Summary
- Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow is an iconic fictional town, but real-life towns like Washington, Connecticut, share its cozy vibes.
- Ligonier, Pennsylvania, with its colonial history and annual Fort Ligonier Days festival, captures the historical charm of Stars Hollow.
- Despite its seaside location, Camden, Maine evokes the same idyllic atmosphere as Stars Hollow, complete with an old-school diner and cafe.
Towns like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls are magical places, and the show's small-town feel can be recreated by visiting similar real-life locations. For seven seasons, Gilmore Girls focused on the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) as they navigated romantic relationships, school, and careers while residing in the tight-knit town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The town was a huge part of the series' charm.
Gilmore Girls has been praised for its cozy vibes, and a large contributor to the show's warm atmosphere is the backdrop of Stars Hollow. Stars Hollow looks like an idyllic town from a storybook, filled with quirky yet lovable characters and iconic locations such as Kim's Antiques and Luke's Diner. Though the filming location for Gilmore Girls was a Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, many real-life small towns have similar vibes to the iconic Stars Hollow that fans fell in love with.
Gilmore Girls: 10 Details In Stars Hollow You Never Noticed
The Gilmore girls take viewers on a tour of their beloved town, Stars Hollow. Here are some details behind the town and all its treasures.
10 Washington, Connecticut
A Major Inspiration For Stars Hollows' Dragonfly Inn
Washington, Connecticut, served as one of the inspirations for Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband visited this town after her pitch for the series was accepted. The Palladinos stayed at the Mayflower Inn & Spa, which gave way to the idea for the Independence Inn and Lorelai's Dragonfly Inn (via Explore Washington). Washington sits halfway between Hartford and New Haven, which accurately sums up Stars Hollow's location.
Like Stars Hollow, Washington also has colonial architecture, cute shops, and an old-school movie theater.
Both towns share a similar small-town feel with Washington actually being even smaller than Stars Hollow. While Gilmore Girls establishes that Stars Hollow has a population of 10,000, Washington is under 4,000. Like Stars Hollow, Washington also has colonial architecture, cute shops, and an old-school movie theater. The Palladinos' stay in the town was integral to shaping the identity of Stars Hollow.
9 Ligonier, Pennsylvania
The Site Of A Battle In The French And Indian War
In Gilmore Girls, Stars Hollow is a town filled with history. It was founded by colonial settlers and was the site of the fictional Battle of Stars Hollow, a Revolutionary War conflict that the townspeople reenact in Gilmore Girls season 1, episode 8, "Love and War and Snow." The "battle" was actually said to have included 12 soldiers who were waiting for "redcoats" to arrive only for them to never show up. The quirky piece of history fits the whimsical tone of the show well, but it also helps to connect it to other small towns that have rich backstories.
Ligonier commemorates this key battle with Fort Ligonier Days, a three-day festival.
Like the Gilmore Girls' setting, Ligonier, Pennsylvania also has a colonial history. This Pennsylvania town was settled in the 1760s (via POPSUGAR), which is slightly earlier than the founding of Stars Hollow which was in 1779. Ligonier was the site of a battle, however, it was in the French and Indian War rather than the American Revolutionary War like Stars Hollow. Ligonier commemorates this key battle with Fort Ligonier Days, a three-day festival. Much like Stars Hollow, Ligonier also has a beautiful gazebo in one of the local parks.
Gilmore Girls: The 10 Best Stars Hollow Events
Stars Hollow hosts a slew of events for the Gilmore Girls to enjoy. But which festivals are the best? Take a look and see if you agree.
8 Camden, Maine
A Town With A Café Similar To Luke's Diner
Stars Hollow is quite picturesque, making for an ideal quaint community that suits the easygoing and charming nature of the series. While such settings tend to only exist in movies and TV shows, the kind of picturesque beauty that Stars Hollow offers can be found in Camden, Maine, a similarly gorgeous town. Camden differs from Gilmore Girls' famed setting because of its seaside location, but its stunning foliage during autumn gives off similar vibes to Stars Hollow in the fall.
