Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Capital Union Building Gymnasium 777 West Harrisburg Pike Middletown, PA 17057
Year Opened: n/a Capacity: 1,500
Another Penn State
Penn State-Harrisburg is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg, PA. Around 5,000 full-time students attend the university. The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Most people only know of the flagship University Park campus.
The college was initially founded in 1966 as the Penn State Capitol Campus an upper-division and graduate-level campus. Later on, it was called Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg—Capital College. The college welcomed its first four-year undergraduates in 2001, with its first student housing opening in 2002. Penn State Harrisburg was considered fully transitioned into a four-year college by 2004.
Penn State-Harrisburg teams participate as members of NCAA Division III's United East Conference. After a 10-year break from intercollegiate athletics, Penn State–Harrisburg brought back the department as of the fall of the 2005–06 academic year.
We attended the venue during a men's and women's doubleheader and the images are from the women's action. The experience should be the same no matter what game you attend.
Food & Beverage 3
There is a small permanent concession stand, as well as Chick-fil-A is usually at games selling their wares as well. Prices for all items are reasonable, albeit a bit limited in variety.
Atmosphere 3
The arena is a small gym that is similar to many high school gyms. Because of the small size, it can get loud pretty quickly depending on the game's action.
There is a very cool "We are (Penn State logo)" permanent sign on one of the seating sections. It is lit up and looks very cool.
Instead of permanent video screens, screens drop down from the ceiling for pre-game intros. That is a feature I have not seen at any other venue.
Neighborhood 3
Penn State Harrisburg's campus is not located in Harrisburg itself. It is instead along the Susquehanna River near Middletown, Pennsylvania. Middletown is located 3 miles north of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant. The Unit Number 2 Reactor at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant suffered a partial meltdown in 1979, causing then Pennsylvania governor Dick Thornburgh to order the evacuation of pregnant women and preschool children from the area. Within days, 140,000 people had left the area. President Jimmy Carter visited Middletown's Community Building to calm the nerves of anxious residents. The power plant is viewable from the Penn State-Harrisburg campus.
There are some local restaurants such as Roberto's Pizza and Kuppy's Diner, but you may have to venture closer to Harrisburg for many more options. The Swatara area off of Route 283 has many options.
Fans 3
There were a decent number of fans in attendance and they were quite enthusiastic. You are also likely to find a good number of fans of the opposing teams as many of the opposing schools are located close by.
Access 4
Middletown is located right by major roads such as Route 283 and the Highspire Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike so accessing the campus should be pretty easy.
There should be plenty of free parking but we would caution you to check parking regulations for any weeknight games.
Return on Investment 4
It costs $5 to attend a game at Penn State-Harrisburg and the parking is free. It seemed like it was cash only for admissions and concessions.
Even the simple concessions are cheap so the value is very good.
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Extras 3
The "We are (Penn State logo)" permanent sign in the seating area is a feature we have not seen at other venues.
We liked the innovative way of using the dropdown screens as part of the entertainment.
There is a nice Hall of Fame and other athletic accomplishments on display in the building lobby.
Final Thoughts
The simple gymnasium at Penn State-Harrisburg is a fun place to watch a game.
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