John Hughes’s defining teen film – five very different students bonding through a Saturday detention – was filmed in suburban Chicago, at the high schools of Hughes’s own fictional Shermer, Illinois.
Where was The Breakfast Club filmed?
The Breakfast Club was filmed in suburban Chicago, Illinois – in Northbrook and Des Plaines.
Every The Breakfast Club location, explained
1
The school interior – Northbrook
The famous library was built inside Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook.
2
The school exterior – Des Plaines
The school’s outside used a former school in Des Plaines, Illinois.
3
Suburban Chicago
The film is steeped in the suburbs north of Chicago.
4
Shermer – the setting
The story is set in Hughes’s fictional town of Shermer, Illinois.
Planning a visit
The suburbs of Chicago – the film’s real setting – are accessible parts of Illinois.
The Breakfast Club Fun Facts
1
Filmed in suburban Chicago The film used high schools in Northbrook and Des Plaines.
2
Hughes's Shermer The story is set in John Hughes’s fictional Shermer, Illinois.
3
Five archetypes The film brings together a brain, an athlete, a princess, a criminal and a basket case.
4
The fist-pump The final freeze-frame fist-pump became iconic.
5
A teen classic The film defined the 1980s teen movie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was The Breakfast Club filmed?
In suburban Chicago, Illinois – in Northbrook and Des Plaines.
Is it set in Chicago?
In the fictional Chicago suburb of Shermer, Illinois.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – the Chicago suburbs are accessible.
Who directed it?
John Hughes.
When was it released?
1985.