Like Stars Hollow, Camden also contains an old-school diner and café. Stars Hollow has Luke's Diner, where Lorelai and Rory frequently grab a cup of coffee, while Camden is known for Bagel Café, a cozy place that serves all-day breakfast and, of course, coffee. Such small seaside towns also feature charming shops and a nice atmosphere for walking around which appeals to tourists who seek out such places in the warmer summer months.
7 Rockport, Massachusetts
A Town Like Stars Hollow Filled With Quaint Shops
In Gilmore Girls, Rory dreams of attending Harvard, so it's fitting that a Massachusetts town appears on this list. Located on the tip of the Cape Ann Peninsula, Rockport is a charming New England town. According to Rockport USA, a variety of cute shops line Rockport's streets, from the bookstore Susie's Stories to Windmere Art & Antiques. These are similar to Stars Hollow's Black-White-Read bookstore and Kim's Antiques.
Like Stars Hollow, Rockport also has a quaint collection of inns, as well as the Sandy Bay Historical Society and Museums, much like Stars Hollow's Historical Society and Museum seen in the Gilmore Girls season 5 episode "To Live and Let Diorama." It is another small town with a population of less than 7,000. Like Camden, Rockport is a seaside community with a heavy fishing presence. While it might make for a different focus among the citizens, such communities often include the same welcoming population that is seen in Gilmore Girls.
10 Of Stars Hollow's Quirkiest Celebrations In Gilmore Girls
Throughout Gilmore Girls, the inhabitants of Stars Hollow organize plenty of curious and bizarre celebrations that make their town interesting.
6 Friday Harbor, Washington
A Town Like Stars Hollow With A Coffee Experience That Rival's Luke's Diner
Though New England has plenty of locations that evoke the same feelings as Stars Hollow, it's not the only region that has that small-town magic. Friday Harbor, located on Washington's San Juan Island, is also a great place to visit. As Paste Magazine states, the town has a coffee experience "that rivals even Luke's" at the Crow's Nest Coffee Shoppe.
Friday Harbor has a love of festivals that rivals Stars Hollow's; Town Square Publications mentions a number of festivals, including the Friday Harbor Film Festival. Avid Gilmore Girls fans will be reminded of the Stars Hollow Movie Festival, an annual movie night in the town square. However, it also offers a lot of different aspects with its island location accessible by ferry and seaplane. While Stars Hollow can sometimes feel separated from the rest of the world, those looking to have that isolated and relaxing vibe could find it in a place like Friday Harbor.
5 Sturbridge, Massachusetts
A Town Like Stars Hollow That Hosts An Annual Revolutionary War Reenactment
Sturbridge, Massachusetts is a beautiful New England town that is sure to delight Gilmore Girls enthusiasts. Settled in 1729, Sturbridge has a rich colonial history. The town hosts Redcoats and Rebels, an annual Revolutionary War reenactment held in Old Sturbridge Village, a living historical town that recreates life in rural New England — and the event certainly echoes celebrations of The Battle of Stars Hollow reenactment in Gilmore Girls.
Sturbridge also features a stunning gazebo at the Publick House Historic Inn & Country Lodge, as well as Churchill Village Eatery, a cozy restaurant that serves delicious breakfast foods that even Luke Danes would approve of. The Sturbridge Public Library also captures Stars Hollow's small and historic feel. It was established in 1873 and has been maintained with pride and dedication by the town ever since. The nearby Wells State Park is a massive woodland that also gives the locale a closer feel to the cozy autumn feel of Stars Hollow.
Gilmore Girls: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Stars Hollow
As much as fans love the hometown of their favorite Gilmore Girls characters, they can it that not everything about Stars Hollow makes sense.
4 Kent, Connecticut
Another Connecticut Town Like Stars Hollow That Has A Bakery Similar To Weston's
Kent, Connecticut is another town Sherman-Palladino and her husband visited during their travels. Kent was settled in 1739, making it another historically significant town, however, it's much smaller than Stars Hollow, with a population of just over 3,000. But similar to the Gilmore Girls town, Kent has a beautiful gazebo on the green and a downtown section filled with cute shops. There's a local bakery, Kent Coffee & Chocolate, that will remind Gilmore Girls fans of Weston's Bakery.
