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Chicago Movie Tours

Various Locations , Chicago, IL 60601

Tour Operators

Chicago Movie Tours offers in-person walking tours and virtual experiences that inspire Chicagoans, along with movie lovers everywhere, to rediscover their city, especially as it relates to film.

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Chicago's Midway, Movies, and the 1893 World's Fair Walking Tour

• Expert tour guide commentary
• Clips and photos that enhance the Midway's film history
• Plenty of Instagram opportunities
• Mini goodie bag!
• Demonstration of 19th-century moving picture devices
• Private transportation
• 6016 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
• Fountain of Time, 6000 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
• Wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Fountain of Time

Similar experiences

• You'll start at 6016 S Ingleside Ave 6016 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA See address & details
• 1 Lorado Taft's Midway Studios Stop: 30 minutes See details
• 2 Midway Plaisance Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 3 Fountain of Time Stop: 15 minutes See details
• You'll end at Fountain of Time 6000 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA See address & details

• Discover50091671806 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Definitely worth checking out! Kelli is super knowledgeable and we would highly recommend!! We learned a lot about John Hughes and the moving. 90 minutes flew by! Read more Written April 20, 2024
• Geoffrey M 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Entertaining, Insightful and Fun! Kelli’s Ferris themed tour of the Art Institute was fantastic. The connections she made between the art pieces, the movie characters and John Hughes’ intentions was illuminating, insightful and fun. I highly recommend it! Read more Written April 5, 2024
• averym115 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Unforgettable invaluable experience!!! Kelli is incredible!!! So kind, knowledgeable, and flexible. She took us exactly where we wanted to go (so we could recreate famous Ferris scenes). We learned so so much about the building, art and movie! An unforgettable and unique experience I would recommend to all my friends. Read more Written April 5, 2024
• elishas145 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great School Trip A really great tour that opened up a Chicago spot (the Art Institute) through the lens of film. It made the movie more Highly recommend for film buffs or art students or anyone who just wants a fun in-road into the city's history. Read more Written March 9, 2024
• danielleben2020 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great way to make a century's worth of art approachable What a great way to learn about art through the perspective of character development and narrative flow. Kelli uses her gift of teaching to great advantage. Her meticulous research and knowledge of a beloved film gave us a memorable way to take in an iconic home of art. No overwhelm, just a great afternoon at the Art Institute. Read more Written January 20, 2024
• Steele8 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Unique Tour You Must Not Miss! Don't think twice--Just book this tour!!! My husband and I were planning to visit the Art Institute of Chicago during our trip to downtown Chicago. We came across a listing for The Art of Ferris Bueller tour, and as big fans of the movie, we thought it would be an excellent add on for our museum visit. What a great decision as the tour was fantastic! We learned so much and had a blast! The reason this tour is unique is because Kelli, the tour guide, is not your average part-time guide who has learned a script. She is educated in the humanities and has a PhD in Film Studies. The way she interwove scenes from the movie (on her handy dandy tablet) with the art on display and her own insights into filmmaking was incredible. On this tour you not only learn things about Ferris Bueller's Day Off that you didn't know, but you also get a very insightful lesson on relevant art history. We absolutely loved how Kelli achieved all this in such an entertaining and engaging way. This tour is perfect for a range of ages and whether this is your first visit to the Art Institute or you have been many times before. We suggest giving yourself an hour or so before the tour begins or planning to stay after to enjoy other areas of the museum as well. I have to stop now...I need to go sign up for more Chicago Movie Tours. We're hooked! Read more Written November 12, 2023
• siane417 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great tour! Really enjoyed the tour. Kelli was very knowledgable and full of interesting information. And very nice to spend time with, too! Read more Written October 28, 2023
• kristat349 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Dark Hollywood in Chicago tour Kelli was great! Very knowledgeable, and the Dark Hollywood tour was fun, interesting, and everything discussed was tied together in some way. Read more Written October 21, 2023
• S2878RSryanm 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Thanks for the great tour, Kelli! Our group had an amazing time on the Chicago and Movies Highlights Tour! We planned our company retreat, "Summer Fun Day," around learning and celebrating Chicago films, and our tour guide Kelli did a wonderful job educating and entertaining us. We would definitely recommend taking this tour if you are a Chicago visitor or a native looking to learn more about the city! Read more Written August 7, 2023
• 22deedee223 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun, informative and unique walking tour with an extremely knowledgeable tour guide!! My husband & I highly recommend!! Chicago and Movie Highlights! What a fantastic tour! Kelli is a true expert in film and knows how to share her expertise in a fun and unique way! She took us on a walking tour of several locations in the downtown area of Chicago where scenes from well known and lesser known movies were filmed. Armed with a handheld screen, she was able to make those scenes come alive as she shared different techniques that the directors used to get just the right few seconds of film. And it was right where we were standing! I’ve visited Chicago about a dozen times and this is now my FAVORITE tour!! Bravo, Kelli!! Thanks for the wonderful memory! Read more Written July 31, 2023
• marthatU6641QL 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun afternoon It was very interesting! A great creative way to see and learn about art! I could have stayed 2 more hours. Read more Written March 24, 2023
• Marie G 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fantastic! Very memorable! If you have kids that love Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this is a must do! If you have kids. That love this movie, they will love this walking tour! I went with my sister and 15 year old son and we all learned something about how this 2 minute scene was so significant in the movie and to the Director. Do not miss this if you are in Chicago. It brings everything about this movie to a new experience level and a better understanding. Bravo! Read more Written December 24, 2022
• Suzanne S 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Movie tourism at its best! Kelli's virtual tours are amazing. She is always prepared and organized. She gives a tourist experience the movie twist. I can't wait to visit Chicago again to go on a live tour with her. Read more Written December 6, 2022
• 206berniev 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great Tour of Ferris and friends at The Art Institute of Chicago Great Tour - well researched and enjoyable - I highly recommend for anyone who loves this movie and John Hughes. Read more Written October 23, 2022
• Robin_Sez 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Unique Combination Tour - historic prison + movies This was another excellent tour experience with Kelli from Chicago Movie Tours! We learned about a prison that is over 150 years old AND how it has appeared in movies and TV shows over the decades. Lots of great information, plus access to spaces not usually open to the public. The ad hoc "movie theater" and presentation was especially interesting for this history and movie buff. Highly recommend! Read more Written October 13, 2022

