Question 1

Is Stars Hollow a real place?

Accepted Answer

No, the town of Stars Hollow, CT is a fictional town created for Gilmore Girls.

Question 2

What town is Gilmore Girls based on?

Accepted Answer

Stars Hollow was inspired by the town of Washington, Connecticut, which is located in the northwest part of the state.

The show's creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, was staying in Washington on a trip to CT to see the Mark Twain House. She had already landed a show concept for a mother-daughter best friend duo. But it was while staying at the Mayflower Inn in Washington for a couple of days that she caught the magic of small-town Connecticut. She watched someone go behind the counter at a diner to pour their own coffee, saw someone slow their car down to ask where the pumpkin patch was, and noticed that everyone seemed to know everyone in town. She knew this was the type of welcoming, warm place that Lorelai would want to raise her daughter.

Question 3

Are there towns in Connecticut like Stars Hollow?

Accepted Answer

While Washington, CT was the original inspiration for the show’s setting, but there are elements of it across a number of Connecticut towns, especially in the northwest corner (Litchfield Hills): Litchfield, New Milford, and Kent are some similar towns. Other honorable mentions outside of this area include: Old Wethersfield, Guilford, and Branford.

Question 4

Where was Gilmore Girls filmed?

Accepted Answer

Contrary to popular belief, there is one real spot in Connecticut that shows up on the show! It's true the majority of the show was filmed at the studio in California and the pilot was filmed in Toronto. But in Season One, Episode Two (minute four), there is a brief b-roll shot of the Jeep driving by the Gelston House in East Haddam, CT (Goodspeed Opera House is also barely visible) as Rory and Lorelai are driving to Chilton.

As a side note, this is one of many reasons Connecticut residents laugh about the show's geography—this location is on the opposite side of Hartford as where the most "Stars Hollow" towns are, so it would not be on the way to Chilton.

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