Spurlock Museum

600 S. Gregory St., U

2.5 Stars

-Otto Stupartz

The central mission of the Spurlock Museum is to feature the material culture from various regions throughout the world. There is a world map in the main hall showing the diverse regions the Spurlock’s exhibits hail from. The museum showcases the cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas, including everything from weaponry to clothing. It also features a theater that hosts performances of drama and music, the likes of which are not normally seen in the Midwest. For example, last fall feaured The National Puppet Theater of Japan. The only down side to the muesum is that it is rather small. This limits the amount of space that can be given to each culture, with some cultures only having 10 objects. Though the museum features exhibits fom many places around the world, they are small enough so that you only get a taste of each culture, leaving you hungry for more.

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Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum

1011 Pacesetter Dr., Rantoul

4 Stars

-Keri Carpenter

Remember when you used to make paper airplanes and throw them across the room in class? I know that was just last week for some of us, but regardless of when your paper-throwing days were, they’re officially over now. Take advantage of the fact that the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum is less than 20 miles away in Rantoul and actually get on a plane that was used in World War II. Make sure you have some time when you visit because this huge museum has numerous intriguing rooms and detailed explanations for every artifact. This isn’t your typical dinosaur/see the Titanic/history-of-American Colonialism museum.

I highly recommend visiting the “99th Pursuit Squadron” Exhibit, the “Aircraft and Missle Collection” and the “Korea: The Forgotten War” exhibits. The “99th Pursuit Squadron” is an exhibit about the first African American training squadrons, which came about during World War II. They were a strong factor in the forming of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. “Korea: The Forgotten War” is also an enlightening exhibit, going into depth about the Korean war, the men and women who were a part of it, and the aircraft that was used in it. Another added bonus at this museum is the tour guides. Knowledgable and friendly? Now that’s unusual.

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Krannert Art Museum

500 E. Peabody Dr., C

4 Stars

-Robin Clement

Krannert Art Museum is close to being the largest art museum in Illinois, second only to the Art Institute of Chicago. With 9,000 pieces, Krannert is home to famous artwork from diverse eras, ranging from a Grecian wine pitcher from antiquity to an Andy Warhol silkscreen print of Marilyn Monroe from the ’60s. The museum goes beyond the call of duty by offering tours, workshops, parties and ever-changing exhibits. Krannert takes pride in educating the community about art. Teachers can request that pieces of art be resurrected from storage to show in class. One can even take a peek into a curator’s mind by learning the analysis process through real examples on the museum’s Web site. After visual stimulation, Espresso Royale resides within to quench the pallet. With over 132,000 visitors annually, Krannert makes for an entertaining getaway from life’s normality.

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Orpheum Children’s Science Museum

346 N. Neil St., C

2.5 Stars

-Morgan Martin

Science takes center stage at the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum in downtown Champaign. Located in The Orpheum Theatre building, which was built in 1914 and is one of the area’s historic landmarks, this museum offers children the opportunity to learn science in a hands-on and fun environment. From an interactive tugboat to “Corny” the snake — one of the animals in the “Critters Corner” — the Orpheum gives children the chance to play and learn at the same time. A very family friendly environment, this museum is suitable for children of all ages. Although some of the current exhibits seem slightly outdated, the future has much to hold. Coming in March, they are bringing the medieval world of castles, knights, and simple machines back in their newest exhibit, “The Simple Machines Castle” — this exhibit will also give children the opportunity to explore and build their own simple machines.

Considering it is under construction I give this museum a 2.5 with the hopes that the new exhibits and updates will make it even better.