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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A tour of Ferris Bueller’s Chicago

Stuck at home? Take a trip through 1980s Chicago by revisiting this John Hughes classic.

If being stuck indoors while you practice social distancing has you pining for a day out on the town, dust off your copy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and distract yourself with a nostalgic trip through 1980s Chicago. The movie was a “love letter” to the city from filmmaker John Hughes. “I really wanted to capture as much of Chicago as I could,” he said. “Not just in the architecture and landscape, but the spirit.”

Chicago isn’t just a backdrop for the beloved 1986 film. Places like Willis Tower, Wrigley Field, the Art Institute, and Lake Shore Drive played pivotal roles in the story—almost taking on lives of their own. And by capturing the city’s skyscrapers, cultural landmarks, streets, and people on film, Midwesterners were able to claim a piece of Hollywood for themselves.

Many of the sites featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off also were personally meaningful for Hughes. For instance, as a high schooler growing up in Northbrook, Illinois, the future director often escaped suburbia by wandering the halls of the Art Institute.

Here are some of the most iconic Chicago filming locations in the ’80s classic.

Cameron's House

Ferris’s loyal sidekick Cameron Frye lives in a modernist home designed by architect A. James Speyer located in Highland Park. The property’s glass-encased garage plays an important role in the movie. It’s the site where the precious 1961 Ferrari plummets down into the ravine. The North Shore home was on the market for five years before it finally sold in 2014 .

