Plan a Visit
Prospective Student Visits
Prospective students interested in pursuing an engineering degree can choose a comprehensive overview of our college or dive deeper into any of our departments. If you'd like to learn about the student experience from current students, register for one of our student organization-led events!
Visitor Guide
Make the most of your on-campus visit at Illinois with Grainger Engineering. If you've found this page pre-arrival, we recommend visiting the campus "preparing to visit" page as well.
Places to eat
Here are our recommendations for restaurants and food truck options near the Engineering Quads and Alice Campbell Alumni Center.
Food Trucks
- Burrito King: 1301 W. Springfield, next to Grainger Library and CIF
Call ahead to place your order: (217) 600 - 0370 - Jurassic Grill: North Mathews Ave. & West Springfield
Map - La Paloma: outside Loomis Lab, Mon. - Fri. 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Call ahead to place your order: (217) 621 - 7284 - Pandamonium Doughnuts: Goodwin & Oregon, front of Krannert Center, Wed. - Fri. 8 a.m. until sold out
Restaurants
Pre-orders available at all locations.
Locations closest to Engineering Hall and Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
- Illini Union Starbucks (Café): 1401 W. Green St. - Illini Union
- Just BEE Açaí UIUC (Açaí): 1401 W. Green St. - Illini Union
- Mia Za's (Italian): 629 E. Green St., #5701
- Cracked (American Breakfast): 619 E Green St.
- Sushi Ichiban (Japanese): 619 E Wright St.
- Spoon House (Korean): 616 E Green St.
- Shawarma Joint (Middle Eastern): 627 E Green St.
- Y-Thai (Thai): 1001 S Wright St.
- Cravings (Chinese, Thai & Indian): 603 S Wright St.
- Panda Express (American-Chinese): 627 S Wright St.
- Cocomero (Frozen Yogurt & Café): 709 S Wright St.
- Espresso Royale at CIF (Coffee & Café): Inside CIF, 1401 W Springfield
Locations closest to Alice Campbell Alumni Center
- Manolo's Pizza & Emapanadas (Pizza): 1115 W Oregon St.
- The Bread Company (American): 706 S Goodwin Ave.
- Dubai Grill (Middle Eastern): 701 S Gregory St.
- Basil Thai at Urbana (Thai): 701 S Gregory St., #B
- Subway (American): 701 S Gregory St., #A
- Rosati's Pizza (Pizza): 701 S Gregory St.
- BBQ Chicken (Korean Chicken): 700 S Gregory St.
- KoFusion Urbana (Sushi): 701 S Gregory St.
- Caffe Bene (Café): 700 S Gregory St.
- Bab Plus (Korean): 700 S Gregory St.
- Timpone's (Italian): 710 S Goodwin Ave.
Other nearby restaurants
- Noodles and Company (International & American): 528 E Green St.
- Kung Fu Tea (Traditional Asian): 707 S 6th St.
- Chipotle (Mexican): 528 E Green St.
- Poke Lab (Hawaiian): 604 S 6th St.
- Jip Bap (Korean): 601 S 6th St.
- Oozu Ramen (Japanese): 601 S 6th St.
- Potbelly (American): 501 E Green St.
- Sushi Man (Japanese): 308 E Green St.
- Brew Lab (Café): 630 S 5th St.
Places to stay
Need somewhere to stay for a multi-day visit with us or the night before? Here are our recommendations for hotels near the University of Illinois.
- Illini Union Hotel (4 star): 1401 W Green St., Urbana
(217) 333 - 1241
1 min drive to Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $100 - 130 - TownePlace Suites by Mariott (3 star): 603 S 6th St., Champaign
(217) 344 - 1600
5 min drive to Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $140 - 170 - Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana (3 star): 217 N Neil St., Champaign
(217) 531 - 2800
7 min drive from Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $200 - 280 - iHotel (4 star): 1900 S 1st St., Champaign
(217) 819 - 5000
8 min drive from Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $100 - 140 - Hilton Garden Inn Champaign/Urbana (3 star): 1501 S Neil St., Champaign
(217) 352 - 9970
9 min drive from Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $110 - 130 - Home2 Suites by Hilton Champaign/Urbana (3 star): 2013 S Neil St., Champaign
(217) 355 - 6468
10 min drive from Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $110 - 140 - Eastland Suites Hotel & Conference Center (2 star): 1907 N Cunningham Ave., Urbana
(217) 367 - 8331
10 min drive from Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $70 - 100 - Radisson Hotel & Conference Center (3 star): 1001 W Killarney St., Urbana
(217) 751 - 0229
11 min drive from Engineering Quad
Average price per night: $110 - 170 - Hampton Inn Champaign (3 star): 1200 W University Ave., Urbana
(217) 337 - 1100
18 min drive
Average price per night: $120 - 150
Parking
The primary way to park on campus is by paid meter parking. Our campus uses mobilemeter, PayByPhone, and ParkMobile apps. You can also pay with coins (quarters, dimes & nickles).
Metered parking on the street closest to the Campus Instruction Facility is located on Springfield Ave., Wright St., and Mathews Ave., all north of Green St.
