Penn State runs two parking systems that barely talk to each other, and knowing which one you are in is the whole game. Athletics controls the lots by the stadium, sells them by permit tied to one assigned lot for all seven home games, and that is where tailgating happens. Penn State Transportation runs the five campus parking decks, which cost $25 to $40 for the whole Saturday and where tailgating is banned outright. So the price gap is not a rip-off, it is the tailgate. Lots open at 7 a.m. for noon kickoffs and 8 a.m. for everything else, one-way traffic patterns lock in two and a half hours before kickoff, and kickoff times are set about a week out by television.
The short answer
Cheapest: the West Deck at $25 for the entire Saturday, which a fan who has used it for nearly a decade says has never filled up because it is too far out for most people. Middle: East, Eisenhower, HUB and Nittany decks at $40 all day. Best with kids: the CATA game day shuttle at $2.50 a trip, or $7 for an unlimited day pass. Best for tailgating: an Athletics lot near the stadium, because tailgating is strictly prohibited at every campus deck. Worst plan: turning up without a permit expecting to park near the stadium, since you will be directed to Lot 25 or Lot 36 and only if space is left. We could not verify any free parking here.
At $25, 5 of the 18 College stadiums we have priced cost less and 10 cost more. See every College Sports stadium ranked.
Compare every option
| Option | Cost | Walk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| West DeckStadium lot | $25 for the whole Saturday, credit card at exit | A walk across campus, past the engineering buildings | Paying the least and still having a space when you arrive |
| East, HUB and Nittany decksStadium lot | $40 for the whole Saturday, credit card at exit | Closer in than West Deck, varies by deck | Staying downtown after the game without paying for it |
| Eisenhower DeckStadium lot | $40 Saturday only, paid on entry | Central campus | Anyone who would rather pay on the way in than on the way out |
| Athletics lots by the stadiumStadium lot | Fans report $125 for general Lot 36 and $145 for advance single-game lots | At the stadium, between Bigler Road and Mount Nittany Medical Center | Tailgating, which is the only reason to pay the difference |
| Day of game sales at Lot 25 or Lot 36Stadium lot | Not published, sold at the gate subject to availability | At the stadium | Arriving without a permit, which is a worse position than it sounds |
| Hills Plaza and the South Atherton shuttleOffsite lot | $2.50 per trip, or $7 for an unlimited day pass | None, the shuttle runs to the stadium | The cheapest way in, and no traffic at either end |
| RV parkingStadium lot | Not published, sold through Athletics | Depends on the assigned lot | Anyone making a weekend of it, which the rules actively allow |
| Accessible parkingStadium lot | Single game ADA permits sold for the East Deck | None, complimentary shuttles run from the East Deck | Drivers needing ADA parking, who have one clear route here |
Every option, in detail
Stadium lot
West Deck
$25 for the whole Saturday, credit card at exitA walk across campus, past the engineering buildings /// Deck hours, and the Saturday rate applies all day
The best value on this page and the least known. A fan who has parked here for nearly a decade says it has never filled up regardless of the opponent, because it sits too far from the stadium for most people to consider. The Saturday rate is $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second if you are under two hours, and a flat $25 beyond that, so the long day and the short day cost the same.
Heads up: Tailgating is strictly prohibited at every campus parking deck, so this is the wrong pick if the lot scene is why you came. Pay at a pay station before you walk back to the car, because cash is not accepted in the exit lanes, and a lost ticket costs $50 on Saturday and Sunday.
Via transportation.psu.edu (Penn State Transportation Services game day notice for the rate structure and rules. The never fills observation is a fan report from September 2025, corroborated by a second regular in the same thread.)
Stadium lot
East, HUB and Nittany decks
$40 for the whole Saturday, credit card at exitCloser in than West Deck, varies by deck /// Deck hours, Saturday rate applies to any vehicle parked that day
Same structure as West Deck at a higher flat rate: $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second under two hours, then $40. Because it is a flat all-day rate rather than hourly, waiting out the traffic costs nothing. A fan who parked at East for the Nevada game in 2025 walked around afterward, had dinner downtown, left at dark, and still paid $40.
