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Urbana is a city of about 38,000 people in east-central Illinois and the county seat of Champaign County. It forms a twin city with neighboring Champaign, and together they are home to the flagship campus of the University of Illinois, founded in 1867, much of which lies on the Urbana side.
Abraham Lincoln knew Urbana well: as a lawyer riding the Eighth Judicial Circuit in the 1840s and 1850s, he argued cases at the county courthouse, and a Lorado Taft statue of the young lawyer stands in Carle Park. Shaded streets of Victorian homes, the brick courthouse and a small downtown give the city an older, quieter feel than its busy twin.
Visitors come for university attractions on the Urbana side, including the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Spurlock Museum, Japan House and the historic Morrow Plots. Meadowbrook Park, Busey Woods and the Saturday Market at the Square round out a visit, and Kickapoo State Park is about 40 minutes east.
The University of Illinois' performing arts center, opened in 1969, with several theaters including the acclaimed Foellinger Great Hall. It hosts orchestras, opera, dance, theater and student shows through the school year. Check the calendar, and visit the lobby cafe and bar before a performance.
A University of Illinois center for Japanese arts, with a traditional tea room, a Japanese garden and a cherry tree allee that blooms in spring. It offers public tea ceremonies and classes on some days. Book tea ceremonies ahead, and walk the gardens and nearby arboretum for free.
A university museum of world history and cultures with galleries on ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, including cuneiform tablets and Native American objects. Admission is free. It is closed some days of the week, so check hours, and allow about an hour.
Open gardens and plant collections on the south side of campus, with ornamental beds, a hosta garden, prairie plantings and lawns next to Japan House. Paths are flat and good for a stroll or picnic. It is free and especially pretty in late spring and early autumn.
A shady neighborhood park among historic homes, best known for Lorado Taft's 1927 statue Lincoln the Lawyer, showing a young Lincoln in his circuit-riding days. It has lawns, tall trees and a small playground. Combine it with a walk past the old houses on nearby Main and Elm streets.
Urbana's largest park, with restored tallgrass prairie, a paved loop path, outdoor sculptures, a children's playground and organic garden plots. Wildflowers peak in summer and grasses turn gold in autumn. It is great for an easy walk or bike ride; parking is on Windsor and Race.
A city park on the north side of Urbana with a small lake, fishing, walking paths, picnic shelters and an outdoor family aquatic center in summer. Paddle boats are sometimes available in season. It is a pleasant spot for families; Busey Woods and its nature center are right next door.
The oldest continuously studied experimental crop fields in the United States, started in 1876 and now a National Historic Landmark in the middle of campus. The university library was built underground nearby to avoid shading the corn. Read the signs and view the plots from the edge.
A Romanesque Revival courthouse built in 1901 with a tall clock tower, standing on the site where Abraham Lincoln argued cases in an earlier courthouse. It is still a working courthouse. Look for the Lincoln plaques outside, then walk the nearby blocks of downtown Urbana.
A remnant of old-growth woodland with a boardwalk trail through oak and hickory forest and a wetland, managed by the Urbana Park District. The Anita Purves Nature Center at the entrance offers exhibits and programs. Come in April and May for spring wildflowers and migrating birds.
Urbana's Saturday morning farmers market in downtown Urbana near Lincoln Square, running roughly May through November. It features local produce, baked goods, flowers, crafts and food stands with live music. Come early for the best selection and bring cash, though many vendors take cards.
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