• Open in Google Maps

333 West Wacker

Just before the scene at Ferris' dad's office, the film focuses on the then-new 333 West Wacker Drive. The movie was shot in 1985, and the curved high-rise designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates was completed just two years prior. The office tower was the epitome of cutting edge postmodern design at the time and it reflects the bend of the Chicago River in its glassy green facade.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jon Ferrera (@jferrera87) on Jun 5, 2016 at 4:25pm PDT

Glenbrook North High School

In the movie, Ferris and Cameron speed over to Glenbrook North in the collectible Ferrari to bust Ferris' girlfriend Sloane Peterson out of school. The concrete stairs Sloane walks down are still mostly the same today, and students occasionally recreate the scene. Glenbrook North was Hughes’s alma mater and also served as the setting for The Breakfast Club one year earlier.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lisie Cohen (@lisiecohen) on Oct 28, 2019 at 6:54pm PDT

In 1986, Millennium Park wasn’t a thing yet. Construction for the famous downtown park began in 1998. Aerial shots in the film show the sprawling train yards that would later get capped by lush gardens, playgrounds, art sculptures, and a Frank Gehry-designed bandshell.

Watching Ferris Buehler’s Day Off and forgot about how much awesome 80s footage of Chicago they had. Posted by Pat Hammond on  Friday, January 11, 2019

Lake Shore Drive

If you steal your dad’s Ferrari, how can you not cruise down Lake Shore Drive in the warm weather? It’s perfectly Chicago: skyscrapers on one side, and a clear blue lake on the other. The movie depicts Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane heading south on LSD with the John Hancock Center visible in the distance.

Italian Village

Italian Village on Monroe Street opened in 1927—it still serves up Tuscan fare today and represents one of the last old school Chicago dining rooms . After the trio exit Lake Shore Drive, there’s a shot of them driving past the restaurant’s iconic neon sign.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by #ChicagoHistory™️ (@chicago_history) on Nov 14, 2019 at 5:49pm PST

Parking Garage

The garage where the teens drop off the Ferrari (and where the “professional” parking attendant can’t help but take the convertible for a spin) is on Madison Street.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tony Taylor (@ignatiustaylor) on Dec 28, 2019 at 4:10pm PST

Wells Street

As soon as Ferris and company leave the parking garage, the attendant and his buddy hightail it out on the road. Hughes shot the beginning of their joyride on Wells Street, where the hot red Ferrari is framed by the familiar elevated CTA tracks.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dave Gil (@undercoverchef) on Sep 28, 2019 at 8:01am PDT

Willis Tower

The crew’s first stop downtown? The Sears Tower observation deck—now named the Willis Tower Skydeck. In the movie, Ferris mentions it’s the tallest building in the world which was true through the ’80s and into the ’90s. When the Petronas Towers in Malaysia were completed in 1996, the 1,451-foot tower lost its title. The iconic skyscraper managed to hold onto the claim of highest roof in the Western Hemisphere until 2019.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Skydeck Chicago (@skydeckchicago) on May 23, 2016 at 9:00am PDT

Chicago Board of Trade

The Board of Trade shown in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off looks quite different today. In the ’80s, traders wore color-coded jackets, completed sales on paper, and yelled across the pit. Now, that same room is filled with digital screens, computers, and far fewer traders.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Great Views (@views_515) on Jan 4, 2020 at 10:23am PST

Even if you’re Abe Froman the sausage king of Chicago, you won’t be able to get reservations at this fancy French restaurant because it simply doesn’t exist. The exterior shots of the fictional Chez Quis were a private home in Gold Coast which has since been remodeled and doesn’t feature the ivy-covered wall anymore. The interior shots were all filmed in Los Angeles.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Timmy (@timmyo) on Oct 22, 2015 at 4:23pm PDT

Wrigley Field

What did generations of Chicagoans learn from Ferris? If you play hooky, go to a Cubs game. Of course, Hughes couldn’t resist adding in a scene set at one of the most beloved ballparks in the country. A neat detail you might have missed: Ferris catches a foul ball in this scene and later uses the same baseball to switch off the snoring soundtrack on his bedroom stereo at the end of the film.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by @ontheboomchicago on May 16, 2019 at 9:47am PDT

Art Institute of Chicago

Hughes choreographed a memorable montage at the Art Institute of Chicago, one of his favorite places in the city growing up. The three protagonists enter behind a group of school children, and then proceed to be goofballs throughout the massive museum. Then, Cameron comes face to face with Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte and has a moment . Meanwhile, Ferris and Sloane find themselves in front of Marc Chagall’s America Windows .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Revolta da Pipoca (@revoltadapipoca) on Jan 9, 2020 at 10:28am PST

