Blues Brothers Statues in Rock Island, Illinois (Gone)

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“There’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark out, and we’re wearing sunglasses.” You can find these Blues Brothers Statues in Rock Island, Illinois.

Blues Brothers Statues in Rock Island, Illinois

The Blues Brothers started out as a Saturday Night Live sketch in the late 1970s where John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd played fedora-wearing, sunglasses-clad, black-suited music men. From there, the idea blossomed into a number-one Billboard album, a sold-out concert tour, and a series of movies.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

Blues Brothers Statue in Rock Island, Illinois

The Blues Brothers movie came out in 1980 and told the story about brothers Joliet Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd). The pair grew up in a Rock Island orphanage and get into mischief as they evade the law to put their band back together to save their Catholic home.

The Blues Brothers
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James B. Brown (Actors)
  • John Landis (Director) – Dan Aykroyd (Writer) – Robert K. Weiss (Producer)
  • English (Playback Language)
  • English (Subtitle)
Blues Brothers Statues in Rock Island, Illinois

The Quad Cities city of Rock Island has always embraced their place in fictional history and, in 2006, unveiled a Blues Brothers sculpture downtown.

Blues Brothers Statue in Rock Island, Illinois

The resin and fiberglass statues depict Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi in character, lounging in chair in their signature black suits, black ties, and black hats.

Blues Brothers Statues in Rock Island, Illinois

Find these Illinois roadside attractions for an Instagram selfie near the corner of Second Avenue and 18th Street, right near the Mississippi River. It’s a fun stop on an Illinois or Great River Road road trip.

Note: it looks like these statues are no longer there after 2020.

"Let us welcome from Rock Island, Illinois...Jake and Elwood Blues, the Blues Brothers!" Presented to Dan Carmody, former President of Renaissance Rock Island on October 25, 2005 to honor his many contributions to Rock Island. Dedicated July 15, 2006 during Hornucopia.
“Let us welcome from Rock Island, Illinois…Jake and Elwood Blues, the Blues Brothers!” Presented to Dan Carmody, former President of Renaissance Rock Island on October 25, 2005 to honor his many contributions to Rock Island. Dedicated July 15, 2006 during Hornucopia.

Want to find more Blues Brothers statues in Illinois? Also look for ones at the Polk-a-Dot Drive In in Braidwood, Illinois and on top of Rich & Creamy Ice Cream in Joliet, Illinois.

Blues Brothers Statues

Address: 1730 2nd Ave, Rock Island, IL
Cost: Free to See
Look to be Gone as of 2019

The Blues Brothers
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James B. Brown (Actors)
  • John Landis (Director) – Dan Aykroyd (Writer) – Robert K. Weiss (Producer)
  • English (Playback Language)
  • English (Subtitle)

Pin this Illinois roadside attraction to save for your road trip itinerary:

Rock Island, Illinois celebrates the birthplace of Jake and Elwood Blues, the Blues Brothers. Find these Blues Brothers statues downtown in the Quad Cities. A Illinois roadside attraction for movie lovers to visit on a Great River Road road trip.  #IllinoisRoadsideAttractions #IllinoisRoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadTrip #IllinoisRoadTrip #IllinoisWeekendGetaways #IllinoisWithKids #IllinoisRoadTripItinerary #IllinoisRoadTripMap #IllinoisRoadTripTravel
Rock Island, Illinois celebrates the birthplace of Jake and Elwood Blues, the Blues Brothers. Find these Blues Brothers statues downtown in the Quad Cities. A Illinois roadside attraction for movie lovers to visit on a Great River Road road trip.
Rock Island, Illinois celebrates the birthplace of Jake and Elwood Blues, the Blues Brothers. Find these Blues Brothers statues downtown in the Quad Cities. A Illinois roadside attraction for movie lovers to visit on a Great River Road road trip.  #IllinoisRoadsideAttractions #IllinoisRoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadTrip #IllinoisRoadTrip #IllinoisWeekendGetaways #IllinoisWithKids #IllinoisRoadTripItinerary #IllinoisRoadTripMap #IllinoisRoadTripTravel
Rock Island, Illinois celebrates the birthplace of Jake and Elwood Blues, the Blues Brothers. Find these Blues Brothers statues downtown in the Quad Cities. A Illinois roadside attraction for movie lovers to visit on a Great River Road road trip.

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Valerie Bromann

Founder & ROad Trip Expert

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book, she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.

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Last modified: December 28, 2023
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The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.