Chicago - The Movie Town

Chicago - A City destined to be in the Movies

Chicago is a pretty famous movie city especially with its great architecture and sky line.  The film industry and Hollywood has a long history of filming movies in Chicago as the back drop for blockbuster movies and television shows throughout the years.  Thanks to the Chicago Film Office, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, big time movie productions are attracted to the city and its sites for filming movies.  

The Chicago Film Office has had great success in attracting feature film production, television series, and other film productions including commercials and documentaries to film in the city of Chicago.  More than 1,100 television productions and feature films have been filmed in Chicago since 1980.  Movie titles include The Untouchables, The Dark Knight, The Blues Brothers, Risky Business, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone and many more.  

Several recent television programs are either partially or entirely filmed in Chicago including Empire, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD.

The Chicago Film Office reports the first film shot in Chicago is The Tramp and the Dog in 1896 and thousands of movies have been filmed in Chicago ever since.  

We developed this guide of film locations for Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and the Chicago Med TV shows and 5 of the best movies filmed in Chicago (The Dark Knight, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, The Untouchables and Blue Brothers).

Chicago PD Film Locations

The Pilsen neighborhood around 18th Street is often used in the filming of Chicago PD.  Restaurants and Pubs used in the filming of Chicago PD include:

• Boni Vino Pizza: 111 W. Van Buren St.

• Lou Mitchell’s: 565 W. Jackson Blvd.

• Original Ferrara Bakery: 2210 W. Taylor St.

• Bridgeport Restaurant: 3500 S. Halsted St.

• White Palace Grill:  1159 S. Canal St. 

• Lottie’s Pub: 1924 W. Cortland St.

• Maria’s Packaged Goods And Community Bar: 960 W. 31st St.

• The Village Inn: 4035 S. Wallace St.

District 21 Police Station:  The UIC Police Headquarters at 943 W. Maxwell St. is used as Chicago PD’s District 21.  This is a real working police station so don’t be surprised if you can’t get a tour inside.

Chicago Fire Film Locations

Firehouse 51:  All of the exterior shots of the Chicago Firehouse 51 in Chicago Fire are shot on location at the working Chicago Fire Department Engine 18 firehouse located at:   1360 S. Blue Island Avenue.   A must see for fans of the television show and it is quite possible you will catch the stars of the show in action

Chicago Fire Academy:  Located at 558 W. De Koven Street.  This modern building makes many appearances in the television show.  And is nearby the location of where the Great Chicago Fire began in 1871.

Molly’s Pub:  Scenes for Molly’s pub were originally shot inside Lottie’s Pub at 1924 W. Cortland St.  Going into Lottie’s Pub feels like walking on set and the pub has the Chicago Fire burger on the menu.

Chicago Med Film Locations

Graceland Cemetery:  4001 N. Clark St.  The Chicago Med characters found themselves in Graceland Cemetery for a graveside ceremony.  This cemetery is the final resting place for many famous historical people - public figures, architects, famous inventors, and baseball and boxing greats so it is worth the trip to see.

Gaffney Medical Center:  The hospital that stands in for the Gaffney Medical Center in the show is located at 1653 W. Congress Parkway and is part of the Rush University Medical Center. This is the home base for the show.  

The Dark Knight (2008) Movie Locations  

Dark Knight starring Heath Ledger as the Joker, Christian Bale as Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes was filmed partly in Chicago.  These are the main film locations.

Wayne Enterprise and Bruce Wayne film locations:

• Wayne Enterprise Headquarters:  Richard J Daley Center, Daley Plaza, Washington Street

• Wayne Enterprise Boardroom:  IBM Building, 330 North Wabash Avenue

• Wayne Enterprises Applied Science Division:  West Building, McCormick Place, 2301 South Indiana Avenue 

• Bruce Wayne's penthouse:  Wyndham Grand, 71 East Wacker Drive 

Harvey Dent Scenes:

• Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes at the opera:  Chicago Theatre, 175 North State Street 

• Harvey Dent fundraiser:  Illinois Center Buildings, 111 East Wacker Drive

• Dent turns up as bartender:  Twin Anchors, 1665 North Sedgwick Street, Old Town 

Gotham General Hospital and Evacuation of Gotham City

• Location of Gotham General Hospital:  401 North Cicero Avenue 

• Evacuation of Gotham City: Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue 

Other Movie Scenes:

