Ferris Bueller's Day(s) Off

Make your first stop the Art Institute of Chicago. Those bronze lions are still there guarding Michigan Avenue, just as they were when Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane passed them on their way through the museum entrance. Inside, you'll find that famous Georges Seurat painting where Cameron had a minor existential crisis—A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—but there are plenty of other treasures that could have caught Ferris’s eye, like Edward Hopper's moody Nighthawks and Grant Wood's stern-faced American Gothic.

While much has stayed the same since Ferris's day, a lot has changed, too. Those train tracks glimpsed briefly in the movie? Millennium Park takes their place now. We think Ferris would have appreciated The Bean—it reflects his knack for seeing things from a different angle. During the summer, you'll find free concerts and movies under the stars around these parts, which feels like just the kind of spontaneous fun Ferris lived for.

If Ferris and friends had time for even more culture, they might have made their way to The Field Museum (home to Sue the T. rex, who’s been on her own extended day off for about 67 million years), or the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Or maybe they’d have stopped by Lincoln Park Zoo—after all, Sloane does say “sooner or later, everybody goes to the zoo.” Just about every Chicago kid has a story about meeting the residents there, and admission is free!

Back to Ferris’ itinerary and on to Wrigley Field, where the hand-operated scoreboard has tracked every Chicago Cubs victory (and heartbreak) since 1937, including what our heroes watched back in the ‘80s. It’s a good place for a hot dog, but remember, asking for ketchup will reveal your tourist status faster than Ed Rooney spotting Ferris’s fake parents.

The party spills beyond the ivy walls into all of Wrigleyville, even when there’s no game happening. Right next door, Gallagher Way keeps the good vibes going with yoga mornings and movie nights under the historic ballpark lights.

After all that exploring, you’ll need some hearty fare, and there’s scarcely anything heartier than Chicago deep dish. Head to Lou Malnati’s, where they’ve been perfecting that butter crust since the 1940s, or to stuffed-pizza legend Giordano’s. Sure, deep dish isn’t what the locals eat all the time, but you’ve got to try it at least once.

Get some rest at the 21c Museum Hotel, where every floor doubles as an art gallery, or crash at the ACME Hotel in River North, right in the middle of after-dark action—and a good starting point for your second day.

No need to bury your head under the covers on this day off: it’s time to hit the streets and follow the parade route to The Loop and beyond to the Chicago Board of Trade Building. Its title of “Chicago’s tallest structure” was taken away in 1965, but you can never take away its status as one of the city’s most striking sights, and one of the team’s first stops on their adventure. Then twist, shout, and stop at Alexander Calder's big red Flamingo sculpture, home to Cameron and Sloane’s big heart-to-heart. It’s perfect for deep and meaningful conversations, or just to sit around the office workers taking lunch.

During their day off, our heroes headed up Sears Tower to look down on the city. It’s known as Willis Tower now, but no local will blame you for using its former name. Head out to the Skydeck and The Ledge, put your forehead against the glass like Cameron did, and on a clear day, you’ll see Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan beyond… as well as the pavement 1,353 feet below.

Now it’s time to hear some of the best stories in town. Stories about the architecture, the history, about a city that made a river flow backwards and pulled itself up after the Great Chicago Fire. Head to the Chicago Riverwalk and hop on a Chicago River Architecture Tour to hear all the tales and see the city in a whole new way. If you’d still like a little more intel, zip through the streets on a Segway tour.

Put a new spin on a fancy Chez Quis-style lunch at François Frankie—and we really do mean “spin,” as this is a bar that actually rotates while you dine. (It's surprisingly on-brand for Ferris, too: legend says the movie's closing line was originally "Life is a carousel" before they switched to the iconic "Life moves pretty fast.") If you prefer your lunch static, La Grande Boucherie is a good call with its old-school French vibes.

Sure, Ferris never made it to Navy Pier, but its Centennial Wheel serves up exactly the kind of carefree moments he lived for—it has an aptly named Ferris wheel, after all. FlyOver Chicago lets you soar above the city streets, and Offshore Rooftop (the largest rooftop bar in the country) offers the perfect spot to take in the views. If you’re there in the summer, catch the fireworks over the lake on Wednesday and Saturday nights.

You’ve had a classic Chicago day so for dinner, hit one of the classic Chicago steakhouses. Gene & Georgetti's has fed Chicago's power players since 1941 (keep an eye out for Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago), Bavette's mixes French style with Chicago muscle, and Swift & Sons pays tribute to the stockyards that built this town. If you have a taste for something a little different – like a goat empanada – the global flavors and unique dishes at Girl & The Goat will deliver an unforgettable meal.

The city skyline has a whole different feel after dark, so head up to Cindy’s Rooftop for drinks and sweeping skyline views from its glass atrium. Then, it’s time for the kind of entertainment you’ll find only in Chicago. Live music at Buddy Guy’s Legends, where the man himself still plays every January. Andy’s Jazz Club, which has kept the beat since 1951. The Second City, the stage that launched Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and maybe, just maybe, tomorrow’s comedy legend. 

