Forty years ago on June 5, 1985, Ferris Bueller took the day off from school.
On Thursday, the same day the events in the film took place, tourists gathered at noon in front of “Relish Hot Dogs,” a food stand located at 315 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago for the start of a tour of the landmarks from the film.
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is a 1986 comedic drama film directed by John Hughes and starred Matthew Broderick as the titular character. The premise of the film is about a student who skips school. (The film was released a year after the depicted events took place.)
On Location Tours sponsored the two-hour walking tour around 12 of the film’s memorable locations, from the Art Institute of Chicago to the Von Steuben Day Parade, filmed near Dearborn and Adams streets in the Loop.
“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it,” Ferris Bueller said in the film.
June 5 has been dubbed “Ferris Bueller Day” in Chicago because of the Cubs vs. Braves game that happened on the day of filming.
“John Hughes is actually a Sox fan,” said Dan Goldrosen, a guide working for On Location Tours. “The only reason why the Cubs were even in the movie is because the Sox were away for a game.”
The first location of the tour is the Art Institute of Chicago, where Goldrosen spent time recalling scenes from the movie. He explained that “there is zero dialogue in this scene because John Hughes wanted to show the audience some of his own favorite paintings and art.” An instrumental cover of The Smiths song “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” by the Dream Academy plays over the tender scene.
On Location Tours, the company that offers city walking tours centered on television and movie sets in Chicago, started the Ferris Bueller Day tour in 2023. They also offer tours for “The Bear,” “The Blues Brothers” and “The Fugitive.”
By the fourth location at 33 N. Dearborn St., the group queued up “Danke Schoen” by Wayne Newton and sang the famous chorus from the parade scene. At the fifth location, a “Twist and Shout” moment by the Beatles was shared in song and dance.
The tour ended at 2 p.m. just outside the Willis Tower as Goldrosen quoted Ferris at the end of the movie, saying, “You’re still here? It’s over. Go home!”
Copy edited by Emma Jolly
