Location: Champaign
Top Things to do in Champaign
The 5 Best Things to do Good for Couples in Champaign, Illinois (IL)
Champaign (English: /ˌʃæmˈpeɪn/) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The city is 135 miles (217 km) south of Chicago, 124 miles (200 km) west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 mi (286 km) northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The United States Census Bureau estimates the city was home to 84,513 people as of July 1, 2014. Champaign is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the state's fourth-most populous city outside the Chicago metropolitan area. It is included in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area.
Restaurants in Champaign
1. The Art Theater
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 36 reviews
2. The Virginia Theatre
3. State Farm Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
I remember when the then Assembly Hall was merely a big hole in the ground. That was in 1962 and I was a senior at the University of Illinois. As sports editor of The Daily Illini, the student newspaper, and a sportswriter for the Champaign-Urbana Courier in 1963, I covered the last basketball game played at Huff Gym and the first basketball game played at what is now State Farm Center. If you have visited other basketball arenas across the country, you are aware that the State Farm Center is unlike any other. Even after 56 years, it is an architectural masterpiece, a large dome-shaped indoor arena, the home for Illinois' men's and women's basketball teams and a performance and event center that has hosted Broadway plays and graduations. On this occasion, my wife and I walked inside with a few curiosity seekers eager to view the interior of this grand structure in the wake of its $169.5 million renovation. The 16,128-seat arena was designed by architect Max Abramovitz, an Illinois alum. Often referred to a a "flying saucer," the dome is supported by 614 miles of one-quarter inch steel wire wrapped at the base under intense pressure. From 1963 to 1965, it was the largest domed structure in North America until the opening of the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Today, the Astrodome is gone. But the State Farm Center remains. The renovation improved sight lines, added more concession stands and restrooms and upgraded seating. From a retired sportswriter's viewpoint, however, there is only one drawback. In the old days, the Assembly Hall's press box surpassed any other arena. Located above the seats reserved for season ticket holders, it was spacious with two levels stretching from one end of the playing floor to the other. Today, the print media is squeezed behind the players' benches and the scorer's table with barely enough room to scribble play-by-play notes. But more room has been given to the students, the famed Orange Krush cheering section, and the pep band.
4. Hessel Park
5. Kaufman Lake
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By kirkl370 - Champaign-Urbana, United States
Good for fishing and a picnic lunch. The wheel chair accessable fishing deck is a nice touch. Also features a nice paved path/track that loops around the lake. There's even a grill where you can cook your fresh catch, and a small boathouse that can be rented for group meetings or events. Its a good park for sure, though the fish themselves can be hard to come by.
