Old Botany was built in 1887 and is the oldest building on campus whose exterior has not been altered. Once the home of botany labs and greenhouses, it now houses the Labor and Industrial Relations Department.

Schwab Auditorium, the University’s Renaissance-style theatre, was built in 1903 and named for Charles M. Schwab, president of the Board of Trustees from 1902-1932 and the donor of the funds for the building. Schwab is home to the Thespians, a student theatre group that stages performances throughout the year. The auditorium contains a horseshoe-shaped balcony and 1,000 seats. It is used for concerts, lectures, plays, and large lecture classes.

The small meditation garden and surrounding granite wall next to Schwab Auditorium mark the grave of President George Atherton. During his long administration, Penn State expanded its enrollment tenfold to 800 students and secured solid support and recognition from the state of Pennsylvania for its land-grant college.

University House was designed by the first president of Penn State, Evan Pugh. From 1864 until 1970 it was the home of 11 Penn State Presidents. The President’s House, as it was called until 1970, was designed as a country Georgian mansion. Pugh put up half the cost of construction and the Trustees paid the balance. Pugh died suddenly in 1864 and never lived in the house.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house has undergone a number of alterations and renovations over the years, including the addition of a number of Victorian elements and third-floor offices. The latest renovations were kept within the house’s historic designation. It is now home to the Alumni Association.