Champaign, IL · College Football
Hotels You Can Walk To From Gies Memorial Stadium
Formerly known as Memorial Stadium.
Capacity: 60,670
I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center is about 12 minutes south; Homewood Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn on the Neil Street / First Street strip are about 14–15 minutes. Formerly known as Memorial Stadium.
Also listed in:College FootballBig Ten
Last updated: November 1, 2026
Hotels you can walk to
| Hotel | Walk time | Type | Nearest entrance | Route notes | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center | 12 min | Walkable | Gate 8 (east side, First Street) | 1900 S First St, Champaign, IL 61820. North on First Street on the sidewalk, then across to the east concourse. One crossing at St. Mary's Road, staffed on game day. | Walking directions |
| Homewood Suites by Hilton Champaign-Urbana | 14 min | Walkable | South / Neil St | 1417 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820. Follow the Neil Street / First Street strip toward the south stadium approach. | Walking directions |
| Hilton Garden Inn Champaign | 14 min | Walkable | South / Neil St | 1501 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820. Follow the Neil Street / First Street strip toward the south stadium approach. | Walking directions |
| Holiday Inn Champaign | 15 min | Walkable | South approach | 101 Trade Centre Dr, Champaign, IL 61820. Head toward First Street and the south stadium approach. | Walking directions |
- WalkableGate 8 (east side, First Street)
1900 S First St, Champaign, IL 61820. North on First Street on the sidewalk, then across to the east concourse. One crossing at St. Mary's Road, staffed on game day.
Walking directions - Homewood Suites by Hilton Champaign-Urbana14 minWalkableSouth / Neil St
1417 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820. Follow the Neil Street / First Street strip toward the south stadium approach.
Walking directions - Hilton Garden Inn Champaign14 minWalkableSouth / Neil St
1501 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820. Follow the Neil Street / First Street strip toward the south stadium approach.
Walking directions - Holiday Inn Champaign15 minWalkableSouth approach
101 Trade Centre Dr, Champaign, IL 61820. Head toward First Street and the south stadium approach.
Walking directions
Walk times are estimates based on an average adult walking pace from the listed entrance. Actual times vary with your gate, game day crowd flow, and street closures. Google Maps may choose a different gate or omit private indoor connections; follow the listed route notes and venue access rules for onsite hotels.
Campustown hotels on Green Street are a 25 to 30 minute walk north of the stadium, outside the 18-minute college limit.
Walking from your hotel to the gates
First Street and the south lots
Gies Memorial Stadium sits at the south edge of the Illinois campus, with the State Farm Center and the tailgate lots between it and Campustown. The First Street sidewalk is the only continuously paved approach from the east.
Note: Grange Grove, the tailgate lawn on the stadium's west side, opens four hours before kickoff and sits directly on the walking route from campus.
Frequently asked questions
Are there walkable hotels near Gies Memorial Stadium?
Yes. I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center is about 12 minutes away. Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn are about 14 minutes, and Holiday Inn Champaign is about 15 minutes.
Our walkable-only rule
Every hotel on this page has a continuous pedestrian route from a Gies Memorial Stadium entrance: sidewalk, plaza or covered walkway, with no freeway crossing and no shuttle. Anything beyond roughly a 18-minute walk, or separated by a highway, river or rail corridor with no crossing, is excluded — however close it looks on a map.