We've lived here for just over a year, but my husband and I had never visited the KAM…read more We stopped by here on a Saturday afternoon. It was a nice, quiet visit. Museum was well staffed with security. Superbly clean. It took us a little over an hour to walk through the various rooms. Several of the rooms were empty, awaiting new exhibits. I'd probably come back again when the academic year is in full swing. My favorite part of this visit was the Blue and White Ceramics exhibit they have on display. There are many great pieces of art to see, though. Ellnora Krannert was extremely generous and numerous pieces in the museum are thanks to her. I wouldn't recommend this museum to children under 13-14, unless the kids/tweens/teens are really into art, art history, etc. I just think the little ones would be bored. You can visit KAM's online calendar to see if they ever offer children's programming. (Head to the Spurlock Museum if you're on campus with little ones instead.) Highly recommend KAM to anyone else. We're very fortunate to have an art museum of this caliber in our community. Summertime is the perfect opportunity to explore these locations on campus. Checkout my other Champaign-Urbana museum reviews, too!

Great museum on a terrific college campus. I know it doesn't get the attention the sports…read morefacilities do but it should. Check it out next time you are in C-U. It is a great way to recharge your batteries and let the power of art soothe your soul.

The Station Theatre is host to Urbana's own community theatre group, the Celebration Theatre…read moreCompany. I've seen one show there, "Ug", which is a tongue in cheek take on stage productions generally, a la Waiting for Guffman, but set in prehistoric times. An anachronistic blast. Based upon the great fun I had attending a Friday night show, I will be back for more. The theater itself next to the train tracks (duh), about 200 feet back from Broadway and across the street from the IGA/County Market liquor store, and you can park for free in that lot. Tickets are $15 each for Friday night shows, but less during the week. We got our ticket 30 minutes before curtain without a reservation. Do note, however, they only accept CASH or CHECK. They have free coffee and cookies (you can donate for this, also) in the lobby and a friendly staff. The players for the show we attended were really good, and had a lot of fun with the show. They were much better than your stereotypical community theater actors. The set design and costumes were excellent. This is a great date after an early dinner in DT Urbana and just a short walk from several good places to grab a quick, cheap bite. If the show is appropriate for kids, this would be a great place to expose them to theater, as the theater itself is tiny and you really feel like you are a part of the show.

This former railroad station building is now home to theater as performed by the Celebration…read moreTheatre Company. They do standard plays you'll certainly recognize, and others by local playwrights which are as good or better! Some very good acting here. It's a small place that welcomes local talent to audition.

Awesome museum with 9 permanent exhibits and a rotating special exhibit in the Campbell Gallery…read more Admission is free which is incredible given the quality of the museum. This museum is both larger and nicer than many museums that have paid admission around Illinois, and also feature some interactive components as well. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the Champaign area as a fun place to spend an afternoon learning. This is also a great spot to visit if you're looking for something to do while dining nearby, or to spend inside on a hot summer day.

My husband and I visited The William R. and Clarice V. Spurlock Museum while at the University of…read moreIllinois. There are six permanent galleries, each one features the history and art of a different continent. There is also a temporary exhibit space. When we were there the temporary exhibit was on the first Farm Aid, held at Memorial Stadium. The museum was very enjoyable. I loved how many different things I could see in a hour. The best partwas that admission free!

I have trained in classical ballet for 10 years at other studios. I took one class with Miss…read moreLuciana and was blown away. She picked up on things that many other instructors have missed in my technique and have helped me to avoid injury and continue dancing as I grow older. I had an overuse injury that caused me to leave dance and have been slowly returning because I love the art. Feedback that challenges me and keeps me a healthy dancer is exactly what I'm looking for and Miss Luciana delivers. Thankful for this studio!

My son found this fantastic place after taking disappointing ballet classes at several different…read morestudios in town, where directors were mercurial and fussy, and the training was really hit or miss. Luciana Rezendes, the teacher at the Urbana Fine Arts Center is not only the best teacher of dance he has had by far, but also has been the most human. And--a plus for me-- the most affordable by a long shot! Miss Luciana offers exceptional training at a level of instruction that you would only otherwise find in big cities, but is willing to work with all levels of dancers, including adult learners. The center is conveniently located across from Meijer's and next to a pizzeria and other restaurants so I can shop while my son is in class. The studio itself is spacious and airy. We are lucky to have Luciana Rezendes here in Champaign Urbana!