Alex Borstein, who famous voices Lois Griffin in Seth Macfarlane's Family Guy was originally supposed to play Sookie. However, Borstein did play both Drella the harpist and Miss Celine in Gilmore Girls.
A post from the travel blog Planned Wanderings describes The Villager Restaurant, an eatery that serves American and Mexican food, as "if Al's Pancake World and Luke's Diner had a baby." Kent also has a number of antique shops. One in particular — Lyme Regis Ltd — gives off a Kim's Antiques vibe. As a fun bit of trivia related to the town, Kent is also the hometown of Seth MacFarlane. Though MacFarlane is best known for creating Family Guy and the movie Ted, he also played Zach in the Gilmore Girls episode "Lorelai's Graduation Day."
3 New Milford, Connecticut
Another Town That Influenced Amy Sherman-Palladino When Creating Stars Hollow
New Milford was another stop on the Palladinos' tour of Connecticut and it is located in Litchfield County, just as Kent is. It is clear that this area offered the kind of climate and conditions that would capture the vibe Gilmore Girls was looking for — a quaint town that is charming in any season, from the colorful autumn to the laidback summer to the cozy winter.
There is also a lot of history to it with the town's public school Sarah Noble being named after the daughter of New Milford's founder.
The town boasts an impressive gazebo on the town green. It even rivals the one in Stars Hollow, and it may have served as an inspiration for it. New Milford has other features that are reminiscent of towns like Stars Hollow, such as a local diner and a historical society. New Milford is another example of a charming small Connecticut town, and it's easy to see how Sherman-Palladino was inspired by it, as well as other spots in Litchfield County.
Gilmore Girls: 10 Things About Stars Hollow Residents That Would Never Fly Today
Stars Hollow residents from Gilmore Girls make for a great community, but unfortunately, some of their behaviors haven't aged all that well.
2 Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgeport West Lane Is Very Similar To The Dragonfly Inn
Located an hour and a half from New York City, Ridgeport is another quaint Connecticut town that could not be more different from the big city. According to Sookie in Gilmore Girls.
The town also has a local bookstore, Books on the Common, that's as charming as Stars Hollow Books.
The town also has a local bookstore, Books on the Common, that's as charming as Stars Hollow Books, where Rory works in Gilmore Girls season 5. The local history museum also has a similar story to the Stars Hollow History Museum. Stars Hollow's museum was originally the house of resident Joshua Twickham, while Ridgeport's Keeler Tavern Museum was the home of architect Cass Gilbert. The town was also the setting for the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War.
1 New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope Is A Perfect Substitute For Stars Hollow
New Hope, Pennsylvania is a charming town located about an hour's drive from both New York City and Philadelphia. It is one of the smallest towns on this list, boasting just over 2,500 residents as of a 2020 census. New Hope is also another town steeped in the kind of little-known American history that the people of Stars Hollow take such pride in, as it was the town where George Washington stayed the night before his historic crossing of the Delaware River.
Like towns like Stars Hollow, New Hope has a warm and inviting atmosphere, as well as gorgeous fall foliage and charming houses and shops. Paste Magazine mentions the acclaimed Inn at Bowman's Hill, as well as the Blue Moose Restaurant and Café. With its eclectic stores, and the Acme Screening Room, a nearby indie movie theater, New Hope is a perfectly suitable substitute for the town of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls.
Gilmore Girls
- Release Date
- 2000 - 2007-00-00
- Network
- The WB
- Writers
- Amy Sherman-Palladino
WHERE TO WATCH
In the fictional town of Star's Hollow, single mother Lorelai Gilmore raises her high-achieving teenage daughter Rory. Mother and daughter rely on each other throughout their own life changes, romantic entanglements, and friendships.
- Seasons
- 7
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