• Opening Robbery film location:  Chicago Post Office, 404 West Harrison Street 

• Scarecrow Arrested:  Parking Garage, 200 West Randolph Street

• Maroni arrested:  The Berghoff, 17 West Adams Street 

• Dark Knight looks down on the city:  Willis Tower, 233 South Wacker Drive

• Emergence of the Batpod:  Millennium Park Metra Station 

• Truck flipped over:  South La Salle Street 

• Lamborghini chase:  Lake Street, between Upper Wacker Drive and State Street

• Final face-off with Joker:  Trump Tower, 401 North Wabash Avenue 

Home Alone (1990) Movie Locations:

Home Alone starring Macaulay Culkin was filmed in Winnetka a north suburb of Chicago.  Here are the main film locations for the movie.

• McCallister Home:  671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, Illinois, USA

• Mitch Murphy's home:  656 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, Illinois, USA

• Exterior church scene:  Trinity United Methodist Church - 1024 W. Lake Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, USA

• Railroad track bridge scene:  Hubbard Woods Metra Station - 1065 Gage Street, Winnetka, Illinois, USA

• Interior church scene:  Grace Episcopal Church - 924 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois, USA

• Airport Scene:  O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Pharmacy scene:  Panera Bread Company--formerly Hubbard Woods Pharmacy - 940 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, Illinois, USA

The Untouchables (1987) Movie Locations

• Ballroom where Capone kills guy with baseball bat:  Blackstone Hotel - 636 S. Michigan Avenue, Downtown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Front entrance and main lobby used as Lexington Hotel, where Al Capone lives:  Roosevelt University - 430 S. Michigan Avenue, Downtown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Chase between Ness and Nitt:  Chicago Cultural Center - 78 E. Washington Street, Downtown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Interior of Lexington Hotel, where Al Capone lives:  Chicago Theatre - 175 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Ness's house:  2030 W 22nd Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Chicago Board of Trade:  141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604

• Ness meets Malone:  Michigan Avenue Bridge, Chicago, IL

• Ness meets Malone:  Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica National Shrine - 3121 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Police headquarters:  209 S LaSalle St, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Malone's house:  4600 S Calumet Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• USPS office:  208 S LaSalle St, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Union Station: Canal St. & Jackson Blvd., Near West Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Street scenes:  South LaSalle St

• The raid:  917 W 19th Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Location of the Untouchables’ office:  Rookery Building - 209 S La Salle St, Chicago, IL 60604

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Movie Locations

• Cameron's house and Ferrari garage:  370 Beach Street, Highland Park, Illinois, USA

• Katie Bueller's real estate office:  583 Chestnut Street, Winnetka, Illinois, USA

• Running home scenes:  Butternut Lane, Northbrook, Illinois, USA

• Chez Quis Restaurant exteriors:  22 West Schiller Street, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Baseball game:  Wrigley Field - 1060 West Addison Street, Lake View, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Scene in cab next to dad:  300 block S. Financial Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Ferrari jump scene:  1549 S Clark St. Chicago, Illinois, USA

• School exteriors: Glenbrook North High School - 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook, Illinois, USA

• Woods Theater is seen in background in shots during the parade sequence:  54 West Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Blue Brothers (1980) Movie Locations

• Elwood’s apartment:  Unfortunately, Elwood’s apartment didn’t stand the test of time. It is a small park, today, that sits in front of 327 S. Plymouth Court.

• Soul Food Café:  807 W. Maxwell St.

• Police car pileup:  Lake St. and LaSalle St., Lower Wacker – around 190 N. LaSalle Street

• Chez Paul Restaurant:  660 N. Rush St

• James Brown church scene:  Pilgrim Baptist on the South Side of Chicago - 9114 S. Burley Ave.

• The nazis take a swim:  Bridge is located at Jackson Park in Chicago - 6401 S Stony Is Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

• The finale: Richard J. Daley Plaza and City Hall  at 121 N. LaSalle St.

Other Notable movies filmed in Chicago:

• Risky Business (1982)

• Sixteen Candles (1983)

• The Color of Money (1986)

• A League of Their Own (1991)

• The Fugitive (1993)

• High Fidelity (2000)

• Public Enemies (2008)

• A Nightmare on Elm Street (2009)

Final Thoughts

Chicago is a great city for movie production.  The Chicago Film Office website has a complete list of movies filmed at least in part in Chicago.  The Chicago Film Office website is available here.  Plan in some of these locations on your next trip to Chicago.    

 

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