Longtime State College store’s second location will be part of renovated Nittany Lion Inn
A longtime State College clothing store is finally getting a second location — inside the soon-to-be-reopened Nittany Lion Inn.
Harpers, a fine clothing store founded downtown in 1926, will open a small lobby store just inside the entrance to the historic Nittany Lion Inn (200 W. Park Ave.), which first opened in 1931. The lobby store will open at the same time as the renovated historic hotel, which will welcome visitors starting in early September.
Harpers and the Nittany Lion Inn made the joint announcement Wednesday morning.
“They came and approached us and, pretty quickly, I thought it was a great idea,” said Harpers owner Brian Cohen, whose father and grandfather both operated fine clothing stores. “I think we’re a natural partner ... because there’s that kind of history around our community. And I think growing our business and being in that hotel, it does give Harpers a different level of exposure.”
Cohen acknowledged the new space will be small and will likely be staffed by one employee. Customers will not be fitted for suits there, and suits will continue to be tailored at the downtown location. But visitors will still be able to purchase dress shirts and trousers there, in addition to men’s and women’s clothing from their Penn State-branded line (Harper’s Varsity Club), other fashion accessories and exclusive “Nittany Lion Inn”-branded clothing that won’t be available elsewhere.
And for those intent on adding a new suit to their wardrobe, the downtown State College location (224 E. College Ave.) is just a 15-minute walk — or an 8-minute Uber ride — from the Nittany Lion Inn.
Harpers expanded its downtown shop last spring — its second expansion in six years — by adding about 1,900 square feet to the section housing Harper’s Varsity Club, which includes designer brands like Peter Millar and Vineyard Vines. The Nittany Lion Inn was formally purchased last year by Scholar Hotel Group via a ground lease, and the Penn State alum-owned company has poured more than $10 million into renovating the property.
The Nittany Lion Inn closed to the public in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it was used for temporary student housing and classrooms. The university hired a consultant in 2021 to begin exploring options for both the inn and the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center and, in 2022, the university opted to sell via a long-term ground lease, which was finalized in 2023.
The hotel is slated to welcome arriving guests starting Sept. 2, in time for the home football season that kicks off Sept. 7. (The opener against West Virginia is a road game Aug. 31.)
