Highland Park is a suburb located just outside of Chicago. It is a popular spot for location shots for movies and television shows and a favorite for director John Hughes and his famous ’80s movies. One of the reasons Highland Park is such a great spot is because it has the feel of a gated community without having the actual gates. If you want to check out some of the places you can see up on the big screen, here is a film buff’s guide to Highland Park.
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is a fun ’80s movie starring Matthew Broderick that showcased many different areas of Chicago. One of the most memorable locations in the movie is the glass garage where his friend Cameron’s father kept his prized Ferrari.
You can catch a glimpse of the glass building at its 370 Beech St. location, and it is much more than just a garage. This glass building has a pavilion with a bedroom and a kitchen that are separate from the main house. The design of the house uses a simple, minimalist design to help emphasize its beautiful surroundings.
“Risky Business”
Take a drive by 1258 Linden St. to see the house featured in the movie “Risky Business.” This movie, starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, came out in 1983 used several locations in Highland Park. His high school was Highland Park High School, and just south of Highland Park, the film featured Shelton’s Diner in Ravinia. The home, made most famous during the last scenes of the movie when Tom Cruise’s character races around trying to refill it with the stolen furniture, is still a private residence owned by a local family.
“Weird Science”
“Weird Science” is another ’80s John Hughes movie that took place in the Chicago area and used a Highland Park home. Unfortunately, the home used as Wyatt’s house in the movie was torn down and replaced with another house, but you can still drive by its 280 Cedar Ave. location to see where it once stood.
This movie also features several other locations during the car chase with Gary and Deb. The cars traveled down Saint Johns Avenue when they pass the cop, and then they drive past Mulberry Place. Scenes were also shot on Central Avenue, where you can see Country Kitchen and the railroad tracks on Lincoln Avenue West.
“Ordinary People”
The 1979 film “Ordinary People” starring Robert Redford also used a Highland Park home. This was one of the first films to use a Chicago suburb as its backdrop. The home sits at 1199 Lincoln Ave. South in Highland Park and is not the only local location used in the movie. The scene showing the outside of Dr. Berger’s office is 1866 Sheridan Road is also in Highland Park.
If you want to see Highland Park in the movies, chances are you’ll get a glimpse if you watch an ’80s John Hughes film. He liked the location, along with several other directors who featured homes for their suburban settings.
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