A brash, cocky high school senior, tired of skipping school to spend a boring day at home, is determined to enjoy an epic day roaring around his favorite Chicago sites, enlisting his best friend and girlfriend to join him on the adventure.
Illinois State Police Troop 3 - Des Plaines Post, 9501, Harrison Street, Des Plaines, Maine Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60016, United States of America
North Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Edgewater Beach, Edgewater, Chicago, Lake View Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60660, United States of America
Burnham Station, 61, West 15th Street, South Loop, Near South Side, Chicago, South Chicago Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60605, United States of America
One East Scott, 1, East Scott Street, Gold Coast, Near North Side, Chicago, North Chicago Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60610, United States of America
Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council District, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 91364, United States of America
2nd Street, Highland Park, Lake County, Illinois, 60035, United States of America
Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council District, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 91364, United States of America
John Hughes’ ode to skipping school is basically a love letter to Chicago – the Art Institute, Wrigley Field, the Sears Tower, a German-American parade hijacked mid-song. But the film pulls one great trick: the Bueller family home isn’t in Illinois at all. It’s in California.
Where was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off filmed?
The film was shot mainly in and around Chicago – downtown, Wrigley Field, and the wealthy North Shore suburbs (Highland Park, Northbrook, Winnetka) – with the Bueller house exterior filmed in Long Beach, California.
Every Ferris Bueller location, explained
1
Downtown Chicago – the day off
Ferris, Cameron and Sloane hit the Art Institute of Chicago, the top of the Sears (Willis) Tower, and the Loop, before Ferris commandeers a parade float on Dearborn Street for “Twist and Shout.”
2
Wrigley Field
The gang catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in Wrigleyville – Ferris even snags a foul ball.
3
Cameron’s house – the glass garage
Cameron’s father’s Ferrari lives (and dies) in a modernist glass house in Highland Park – the real Ben Rose House, whose glass pavilion made the car’s back-through-the-window plunge possible.
4
Chez Quis and the North Shore
The snooty “Chez Quis” restaurant exterior is on Schiller Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast, and the leafy suburbs of Northbrook and Winnetka fill in the North Shore world.
Planning a visit
Downtown Chicago delivers most of the day out: the Art Institute, Willis Tower and Wrigley Field are all landmark stops. The Ben Rose glass house in Highland Park is private, so admire Cameron’s tragedy from a respectful distance.
Ferris Bueller Fun Facts
1
The Bueller house is in California Despite the Chicago setting, the Bueller family home exterior was filmed in Long Beach, California.
2
The parade was partly real The “Twist and Shout” number was staged into a real Chicago parade, with genuine onlookers dancing along.
3
The Ferrari was a fake The “1961 Ferrari” was a replica – three were built – which is just as well, given where it ends up.
4
The glass house was the whole point Cameron’s home is the modernist Ben Rose House, whose glass garage pavilion made the car-through-the-window shot possible.
5
Hughes wrote it in days John Hughes reportedly wrote the screenplay in under a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cameron's glass house?
It’s the Ben Rose House in Highland Park, Illinois, whose glass garage pavilion features in the Ferrari scene.
Is the Bueller house in Chicago?
No – only its exterior was filmed, in Long Beach, California, despite the Chicago setting.
Can you visit the Ferris Bueller locations?
Yes – the Art Institute, Willis Tower and Wrigley Field are all public Chicago landmarks; the houses are private.
Where is the parade scene?
Downtown Chicago (around Dearborn Street), staged into a real parade.
