10 of the Best Gilmore Girls Towns Like Stars Hollow in Connecticut
These Gilmore Girls towns in Connecticut bring Stars Hollow vibes with their cute gazebos, local diners, book shops, and more.
When I started looking for small towns like Stars Hollow in Connecticut, it was easy to track down several charming options that reminded me of the quaint village from “Gilmore Girls.”
It’s said that the show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, spent time in Connecticut. You can definitely see the inspiration in the steepled churches, town squares, historic inns, and local cafes that fill the villages throughout the western part of the state.
Whether you’re a big fan of the show looking to guzzle all the coffee and recreate your favorite Lorelei and Rory moments, or just into sweet small towns in New England with local shops and eateries, Connecticut will not disappoint.
Before visiting, I envisioned a list of attributes that real towns like Stars Hollow should have. It included a town square, gazebo, bookstore or library, small inn, local grocer like Doose’s, diner like Luke’s, and antique stores like Miss Kim’s. For bonus points, I was also looking for “Gilmore Girls” Easter eggs like an old movie theater, a local pizza spot, a church with a bell tower, a dance studio, festivals, and a candy shop. I figured a pancake house that actually served global cuisine was a bit of a stretch.
Below, I’ve rounded up a few top contenders that I think are worth a stop on a Gilmore Girls trip. Most are pretty close to each other, so it would be easy to visit at least a handful on a long Gilmore Girls weekend getaway to Connecticut.
Keep reading for more about the real Stars Hollow and the best lookalikes I’ve found!
Where Does Gilmore Girls Take Place?
The setting for the show “Gilmore Girls” is the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. While you won’t be able to find it on a map, there are many small towns like Stars Hollow in the western part of the state, and some of them likely inspired the creator to envision beloved spots like Luke’s Diner and the Independence Inn.
The town in Gilmore Girls is a sort of amalgamation of real towns like Stars Hollow in Connecticut. We visited several on a Connecticut road trip and I’ve included a few of my favorites below.
You can also visit several other places mentioned in the show that are real places in Connecticut. Hartford, home to Richard and Emily Gilmore, is the real-life capital of Connecticut. New Haven, where Rory goes to school at Yale is in the southern part of the state near the coast. And Woodbury, frequently mentioned as a rival to Stars Hollow by town selectman Taylor Doose, is a real place (scroll down to see the cute inn I stayed at there).
Is Stars Hollow Connecticut a Real Place?
Stars Hollow is not a real place in Connecticut. Most parts of the show that featured downtown Stars Hollow were filmed on the Warner Brothers studio backlot in Burbank, California.
Book your Warner Brothers Studio Tour here
Gilmore Girls Towns Like Stars Hollow
A few of these towns were on my list when I arrived in Connecticut, but many of them I just stumbled upon while driving through the western side of the state. I recommend visiting a handful on your trip to find the Gilmore Girls town you connect to most.
Washington
Washington is one of the real towns like Stars Hollow I had heard the most about before arriving in Connecticut. It is said that the creator of “Gilmore Girls” stayed at the Mayflower Inn here and the location helped inspire the show.
Downtown Washington Depot definitely has some nods to the show and actual Gilmore Girls merchandise in a couple of shops, but it was a little smaller than I imagine Stars Hollow would be. The town is also separated into a couple of different sections about a mile apart.
Things To Do in Washington, Connecticut
Get coffee and breakfast at Marty’s Cafe
Grab snacks from Washington Food Market
Eat a slice at Washington Pizza House
Shop for books and souvenirs at Hickory Stick Book Shop (they have GG merch here!)
Eat at Po Cafe
Where to Stay in Washington
Search for suites at the Mayflower Inn and Spa
New Milford
Downtown New Milford reminded me the most of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, and seemed about the right size. A town square green has a cute gazebo and is surrounded by shops, eateries, a white-steepled church, and a library.
There was even a festival going on when I visited at Youngs Field, a riverfront park a few blocks from the square. In addition to the Gilmore Girls nods listed below, you can check out Lovers Leap State Park and Bridge, which made me think of the “You Jump, I Jump, Jack,” episode of the show because of the name.
