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Meadowbrook Park

Location: 2808 S Race St., Urbana, IL
Bronze Bus Route
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Click here to learn more about planning the next Meadowbrook Playground!

About the Park:

Acres: 130

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.  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.

This year we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Wandell Sculpture Garden! Click here to learn more.

Since 1977, the Urbana Park District, Champaign county Audubon Society and other volunteers have worked to recreate and restore the natural areas of Meadowbrook as outposts of the Illinois native landscape. 

Three miles of paved trails make this park ideal for walking, jogging, inline skating and cycling. See an aerial site map.

Take a virtual stroll among the unique art pieces at Urbana Park District Arts & Sculpture Tour.

Read about the Inventory and Analysis of Flora at Meadowbrook Park.

 

Amenities:

  • Community Gardens
  • Drinking Fountains
    – Open seasonally from mid-April through mid-October
  • Grills
  • Herb Garden
  • Natural Areas
  • Open Fields
  • Organic Gardens
  • Paved and Unpaved Paths
  • Pavilions
  • Prairie Overlook
  • Parking
    – Parking lot located off of Windsor Ave. next to the playground
    – Shared parking lot located off of Race St. near the organic garden plots
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
    – Restrooms and portable toilets open mid-April through mid-October
  • Sensory Garden
  • Wandell Sculpture Garden

Prairie Restoration

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.

PrairiePlay 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.

Click here to learn more about planning the next Meadowbrook Playground!

Gardens in Meadowbrook Park

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:

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.

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