Established in 1956, The Champaign County Historical Archives is a department of The Urbana Free Library that specializes in genealogy and local history. In 1987 it was designated the official repository for non-current Champaign County records. Although it focuses on Champaign County, the Archives holds extensive collections of works dealing with the rest of Illinois and most of the states east of the Mississippi. Whether you have Champaign County ancestors (or no connections to the county at all) or are interested in local history, there is a wealth of potentially useful materials available for your research.

www.urbanafreelibrary.org/archives/

Address: 210 West Green St., Urbana, IL 61801-5326

Contact: Phone: (217) 367-4025 Fax: (217) 531-7088 Email: archives (at) tufl .info

The mission of this outstanding museum is to discover, collect, preserve, exhibit, study, and interpret objects relating to the history of the County, and to provide educational programs about the County's heritage and the Museum's collections. Housed in the historic Cattle Bank, which dates from 1858. With assistance from the Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA) of Champaign County and the Illinois State Department of Conservation, the building was restored by the owners for use as retail and office space. It is now the Champaign County Historical Museum. This building is believed to be the oldest commercial building in Champaign and has over 10,000 artifacts associated with people, businesses and organizations important in Champaign County history and will have both permanent and rotating exhibits.

www.champaignmuseum.org

Address: 102 E. University Ave., Champaign, IL	Contact: (217) 356-1010 (217) 356-1478
Hours: Wed - Sat : 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sun : 1:00 - 4:30 pm	Admission: FREE

The first courthouse, a log cabin, was so crude it saw only two sessions of court in 1836 and 1837. It was replaced in 1840 with a brick and wood frame building that served for the next 9 years. It was in this building that Abraham Lincoln appeared as a lawyer while riding the circuit. The next courthouse, built in 1849, was a two-story building of brick and wood with a bell tower in the center of its roof.

Abraham Lincoln again served in this building and was in Urbana when he learned of the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, gave a speech in opposition to the spread of slavery in the territories, and learned of receiving votes at the Republican Convention in Boston. In 1901, a new courthouse, designed by noted architect Joseph Royer, was dedicated. Done in the Romanesque style with red sandstone and mottled brick exterior, this beautiful building features as architectural assets, a clock and a bell tower that rose some 135 feet and housed the Seth Thomas clock. The tower has been remodeled in order to restore it to its former splendor and an exciting new Lincoln the Lawyer exhibit has opened in the same wing, entitled Abraham Lincoln: A Large Presence in a Small Town.

This is a functioning courthouse, so please be advised that they have metal detectors and discourage both cellular phones and cameras.

www.co.champaign.il.us

Address: 101 E. Main St., Urbana, IL

Hours: Mon - Fri : 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Closed on holidays.

Krannert Art Museum offers residents of Central Illinois a rich and comprehensive collection of fine art spanning 6,000 years of world culture. The museum's collections of more than 8,000 works of art represent the cultures of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. In addition to its permanent collection, the Museum organizes outstanding temporary exhibitions throughout the year and offers a full schedule of docent-guided tours, lectures, performances, outreach programs, and activities for families. The Giertz Education Center at Krannert Art Museum serves educators with an extensive free-loan collection of art resources. The Museum's cafes open early morning through mid-afternoon and offers an assortment of coffees, pastries, and light meals. Krannert Art Museum is located on the University of Illinois campus, with metered parking during the week and free parking on weekends. Call for current program information and summer hours.

www.kam.uiuc.edu

Address: College of Fine and Applied Arts 500 E. Peabody Dr, Champaign, IL	Contact: (217) 333-1861
Hours: Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat : 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Thurs : 9:00 am - 9:00 pm. Every second Sunday : 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Museum closes at 5:00 pm while school is in session. Admission: FREE. Suggested Donation: $3.00