Activities and Recreation Center (UIUC) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Activities and Recreation Center

Location	201 East Peabody Champaign, Illinois 61820  United States
Coordinates	40°06′05″N 88°14′10″W / 40.101313°N 88.236018°W / 40.101313; -88.236018
Public transit	MTD
Owner	University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Operator	University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Construction
Opened	1971
Renovated	2008
Tenants
Illinois Fighting Illini women's swimming and diving (NCAA)

The Activities and Recreation Center, or ARC for short, is a huge sports and fun place at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. It's open to university students, members, and visitors. The university says the ARC is "one of the country's largest on-campus recreation centers." It's also where the Illinois Fighting Illini women's swimming and diving team practices and competes.

Where is the ARC Located?

The ARC is at 201 East Peabody. It's about 100 meters from Snyder Hall and Scott Hall. It's also 500 meters from the Ikenberry Common and just north of Memorial Stadium (Champaign).

The History of the ARC

The first sports center on campus was called IMPE (Intramural Physical Education building). It opened in 1971. In 2008, the IMPE building got a big makeover and was renamed the ARC.

How the ARC Was Rebuilt

A group of students at the University of Illinois wanted a bigger and better sports center. They started a campaign called Bigger, Better, Campus Rec Renovation. Students voted on a plan to add $77 to their fees over two years. This money would help create more sports options, reduce crowded areas, and meet student needs. A large number of students, 4,020 out of 5,459 (74%), voted yes!

The rebuilding project started on March 17, 2006. The new and improved building opened in August 2008. The whole project cost $221 million.

What's Inside the ARC?

The ARC is a massive building, covering about 340,000 square feet (31,587 square meters). About 276,000 square feet (25,641 square meters) are for dry activities like gyms. The other 64,000 square feet (5,946 square meters) are for water activities like pools.

Indoor Pool Fun

The ARC has a large indoor pool on the first floor. It's 50 meters long and 25 yards wide, with eight lanes for swimming races. This is the main practice spot for the Illinois Fighting Illini women's swimming and diving team. The indoor pool area is about 22,907 square feet (2,128 square meters).

The indoor pool area also has a locker room, a sauna, and meeting rooms. There's even a scoreboard and a video screen. You can also find a Hall of Fame area here.

Diving Deep

Right next to the indoor pool is a special diving area. This is where the Illinois Fighting Illini women's swimming and diving team practices their dives. It has two one-meter springboards over 13.5 feet of water. There are also two three-meter springboards over 14 feet of water.

Outdoor Pool in the Sun

On the west side of the ARC, there's an outdoor pool. It's a 50-meter pool with four lanes. It also has its own diving area. The outdoor pool is usually open during summer and fall. It closes during winter and spring. This outdoor pool area is about 36,085 square feet (3,352 square meters).

Gymnasium 1: Sports Central

Gymnasium 1 is on the first floor, at the east end of the building. It has five basketball courts. Or, it can be set up for seven volleyball courts. One basketball court is often used for futsal (indoor soccer) with goals and dividers. This gym is popular for intramural sports and other competitions. There are also lockers and a locker room nearby. Gymnasium 1 is about 35,780 square feet (3,324 square meters).

Gymnasium 2: More Courts

Gymnasium 2 is in the middle of the building on the first floor, near the entrance. It has two basketball courts, which can also be used as three volleyball courts. You can find day lockers inside this gym. Gymnasium 2 is about 14,859 square feet (1,380 square meters).

Gymnasium 3: Even More Courts

Gymnasium 3 is also in the middle of the building on the first floor, next to the entrance. It has two basketball courts, or three volleyball courts. Often, half of this gym is set up for four badminton courts. The other half is used for basketball or other activities. Day lockers are available here too. Gymnasium 3 is about 15,012 square feet (1,394 square meters).

Gymnasium 4: Lower Level Sports

Gymnasium 4 is on the lower level, on the east side of the building. It has three basketball courts, which can also be used for volleyball. Day lockers are available inside. Gymnasium 4 is about 19,219 square feet (1,785 square meters).

Multipurpose Rooms for Activities

The ARC has seven multipurpose rooms and one combat room. These rooms are on the first floor and concourse level. They can be used for many different things. For example, students might take dance classes or student clubs might use them for meetings. The rooms vary in size, from 696 square feet (64 square meters) to 6,180 square feet (574 square meters). All multipurpose rooms have cubbies for storage.

Lower Level: Weights and Racquet Sports

The lower level of the ARC is mainly for weightlifting, racquetball, and squash. The weight area has many free weights and machines. There are tons of weight plates, selectorized weights, and dumbbells/barbells for everyone to use.

Special Areas for Fun and Fitness

Besides the main activity areas, the ARC has several special spots. These include the "Clement Auditorium," a room for student groups, a Group Cycling Room, and an Instructional Kitchen. There's also a Personal Training Room, a Climbing Wall, and three meeting rooms. These special areas add up to about 11,186 square feet (1,039 square meters). The ARC also offers professional massages for an extra cost. They also provide athletic training and therapy for free, which are given by outside groups.

Group Fitness Classes

Campus Recreation offers group fitness classes for all members. You can buy different passes, from yearly passes to single-use passes. There are many types of classes, like cardio, cycling, dance, strength, and water workouts. To help people try them out, free classes are usually offered during the first week of each semester. Some classes you can just drop into, while others need a reservation.

Special Events at the ARC

Sometimes, parts of the ARC that are usually open to everyone are reserved for special events. Campus Recreation lets schools, university departments, community groups, and other organizations use its facilities. For example, career fairs often take over an entire gymnasium. This means the gym is closed for setup the day before and used for the event on the following days. Even though colleges like Business or Engineering might host these fairs, all University of Illinois students can attend. Other community events, like the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon, also use a gym for participants to pick up race information.

The ARC also hosts a Block Party once a year during welcome week in the fall. Many groups from campus and town help with this event. They give out free T-shirts and pizza, and organize games, music, and contests.

How Many People Use Campus Recreation?

The ARC is one of the most popular places on the University of Illinois campus. Campus Recreation manages facilities like the ARC, Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE), the Ice Arena, and Illini Grove. These facilities are available to over 42,000 students and 3,200 staff members. In the 2014-2015 school year, 89% of Illinois students used Campus Recreation facilities or programs. Almost 30,000 students played intramural sports, and 432 people had personal training sessions.

Awards for the ARC

• In 2010, the ARC won the Outstanding Sports Facility Award from the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association.