Diksha Sundriyal
In the time when the television industry has received a boom after its Golden Age, all the shows seem focused on telling complicated stories with convoluted plots and twisted timelines. Feel-good shows have turned into a rarity, which is what makes series like ‘Gilmore Girls’ even more important. There is an undeniable nostalgia in it, even if you are watching it for the first time. The palette of it invokes warmth and the relationship of Lorelai Gilmore with her daughter, Rory, makes us melt. Whatever happens, they stick with each other and make memories all over the town.
Speaking of which, what a great place Stars Hollow is. It comes across as a dreamy place where nothing bad ever happens, and there is an endless supply of coffee and books. No wonder the Gilmore girls chose this place as their home. But where exactly is it? Here are all the locations where ‘Gilmore Girls’ was filmed.
Gilmore Girls Filming Locations
‘Gilmore Girls’ is set in a small town in Connecticut but in reality, it was filmed in California. Burbank serves as the primary filming location for the series. The backlot of WB studios served as home to the cast of the show. Only a handful of exterior locations were employed while filming the series.
Burbank, California
The lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore are rooted in the town of Stars Hollow. The town exudes a warm charm and a cordial vibe that makes you want to move to the place and live there for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, it is a fictional town, so you should probably think about moving to another place. Luckily, the entire set of the series is available for you to tour anytime.
The pilot for the series was filmed in Unionville, Ontario. However, once it got picked up for a full series, the production moved to the WB Studios in Burbank. The backlot, known as the Midwest Street, served as the location where they recreated the locations from the pilot. The scenes taking place at the Gilmore House were filmed at various soundstages custom-made to reflect the personalities of the Gilmore girls.
Similarly, Sookie’s house received a do-over of its own, but there is a very important factor connecting them. The location for both their houses is the same. If you’ve been wondering why you never saw the backyard of Lorelai’s house, then it is because her best friend had been living there all along! Also, if seeing the front side of the Gilmore House rings any bells for you, it is probably because you have seen it in another popular series, ‘Pretty Little Liars’. The same house is where Spencer lives.
In the same vein, places like Luke’s Diner, the Independence Inn, the gazebo, Stars Hollow High School, and Doose’s Market have all been filmed on sets. The house of Richard and Emily Gilmore, too, was recreated in the WB studios. The Greystone Park and Mansion in Beverly Hills serves as the location for Chilton Academy. The place also appeared in ‘The Big Lebowski’, ‘Arrow’, ‘Revenge’ and ‘X-Men’, to name a few.
When Rory visits Harvard and Yale as a choice for her further education. The scenes pertaining to Harvard were actually filmed at UCLA and the first visit to Yale was shot at Pomona College. The rest of the scenes set in Yale were filmed at a soundstage in the studio.
Washington, Connecticut
With everything created out of thin air, if you are disappointed that Stars Hollow is not a real place, here is the consolation for you. The creator of Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino was inspired by the town of Washington, Connecticut to create the story of our favourite mother-daughter duo. The B&B in the show is inspired by a real place called Washington’s Mayflower Grace Inn.
Sherman-Palladino had visited the place with her husband, and the tight-knit sense of community and the friendly ambience of the town made her think about a similar place which materialised on the screen as Stars Hollow. Perhaps, this is where you should try to find your own Luke’s Diner and your own Gilmore house. Also, the town that is featured in the opening credits of the show is actually South Royalton, Vermont.
Read More: Best Feel-Good Shows You Must Watch
