Downtown Champaign Historic Theater Tour

Join the Champaign County History Museum as we explore the stories and histories of the theaters and opera houses of downtown Champaign. Many establishments have brought shows, movies, and performances to our community however now, only a few remain. Many will know about Virginia Theater, the longest-operational theater in Champaign, but what about the Art, the Orpheum, the Rialto, or Walker Opera House? These are just some of the prominent theaters and opera houses that you'll have the opportunity to explore during this walking tour!

The tour travels around a mile and a half and takes approximately an hour and a half to conduct. We ask that guests park their vehicles in the police station parking lot to the North of the Champaign County History Museum as the lot is not metered on the weekends. We will meet at the CCHM to begin the tour. The tour will start at the designated start time so please plan to arrive at the museum at least ten minutes before the tour is set to begin.