From being established as the ‘Big Grove’ way back in 1822 when it was first settled, Urbana, Illinois has come a long way. Famous for sharing the sprawling University of Illinois campus with its sister city of Champaign, Urbana was named after Urbana in Ohio. Today, Urbana has evolved into a culture-rich community, complete with farmers markets, museums, numerous parks and gardens, community places of interest, public recreational spaces, as well as restaurants and pubs notable in the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area. So, how to go about exploring the town best? Here are some of the best things to do in Urbana, Illinois. Find out more about them below.
1. Stroll the trails of Meadowbrook Park
It will be hard for you not to make the utterly picturesque Meadowbrook Park the nucleus of your Urbana itinerary. Located southeast of the Windsor Road and Race Street intersection, the 130-acre (5,26,000 sq. meters) Meadowbrook Park is home to 3 miles (4.8 km) of paved trails that will appeal to cyclists, joggers, and walkers. While nature lovers will be mesmerized by the 80-acre (3,23,750 sq. meters) recreated Illinois tall-grass prairie with 2 miles (3.2 km) of winding unpaved trails through the prairie grass.
Meadowbrook Park
Address: 2808 S Race St, Urbana
Website: Meadowbrook Park
Opening hours: 7am - 6pm (daily)
Price: Free admission
2. Learn about world history and cultures at the Spurlock Museum
If you’re a history and culture buff, devote an entire day to exploring the Spurlock Museum, which is located on the grounds of the University of Illinois. Housing rotating exhibits and galleries, the museum highlights the history of different parts of the world at different times in history. Each gallery contains stunning artifacts totaling more than 45,000 in number, including ancient tools, traditional headwear, marble sculptures, and more.
Spurlock Museum
Address: 600 S Gregory St, Urbana
Website: Spurlock Museum
Opening hours: Tue: 12pm - 5pm; Wed - Thu: 9am - 5pm; Sat: 10am - 4pm; Sun: 12pm - 4pm (closed on Mon)
Price: Free admission
3. Read a book at the Urbana Free Library
If reading a book at a 100-year-old library is on your travel-must-do list, then head straight to the historic, iconic Urbana Free Library, an institution rich in community culture and history. Not only is the library home to the Champaign County Historical Archives, but it also features a reciprocal borrowing system and allows online access to animated picture books, making it perfect to spend an afternoon here with your kids.
Urbana Free Library
Address: 210 W Green St, Urbana
Website: Urbana Free Library
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 9am - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 9am - 6pm; Sun: 1pm - 5pm
Price: Free admission
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4. Experience Japanese culture at Japan House
Step into a scintillating world at the Japan House which makes the beauty of traditional Japanese culture and arts accessible to everyone. Located at the University of Illinois Arboretum, Japan House offers deeper insight towards diverse cultures through the study of Japanese traditional arts and aesthetics. The heart of the place is the traditional Japanese Urasenke tea ceremony. The place also features a dry garden, a tea garden, and three tea rooms.
Note: Apart from public tea ceremonies and certain special events, Japan House is usually closed to the public.
Japan House Tea Ceremony
Address: 2000 S Lincoln Ave, Urbana
Website: Japan House
Opening hours: Tea Ceremonies: alternating Wed: 5:30pm; Thu: 3pm; every third Sat: 2pm (closed on holidays)
Price: 12 USD; 10 USD for Tomonokai members and University of Illinois students
5. Chug a beer at Riggs Beer Company
If you’re a beer aficionado, then Riggs Beer Company should be your next destination. Brewing German and American-style beers with an emphasis on lagers, Riggs Beer Company brewery has a 15-barrel (2,384 liters) brewhouse. Round-the-year beers are India Pale Lager, Red Lager, Hefeweizen, and American Lager, with seasonal beers released every month. Enjoy a one-hour tour of the brewery production and relax in the beer garden and tap room. After the tour, dig into the delicious food offered by the food trucks right outside the brewery.
Riggs Beer Company
Address: 1901 S High Cross Rd, Urbana
Website: Riggs Beer Company
Opening hours: Thu - Fri: 3pm - 10pm; Sat: 12pm - 10pm; Sun: 12pm - 8pm (closed Mon - Wed)
Price: 10 USD per person (tour)
6. Visit local shops at Urbana's Market at the Square
Since the year 1979, The Market at the Square in Urbana, a.k.a. the Farmers’ Market, has been a community connect of sorts. Between May and November, dozens of vendors set up shop every Saturday morning in the Lincoln Square parking lot, where you can get the choicest of local produce. The market also features booths on music, local crafts, multiple community, and political organizations as well as some of the best selections of handmade crafts and art, flowers, wine, local beer, honey, and dairy.