Daley Plaza

An impromptu musical number at the Von Steuben Day Parade shows the best of downtown Chicago—including the Picasso sculpture at Daley Plaza and Dearborn Street. Requiring nearly 10,000 extras, the scene brought the people of Chicago into the film and was Hughes’s favorite part of the entire movie.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katianna Lee (@katiannalee) on Feb 1, 2016 at 11:34am PST

Federal Center

While Ferris is serenading the Germans on a parade float, Cameron and Sloane take a walk through the plaza at the Mies van der Rohe-designed Federal Building and Post Office to talk about what happens after they graduate from high school. You can also spot Calder’s Flamingo sculpture —another beloved Federal Center landmark.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by @fvckpoliteness on Jan 8, 2020 at 9:39am PST

Glencoe Beach

As the trio head back to the North Shore, Cameron’s meltdown reaches a rock bottom when he realizes how many miles were put on his dad’s car. Ferris says, “I think Cameron may have blown a microchip or two,” and the three take a moment to regroup on the rocky wall overlooking Glencoe Beach.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chicago North Shore (@chicagonorthshore) on Nov 28, 2019 at 5:30am PST

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Private Chicago TV & Movie Locations Walking Tour

Quick Details

• Hour Glass Duration: 2-6 Hours
• Ticket Tour Type: Walking
• Calendar Day Of Week: Daily
• Clock Start Time: Variable
• Lock Private Only?: Private Tour
• Walking :: Custom Pick up and Drop off

Explore Famous Chicago Movie Sites

A tour designed to hit some of Chicago’s must-see TV and movie filming locations may include stops at locations from hit movies such as the action-packed Batman Begins , The Dark Knight , and Public Enemies.  

Walk by some of Chicago’s most famous skyscrapers seen in Rampage, The Transformers: Rise of the Beasts , and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – a true love letter to Chicago.

Besides iconic Chicago landmarks like the Willis Tower, movie fans may want to visit some must-see spots from popular films and also have time to explore locations from hit TV shows, with a chance to spend more time seeing these places up close. 

Visit locations around the city from the thriller The Negotiator , avoid a pileup on Lake Street (from The Blues Brothers ), see Chicago’s Union Station from The Untouchables , or walk on the front steps of the Art Institute of Chicago like Ferris and his friends did on their day off!

• Local English-speaking guide

Not  Included

• Food and drink
• Tips/gratuities for your guide

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• Clock 10:00am , 1:00pm
• Ticket Walking
• Hour Glass 2.5 Hours

Chicago Architecture & Highlights Tour

Chicago has it all – amazing architecture, great food, and iconic sights both old and new. This tour takes you to some of the city’s best spots alongside a local guide.

• Clock Variable
• Hour Glass 2-10 Hours

Best of Chicago: Architecture & Highlights City Private Tour

Join our Highlights Tour for a whirlwind exploration of Chicago’s iconic landmarks like Millennium Park, the Art Institute, and the stunning Riverwalk. With expert guides, delve into the city’s architecture and culture, capturing memories at The Bean and enjoying breathtaking skyline views!

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A walking tour of Chicago's gangster movie locations

Take a tour of the infamous 'Untouchables' staircase, a diner fit for a mobster and more Chicago gangster movie locations in the South Loop

Have you ever wanted to visit the location where Johnny Depp went out to dinner in Public Enemies  or the infamous staircase that appeared in The Untouchables ? Chicago is a city that boasts beautiful buildings , former speakeasies and a storied past of criminal activitiy, making it a natural choice as a location for ganster movies. This   2.5-hour walking tour will take you to some of the most recognizable mafia movie locations in the South Loop in an hour and a half (or less). Put on your best fedora, make sure there's nobody tailing you and lose yourself in the streets of Chicago's cinematic gangland. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best  gangster movies  of all time

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6.  Rookery

7.  union station.

8.  Harrison Street Post Office

9.  White Palace Grill

See more of chicago's gangster past.

