This weekend, consider taking a walk down ’80s memory lane with the movies of the North Shore’s very own writer-director John Hughes, who died of a heart attack Thursday. You’ll likely spot many familiar places, as many of Hughes’ movies were filmed right in our backyard.
A graduate of Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Hughes captured suburban teenage angst like no one else. He put Chicago and the North Shore on the map when it came to filming locations, and he often cast local talent, such as Evanston natives John and Joan Cusack. Many of Hughes’ movies are set in “Shermer, Ill.,” a reference to Northbrook, which was formerly called Shermerville (Glenbrook North is located on Shermer Road).
See if you can spot these local sights in Hughes’ movies:
“Curly Sue” (1991):
Haven Middle School, 2417 Prairie Ave., Evanston
“Home Alone” (1990):
656 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka (Mitch Murphy’s house)
671 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka (McCallister home)
Grand Food Center, 606 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka
Haven Middle School, 2417 Prairie Ave., Evanston (Christmas choir scene)
Hubbard Woods Metra Station 1065 Gage St., Winnetka (railroad track bridge scene)
Panera Bread Company—formerly Hubbard Woods Pharmacy, 940 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka (pharmacy scene)
Trinity Methodist Church, 1024 W. Lake Ave., Wilmette
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986):
Butternut La., Northbrook (running home scenes)
Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Rd., Northbrook
Glencoe Beach, Glencoe
“The Breakfast Club” (1985):
Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Rd., Northbrook
(school interior, football field)
“Weird Science” (1985):
Central Street, Highland Park (sports car chase scenes)
Niles East High School, 7700 Lincoln Ave., Skokie
Northbrook Court Mall, 2290 Northbrook Ct., Northbrook
“Sixteen Candles” (1984):
Central Avenue, Highland Park
Central Street, Evanston
Evanston (Baker house)
Glencoe Union Church, 263 Park Ave., Glencoe
Highland Park (Jake’s house)
New Trier High School, 385 Winnetka Ave., Winnetka
Niles East High School, 7700 Lincoln Ave., Skokie (dance in gym)
Niles North High School, 639 38th St., Skokie
Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar La., Northbrook
Northbrook (bus scene)
Parking Lot, Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St., Skokie
Skokie Historical Society, 8031 Foral Ave., Skokie
