Champaign Travel Guide

Champaign is a mid sized city in Champaign County, Illinois. It also is conveniently located in proximity to bigger cities like Chicago, Indianapolis, and St Louis. Champaign has a couple of higher educational institutes, and it shares university grounds with its sister city, Urbana. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is home to almost 60.000 students each year. Champaign has a long history as a railroad city. It was founded in 1855 and started to bloom as soon as the railroad got close to the city limits. Now the city is an exciting college town with a beautiful and historic downtown area. There are a lot of things to do at Champaign and anyone can find something great to do here. Explore the beautiful buildings, tour the university grounds, and visit the museums to learn more about not only Champaign but the history of the state as well.

Things to Do in Champaign

Champaign is full of surprises! The city offers a large variety of things to do and sights to see. There are a number of local-led guided tours; attending one is like an interactive history lesson. There are also some exquisite museums in Champaign, so art lovers should rejoice. Visit Krannert Art Museum, located on the University of Illinois campus. The museum has a great collection of artwork from numerous eras done though various mediums, there is also usually some inspiring student work on display. Be the first to discover a young talent! Also on campus is a great sculpture museum, called Spurlock Museum. Students often work here and some give free-guided tours. For a local history museum, visit the Champaign County History Museum where their beautiful exhibits reflect on the history of the area.

Visitors can also spend some time outdoors at one of Champaign’s many parks. West Side Park is beloved by locals. Statues, playgrounds, fountains, picnic areas, and nice walking make it a great park.

Best Places to Stay in Champaign

The best areas to stay in Champaign are Midtown and Campustown. Campustown is obviously close to the University of Illinois so there is the risk of hearing a house party on the weekend but other than that it is a nice area. These areas have the best restaurants, cafes, parks, and other amenities close to them.

Best Time to Visit Champaign

Visit Champaign in May for the best weather and the nicest season. Also the fall is football season. The University of Illinois Fighting Illini do not have the most successful program but it is still fun to catch a game.