Heads up: No tailgating at any deck. Overnight visitor parking is only allowed at the decks and prohibited everywhere else on campus, so do not leave a car in a surface lot after a night game.
Via transportation.psu.edu (Penn State Transportation Services game day notice. The dinner-downtown example is a fan report, September 2025.)
Stadium lot
Eisenhower Deck
$40 Saturday only, paid on entryCentral campus /// Deck hours
The one deck that works differently. Eisenhower is $40 for Saturday paid through the HONK app on entry, zone PSUYF, rather than at a pay station on exit.
Heads up: Penn State specifically warns to input the correct license plate in HONK. A typo on a plate is the kind of mistake that becomes a citation you find out about weeks later.
Via transportation.psu.edu (Penn State Transportation Services game day notice)
Stadium lot
Athletics lots by the stadium
Fans report $125 for general Lot 36 and $145 for advance single-game lotsAt the stadium, between Bigler Road and Mount Nittany Medical Center /// 7 a.m. for noon kickoffs, 8 a.m. for all other kickoffs
Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics manages every lot near the stadium, and a football permit is valid only in the lot it was assigned to. Season permit holders park in the same lot for all seven home games, and permits are not exchangeable between zones or between reserved and general lots even within a zone. This is where tailgating is allowed, which is what the price buys.
Heads up: We could not verify these prices from Penn State. Athletics sells single game parking through Ticketmaster, so the rate only appears inside the purchase flow, and the figures here are fans quoting what they were charged in the 2025 season. Budget for the gap between $25 at a deck and well over $100 here rather than being surprised by it.
Via gopsusports.com (Penn State Athletics football parking FAQ for the permit rules and assigned lot policy. Prices are fan reports from September 2025 and are not confirmed by Penn State.)
Stadium lot
Day of game sales at Lot 25 or Lot 36
Not published, sold at the gate subject to availabilityAt the stadium /// Same as the other Athletics lots
If you turn up without a permit, follow the E Zone signage until you reach Park Avenue, then follow the signs for day of game parking sales. Lot 25 and Lot 36 are the two lots that sell on the day. Fans who forget a permit they already bought get directed here too.
Heads up: Everything about this is conditional on space being left, and the one-way traffic pattern locks in two and a half hours before kickoff, so a late arrival is fighting both problems at once. Have a deck in mind as your fallback rather than circling.
Via gopsusports.com (Penn State Athletics football parking FAQ)
Offsite lot
Hills Plaza and the South Atherton shuttle
$2.50 per trip, or $7 for an unlimited day passNone, the shuttle runs to the stadium /// Runs on home football Saturdays
CATA runs a South Atherton game day shuttle serving the Hills Plaza parking lot, the South Atherton stops down to Easterly Parkway, and Rolling Ridge and Windmere drives. A separate Downtown shuttle picks up on Beaver Avenue at Atherton Street and at the Schlow Library stop by Allen Street. Fans recommend the Hills Plaza route specifically.
Heads up: Exact change only on board, because drivers cannot make change, so bring it or buy the $7 day pass in the Token Transit app before you go. Check CATA for this season's hours before you build a plan on it.
Via catabus.com (CATA game day shuttle service for the routes and fares. Penn State Transportation confirms CATA operates game day shuttles for every home game.)
Stadium lot
RV parking
Not published, sold through AthleticsDepends on the assigned lot /// Thursday 6 p.m. to midnight, Friday 6 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 7 or 8 a.m.
Penn State publishes oversized recreational vehicle hours that open Thursday evening before a home game, which is the earliest arrival window on any guide we have written. Friday runs 6 a.m. to midnight, and Saturday follows the same 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. opening as everything else.
