of the libraries and certain sports facilities.

That includes Stone Valley Recreation Area, Penn State Golf Courses, the Ice Pavilion,  the Tennis Center and the McCoy Natatorium.

STONE VALLEY RECREATION AREA

Stone Valley Recreation Area offers year-round outdoor recreational and educational opportunities.

Located in the central Pennsylvania woodlands, this 700-acre park features wood and stone facilities in a natural setting.

Shaver’s Creek feeds the 72-acre Lawrence J. Perez Lake (previously known as Stone Valley Lake). The lake was drawn down to allow repairs to be made to the dam, and fishing and boating activities have been suspended.

Stone Valley still offers 29 miles of hiking trails, rental cabins, a picnic pavilion, picnic tables and barbecue grills, along with hayrides, cross-country skiing, one of the largest Challenge Courses on the east coast and Camp Adventure for kids in sixth through 11th grade.

Cabin prices vary depending on the number of beds and the number of nights guests plan to stay.

Along with a dozen cabins, Stone Valley offers several lodges that are available for fees that vary with length of stay: The Civil Engineering Lodge, the Experimental Forestry Lodge (April through October), and the Picnic Pavilion (April through October).

Reservations for facilities and programs are accepted by phone from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at Stone Valley Recreation Area’s park office.

For more information about programs, facilities and prices, contact the office, 108 Business Services Building, University Park, PA 16802; phone 863-1164. Information is also on the Web: www.athletics.psu.edu/StoneValley.

SHAVER’S CREEK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Penn State’s nature center, is just 12 miles south of State College off state Route 26 in the Stone Valley Recreation Area, offering a mix of recreational and educational opportunities.

Visitors may explore the Discovery Room, tour the raptor center, and enjoy hiking trails, a boardwalk over wetlands, butterfly gardens and a bird feeder area. The center offers a variety of educational programs, including summer camps, family programs, bird walks, team-building programs, an annual Maple Harvest Festival and more.

The center, at 3400 Discovery Road in Petersburg, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Feb. 15 through Dec. 15, except on Thanksgiving. Admission is free. Organized groups of 12 or more are asked to schedule a visit in advance and pay a small fee.

Memberships are available to help support the center, and come with discounts for summer camps and other programs and events, as well as in the bookstore/gift shop. Several facilities, including the main building and outdoor pavilion, are available for rent for group programs and events. For more information, call 863-2000, email <a href="mailto:ShaversCreek@outreach.psu.edu">ShaversCreek@outreach.psu.edu</a> or visit www.shaverscreek.org.

PENN STATE GOLF COURSES

Two university courses — the Blue Course and the White Course — are open for public play. The Blue Course front nine, par 36, measures 3,696 yards off the New Nittany tees. The Blue Course back nine, par 36, measures 3,518 yards. The White Course front nine, par 36, measures 3,245 yards from the blue tees. The back nine, par 36, measures 3,099 yards.

During the summer, first-available reservations are at 7 a.m. The last available reservation is at 7 p.m. The rest of the year, reservation times will depend on available daylight and weather.

Prices vary based on time of day and day of week. For rates and other information, contact Penn State Golf Courses, 1523 W. College Ave., State College, PA 16801. Advance starting time reservations can be made at 865-4653 or online at www.pennstategolfcourses.com.

ICE PAVILION

The Ice Pavilion indoor ice-skating facilities are open throughout the year. The main rink is used for hockey, figure skating, broomball, classes, clubs and public skating.

• Regular rates: Penn State students, $4.50; youth (18 and younger) and senior citizens (65 and older), $5; adults, $5.50; skate rentals, $2; skate aids, $1.50.

• Group rates: (groups of 15 or more who purchase tickets in advance) Penn State students, $4; youth (18 and younger) and senior citizens (62 and older), $4.50; adults, $5; skate rentals, $1.75; skate aids, $1.50.

• The rink is available for rent by the hour for $200 per hour, with a $10 discount for a Penn State group.

For more information about hours, programs and services, contact Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex, between McKean and Hastings roads, or call the rink at 865-4102. Visit the Ice Pavilion website at www.pennstateicerink.psu.edu.

TENNIS CENTER

The Tennis Center is the indoor home court for the university’s men’s and women’s tennis teams.
The club membership is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public.

The outdoor courts are open to club members and their guests only. The indoor courts are open to all, with no membership required, between Nov. 1 and April 30. The club is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Annual and monthly memberships are available to faculty and staff, Penn State retirees, students, juniors and the public.

For rates and other information, contact the Penn State Tennis Center at 865-1351 or get information online at www.athletics.psu.edu/rec/tenniscenter.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Faculty, staff and students at Penn State and residents of Pennsylvania may borrow library materials from Penn State University Libraries. Pennsylvania residents who do not have a Penn State ID can get a resident borrowing card with proper identification and proof of Pennsylvania residency. Faculty, staff and students use their Penn State ID cards to register with the libraries.

The libraries have more than 5.4 million volumes and add more than 100,000 a year. At University Park, most of the subject libraries are in the Pattee and Paterno libraries, at the Allen Street mall and Curtin Road.

In addition to services and collections, the libraries have changing exhibits in the Diversity Studies Room and the Special Collections Library, plus many public presentations in Foster Auditorium.

Regular hours during fall and spring semester for Pattee and Paterno libraries are 7:45 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday.

Hours are reduced during the summer semester and over breaks. For information, call 865-3063 or visit www.libraries.psu.edu.

MCCOY NATATORIUM

McCoy Natatorium is at Curtin and Bigler roads on campus. The Natatorium offers a range of instruction and recreation programs to individuals of all ages, abilities and interests. That includes aquatics activities for the elderly and disabled, scuba diving lessons, water polo, “aquacise” classes and age-group swimming and diving instruction.

The Natatorium includes: a six-lane, 25-meter shallow instructional pool; a six-lane, 25-yard deep competition pool; a diving well; a fitness loft with cardiovascular equipment; and an outdoor, Olympic-size pool with four diving boards. There is also a five-lane, 25-yard pool for general use in the White Building next to the HUB-Robeson Center.

Pool hours and costs:

• Natatorium pool hours vary. For information, visit the main desk on the ground floor of the Natatorium, call 865-1432 or visit www.athletics.psu.edu/nat.

• White Building pool hours are available by calling the facilities hotline at 865-3488.

• Indoor pool passes are good at both White Building and the Natatorium. Admission: $5 daily. Pool pass (one semester — fall, spring, summer): Penn State students, part of student semester fitness membership fee; individual/faculty and staff, $78 per semester, $155 annual; community individual $78 per semester; community family, $155 a semester.

• The outdoor pool is open in the summer only, starting Memorial Day weekend. Standard hours are from June 11 through Aug. 9: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. long course swimming; 11:30 a.m. to noon closed for changeover; noon to 7 p.m. open swim. Schedule is subject to change due to events. Outdoor pool admission, $5 daily; multipass, 15 admissions for $60.