Rec Hall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Recreation Building | |
|---|---|
| (Rec Hall) | |
 |
|
| Location | Curtin Rd University Park, PA 16802 |
| Broke ground | 1927 |
| Opened | January 15, 1929 |
| Owner | Penn State University |
| Operator | Penn State University |
| Construction cost | $572,260 |
| Architect | Charles Z. Klauder |
| Tenants | |
| Penn State Nittany Lions (Gymnastics, volleyball & wrestling) |
|
| Capacity | |
| 7,200 | |
Recreation Building, or Rec Hall as it is more commonly known, is a field house located on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It was opened on January 15, 1929 and is still in use. Previously, Penn State's indoor sports teams played in a building known as the Armory, which was razed to allow construction of the Willard Building. The men's and women's basketball teams moved to the Bryce Jordan Center in 1996 but the gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling teams continue to compete at Rec Hall. The well-known Nittany Lion shrine is located nearby this building. The Penn State Dance Marathon, commonly known as THON, was held in Rec Hall from 1999 to 2006 (from 2007 and on, it will be held at the Bryce Jordan Center).
The architect was Charles Z. Klauder, who had designed the University of Pennsylvania's Palestra. The Colonial Georgian design of Rec Hall was chosen to "harmonize" with other new structures on campus.
Rec Hall underwent significant renovations in 2005, including the installation of an electronic scoreboard and the replacement of several sections of seats.
The largest crowd in Rec Hall history, 8,600, witnessed the men's basketball team defeat Virginia 93-68 on December 5, 1973. Another notable game was the 1991 Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournament championship, won by Penn State.