Heads up: Everything has to be out by noon Sunday, and we could not find a published RV price. Call 1-800-NITTANY or email golions@psu.edu before you tow anything to State College.
Via gopsusports.com (Penn State Athletics football parking FAQ for the ORV hours. No RV rate is published there or on the transportation pages.)
Stadium lot
Accessible parking
Single game ADA permits sold for the East DeckNone, complimentary shuttles run from the East Deck /// Deck hours
Season ADA permits in the West zone have sold out, and single game ADA sales are issued for the East Deck, with complimentary game day shuttles running from there to the stadium. A fan holding an ADA permit but arriving without a placard can still park at the East Deck at no additional charge, which is a more forgiving rule than most venues have.
Heads up: Tailgating is not permitted in the East Deck, a point Penn State repeats three separate times in its own FAQ. A general permit cannot be exchanged for an ADA permit for a single game.
Via gopsusports.com (Penn State Athletics football parking FAQ)
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Skip parking entirely
State College is small and the buses are genuinely useful on a football Saturday, which matters more here than at most stadiums because the one-way traffic pattern turns driving into a committed decision two and a half hours before kickoff.
CATA game day shuttles
$2.50 per trip, $7 unlimited day passTwo routes on home football Saturdays: a Downtown shuttle picking up on Beaver Avenue at Atherton Street and at Schlow Library by Allen Street, and a South Atherton shuttle serving Hills Plaza, the South Atherton stops to Easterly Parkway, and Rolling Ridge and Windmere drives. Exact change only on board. The day pass is bought in the Token Transit app.
Via catabus.com
LOOP routes
No fareCATA's LOOP routes run continuously between the stops near Beaver Stadium and downtown State College at no fare, which makes the walk between downtown and the stadium optional in both directions.
Via catabus.com
Blue Loop, White Loop and Red Link
See CATAAll three operate on home football Saturdays but on adjusted routing. The Blue Loop turns off Curtin onto Bigler and then Pollock. The White Loop detours via Hastings and Bigler to Curtin. The Red Link runs via Eisenhower and Shortlidge back to Curtin. If you use these normally, the stop you expect may not be where the bus goes that day.
Fullington Trailways football shuttles
See FullingtonA separate operator runs football shuttles from several local locations and from Blair and Clearfield counties, which is the option for anyone coming from an hour or two out rather than from town.
When to get there
Lots open at 7 a.m. for a noon kickoff and 8 a.m. for every other kickoff time, so the opening moves with a time television sets about a week out. The harder deadline is the traffic pattern: one-way routing goes into effect two and a half hours before kickoff on Park Avenue, Porter Road and the roads around the stadium, which means 9:30 a.m. for a noon kick, 1 p.m. for 3:30, 3:30 p.m. for a 6 p.m. kick, and 5:30 p.m. for an 8 p.m. kick. After that you are committed to the route assigned to your zone, and traffic personnel will redirect you if you try the wrong one. Curtin Road is closed between Bigler and Porter all day. If you are meeting friends to tailgate, Penn State's own advice is to meet off campus and drive in together, because you cannot hold a space for someone still on the road.
Getting out after
The flat Saturday deck rate is the quiet advantage here. Because $25 or $40 covers the whole day rather than the hour, waiting out the traffic in a restaurant costs nothing, and one fan described doing exactly that at the East Deck and paying the same $40 at dark. Traffic attendants work the outbound routes after the game. If you parked in an Athletics lot you leave the way your zone dictates, not the way that looks fastest on a map.
Tailgating rules
The rule that decides your whole day: tailgating is strictly prohibited at all five campus parking decks. If tailgating is the reason you came, you need an Athletics lot near the stadium, and that is the difference between $25 and well over $100. Penn State states the deck ban plainly, and repeats the East Deck version of it three times in its own FAQ.