Market at the Square
Address: 401 S Vine St, Urbana
Website: Market at the Square
Opening hours: Sat: 7am - 12pm (closed Sun - Fri)
Price: Free admission
7. Walk the grassy grounds of the University of Illinois Arboretum
There’s no better a way to explore the soul of a place than to walk around it, and the University of Illinois Arboretum is a 160-acre (6,47,500 sq. meters) bountiful wonder that definitely shouldn’t be missed. Featuring a gorgeous collection of habitats and gardens, the sprawling, tree-lined arboretum is a wonderful escape into nature. Walk around the various gardens such as the Idea Garden for inspiration and provoking thoughts, and the Sen Cherry Tree Allée which is a stunning wonder during the spring bloom.
University of Illinois Arboretum
Address: 2001 S Lincoln Ave, Urbana
Website: University of Illinois Arboretum
Opening hours: Sunrise - Sunset (daily)
Price: Free admission
8. Go fishing at Crystal Lake Park
Located in the Urbana Park District in the north side of Urbana, Crystal Lake Park is undoubtedly the park district’s crown jewel, complete with picturesque surroundings and a stunning, dense urban forest that is unseen in today’s times. If you’re a large group, you can rent out the Lake House, right next to it and book non-motorized boats for enjoying a spot of fishing on the lake (May - September). The accessible fishing pier is located west of the Lake House.
Crystal Lake Park
Address: 206 W Park St, Urbana
Website: Crystal Lake Park
Opening hours: 6am - 6pm (daily)
Price: Free admission
9. Get lost in the amazing Busey Woods
For nature lovers visiting Urbana, the stunning woodland of Busey Woods is the perfect way to spend a day in the town. Located directly north of Crystal Lake Park, Busey Woods is a 59-acre (2,38,765 sq. meters) preserved section of the Big Grove forest. The woods are full of hiking and walking trails and is a great place for studying nature, photography, and birdwatching.
Busey Woods
Address: 1505 N Broadway Ave, Urbana
Website: Busey Woods
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)
Price: Free admission
10. Catch a live performance at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
How about catching an opera or a play while vacationing in Urbana? Head straight to the talent powerhouse that is the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Located famously on the Univerity of Illinois campus, Krannert Center is a 50-years-old educational and performing arts complex known to have featured notable artists such as the likes of Zakir Hussain, the legend Sonny Rolins, and Yo-Yo Ma. Home to five performing halls, the Krannert Center is a must-visit if you’re in Urbana for a while.
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Address: 500 S Goodwin Ave, Urbana
Website: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Opening hours: See calendar
Price: As per event
11. Gaze upon the Romanesque architectural design of Altgeld Hall Tower
What was originally the University Library on the grounds of the University of Illinois campus, finally became the iconic Altgeld Hall Tower. The landmark, which is built in true Richardsonian Romanesque style, houses the University Chime which, apart from marking the time, also plays a 10-minute concert every school day. The only gargoyle on the University campus lies here, and the interiors feature four painted murals around the domed ceiling of what is now the Mathematics Library.
Altgeld Hall Tower
Address: 323 Altgeld Hall, 1409 W Green St, Urbana
Website: Altgeld Hall Tower
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 12:30pm - 1pm (closed Sat - Sun)
Price: Free admission
12. Take a look at the beautiful flowers of Idea Garden
If you have a green thumb, then the idea of the Idea Garden will definitely appeal to you. Located within the University of Illinois Arboretum on the South Lincoln Avenue, the Idea Garden highlights various garden themes including a vegetable garden, a rock garden, a children’s garden, and even a rose and berry garden. In the center sits a stunning gazebo brimming with spring blooms in a kaleidoscope of colors. Walk around or relax to your heart’s content.
Idea Garden
Address: Idea Garden, S Lincoln Ave, Urbana
Website: Idea Garden
Opening hours: 24/7
Price: Free admission
13. Enjoy with your kids at the playgrounds of Anita Purves Nature Center
If you’re holidaying with your kids in Urbana, then the Friendship Grove Nature Playscape at the Anita Purves Nature Center is where you and your kids can have an entire afternoon of fun. This outdoor play space is seeped in ingenuity and imagination and is equipped with some amazing play features such as a tunnel, a digging area, a fallen tree, and a log wall, enough to engage kids with a range of abilities and across ages.