A permit is required to park in University Parking Lots and Garages from 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays or 7 days a week. You must read the blue lot sign for details. Parking is free outside of days and hours denoted.
For information on parking for campus visitors or to purchase a temporary permit, visit our University Parking Department.
- Visitor Parking Info
- Campus Parking Map: all parking lots with areas highlighted in yellow have metered parking, first-come first-serve.
- Purchase Temporary Permit
- Purchase Day Permit
Things to do
Maybe you only signed up for a campus program, or maybe you only opted for an academic meeting. If this is the case, see what else is available the day you’ll be on campus. Attending multiple programs can be a good way to get in-depth info about all facets of our university, or to explore multiple options if you’re torn over what it is you want to study.
Didn’t get a tour of the other parts of UIUC campus? Take a self-guided tour or a driving tour for a fuller picture of campus, or scope out the buildings related to your intended major. View the campus map.
Take a housing tour. If you’re taking a campus tour, it includes a housing tour of our Illinois Street Residence (ISR) Halls. Additional walk-in University Housing tours are offered from 1 to 4 p.m. every weekday, excluding holidays and university breaks. You can also pre-arrange a Private Certified Housing tour directly with the facility of your choice.
Talk to a student or advisor
The best way to get to know what the community feels like at Illinois as an engineering majors is by talking to our students and academic advisors.
- Visit an Engineering Student Group office weekdays between 2 – 5 PM.
- Engineering Hall 1st floor – 1308 W. Green Street Urbana
- Siebel Center for Computer Science 1st floor - 201 N. Goodwin Ave. Urbana
- Meet with a Grainger Engineering Department. Schedule an appointment with any of our academic units that are not offering programming on your visit day.
- Consider filling out our College Visit Guide for UIUC and other schools you visit to easily compare them later on.
Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Summer Programs
During the summer, WYSE offers multiple Engineering Summer Camps and STEM research experiences for middle school and high school students.
Take a Photo Tour of Grainger Engineering
Check out our snapshot slideshow to get a peek inside a few landmark locations, classrooms, labs, and hangout spots on the Grainger Engineering campus.
Take a Photo Tour of Grainger Engineering
Freshman Launch groups Saturday, August 24, 2019. Students test their VR skills in CS 498: Virtual Reality at the VR Lab at Siebel Center for Computer Science in Urbana on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. Ganpath Karl, an Electrical Engineering major, works on soldering in the Advanced Power Applications Lab at ECE on Monday, March 4, 2019. Karl is involved with a sustainability project and has been active with Innovation, Leadership & Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE) and iVenture Accelerator. Students gather to study and work in the Grainger Library overlooking the Bardeen quad on November 29, 2017. The sun's rays stream through the large windows of Geoffrey Yeh Student Center at Newmark Hall as students review classroom work in bright surroundings in Urbana on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. The Civil Engineering student seen here is working on his master's degree, which he will receive in the summer of 2020. Students in ME 370 test their robots one last time, challenging them with rough terrain, during their finals at the Materials Science and Engineering Building in Urbana on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. Members of the Concrete Canoe team row against strong winds as they use wooden boats for practice during their Paddling Team Meeting at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Project manager, Darren Liu, a senior in CEE, is determined to help his team reach nationals in spring 2019 with this year's design. Last year they took fourth place in regionals. The top two teams in regionals go on to compete in nationals. Last year's concrete canoe, featuring a pirate theme, is pictured docked at Crystal Lake during a paddling team meeting. Illinois students, faculty, staff, and the Marching Illini celebrate The Grainger Foundation's generous gift at Electrical and Computer Engineering Building in Urbana on Thursday, May 2, 2019. Students walk through the Siebel Center for Computer Science on November 1, 2017. Three students sit and work at Loomis Laboratory on November 2, 2017. Students observe a lecture taught by Professor Tim Stelzer at Loomis Laboratory on November 2, 2017. The exterior of the newly renovated Everitt Lab is seen here in Urbana on July 27, 2018. Students walk along the sidewalks of Bardeen Quad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on November 31, 2017. Grainger Engineering students, and students across the Midwest, don glow-in-the-dark jewelry as they solve web design puzzles under black lights at Caterpillar's Code in the Dark. The event was part of the 36-hour HackIllinois at ECEB in Urbana on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The Association for Computer Machinery at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign oversees HackIllinois each year. The Off-Road Illini SAE Baja team spend part of their Saturday building vehicles for competition while at Engineering Student Projects Lab in Urbana on Oct. 6, 2018. Computer Science Engineering students proudly wear their tee-shirts. Incoming freshmen and transfer students enjoy food, games, and mingling with Engineering professors and other students at Bardeen Quad during Launch! in Urbana on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Undergraduate students with Women in Engineering work together at the Mechanical Engineering Lab's Innovation Studio in Urbana on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. Picture from left are: Ashley Mitchell, Delanie Steinweg, Michelle McCord, and Jamie Milota. Craig Zilles, associate professor of Computer Science, teaches CS 225 Data Structures at Grainger Auditorium at ECEB in Urbana on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019.Grainger Engineering Visit Presentations
You're welcome to review the college's prospective or admitted student presentation slides at any time.
Find or revisit the campus admissions presentations here.