A mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.
Saugatuck Drug Store, 201, Butler Street, Old Saugatuck, Saugatuck, Allegan County, Michigan, 49453, United States of America
US 31, West Olive, Port Sheldon Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, 49460, United States of America
Scene: (beach scenes)
385, Old Sutton Road, Barrington Hills, Barrington Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60010, United States of America
Scene: (exterior, Sullivan House)
Peotone Police Department, East Main Street, Peotone, Will County, Illinois, 60468, United States of America
Evanston History Center, 225, Greenwood Street, Evanston Lakeshore Historic District, Evanston, Evanston Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60201, United States of America
508, Glenwood Lansing Road, Glenwood, Bloom Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60425, United States of America
Scene: (teaching son how to drive on one way road)
Moody Bible Institute, 820, North LaSalle Drive, River North, Near North Side, Chicago, North Chicago Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60610, United States of America
Moody Bible Institute, 820, North LaSalle Drive, River North, Near North Side, Chicago, North Chicago Township, Cook County, Illinois, 60610, United States of America
Sam Mendes’s Depression-era gangster drama is a study in rain, shadow and Midwest gloom – and filmed across Illinois and Michigan, whose small towns and grand old theatres stood in for a 1930s America of hitmen and betrayal.
Where was Road to Perdition filmed?
Road to Perdition was filmed across Illinois and Michigan – small Midwest towns and Chicago-area locations.
Every Road to Perdition location, explained
1
The Midwest towns – Illinois and Michigan
The film used small towns across Illinois and Michigan, including Zeeland and West Olive, Michigan, for its Depression-era world.
2
Chicago-area locations
The gangster world used Chicago-area locations, including Beecher, Illinois.
3
The grand theatres
Period interiors used grand old venues like the Paramount Arts Center in Aurora, Illinois.
4
The rain-soaked streets
The film’s famous rain-drenched shootout used dressed Midwest streets.
Planning a visit
The film’s small-town Illinois and Michigan – and grand old theatres like the Paramount in Aurora – preserve the Depression-era Midwest atmosphere at the film’s heart.
Road to Perdition Fun Facts
1
A Depression-era Midwest The film used small Illinois and Michigan towns for its 1930s setting.
2
A final Oscar for its cinematographer Conrad Hall won a posthumous Academy Award for the film’s stunning imagery.
3
Hanks as a hitman Tom Hanks played sharply against type as a Depression-era enforcer.
4
That rain-soaked shootout The film’s silent, rain-drenched gunfight is one of its most celebrated scenes.
5
Based on a graphic novel It adapts the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Road to Perdition filmed?
Across Illinois and Michigan – small Midwest towns and Chicago-area locations.
Is it based on a book?
Yes – the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – the Paramount Arts Center in Aurora and small Midwest towns are accessible.
