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Ph.D.-Led Walking Tours and Presentations
Chicago Film. Expert Insight.
Hi, I'm KELLI, a Ph.D. film scholar and the founder of Chicago Movie Tours & Talks.
I offer expert-led Chicago movie tours and 50+ film history talks that explore how the city’s filming locations connect to its culture, history, and identity. From walking tours to in-depth presentations for libraries, senior centers, and community groups, each experience brings Chicago’s cinematic story to life.
Chicago Movie Tours & Talks:
By the Numbers
135
Years of Chicago film history covered
50
Unique movie history talks available
300+
Programs and tours presented
15+
Years of teaching and research experience


Reviews of Chicago Movie Tours & Talks
Guests consistently rate both tours and programs 5 stars for depth, insight, and storytelling.
Sherman
Art of Ferris Bueller

Kelli was awesome! Clear instructions on where and when to meet, then prompt start of the tour. She clearly knows art so that was the one aspect I did not expect. It was wonderful to hear about the background of the artists to give some context to the painting/sculpture. Definitely more and better than I expected. Thank you.
Mitchell Szczepanczyk
Hollywood on the Rails

Kelli at Chicago Movie Tours gave a fantastic tour of Union Station for her tour "Hollywood on the Rails." She didn't just teach us about movies and TV shows, which were plentiful (I didn't realize that "The Sting" was filmed in part at Chicago Union Station); the tour also touched on points from a variety of fields, including architecture, art and design, history, technology, and of course, Chicago. It was a wonderful way to spend two hours, very informative and engaging, and very much worth your time, whether your interests lie in film, pop culture, history, architecture, or the Windy City!
Tommy, Chicago History Podcast
From Fairground to Film Set

As knowledgeable as I thought I was about movies (especially those with Chicago connections), I learned so much more from my recent Chicago Movie Tours event with host Kelli. Even with things I kind of knew before, I was able to look at them in a new light. Engaging, detailed presentations and an eagerness to answer questions made this a top-notch experience. Highly recommended.

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