The 50 best gangster movies of all time

Load up on ammo and wiseguy patter with our ranked list of the best gangster and crime movies in cinema

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6 Hot Rehearsal Dinner Spots on Chicago’s North Shore > < Where to Enjoy Outdoor Music on Chicago’s North Shore

Movies | Summer movies and more concerts announced for…

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Movies | summer movies and more concerts announced for millennium park.

A few of the boldface names include Corinne Bailey Rae and GZA in the Summer Music Series and “American Fiction,” “Barbie” and a double feature of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Jurassic Park” for the outdoor movie series.

The lineups of free events, plus Millennium Park Summer Workouts and more events for the anniversary weekend, were announced Thursday by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events as part of Millennium Park’s 20th anniversary season, adding to calendars for the big music fests and Taste of Chicago  out early this year.

Millennium Park Summer Film Series (July 16 to Aug. 20): Movies are 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays unless otherwise noted, shown on a 40-foot LED screen from the Pritzker stage with the audience in seats or on the Great Lawn. In partnership with the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals, each screening will also showcase a Chicago independent film festival.

July 16: Opening night is a 6 p.m. double feature with “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (114 minutes, PG) and “Jurassic Park” (127 minutes, PG-13)

July 23: “Coco” (105 minutes, PG)

July 30: “Barbie” (104 minutes, PG-13)

Aug. 6: “American Fiction” (117 minutes, R)

Aug. 13: “Wonka” (116 minutes, PG)

Aug. 20: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (103 minutes, PG-13)

Millennium Park Summer Music Series (July 1 to Aug. 8): At Jay Pritzker Pavilion with weekday concerts beginning 6:30 p.m.

Monday, July 1: Charlie Musselwhite and Ivan Singh

Thursday, July 11: Buscabulla and French Police

Monday, July 15: Seun Kuti

Monday, July 22: Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain with Rakesh Chaurasia, and Arooj Aftab.

Monday, July 29: GZA and Yaya Bey

Monday, Aug. 5: Protoje and Madison McFerrin

Thursday, Aug. 8: Corinne Bailey Rae, Terrace Martin with James Fauntleroy

Millennium Park Summer Workouts (May 18 to Aug. 31): On the Great Lawn from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. most Saturdays. The mornings are filled with 45-minute classes accompanied by live music.

8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Pilates

9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Yoga

10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Cardio kickboxing

11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Zumba

Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Weekend Celebration (July 18-21): A celebration for the lakefront park 20 years after its opening on July 16, 2004. Concerts at Jay Pritzker Pavilion with most times still to be announced.

Thursday, July 18: ¡Súbelo! Festival, headlined by Fruko y Sus Tesos, the Latin music group from Colombia.

Friday, July 19: The Grant Park Orchestra in “Star Wars and More: the Music of John Williams.”

Saturday, July 20: Events starting at 11 a.m. with an evening concert by South Side native Common performing alongside the Grant Park Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Parnther. Free RSVPs available soon .

Sunday, July 21: The S&S Chicago Experience from 4-7 p.m. with Steve “Silk” Hurley and Shannon “Skip” Says presenting house music.

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Event series

Chicago’s midway, movies, and the 1893 world’s fair guided walking tour.

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Step into the heart of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair as you explore the Midway Plaisance and its fascinating history. Your itinerary on this 75-minute…

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2024 Millennium Park summer film lineup, music series announced

The popular summer series begins in july, by nbc 5 staff • published may 3, 2024 • updated on may 3, 2024 at 6:48 am.

Summer in Chicago is just around the corner -- and with it comes the popular summer film and music lineup in Millennium Park.

The city announced the lineup for its 2024 Millennium Park Summer Season, noting that its the event's 20th anniversary this year.

Watch 24/7 free news online with NBC 5 Chicago’s stream

“Over the last 20 years, Millennium Park has become one of Chicago’s biggest cultural gems, recognized both locally and around the world for its wide breadth of programming, culture and entertainment,” Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth said in the announcement. “Whether you come from one of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods or you’re one of the millions of visitors to our city each year, we’re excited by what we have in store for you in our 20th Anniversary season.”