You’ve seen Ferris’s city haunts. Today, it’s time to explore his home turf in the suburbs. There you’ll find locations from the movie that are still how they were, along with a whole bunch of fun activities and sights to keep the adventure humming.

Get started at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, where Ferris was supposed to be on his day off. This school is the real deal, so there’s no walking the halls or visiting Rooney’s office, but you can snap a photo at the stairs where Ferris picks up Sloane in a Ferrari.

There’s plenty to do on a day off on the North Shore. Techny Prairie Park and Fields preserves 83 acres of real Illinois prairie and wetlands, and makes for a peaceful morning stroll. Over in Deerfield Historic Village, a cluster of 1850s buildings tells the story of suburban life before cars, commuter trains, and purloined Ferraris. That one-room Little Red Schoolhouse isn’t quite like the classroom seen in the movie, but you’re still welcome to ask “Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?”—you’ll get exactly the same response the teacher got in the movie.

While you won’t be able to stand among the trees at Cameron’s modernist home in Highland Park (as in the movie, it’s a private residence), you can enjoy the Chicago Botanic Gardens’ many arboreal wonders nearby. With 27 gardens spread across 385 acres, even Cameron would have found his calm spot here.

It’s lunchtime, and for that, Ferris and friends would be familiar with the apple pancake at Walker Bros. Original Pancake House. It’s been drawing crowds since their parents were in high school, and one bite explains the six-decade-long success story. Bluegrass and its Southern BBQ came a little later, but hey, what fits the “stop and look around” spirit better than slow-cooked BBQ? Locals know it’s a great source of great sauces.

Get some steps in at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, where the trails wind past some of the most dramatic lakefront bluffs you’ll find anywhere in Illinois. Or if you’d like a gentler stroll, shopping at Lake Forest Market Square’s boutiques feels like stumbling into an English village—how’s that for a day off?

But that’s just the warmup for the king of shopping experiences, Gurnee Mills. It’s the kind of place Ferris would have picked up his snazzy vest, maybe before heading to Six Flags Great America, where the mighty American Eagle wooden roller coaster has been a rite of passage for generations of local Buellers.

Round out your North Shore day with dinner at The Shanty in Wadsworth. Life might move pretty fast, but that fish boil recipe hasn't changed since 1921, and it’s just the way locals like it. Or dine at Nolan’s Restaurant. It’s part of the Illinois Beach Hotel, which is the only spot where you can sleep right on Lake Michigan’s Illinois shore. A truly special place to prepare for your final Ferris-fueled adventure. 

As the man himself said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So if you’ve got some extra time to play hooky in Illinois, follow Ferris’s advice, with a leisurely journey beyond Chicago to some places that move at a slightly slower pace. No rushing past the architecture, no hurrying through the art galleries. These are the kinds of places Ferris would have led his friends to decompress after their big city escapades.

Start in Rockford at Anderson Japanese Gardens. Since 1978, these 12 acres have shown how the Midwest can hit just the right note of Zen. The Laurent House next door breaks the mold—Frank Lloyd Wright designed it for a client with physical disabilities back in 1949, when pretty much no one else even thought about accessibility (there’s some Ferris-like thinking for you). At Midway Village Museum, 13 historic buildings bring 1890s Rockford roaring back to life.

Then it’s on to Galena. First, grab lunch at Chestnut Mountain Resort. The dining room sits 3,000 feet above the Mississippi, serving up views of three states—Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. From up here, you can watch the river traffic glide by, just like it has for centuries.

Then it’s time to explore Galena’s Main Street, a charming slice of small-town America that retains a mid-1800s look and a timeless warmth. Pop into any of the unique boutiques, art galleries and shops for the same kind of shopping experience locals have enjoyed for more than 150 years.

That’s not all the history you can absorb. President Grant once called this place home, and his 1860s residence still stands as a reminder of the town's glory days. But there are much older buildings still, the oldest being the limestone landmark Dowling House, dating all the way back to 1826. Feeling a little too much like that history class Ferris skipped? The Trolley Tour connects the dots between the mining boom, the architecture, and all those presidential connections in a lively and engaging way. Or if you just want to enjoy traditions in a different way, enjoy some fine vintages at Fergedaboudit Vineyard and Galena Cellars.

We’re almost at the end of the road, but there are still a few more chances to enjoy the days off and reflect on everything you’ve experienced. Dinner at the upscale Fried Green Tomatoes puts you in an 1854 building where the tin ceilings and brick walls speak to the town’s mining days. Then, live music at Miss Kitty's Grape Escape is a great way to unwind in another slice of well-preserved 19th-century history. Finally, it’s time to rest up at the Goldmoor Inn, where the golden rays of tomorrow’s sunrise will remind you exactly why Ferris was right about stopping to look around.

Because that guy really did know what he was talking about, and by the end of this journey, you’ll have mastered travel in true Ferris style: enjoying the best of fast-paced big city life, and the rewards of slowing down. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off writer, director and Illinois’ own John Hughes once said, “Chicago is what I am. A lot of Ferris is sort of my love letter to the city.” Now it’s over to you to write yours. 

And remember: SAVE FERRIS!