Where Was Gilmore Girls Filmed?

Location 01

Midwest Street backlot

California, Burbank, United States Ticketed

Filmed here: Stars Hollow town square, gazebo, Luke's Diner exterior, Doose's Market, church, residential streets, and town square scenes...

This is Stars Hollow. The town square, gazebo, Luke's Diner exterior, Doose's Market, the church, and the surrounding residential streets were all filmed here across every season and the revival. The set has served over 400 productions, and crews dressed it with fake autumn leaves and mashed potato snow for the show's seasonal look. Today it is accessible only through the paid Warner Bros. Studio Tour, and the gazebo often remains standing for photos. Seasonal Gilmore Girls events have recreated sets like Luke's Diner.

Location 02

Greystone Mansion & Park

California, Beverly Hills, United States Free to see

Filmed here: Chilton Preparatory School exterior shots

Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills provided the exterior shots of Chilton Preparatory School. The estate is now a public park listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with gardens open daily and free parking. Visitors can wander the grounds on a self-guided basis, though interior access to the mansion itself is limited. It is one of the easiest real Gilmore Girls locations to see without a ticket, and the gardens alone justify the trip for many visitors to the Los Angeles area.

Location 03

Unionville Main Street

Ontario, Markham, Canada Free to see

Filmed here: Pilot episode Stars Hollow streets, Luke's Diner exterior at 156 Main Street, church, and town scenes

The pilot episode, the only one filmed outside California, shot its Stars Hollow streets here in Markham, Ontario. Luke's Diner stood at 156 Main Street, and the church and town scenes used the historic village as a backdrop. It remains a free, walkable area with self-guided tours available, and some of the original buildings now operate as shops or spas. For fans tracing the show's origins, it offers the closest thing to a real-life Stars Hollow that predates the backlot sets.

Location 04

Pomona College

California, Claremont, United States Free to see

Filmed here: Rory's initial Yale visit exteriors

Pomona College in Claremont, California, stood in for the exteriors of Rory's initial Yale visit. The campus grounds are accessible to visitors, though it is sensible to check current visitor policies before arriving. Located in the Los Angeles area, it can be combined with other filming sites in a single day. There is little Gilmore Girls signage or fan infrastructure here, so it suits travelers who enjoy recognizing locations on their own rather than following a formal tour route.

Location 05

University of Southern California campus

California, Los Angeles, United States Free to see

Filmed here: Additional Yale exterior scenes

USC in Los Angeles provided additional Yale exterior scenes once the series moved Rory's storyline to college. Public areas of the campus are visitable, and guided tours of the university are available for those who want structure. Like Pomona College, it is a working campus rather than a themed attraction, so fans should expect a normal university atmosphere. Its central Los Angeles location makes it an easy add-on to a day that includes other area filming sites.

Location 06

Royce Hall, UCLA

California, Los Angeles, United States Free to see

Filmed here: Harvard visit scenes

Royce Hall at UCLA represented Harvard during the road trip episodes in which Rory and Lorelai visit the Cambridge campus. The hall is a campus landmark with public access to the surrounding grounds, so fans can walk up and photograph it without a ticket or reservation. Westwood, where UCLA sits, is easy to reach from other Los Angeles filming locations, including USC and the Ebell Club. No Gilmore Girls-specific programming exists here, but the architecture does the talking.

Location 07

Ebell Club of Los Angeles

California, Los Angeles, United States Ticketed

Filmed here: Rory's dances, cotillion, high school cafeteria, and Emily/Richard vow renewal

The Ebell Club hosted several memorable interiors and events: Rory's dances, cotillion, the high school cafeteria, and Emily and Richard's vow renewal. It remains a private club that hosts events, so public access is limited and visits generally require attending a ticketed function or event. Fans hoping to see inside should watch the club's events calendar. From the street, the building's exterior is visible, which is how most productions, including this one, first used it.

Location 08

Warner Bros. soundstages (Stages 12, 14, 18)

California, Burbank, United States Studio set

Filmed here: All interior sets including Lorelai's house, Gilmore mansion, inns, and Yale dorms

All of the show's interior sets were built on these Burbank soundstages, including Lorelai's house, the Gilmore mansion, the inns, and the Yale dorms. The stages themselves are not publicly accessible, but they can sometimes be seen on studio tours where permitted, depending on what is shooting at the time. The 2016 revival returned to these same stages and the same backlot, which is why the revival looks so consistent with the original series. Check tour options for current stage access.