‘Blues Brothers’ movie showing at Old Joliet Prison

The Joliet Area Historical Museum has announced Oct. 4 as the date for its special screening of “The Blues Brothers” inside the prison used for the opening scene of the movie.

The event is being held in the 45th anniversary year since the movie’s release and will be in the Old Joliet Prison, formerly the Joliet Correctional Center, before it was closed in 2002.

The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. The event will start at 4 p.m., featuring tours of the prison. Food trucks, merchandise sales and beverages also will be available.

The historic prison site, along with the film, its music and the performances of Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi, “continue to captivate audiences worldwide,” a news release from the museum said.

Aykroyd and Belushi’s brother, Jim Belushi, were at the Old Joliet Prison in 2022 and 2024 to perform with the Blues Brothers band in an event called Blues Brothers Con.

The Oct. 4 screening is being done in partnership with Blues Brothers Approved Ventures, which is managed by Aykroyd and Luke Pisano, son of the late Judith Belushi Pisano, according to the release.

“This event is more than a screening - it’s a reunion, a party, and a chance to keep the blues alive,” Pisano said in the release. “Come for the film, the beer, the memorabilia and the music … stay for the magic that only happens when Joliet and the Blues Brothers meet again."

The museum operates the Old Joliet Prison, which is leased by the city of Joliet from the state of Illinois to make it available for tours and events.

Museum CEO Greg Peerbolte said in the release that the showing of the movie is intended to be an “unforgettable fan-friendly Blues Brothers” experience.

“The thrill of watching the legendary opening sequence inside the walls of the prison where it was filmed over 45 years ago is an incredible feeling,” Peerbolte said. “It is our great honor to serve as a vehicle to pass on this iconic film and the timeless blues music it celebrates to new audiences.”

Tickets are available online at jolietmuseum.org, and are $35 for adults and $15 for children 18 and under. Tickets for museum members are $30 for adults and $10 for children.

More information is available on the museum website.