The lineup for 2024 includes a summer film series, a summer music series and a series of summer workouts, the announcement said.

Below are the details for each.

Millennium Park summer film series

The film series runs on Tuesdays, July 16 through Aug. 20. Movies begin at 6:30 p.m. All films are shown on a 40-foot LED screen from the Pritzker stage. Guests can watch from the seating bowl or on the Great Lawn.

U of Chicago police begin clearing Pro-Palestinian encampment

First Dolton board meeting takes place since subpoenas served at village hall

July 16: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park (double feature starts at 6 p.m.)

July 23: Coco

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July 30: Barbie

Aug. 6: American Fiction

Aug. 13: Wonka

Aug. 20: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Millennium Park summer music series

The park's summer music series runs from July 1 through Aug. 8. It takes place Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

July 1: Charlie Musselwhite and Ivan Singh

July 11: Buscabulla and French Police

July 15: Suen Kuti, NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner

July 22: Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain with Rakesh Chaurasia, Arooj Aftab

July 29: GZA with The Phunky Nomads and Yaya Bey

Aug. 5: Protoje and Madison McFerrin

Aug. 8: Corinne Bailey Rae, Terrace Martin with James Fauntelroy

Millennium Park summer music festivals

United Voices Chicago presents 'Paint the Town Red': May 23, 11 a.m.:

Chicago Gospel Music Festival: June 1, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Chicago House Music Festival: June 2, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Chicago Blues Festival, June 6 - 9

Grant Park Music Festival: June 12 - Aug. 17

Joffrey For All Free Performance: June 16, 5 p.m.

Experimental Sound Studio - the urban+nature sonic pavilion: July 13, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. and Aug. 15, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Chicago Jazz Festival: Aug. 29 - Sept. 1

Millennium Park summer workouts

Summer workouts take place May 18 through Aug. 31 on most Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Classes are free, 45-minutes and held on the Great Lawn.

8–8:45 a.m.: Pilates 9–9:45 a.m.: Yoga 10–10:45 a.m.: Cardio Kickboxing 11–11:45 a.m.: Zumba® 

Other 2024 Millennium Park summer events

Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Weekend Celebration: July 18 - 21, featuring ¡Súbelo! Festival and more

Broadway in Chicago Free Summer Concert: Aug. 12 at 6:15 p.m.

Sandra Delgado’s La Havana Madrid: Aug. 23, 6:45 p.m.

Lyric Opera's "Sunday in the Park with Lyric": Aug. 25., 7 p.m.

Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project: Divination: The Dancing Souls of Black Folk: Aug. 24, 5:45 p.m.

Selena Tribute Concert: Sept. 6, 6 p.m.

Vocalo Presents: Summer Finale featuring Pivot Gang, Marquis Hill, KAINA and more: Sept. 20, 6 - 9 p.m.

Old Town School of Folk Music: Global Carnival: Sept. 22, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

More information about Millennium Park's 2024 summer series can be found here .

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The Art of Ferris Bueller

Get up close with art featured in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" on this unique walking tour at the Art Institute of Chicago

Calling art enthusiasts and Ferris Bueller fans! Get ready to step into the iconic world of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on our popular 90-minute walking tour, aptly named The Art of Ferris Bueller . 

Led by a passionate Ph.D. guide , this immersive experience will take you through the renowned halls of the Art Institute of Chicago, where a memorable portion of the 1980s teen comedy unfolds.

As you enter the Modern Wing, the adventure begins. Marvel at the same masterpieces that Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron admired during their legendary day off.

Your guide, armed with a wealth of knowledge and a flair for storytelling, will regale you with little-known anecdotes and behind-the-scenes facts that will deepen your appreciation for both the art and the movie. As with all of our guided movie tours, your experience here will be enhanced with clips, photos, soundbites, and screenshots.

On The Art of Ferris Bueller , you'll traverse three floors of the museum, covering a distance of about 1.5 miles. Along the way, you'll discover 16 carefully selected pieces of art, each with its own unique connection to the characters, director, and storyline of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . Ever wondered why Cameron fixated on that Seurat painting? Prepare to have your curiosity satisfied!

