From Ferris Bueller's Day Off to The Bear, Chicago's streets, ballparks and diners have co-starred in decades of film and television. Here is where to find them.
Chicago is one of America's great screen-tourism cities. Fans can visit the Art Institute from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Union Station's Great Hall from The Untouchables, the Lower Wacker Drive chase route from The Dark Knight, Mr. Beef from The Bear, and dozens more, most reachable on foot, by car, or on a guided location tour.
Few American cities appear on screen as often as Chicago. Its architecture gives directors a built-in backdrop: the canyon of LaSalle Street, the twin decks of Wacker Drive, the limestone grandeur of Union Station. Productions from The Blues Brothers in 1980 through The Dark Knight in 2008 to The Bear today have treated the city less as a setting than as a character.
The result is a dense map of visitable locations. Many are free and public, such as the Richard J. Daley Center plaza that stood in for Wayne Enterprises, while others, like the Art Institute and Willis Tower Skydeck, simply require a ticket you might buy anyway. A handful of guided tours connect the highlights for visitors who prefer a curated route.
The list of productions shot in Chicago spans five decades and nearly every genre. The Blues Brothers and Ferris Bueller's Day Off established the city as a comedy landmark in the 1980s, crime films from The Untouchables to Public Enemies used its historic buildings and train stations, and the Batman films turned downtown into Gotham. Television keeps the pipeline busy, with the Chicago franchise and The Bear filming continuously across the city and at Cinespace's sound stages.
| Title | Year | Type | What was filmed here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferris Bueller's Day Off | 1986 | Film | Art Institute of Chicago, Wrigley Field, Willis Tower/Skydeck, Chicago Board of Trade, Von Steuben Day Parade on Dearborn Street |
| The Dark Knight | 2008 | Film | Lower Wacker Drive chase, Richard J. Daley Center as Wayne Enterprises, LaSalle Street truck flip |
| The Untouchables | 1987 | Film | Union Station Great Hall baby carriage scene, Chicago Board of Trade, Rookery Building |
| The Bear | 2022: present | TV | Mr. Beef on Orleans exterior and pilot filming, River North locations |
| Shameless | 2011-2021 | TV | Gallagher house at 2119 S Homan Ave |
| Chicago Fire | 2012: present | TV | Engine 18 firehouse at 1360 S Blue Island Ave, Lottie's Pub as Molly's |
| The Blues Brothers | 1980 | Film | Multiple locations including Lower Wacker Drive, City Hall, 95th Street Bridge |
| Batman Begins | 2005 | Film | Chicago Board of Trade as Wayne Enterprises |
| Public Enemies | 2009 | Film | Biograph Theatre, Union Station |
| The Fugitive | 1993 | Film | Federal Plaza, various downtown and L train scenes |
| Home Alone | 1990 | Film | O'Hare International Airport |
| A League of Their Own | 1992 | Film | Wrigley Field |
| Chicago P.D. | 2014: present | TV | Lottie's Pub exteriors, various neighborhoods |
| Chicago Med | 2015: present | TV | Various Chicago locations and Cinespace sets |
| My Best Friend's Wedding | 1997 | Film | Union Station, Chicago River |
| The Sting | 1973 | Film | Union Station |
| While You Were Sleeping | 1995 | Film | L trains and elevated tracks |
| Divergent | 2014 | Film | Various downtown and studio locations |
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon | 2011 | Film | Downtown Chicago landmarks |
12 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Illinois, Chicago Ticketed
Filmed here: Seurat painting contemplation scene and montage
Ferris Bueller's Day Off filmed its famous Seurat painting contemplation scene and montage here. The museum is open to the public with admission and ranks among the most visited film locations in the city. Fans typically head straight for the Seurat gallery, though the whole museum rewards a longer stay.
Illinois, Chicago Free to see
Filmed here: Baby carriage staircase scene in The Untouchables
The baby carriage staircase scene in The Untouchables was shot in this grand hall, which also appears in Public Enemies and My Best Friend's Wedding. It remains an active train station with public access, so visitors can walk in freely. Professional photography requires a permit.
Illinois, Chicago Free to see
Filmed here: Car chase scenes
The double-decked roadway beneath Michigan Avenue served as the chase route for both The Blues Brothers and The Dark Knight's Tumbler sequence. It is a driveable public street, and several guided tours route through it. Drivers unfamiliar with it should exercise caution.
Illinois, Chicago Free to see
Filmed here: Original Beef of Chicagoland exterior and pilot
The exterior of this operating River North restaurant played the Original Beef of Chicagoland sandwich shop in The Bear, and the pilot was filmed on site. It remains a popular lunch spot for fans, so expect a line during peak hours.
Illinois, Chicago Outside only
Filmed here: Firehouse 51 exterior
This working fire station at 1360 S Blue Island Ave serves as the Firehouse 51 exterior in Chicago Fire. It is a functioning station, so visits are exterior only and best kept brief. Fans should view the building from the street and respect the crews on duty.
