Where Was 16 Candles Filmed? A Fascinating Locations Of 80s Movie!

Are you fond of watching coming-of-age genre movies? If so, then this article is for you to read as I’m going to discuss one of the famous movies of this genre, 16 Candles (1984). Not only the plot of the movie, but also you’ll learn some interesting details about where was 16 Candles filmed.

The American, coming-of-age comedy film was directed by John Hughes and it was his directorial debut. Apart from direction, Hughes also served as the writer of the movie. The film was a huge commercial success as it gained over $23.6 million against the nominal movie budget of $6.5 million. It is a highly entertaining movie, and so it has attracted many teens of that period.

The protagonist of the story is a young woman named Samantha who had a typical teen anxiety issue as she approached her 16th birthday. Her sister’s impending wedding overshadowed her birthday celebration. It is a simple plot but is surely an engaging movie to watch if you haven’t watched it yet.

The film also received positive ratings from the critics and also the audience appreciated the performances of the actors. Furthermore, the movie got recognition in the Entertainment Weekly list as it ranked eighth among the 50 best high school movies. The young actors in this movie are the first to receive the young artist awards.

I know after learning about this movie you’re curious to know the plot, but before getting into the movie’s plot let us discuss where was 16 Candles filmed.

Where Was 16 Candles Filmed? Everything You Need To Know!

The filming of the movie, 16 Candles took place in different locations. First, in the pre-production, the director asked his team to select the right young actress for the role. After the audition of many young actresses, Hughes selected Molly Ringwald for the role. The same goes for the young actor’s role when they finalized Anthony Michael Hall.

After the careful selection of the cast members, the director was very strict in choosing the filming locations. So, the crew members selected the best location according to the plot demand. Some of the locations include Evanston, Skokie, and Highland Park.

So, do you want to know exactly where was 16 Candles filmed? Then read the below sections.

Highland Park, Illinois | USA

Jake is one of the main characters in this movie. So, the production team used the best location to shoot the interior and exterior scenes of Jake’s house. The house that you see in the movie was actually located at 1407 Waverly Road, Highland Park, Illinois.

Highland Park is one of the famous locations used in many movies to film pivotal scenes because of its architectural marvel. Highland Park is a rural area located 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. It is easy to reach this place as you can use a car or public transport.

Evanston, Illinois | USA

Sam Baker is the protagonist of the movie. So, you can see most of the scenes were around Sam’s house. The team used the residence located at 3022, Payne Street, Evanston for filming the scenes.

Evanston is also a popular location that was used for filming many other hit movies like Home Alone, Lincoln Square, Wilmette-Kenilworth, and many more.

Skokie, Illinois | USA

The film mostly used real locations instead of a studio or green screen. For filming the school scenes, the makers used the Niles East High School located at 7700 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, Illinois. Skokie is one of the most beautiful destinations in Illinois and has also served as a backdrop for many popular movies like Weird Science, Contagion, and so on.

A few other classroom scenes were filmed in New Trier High School, located at 385 Winnetka Avenue, Illinois, USA.

Glencoe, Illinois | USA

One of the pivotal scenes of the movie is Sam’s sister’s wedding and it was filmed in Glencoe Union Church. According to the movie’s requirements, the crew designed the church. The climax scene of the movie was shot in this location and it was greatly appreciated by the audience.

Plot Of 16 Candles | What Is The Movie About?

The story revolves around a high school student, Samantha who is well-known as “Sam” Baker. As Samantha’s birthday is coming near, she hopes that turning 16 would help her with a fresh beginning in life. However, all her hope turns into disappointment when she realizes her family has forgotten her birthday because of her elder sister’s marriage taking place the very next day.

Final Words

Well, above are all the details that you should know about where was 16 Candles filmed. I hope you enjoyed this read. If you are interested to know more about other filming locations, then do check out other articles on our website.