Friendship Grove Nature Playscape
Address: 1505 N. Broadway Urbana, IL 61801
Website: Friendship Grove Nature Playscape
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm; Sat: 9am - 4pm (closed on Sun)
Price: Free admission
14. Dive into the pools of Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center
Who says you can’t enjoy frolicking in the swimming pools and beaches in Urbana? That’s what the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center is all about, complete with a recreational pool, a beach-like entry, as well as a fun-filled water playground. Slide down three different types of waterslides into the depths of the pools, and enjoy swimming to the hilt in a zero-depth entry pool.
Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center
Address: 102 E Michigan Ave, Urbana
Website: Dummy attraction
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 6am - 8am, 11am - 5pm, 7pm - 9pm; Sat: 12pm - 5pm; Sun: 2pm - 7pm
Price: Entry/spectator fee: 3 USD; Swimmer fee: 6 USD (Fri - Wed), 4 USD (Thu)
15. Dig into Silvercreek's classic cuisine
Located on North Race Street, Silvercreek Restaurant offers a unique, modern twist to the classic American dining experience. The restaurant sources ingredients from local farmers as well as its own garden and offers a fantastic farm-to-table menu consisting of delectable entrées, gourmet burgers, and unique sandwiches. What’s more, Silvercreek also features specialty cocktails and a selection of 200 types of wine and more than 85 beers.
Silvercreek Restaurant
Address:402 N Race St, Urbana
Website: Silvercreek Restaurant
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm; Sun: 10am - 2:30pm
16. Order a Mexican dish at Huaraches Moroleón
Get a taste of Mexico at Urbana’s spiciest restaurant Huaraches Moroleón at the corner of Philo Road and Washington Street, and with a menu reflecting authentic Moroleón-style food. Some of the must-eats include huaraches, which is one of the signature dishes, tacos, flautas with a variety of fillings, fajitas Moroleón, fresh-fried chips with sauces and a bowl of salsa, and the freshly made in-house flan.
Huaraches Moroleón
Address: 805 Philo Rd, Urbana
Website: Huaraches Moroleón
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 8am - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 8am - 10pm; Sun: 8am - 8pm
17. Have a bite at Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
Urbana’s most-talked-about restaurant Black Dog Smoke & Ale House is where you can dig into hearty American fare and true Southern-style juicy barbecue dishes after a day of exploring Urbana. Begin with the double-smoked brisket and the Texas caviar black-eyed pea and hominy dip with homemade tortilla chips, before moving to the juicy pulled pork, a house-favorite entrée, and the beef brisket, smoked catfish, smoked Polish sausages, and the free-range chicken. Yum!
Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
Address: 201 N Broadway Ave, Urbana
Website: Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
Opening hours: 11am - 10pm (daily)
18. Satisfy your tummy with handcrafted frozen desserts at Red Bicycle Ice Cream
Sample the delicious handcrafted frozen desserts at Red Bicycle Ice Cream, which sources farm-fresh, local ingredients for crafting its desserts. Must tries include the all-season Windsor Rd - A Rocky Road in Urbana and ‘Agatha Christie - A Mystery with Every Scoop’, non-dairy sorbets, gluten-and-nut-free options, milkshakes, smoothies, sundaes, and baked delicacies.
Red Bicycle Ice Cream
Address: 2740 S Philo Rd Suite D, Urbana
Website: Red Bicycle Ice Cream
Opening hours: Tue- Sat: 12pm - 8:30pm; Sun: 1pm - 8:30 pm (closed on Mon)
19. Sing-a-long at A Plus VIP Lounge
Finish off a day of exploring Urbana with some good old-fashioned karaoke at the A Plus VIP Lounge on West Main Street. With a top-of-the-line sound system and state-of-the-art lighting systems, the Asian-style venue complete with an expansive drink and food menu, a dance floor, a DJ, and an entire floor dedicated to karaoke, is where you need to head to for having an after-dinner blast with your friends.
A Plus VIP Lounge
Address: 214 W Main St, Urbana
Website: A Plus VIP Lounge
Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 6pm - 1am; Fri - Sat: 6pm - 2am; Sun: 6pm - 1am (closed Mon - Tue)
20. Stomp your feet at The Canopy Club
The campus-town venue of the Canopy Club in Urbana is one of the best live-music venues around town. Oozing high-energy, positive vibes, the Canopy Club features plenty of floor space up front by the stage, with a good capacity seating further back. The encouraging dance community will get your feet tapping to the amazing music, and the expansive food and drinks menu will have you enjoying a great night out.
The Canopy Club
Address: 708 S Goodwin Ave, Urbana
Website: The Canopy Club
Opening hours: 8pm - 2am (daily)
Unbeatable Urbana
Urbana is a city with a spectrum of activities to indulge in and things to do, so make sure to do all of the above and make the most of your trip to the quaint city.
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