All-Sports Museum
Penn State All-Sports Museum—
The History
The All-Sports Museum opened its doors at the southwest end of Beaver Stadium (next to the bookstore) in 2001 as part of the broader stadium expansion project brought the East Suites and the Mt. Nittany Club to the newly cantilevered south endzone that fall.
The late Lou Prato (PSU Class of 1959) spearheaded the Museum project and served as its first Director from 2001-2005. Prato was considered a Penn State historian who authored 7 books revolving around the football program under Joe Paterno.
The Museum houses and displays championship trophies, historical artifacts, photos, videos, and memorabilia from every Penn State sport (past & present).
Two of the most important and popular displays include the 1973 Heisman Trophy awarded to John Cappelletti (the only PSU player ever to win it), and the ‘fan photo mosaic’ designed to honor the memory of football legend, Franco Harris (see both below).
The Franco Harris mosaic was unveiled in the Museum lobby on November 12, 2023. The wall is covered with nearly two thousand individual photos/selfies of fans with Franco that blend into a real photo image of Harris taken during the October 16, 1971 game at Syracuse. Lane Stewart snapped the game photo, and it is used under limited license from Sports Illustrated.
Recent Major Special Exhibits
Penn State’s most ambitious special exhibit was no doubt the one honoring the over 1,200 men and women from then-Penn State College who competed in varsity athletics (or similar) and served in the military in World War II (27 are known to have died in service to the country). The exhibit was called “I am a Penn Stater: Nittany Lions in World War II” and it remained on display for over 3 years (June 10, 2022 through August 15, 2025—ending on the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in the Pacific)—See photos from this exhibit below.
Other recent exhibits have focused on Penn Staters in World War I, and on the photography of PSU grad and longtime professional photographer, Pat Little, who shot Nittany Lions sports from 1977-2005.
Nittany Notes—
The All-Sports Museum has also become known for the creation of large and small collector card sets that are designed to accompany some of their special exhibits…
The largest card series was part of the equally huge “I am a Penn Stater: Nittany Lions in World War II” exhibit that ran from June 2022 into August 2025. A total of 60 cards (plus an unnumbered header/info card) were issued in 3 series and covered a wide range of Penn Staters (79 in all) of the era who had been varsity athletes, etc. and had served various roles in the US military. The cards were similar in size and card stock quality to typical football/baseball cards and were handed out free on gamedays at a tent near the museum entrance and on other days inside the museum itself. Cards were frequently rubberbanded together in small groups for easier distribution to fans. The cards featured one, two, or three people (many in their military uniforms) along with a brief bio.
Examples of football players issued: Light-Horse Harry Wilson card 4 (Wilson also played football at West Point following his PS days), Victor Gentilman card #5, Cass Sisler card 11 (only card front to not have photo of person named), Jim Mariades card 18, Lloyd Parsons card #21, Gil Radcliff card #32, Jack Castignola card 33, John Potsklan card 46, John Pepper Petrella & Ted Kratzke card 38, Bill Debler card 43 (wing leader Flying Nittany Lions V5 Navy training unit), Steve Hamas & Rowan Tubby Crawford card 45 (both lettered in 5 different sports), Bill Howarth card #51, and Ed Czekaj 58….
W. Garfield Thomas (soccer/PS class of 1938) was honored on two cards (#8/9) released in the first series (2022-23)… Thomas, Navy Cross recipient, was KIA in 1942
the final card (#60) issued on Memorial Day May 26, 2025, appropriately honored 1st LT Bob Ernst (PSU class of 1941, Soccer Center Forward 1938-40) who was KIA on July 10, 1945 when his P51 Mustang from the 45th Fighter Squadron was shotdown over Japan… Ernst was the last of 27 known Penn Staters associated with varsity or similar sports to die in WWII…
Since the WWII card series concluded, the Museum issued a “micro-series” of 8 cards (including the header) featuring the photography of Pat Little and a second micro-series on the Nittany Lion mascot. Pat Little’s final card of the mascot from the 1983 Blue-White game was also technically the first card of the mascot series.