Illinois, Chicago Ticketed
Filmed here: Cubs game and other scenes
The beloved ballpark hosted Ferris Bueller's Day Off's Cubs game scenes and appeared in A League of Their Own. Tours of the stadium are available, and game days offer the full experience. It sits on the North Side, well removed from the downtown cluster of locations.
Illinois, Chicago Free to see
Filmed here: Wayne Enterprises headquarters
The Daley Center and its plaza stood in for Wayne Enterprises headquarters in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The plaza and building exterior are fully public, making this one of the easiest Bat-fan stops in the Loop. The adjacent Picasso sculpture adds to the backdrop.
Illinois, Chicago Free to see
Filmed here: Dillinger scene
This historic theater appears in Public Enemies in connection with the Dillinger story. The exterior is viewable from the street in the Lincoln Park area. It now operates as a live theater venue, so check listings if a show appeals.
Illinois, Chicago Ticketed
Filmed here: Observation deck scenes
The observation deck appears in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Dark Knight. Admission is ticketed, and the Skydeck's glass ledge is an attraction in its own right. Its downtown location places it within easy walking distance of several other film stops.
Illinois, Chicago Free to see
Filmed here: Molly's Pub exterior
This operating bar in Bucktown serves as the exterior of Molly's Pub in Chicago Fire and also appears in Chicago P.D. The staff are accustomed to fans, and the pub sits in a lively neighborhood worth exploring beyond the photo stop.
Illinois, Chicago Outside only
Filmed here: Trading floor and Gotham scenes
The art deco tower appears in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Untouchables, and doubled as part of Wayne Enterprises in The Dark Knight. Interior access is restricted, but the exterior views from LaSalle Street are among the most dramatic in the Loop.
Illinois, Chicago Outside only
Filmed here: Gallagher family home
The Victorian home at 2119 S Homan Ave in the North Lawndale neighborhood is the Gallagher family house from Shameless, which ran from 2011 to 2021. It is a private residence, so visits should be exterior only and respectful of the occupants' privacy.
Chicago's production muscle sits largely at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, located at 2621 W 15th Pl. The facility operates 36 sound stages across two campuses and serves as the primary studio for Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and many other productions. The city also hosts guided location tour operators, including Chicago Movie Tours, which runs walking and specialized tours covering Union Station and downtown spots, and On Location Tours, whose downtown TV and movie sites route covers Ferris Bueller, The Dark Knight, The Bear, and more. Behind the scenes, the Chicago Film Office handles permits and production support, and Illinois offers a 35% base film tax credit, helping drive a record $703 million in statewide production expenditures in 2025.
Several bookable experiences focus specifically on Chicago screen locations. The options below cover a private suburbs excursion, a Shameless-focused neighborhood tour, and a Chicago Fire set experience. Prices and review counts are drawn from current listings.
Chicago Fire TV Show Set Tour
At $315 with a 4.9 rating across 79 reviews, this is the most reviewed option and the closest fans can get to the world of Firehouse 51 without a cast credential.
Shameless TV Show Location Tour
Priced at $315, this tour takes fans to the Shameless locations, including the South Side streets the Gallaghers called home, and holds a 5.0 rating from past participants.
Chicago: Private Guided Tour of Chicago Suburbs Movie Sites
A private guided excursion that reaches movie sites beyond the city core, ideal for travelers who want a dedicated vehicle and flexible pacing rather than a fixed group route.
The film used the Art Institute of Chicago, Wrigley Field, the Willis Tower Skydeck, the Chicago Board of Trade, and Dearborn Street for the Von Steuben Day Parade sequence. Most are ticketed attractions or public spaces in or near the Loop, making a self-guided Ferris day entirely doable.
Yes. Mr. Beef on Orleans on the Near North Side served as the Original Beef of Chicagoland exterior and hosted pilot filming. It is an operating restaurant, so fans can simply show up and order. Additional River North locations appear throughout the series.
The famous chase ran along Lower Wacker Drive, the Richard J. Daley Center stood in for Wayne Enterprises, and the truck flip was staged on LaSalle Street. The Willis Tower Skydeck also appears. All of these are public or ticketed sites downtown.
The Gallagher house is a real residence at 2119 S Homan Ave on the West Side. It is privately occupied, so viewing is limited to the exterior and visitors should respect the occupants' privacy. A dedicated Shameless location tour is available for those who want a guided route.
The city offers distinctive architecture, extensive public spaces, and major studio infrastructure at Cinespace with its 36 sound stages. Illinois also provides a 35% base film tax credit with stackable uplifts, and the state recorded $703 million in production expenditures in 2025, supporting roughly 18,000 hires.
No. Most locations are public exteriors, active businesses, or standard attractions. A tour adds context, transportation to spread-out sites such as the Gallagher house or Wrigley Field, and access, such as the Chicago Fire studio set experience, that independent visitors cannot arrange.
Chicago rewards both the casual fan and the completist. A single downtown walk can link the Art Institute, Union Station, Lower Wacker Drive, the Daley Center, and the Board of Trade, while farther flung stops like Mr. Beef, Lottie's Pub, and the Gallagher house fill out a multi-day itinerary. For those who want the inside track, the guided options above pair the famous exteriors with stories and access no self-guided map can match.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for Chicago.