Ideal for Gen-X—and all ages, of course!—this immersive experience promises to reignite your love for Ferris Bueller's Day Off while deepening your appreciation for the treasures housed within the Art Institute of Chicago.

So, grab your tickets for The Art of Ferris Bueller , gather your friends, and get ready for a journey through art, cinema, and nostalgia that you won't soon forget! 

NOTE: Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is not included in the public walking tour. 

Movies/TV Highlighted

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

If you're interested in exploring more than one film with us, check out our full list of guided walking tours.

Public Tour Dates

May 12, 2024, jun 1, 2024, jun 29, 2024.

Tour Specifics

Start/End Points

The tour starts in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, Griffin Court, by the staircase/chairs. This is NOT the Michigan Ave. entrance with the lions. Please arrive about 10 min. before the tour begins.

Museum Admission

Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is NOT included in the public walking tour. For ticket prices, please refer to the museum's ticketing chart . 

Guests must initial a digital general waiver of liability with Chicago Movie Tours when they book. Guardians must sign waivers for children under the age of 18.

Parking/Transportation

By Car : The Millennium Garages are located underground, below the parks adjacent to the museum. Public Transit : The Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple 'L'train lines all stop above ground at Adams/Wabash, one block west of the museum. The Red and Blue lines stop underground at Monroe, just a few blocks away.

Accessibility

Elevators are located throughout the museum for access to all levels. 

What to Bring

Checkrooms free for all visitors. Bags and backpacks larger than 13 x 17 x 4 inches are not allowed in the galleries and must be checked. If you plan to check bags, please arrive early as there may be a line. Water bottles are allowed, but they must be stowed in a bag when guests are in spaces that house art.

Restrooms are located throughout the museum on each level.

Guests ages 10 and up can attend.

Photography/Video

Non-flash photography is permitted in all permanent galleries. Tripods, selfie sticks, and video are not permitted.

Cancellations and Refunds

You may cancel or amend your reservation 48 hours or more before the tour departs. Read more Tour Terms and Conditions .

Private Tours

Yes, you may book this tour as a private or group tour!

The private tour price listed below is a flat fee for up to 9 guests. If you have more than 9 in your party, please contact us to see if we can accommodate you.

What's Included

Immersive experience exploring Ferris Bueller's Day Off inside the Art Institute of Chicago

Solid overview of the world-famous museum (three floors, covering about 1 mile)

Tour guide commentary from a passionate Ph.D. in film  

Small groups to enhance engagement and foster a more personalized experience

Visual and audio media to enhance your museum experience

Little-known anecdotes, stories, and theories about the 1986 teen comedy

Plenty of Instagram opportunities

Mini (Ferris-themed) goodie bag!

Discover 500

Art of Ferris Bueller

April 20, 2024

April 6, 2024

April 5, 2024

‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé' review: A bona fide superstar captures a very big tour, for concert movie posterity

T hey work on different planets, and they do their superstar thing in very different ways, but the recent Taylor Swift concert film was, you know, fine. Whereas “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” is really good.

Beyoncé's outrageously lavish five-month 2023 concert tour’s mixture of spectacle, spangle, video immersion and dance party has been captured, deliriously, for fans who caught the show live and those who didn’t.

The movie’s generous footage — a lot of it — of the rehearsal, setup, backstage beehive and fan adoration, crystallized by one tear-stained rapturous close-up after another, reveals only (and precisely) what Beyoncé wants to reveal. She directed it, wrote the narration, produced it, ran the whole shebang. And there’s enough moviemaking going on in the results to activate the experience.

Released by AMC Theatres, which made hay on Swift’s concert movie a few weeks ago, “Renaissance” opened for the public Thursday night. I caught it at a Regal multiplex in IMAX ($33.75 with fees on Fandango) and the crowd, BeyHivers in large, glammed-up part, clapped a ton and interacted fully. Somebody in my audience really didn’t have a good impression of Houston, Texas, where the onetime two-named Beyoncé Knowles grew up. So every mention of the word “Houston” in the movie was met with a “Noooooooo!”

