Champaign Travel Information
Champaign, population 67,518, and Urbana, population 36,395, are
side-by-side college towns, both home to the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign’s more than 40,000 students. The U of I’s
Fighting Illini sports teams draw crowds for basketball at Assembly
Hall and football at Memorial Stadium. Assembly Hall, the area’s top
entertainment venue, also hosts concerts and Broadway musicals.
Krannert Art Museum exhibits more than 8,000 art works on the
university campus. Parkland College in Champaign adds to the
academic-centered attractions with the William M. Staerkel Planetarium
and Parkland College Theater. Other theatrical events can be seen in
downtown Champaign at the Virginia Theatre. The renovated downtown
area caters to the college crowd with restaurants, shops, bars and
nightlife spots. Orpheum Children’s Science Museum, which is housed in
the historic 1914 Orpheum Theatre, features hands-on science. In
Urbana visitors can enjoy authentic Japanese tea rituals at Japan
House. Two other attractions offer kid friendly activities.
Curtis Orchard hosts a fall festival and apple picking and at Prairie
Farm visitors can feed the farm animals. West of Champaign, the
Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve includes the Early American Museum,
Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens, a golf course, hiking and
cross-country skiing trails, sledding, boating and
fishing. Champaign-Urbana is located 135 miles southwest of
Chicago and 50 miles southeast of Bloomington. The area is accessible
via Interstate Highways 57, 72 and 74 and U.S. Highway 45. There are
many lodging options including national hotel chains, conference
centers, bed and breakfasts.
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