Things to Do in New Milford, Connecticut
Sit in the town gazebo
Visit the New Milford Public Library
Watch a movie at Bank Street Theater
Eat breakfast at Cool Hand Duke’s or Johana’s Restaurant
Shop at The Hunt vintage store
Catch a show at FineLine Theatre Arts
Eat at Momma’s Tacos
Get a cone at Grassroots Ice Cream
Where to Stay in New Milford
Reserve a room at the Homestead Inn
Litchfield
Established in 1719, Litchfield certainly evokes the historic elements of Stars Hollow. The Litchfield Town Green has monuments and a canon (but no gazebo) and is surrounded by the business district, much like the beloved Gilmore Girls town.
Downtown you’ll find all the Stars Hollow staples, from a white-steepled church to antique stores and local diners. You also don’t want to miss the Milton Historic District nearby for pre-Revolutionary War buildings and outdoorsy attractions like Topsmead State Forest and Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the state.
Things to Do in Litchfield, Connecticut
Shop for antiques on West Street and South Street
Grab coffee at Espresso 59
Pig out at Ollie’s Pizza
Walk through the town green
Read at the Oliver Wolcott Library
Visit the basement bookstore at First Congregational Church
Where to Stay in Litchfield
Book a stay at The Litchfield Inn
Woodbury
If you’re looking for small towns like Stars Hollow, Woodbury is a great match. It’s actually mentioned a few times in Gilmore Girls, usually by Taylor, who treats it as a sort of rival.
The town square here is super small, but it has a gazebo and that natural blend of homes and businesses that matches downtown Stars Hollow. Plus, there’s a white-steepled church, antique store, and cute corner pharmacy shop right on the square.
The rest of the town has tons of antique stores, but everything else is more spread out along Main Street, so it doesn’t quite capture the essence of Stars Hollow. Nevertheless, the town felt like the perfect size and there is a historic inn with a restaurant that gave off major Gilmore Girls vibes.
Things to Do in Woodbury, Connecticut
Shop for antiques along Main Street
Tour the Glebe House Museum and Garden
Grab coffee and breakfast at West Egg Cafe, Dottie’s, or Rachel’s Kitchen
Order a pie at Woodbury Pizza and Restaurant
Read at the Woodbury Public Library
Visit the North Green gazebo
Pop into the Canfield Corner Pharmacy
Where to Stay in Woodbury
In Woodbury, I stayed at the historic 1754 Inn, which had all the lovely antique furniture and creaking floors you’d expect from a place like the Dragonfly Inn on Gilmore Girls. The building from the 1730s is thought to have first opened as an inn in 1754, and today has just nine guest rooms. A restaurant on the first floor is open to the public and serves dinner daily and brunch on the weekends.
Bethel
Walking by a dance studio followed by a shop called “Patricia’s” immediately sold me on Bethel as a town like Stars Hollow. And that’s not even mentioning all the cute bookshops, boutiques, and local eateries.
With a population of a little over 20,000, Bethel feels a bit large for a direct comparison, but the downtown business district definitely has a lot of the markers of a Gilmore Girls town. It has a small green called P.T. Barnum Square with a statue and benches but doesn’t have a gazebo to put it over the edge.
Nevertheless, I definitely recommend stopping here on a Gilmore Girls road trip in Connecticut and eating at Edison Kitchen, which was delicious.
Things to Do in Bethel, Connecticut
Get breakfast or lunch at Jacqueline’s
Fill your bookshelf at Byrd’s Books and Rainy Day Paperback
Fuel up on coffee, coffee, coffee at Molten Java
Grab pastries at Varano Bakery
People watch at P.T. Barnum Square
Stroll and shop along Greenwood Avenue and Wooster Street
Eat at Famous Pizza, Edison Kitchen, Putnam House, or La Zingara
Get a cone at Dr. Mike’s Ice Cream Shop
Where to Stay in Bethel
Search for hotels in Bethel
Danbury
Danbury is much larger than the other small towns on this list, but it’s worth a stop on a Gilmore Girls road trip, since it’s near so many of the other spots. Just 3 miles north of Bethel, the city has a theater, a couple of museums, and an ice arena. It’s also home to Western Connecticut State University.
Though it has way too many traffic lights to be Stars Hollow, Danbury’s Main Street and White Street is the best spot to find local coffee shops and diners. Elmwood Park on Main and State Street has town square vibes with a little fountain and benches.
On the outskirts of town, you can spend time outdoors at Wooster Mountain State Park, play golf at a handful of courses, and see the remains of the old Hearthstone Castle.