A must-see performing arts center if you're in the Chambana area or visiting the University of…read moreIllinois campus. Four theaters all under one roof. Resident and touring productions. Great ticket prices, especially those $10 student tickets. Free garage parking on nights and weekends.

Krannert is awesome!! Its affordable for students like me, and the Baroques, C-U symphony…read moreorchestras, and the Chicago Symphony orchestras are the ones I go to most. Foellinger Great Hall is amazing to sit in, and since I live like 2 blocks away, getting there is never a problem. Occasionally big names (Zakir Hussain, Lang Lang) come to perform, and the Ellnora guitar festival is pretty well known all around.

I got the opportunity to see Jeff Tweedy of Wilco last night at the Virginia theater and oh what a…read morenight.. We laughed, we cried, we sang along, I drank 6 dollar beers, I stood in line to go to the bathroom.. First off the theater is beautiful and older, It does have some nice updates and the smell of popcorn right when you walk in hit me pretty darn hard! I got my ticket on Stub Hub so the only staff members I experienced were the ushers and bartenders both who were fantastically kind. I love the Roger Ebert statue outside the theater a perfect intro to the theater and a perfect spot to take a thumbs up photo with everyone's favorite critic. I got 3rd row ticket for 15 buck on Stub Hub so my experience during the show was fantastic, but if you are hard of hearing I might actually sit up in the balcony cause it was pretty quiet where I was sitting. Seats were comfy and the sound was quiet but great! Bathroom situations in these old theaters is all the same, your going be waiting in line but once you get in, they are clean and nice! This was a fantastic experience.

It is very difficult for me not to give the Virginia Theatre 5-stars. The venue is one of the most…read morebeautiful theaters I have ever laid eyes on. This one of the few places I have not hit the unsubscribe button to. I want to know what is playing here. What they play at the theater is one of the reasons I am giving a 4 star rating. This is where I would love to watch all kind of classic movies or foreign films. That is just not what they play here. Maybe there is not an audience for those kinds of films. I remember checking their schedule once and it was all kids movies. I was fortunate enough to see Rushmore here. That was really amazing. Those are the kind of movies I would love to be watching here. Maybe some French New Wave or midnight movies. I know that Virginia Theatre's schedule is not dictated by my likes but I can always hope.

It is easy to get mesmerized by historic looking exterior and the renovated interior. I certainly…read morewas, I had to do a double take on whether or not this was still part of the Hilton family of hotels. The Hotel Royer has been a popular choice for myself as of late whenever I am in town as it is a very solid option in terms of locale, price point and amenities. Whenever I walk in, I immediately notice two things. First off, the decor really brings together the theme of the hotel. I felt as if I was being taken back a few centuries to some royal kingdom, with portraits of historical figures, and furniture that is modern to the touch yet antiquated to the eyes. I also notice the smell, it is clean smelling and inviting. It certainly beats the musty cigarette smell you get at some places. The rooms in general are pretty good. The beds are comfortable, the lighting is decent and the space is typically pretty clean. The bathrooms are okay in my opinion (I am quite particular about this aspect). Sometimes the showers take a while to heat up and the toilet paper is pretty low quality. I think the weakest part of the rooms are the fact that some rooms do not have a desk. I think this is a big miss, as someone who visits on business a lot, it makes doing work in my room impossible sometimes. Additionally, the WiFi is super inconsistent, I found my devices being disconnected at will! In terms of amenities, I think the Hotel Royer is much better than the average Hilton. While there isn't the complimentary breakfast, they have their own restaurant, a well equipped gym and a pool. They also have a bar and their own banquet hall, for big events. The hotel is well located, in a walkable area and not too far from campus. Overall, I am a bit weary to select this hotel on future trips where business is important. However, if I am looking for a relaxing and quality stay, then I know the Hotel Royer will have me covered!

The mattress:supportive The sheets: luxurious…read more The pillows: cloud like The towels: thick and thirsty The toiletries: plentiful and nicely scented The water pressure: excellent The decor: modern while preserving the original. The parking: free and easy as pie The neighborhood: walkable with many wonderful independently owned businesses I really like this hotel. I have stayed here several times. Like some of the other reviewers, I remember it as Jumer's Castle Lodge. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band stayed there in the 80s and I will never shut up about it. I think they have done a really good job with the remodel. Highly recommend.