Blues Brothers Movie Inside Joliet Prison: Tickets Selling Fast

JOLIET, IL — This summer marks the 40th anniversary since one of America's all-time favorite comedy musicals was filmed in Joliet. For the first time ever, people can watch the iconic movie starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi — Elwood Blues and Joliet Jake —from inside the Old Joliet Prison. The Blues Brothers movie will be shown on a 45-foot-tall projection screen Friday night and again Saturday night.

"It's massive," remarked Greg Peerbolte, executive director of the Joliet Area Historical Museum. "It's a pretty magical feeling. It's watching the movie where it was originally filmed."

The 1980 movie begins and ends in Joliet, at the Old Joliet Prison, a giant limestone fortress along Collins Street.

This weekend's outdoor movie event will include a virtual appearance from Aykroyd himself, from his farm in Canada where he has been staying during the new coronavirus outbreak, Peerbolte told Joliet Patch's editor.

This month marks the Joliet's museum third annual fund-raiser to generate money for ongoing restoration efforts at the massive Old Joliet Prison property that dates back to 1858. With help from the city of Joliet, the museum opened the prison for seasonal tours in the fall of 2018.

Museum staff has been running daily self-guided walking tours at the prison since June 1.

Peerbolte told Joliet Patch that the gates will open at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Blues Brothers showing will begin around 8 p.m.

Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for children 13 and younger.

The museum has gone to enormous lengths, Peerbolte emphasized, to ensure this weekend's events include proper social distancing. Guests must wear their face masks when they leave their assigned seating areas to use the bathroom or to purchase food or drinks, he said.

People will be allowed to bring their own bag chairs and blankets to watch the movie.

The food vendors for the big-screen showing of Blues Brothers will include Joliet's Jody's Hot Dogs, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Popus Gourmet Popcorn and Life's A Slice pizza. Alcoholic drinks will also be available for purchase including Crystal Head vodka products, the beverage company Aykroyd launched.

As of Wednesday evening, the Joliet museum had already sold 245 tickets to Friday night's movie and 300 tickets for Saturday night.

The museum is only selling the Blues Brothers movie tickets online.

"We're erring on the side of caution," Peerbolte said. "Obviously, we're very serious about the social distancing, and the staff has really been creative with social distancing guidelines and making sure they are enforced and adhered to. We're really encouraging people to get a ticket ahead of time because I cannot guarantee the ability to do walk ups."

The Joliet museum's website to order tickets online is here.