Things to Do in Danbury, Connecticut
Get breakfast or burgers at Holiday Diner
Grab coffee and sweets from Mothership on Main
Catch a performance at Danbury Music Centre
Order tacos at El Taco Loco
Hang out at the Danbury City Center Green
Watch a hockey game at the Danbury Ice Arena
Where to Stay in Danbury
Search for rooms in Danbury
Norfolk
Norfolk was not on my list of small towns like Stars Hollow Connecticut to stop in, but we stumbled upon it on our drive and it fits the bill perfectly. It’s in the northwestern part of the state, so it’s a little farther than some of these other stops, but definitely worth including on a Connecticut road trip.
The tiny town has a village green surrounded by a really cool old library, a white church with a bell tower, and a couple of small shops and eateries. Haystack Mountain State Park, Dennis Hill State Park, and Campbell Falls State Park are also nearby for hiking and outdoor fun.
Things to Do in Norfolk, Connecticut
Read in the 1889 Norfolk Library
Grab snacks and coffee from Berkshire Country Store
Catch a show at Infinity Music Hall
Eat a burger at the Norfolk Pub
Walk around the Norfolk Historic District
Attend a Yale Norfolk School of Art event in the summer
Where to Stay in Norfolk
Reserve a room at the Manor House Inn
Ridgefield
Ridgefield is the perfect Gilmore Girls town in Connecticut, located in the southwestern part of the state in the Berkshire Mountains foothills. A small movie theater, local coffee shops, and an actual Luc’s Cafe (it’s a French restaurant) definitely mark this as one of the real towns like Stars Hollow in Connecticut.
To fully embrace the historic vibes you can visit Weir Farm National Historical Park and Keeler Tavern Museum nearby. There are lots of small parks and green spaces around town as well.
Things to Do in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Get coffee and pastries at Tazza Cafe
Grab breakfast or lunch from Dimitri’s Diner
Find the gazebo on Main Street and Gilbert Street
Visit Books on Common
Window shop on Main and Bailey Avenue
Order a pie from Planet Pizza, 850 Wood Fired, or Eddie’s Pizza and Pasta
Watch a movie at Prospector Theater
Get dinner at Luc’s Cafe
Catch a concert at Ridgefield Playhouse
Go skating at Winter Garden Ice Arena
Where to Stay in Ridgefield
Book a stay at the West Lane Inn
Kent
On the far western side of Connecticut, Kent is a sweet little small town like Stars Hollow established in 1739. The old churches, historic storefronts, local inns, and town gazebo definitely give off Gilmore Girls vibes.
In very un-Gilmore Girls fashion, though, Kent is also a great spot to get outdoors. Kent Falls State Park, Macedonia Brook State Park, Pond Mountain Natural Area, and a section of the Appalachian Trail are all nearby. You can also drive down Kent Road to see the Bulls Covered Bridge over the Housatonic River.
Things to Do in Kent, Connecticut
Order coffee at Kent Coffee and Chocolate Co.
Grab breakfast at Wilson’s Bakery and Cafe
Visit the House of Books
Shop for antiques on Main Street and Maple Street
Get lunch at Sophie’s or the Villager Restaurant
Find the gazebo on Main Street
Tour the Eric Sloane Museum and Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum
Shop for snacks at Davis IGA grocer
Dine at Ore Hill & Swift or Kingsley Tavern
Where to Stay in Kent
Kent has a few cute inns that give off Gilmore Girls vibes. If you’re looking to stay near downtown Kent, check out the Firefly Inn, the Victorian, and the Garden Cottages, which are all run by the Kent Collection.
Cornwall and West Cornwall
Cornwall and West Cornwall are a pair of neighboring villages I stumbled upon during my Connecticut road trip. They’re both smaller than I imagine Stars Hollow, but they fit in on a Gilmore Girls trip.
West Cornwall is a tiny town just across the Housatonic River from U.S. Route 7 via a red-covered bridge. There are just a handful of businesses here in historic buildings. Cornwall is less than 5 miles east and surrounded by forests and fields. A small town center around a green has a library, town hall, and white-steepled church, but not much else.
There definitely isn’t a lot to do in either of the towns, but they’re worth a stop on a Connecticut Gilmore Girls trip. The Mohawk Mountain State Park and ski area, Housatonic Meadows State Park, and Wyantenock State Forest are also nearby.
Things to Do in Cornwall, Connecticut
Eat weekend brunch at Frank Food Company
Shop for food and artisan products at The Local
Read in the Cornwall Library
Find the Cornwall Town Hall and green
Check out the small shops in Cornwall Bridge
Take a picnic basket to Housatonic Meadows State Park
Where to Stay in Cornwall
Search for hotels near Cornwall