The most Grammy’d musical artist in history (second place: Sir Georg Solti), Beyoncé speaks several times in “Renaissance” about creating a “safe space” for her fans, many of whom look to her music, and to her, for solace, understanding, a melodic and rhythmic comfort zone. The endlessly voguing, perpetually yet serenely transforming star we see in “Renaissance” works like a fiend to realize the fine points. Who could ask for more from a superstar on a series of superstages, one minute evoking Fritz Lang’s robot woman in “Metropolis,” the next, a kinetic, electric Destiny’s Child alum in motion? Beyoncé has that beautiful, rangy voice, those moves, that face, the whole self-described “Black country curvy” wonder of her at her disposal.

As a visual capture of a tour supporting an album, “Renaissance” may not hold a candle to her remarkable, 65-minute visual album “Lemonade” that appeared, more or less out of nowhere, in 2016. But it’s holding an entirely different sort of candle, or rather two candles. One’s a concert movie; the other’s a how-I-made-the-concert-and-this-movie movie.

“Renaissance” was her seventh studio album, and the “Renaissance” concert tour started in Stockholm in May, not long after Beyoncé had knee surgery. “I’m not a machine,” she reminds us. Her work/life balance challenges on tour would clobber anyone. Traveling, albeit not in coach or Ubers, with husband Jay-Z and their three kids; the touring life; the hours it takes Beyoncé to wind down after a performance; the demands every which way are not easy.

Allowing her eager 11-year-old, Blue Ivy, to perform on tour with her, who then gets flamed on social media for it is not easy. The movie devotes a good chunk to Blue Ivy’s resolve to keep rehearsing, try again and get better.

There are lengthy, loving tributes to the Knowles’ family friend Uncle Johnny, who introduced Beyoncé to house music and designed a lot of her early looks. Thanks to her, the late nephew of her mother Tina Knowles has become a queer icon for millions. We hear Beyoncé acknowledge her frustrations, even at her particular summit of stardom, at not getting what she wants out of her colleagues, or business partners, without a struggle. “Communicating as a Black woman, everything is a fight,” she says coolly at one point. The “Renaissance” touring extravaganza we see on screen is proof that the fight was, and is, worth it.

Some (like me) may prefer concert movies (or backstage/onstage performance hybrids) that settle for highlights rather than most of the live show. “Renaissance,” the movie, runs nearly three hours. The pacing feels a little off in the final half-hour. Some detours don’t quite pay off, such as the Destiny’s Child reunion in Houston, given about 20 seconds of screen time and then it’s gone.

On the other hand, “Renaissance” does so much right, including the editing decision to use a dizzying variety of takes, captured in different cities and different costumes, within a single bar or two of a given song. The woman at the center of it all seems to be changing costumes at will, with one shake of whatever’s shaking at the moment. The movie’s commercial fortunes will, I think, bear out the lyric in “Thique,” the one about cash getting thiquer. But if there’s a triple-threat out there who delivers more for your cash, I don’t know why we haven’t heard about her yet.

'RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ'

3 stars (out of 4)

No MPA rating

Running time: 2:48

How to watch: Now in theaters

©2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Live Nation Concert Week: How to get $25 tickets to hundreds of shows

Concerts by 21 savage, new kids on the block, vampire weekend are among the shows available through the promotion..

21 Savage performs at the Coachella Stage during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 14.

Arturo Holmes/Getty

For the 10th year, Live Nation will offer $25 tickets to more than 5,000 live performances in the U.S., Canada and across the globe.

What has become known as Concert Week will take place May 8-14, allowing fans of concerts and comedy shows to purchase tickets to shows ranging from 21 Savage to Tim McGraw for the all-in, fees-included price.

The milestone anniversary of the promotion includes a global expansion to Australia, Asia, Europe, the U.K. and the Middle East.

Fans can filter their search on livenation.com/promotion/concertweek to see all of the participating events, venues and artists.

The general onsale runs from 9 a.m. May 8 through 11:59 p.m. local time May 14.

T-Mobile customers can visit T-MobileReservedTickets.com for details about unlocking the early deal starting at 9 a.m. May 7 until supplies last.

Read more at usatoday.com .