RVs get the most generous arrival window we have found anywhere: oversized recreational vehicle hours open Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to midnight, run Friday from 6 a.m. to midnight, and follow the normal 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. opening on Saturday, with everything out by noon Sunday. Because permits are tied to a single assigned lot for all seven home games and spaces cannot be saved, Penn State's advice for groups is to meet off campus and arrive together.
Questions, answered
- How much does parking cost at Beaver Stadium?
- Stadium lots run $25 to $125. Cheapest: the West Deck at $25 for the entire Saturday, which a fan who has used it for nearly a decade says has never filled up because it is too far out for most people. Middle: East, Eisenhower, HUB and Nittany decks at $40 all day. Best with kids: the CATA game day shuttle at $2.50 a trip, or $7 for an unlimited day pass. Best for tailgating: an Athletics lot near the stadium, because tailgating is strictly prohibited at every campus deck. Worst plan: turning up without a permit expecting to park near the stadium, since you will be directed to Lot 25 or Lot 36 and only if space is left. We could not verify any free parking here.
- Is there free parking near Beaver Stadium?
- There is no reliable free parking near Beaver Stadium. The cheapest options are listed above.
- What time should I get to a Penn State game?
- Lots open at 7 a.m. for a noon kickoff and 8 a.m. for every other kickoff time, so the opening moves with a time television sets about a week out. The harder deadline is the traffic pattern: one-way routing goes into effect two and a half hours before kickoff on Park Avenue, Porter Road and the roads around the stadium, which means 9:30 a.m. for a noon kick, 1 p.m. for 3:30, 3:30 p.m. for a 6 p.m. kick, and 5:30 p.m. for an 8 p.m. kick. After that you are committed to the route assigned to your zone, and traffic personnel will redirect you if you try the wrong one. Curtin Road is closed between Bigler and Porter all day. If you are meeting friends to tailgate, Penn State's own advice is to meet off campus and drive in together, because you cannot hold a space for someone still on the road.
- Can you get to Beaver Stadium without a car?
- State College is small and the buses are genuinely useful on a football Saturday, which matters more here than at most stadiums because the one-way traffic pattern turns driving into a committed decision two and a half hours before kickoff. CATA game day shuttles: $2.50 per trip, $7 unlimited day pass.
The field is now named West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium under a naming rights deal that began in 2025. The stadium is still Beaver Stadium, and Penn State's own pages write the longer name in a way that reads like a rename.
Deck rates here are from Penn State Transportation's game day notice and apply to Saturday only. On any other day the decks run $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour up to a $16 daily maximum.
Athletics prices are the one gap on this page. Single game parking is sold through Ticketmaster, so the rate lives inside a purchase flow rather than on a page, and the figures we quote come from fans reporting what they paid.
Penn State's parking FAQ still refers to 2024 football season tickets when describing eligibility for new season parking, so parts of it may lag the current season. Confirm anything eligibility related with Athletics.
Fines increase for campus visitors on designated event weekends, and vehicles must be parked head in or with the plate facing the drive aisle depending on the lot. Cars left in the lots that close at midnight Friday are towed after 2 a.m. Saturday.
One thing on Penn State's own transportation page that we could not price and did not publish as a rate: the $5.60 prepaid and $10 day of event ParkWhiz rates apply to select intercollegiate athletics events, not football.
Sourced from the stadium, the city, local outlets, and fans who park here every week. Checked July 2026, and we recheck three times a year. Prices and lot rules change, so every claim above either links where it came from or says plainly that it is fan-reported and unconfirmed. Click through before you build your day around one spot.
/// Know something we do not?
Prices change and lots come and go. If something on this page is wrong, or we missed a lot, tell us.
A person reads every one. You will not get an automatic reply, and we do not change the page until we can verify it ourselves.
Citing this guide
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Dispatch Sports, “Parking at Beaver Stadium: Penn State Nittany Lions Gameday Guide.” Checked 2026-07. https://dispatchsports.com/college/penn-state/parking
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