Local Guide
Local food, activity, and transportation information.
Map of the important locations on and near campus. Almost all conference activities will take place in Gregory Hall. There are many restaurants and coffee shops in both areas labeled "Food and Coffee".
Parking
Parking is limited on campus (unless you are staying at the Illini Union Hotel), so we recommend that people walk or take a bus. For more information on parking, see here.
Buses
Champaign-Urbana has a fairly extensive bus system, MTD. The buses costs $1 to ride one-way, but if you board the bus at a stop on or near campus, the bus is free! (These are called “i-stops” and the signs at the stops are orange instead of the regular blue signs.) Fares can be paid with cash or with the Token Transit app. The bus schedule can be found on MTD's website and is also integrated fairly well with google maps.
Buses between campus and downtown Champaign: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Brown, Teal
Buses between campus and downtown Urbana: Green, Silver, Gold
Restaurants
There are many restaurants around town, so here is a list of places recommended by UIUC grad students. Note that some places will have restricted summer hours, especially closer to campus. Keep in mind that most places cannot accommodate very large groups of people, so please split into small groups for meals!
Near Campus
Bangkok Thai - Thai
Bread Company - Sandwiches and salads
EVO - Chinese, $7.99 lunch special weekdays
Fernando’s - Mexican food truck, usually parked near the corner of Wright St and Green St during lunch hours
Jerusalem - Middle eastern
Jip Bap - Korean
Mandarin Wok - Chinese, has some tables for large groups
Manolo’s - Pizza and empanadas
Pokelab - Poke bowls
Shawarma Joint - shawarma bowls/wraps/pitas, has a lunch special
Watson’s Truck - Fried chicken food truck, sometimes parked near the corner of Wright St and Green St during lunch hours
Yogi - Korean
Further From Campus
Black Dog - Barbeque
Courier Cafe - Diner
Fernando’s - Mexican food truck, usually parked near the corner of Main St and Walnut in Downtown Champaign around dinner time
Golden Harbor - Chinese, has some space for large groups
Kohinoor - Indian
Mary Ann’s - Diner
Nando Milano - Italian
Papa Del’s - Pizza
Seven Saints - Sliders, sandwiches, and salads
Siam Terrace - Thai
SushiMan - All-you-can-eat sushi
Tres Nopales - Mexican
Watson’s - Fried chicken
Windy City Express - Local fast food joint
Note for large groups: If you want to go to dinner with a large group, there are some bigger chain restaurants in town that might be more easily able to accommodate you, especially if you call ahead (Outback, Longhorn, Hibachi, Chili’s, Red Robin, Olive Garden, etc.)
Coffee
There are a lot of coffee places in town, but here are a few that are closest to Gregory Hall and the Illini Union Hotel.
Espresso Royale
Brewlab
Dunkin
Starbucks
Caffe Bene
Ice Cream
Jarlings - Frozen custard
Oberweis - Ice cream
Activities
Parks/Nature
The Arboretum / Idea Garden / Japan House Gardens
Breweries
The Blind Pig - there are two locations in downtown Champaign; the one on Neil St has outdoor seating and trivia at 7pm on Sundays
Riggs - not very accessible by bus, so find a designated driver with a car!
Triptych - near the Yellow bus line
25 O'Clock - near downtown Urbana, has trivia at 6pm on Sundays
Miscellaneous
Illini Union Rec Room - bowling and pool tables, open 12-9 Mon-Fri and 2-9 Sat-Sun
Campus recreation facilities - free for those staying at Illini Union Hotel, request a pass at the front desk
Skateland - roller skating and laser tag
Old Orchard Lanes - bowling alley
Urbana Farmers Market - Saturday mornings, get food, coffee, art, and artisan goods
American Football House - Midwest emo landmark
Just in Case
Closest Pharmacy: Walgreen's, 407 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61820
Closest Urgent Care: CampusTown Urgent Care, 631 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61820
Hospitals: Carle Foundation Hospital, 611 W Park St, Urbana, IL 61801; OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center, 1400 W Park St, Urbana, IL 61801
COVID Testing: There is a SHIELD Illinois testing center on campus for PCR tests. UIUC students, faculty, and staff can also pick up rapid tests at various locations around campus. If you want a rapid test, ask a local participant or email Grace at mccourt4@illinois.edu.