2808 S Race St., Urbana, IL
Bronze Bus Route

Meadowbrook Park & Wandell Sculpture Garden

Meadowbrook Park

Twenty-eight acres of Meadowbrook Park was first acquired in 1967 and was formerly the McCullough Farm. The rest was acquired when plans for a park/school complex fell through and grant funds initially intended for purchase of Champaign County fairgrounds were redirected towards the Meadowbrook project.

Prairie Restoration efforts at Meadowbrook began in 1977 with additional acreage added in 1984 to bring the total acreage up to 16 acres. With ongoing assistance from Champaign County Audubon Society much more was planted in 1990, ‘91, ‘93, ‘96, and ‘97 bringing the total acreage up towards 67 acres including the Spomer Prairie and Wandell Sculpture Garden planting. In 2006, an additional 13 acres of prairie and several trees and shrubs were installed in the Walker Grove savanna planting to the south. A grand view of the prairie restoration is provided at the Freyfogle Overlook. This accessible feature includes seating areas and interpretive signage from highest location in the park.

Current park features include a farmstead, 80 acres of recreated tallgrass prairie, McCullough and Douglas creek corridors, paved and unpaved walking trails, the Timpone Ornamental Tree Grove, organic garden plots, a sensory garden, an herb garden, the Freyfogle Overlook, the district's largest play structure PrairiePlay and the Wandell Sculpture Garden.

There is a parking lot located off of Windsor Ave. next to the playground as well as a shared parking lot located off of Race St. near the organic garden plots.

Playground

At 13,000 sq ft, PrairiePlay is the Urbana Park District’s largest playground. The design and funding for the project were heavily driven by community support. Numerous concrete pavers with messages and handprints surround the playground in honor of the many donors and volunteers who helped build the structure in 1995.

Planning the New Playground

Trails

Meadowbrook Park features 3 miles of 10’ wide multi-use paved paths. A large loop around the entire park and a smaller loop around the Wandell Sculpture Garden provide for those with different schedules or ambitions. For a more off the beaten path experience, an additional 2 miles of unpaved paths wander through the park’s prairie and stream corridors. Visitors on bikes, inline skates, and boards are asked to refrain from excessive speeds and respect others while making use of the trails.

Gardens

Meadowbrook is home to many examples of garden styles that work in east central Illinois as well as examples of habitats that are being restored to reflect the areas natural history. The list of gardens in the park includes:

Herb Garden
Hickman Wildflower Walk
Organic Community Gardens
Sensory Garden
Spomer Prairie
Timpone Family Tree Grove
Walker Grove Savanna
Wandell Sculpture Garden
Windmill Garden

Aerial Site Map Inventory & Analysis of Flora Planting History Native Plants Guide

Wandell Sculpture Garden

The Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park was dedicated in June 1999. The garden was named in honor of Celia and Willet Wandell, who owned a local plant nursery and established a trust to give trees to neighboring communities. Celia and Willet’s family saw the Urbana Park District’s plans for a sculpture garden in Urbana as a way to both honor their parents and support art in a natural setting.

A number of the garden’s sculptures are owned by the Urbana Park District as part of the permanent collection. Most of the exhibits are on a two-year loan from the artist and are available for purchase. Please direct inquiries to Kelsey Beccue, Development Manager, Urbana Park District.

Wandell Sculpture Garden Virtual Tour