Walking Through Stars Hollow: An Exclusive Event for Gilmore Girls Fans

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If you’re anything like me, you probably fell in love with the town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, while watching Gilmore Girls. Grabbing a coffee at Luke’s Diner, strolling past Doose’s Market, and wandering through the town square–it all seemed magical. Especially since having grown up in San Diego, the idea of of small town like Stars Hollow truly sounded magical. And I am thrilled to have experienced this magical fictional town, even if for only a few hours.

On occasion during the holiday season, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood transforms its iconic Midwest Street backlot into the town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, creating a limited-time, immersive experience that feels like stepping straight into Gilmore Girls. And yes—it’s just as magical as it sounds.

What Is the Stars Hollow Tour?

The Stars Hollow Tour is part of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood’s seasonal event called Holidays Made Here, typically held in December through early January. Warner Brothers doesn’t claim to hold this event annually, as there could be filming during that time that could prevent it.

During the Holidays Made Here event, the familiar backlot is fully dressed to resemble the beloved town from Gilmore Girls. It’s complete with festive décor, cozy details, and plenty of nostalgic moments for fans.

Unlike a standard studio tour stop, this experience invites guests to slow down, explore, and truly soak in the atmosphere of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

What You’ll See While You’re on the Stars Hollow Set

One of the best parts of the Stars Hollow experience is how many iconic locations you can actually walk through. Highlights include:

• Luke’s Diner – Arguably the heart of Stars Hollow and a must-stop for photos
• Lorelai’s House – Instantly recognizable and incredibly surreal to see in person
• The Dragonfly Inn – A fan favorite that feels especially charming during the holidays
• Doose’s Market – Complete with small-town details that make it feel alive
• Decorate Cookies at Sookie’s
• Kim’s Antique Shop
• Shop at the Stars Hollow Mercantile

The entire area is decorated with seasonal touches, creating a cozy, festive feeling that Gilmore Girls fans associate with fall and winter.

More Than Just Sets: The Experience

What sets this event apart from the standard Warner Brothers Tour is the ability to really interact with the town. During the standard tour, you might get to see the outside of the Stars Hollow buildings. But you don’t get to walk through town, and you definitely don’t get to go into the buildings. Beyond just walking past familiar buildings, guests can enjoy:

• Themed food and drinks
• Interactive activities
• Photo opportunities throughout the town
• The opportunity to see members of the cast. Luke visits daily, although times are never disclosed. We saw Taylor interacting with guests while we visited, and heard that Mrs. Kim also stops by often.
• Holiday décor that makes everything feel extra special

They did a beautiful job bringing the town to life and giving everyone the chance to step into Stars Hollow—even if only for a few magical hours. But I do think some things could be improved.

Tickets & How It Works

The Stars Hollow, Connecticut set experience is limited-time and typically sells out, especially on weekends and closer to the holidays.

Guests can usually choose between:

• A Stars Hollow–focused ticket, or
• A full Warner Bros. Studio Tour ticket that includes access to the Stars Hollow experience along with the standard tour of the studio

We chose to do the full Warner Brothers Tour, which also gave us access to the Friends set and the Big Bang Theory set. A studio tour is a fun and unique thing to do in Los Angeles any time of year, but if you want to see Stars Hollow, make sure you check the event dates.

Because availability is limited and dates vary each year, this is one of those events that’s worth planning ahead for if it’s on your bucket list. You can use this link to purchase tickets for the Studio Tour, but please note that this special Stars Hollow tour is not offered year-round.

When Does It Happen?

The Stars Hollow, Connecticut transformation usually takes place during December and early January, aligning with Warner Bros.’ Holidays Made Here event. Dates can change slightly year to year, so it’s something to keep in mind as a seasonal experience rather than a year-round offering.

Is This Version of Stars Hollow, Connecticut Worth It?

If Gilmore Girls was ever a comfort show for you, the opportunity to see Stars Hollow, Connecticut is an easy yes.

There’s something incredibly special about walking through a place you’ve “visited” so many times on screen. Whether you’re a longtime fan, visiting with your kids, or simply someone who loves unique, memory-making experiences, this is one of those moments that stays with you.

It’s also a great reminder that travel magic doesn’t always require a plane ticket or a faraway destination—sometimes it’s about stepping into a story that meant something to you.

There are some things I’d change though. I had no idea how popular this event would be, and it felt very crowded. There were lines just about every step of the way: lines to get into the lot, lines to get onto the scheduled tour, and lines to get into each building. If you hate lines and crowds, this event isn’t for you.

I think it would be better if they limited people to only a couple of hours on the set. That way, there can be smaller crowds during each time slot, and you can more easily get pictures in the places you’d like. As it is now, people can enter at the first tour of the day and stay all day. But because of that, there was a 1-hour wait to get pictures in Lorelei’s house, and a 2-hour wait to get into Luke’s Diner. They do have a virtual queue for these, but all of the time slots were taken before 2pm.

I would go again, but I would book an earlier time slot to try to avoid larger crowds. It was getting busier as the day went on because many people want to see the town lit up at night.

Final Thoughts on the Stars Hollow, Connecticut Tour

The Stars Hollow Tour at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is one of those experiences that feels both nostalgic and joyful, especially during the holiday season. I was surprised by the number of people who dressed up as Luke, Lorelei and Rory. And I even saw someone dressed as Jess! I love that people got so into it.

I do think it would be a lot of fun to go with a bit bigger group in the future. There are a lot of opportunities to purchase coffee, sweets, hot chocolate, etc. But because there were only two of us, we couldn’t have possibly sampled it all. That is also something you’ll want to keep in mind–you can end up spending a small fortune in this little town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

Even though this tour is only around for a short time each year, it’s absolutely worth keeping on your radar for the future.

Because if the chance ever comes up to walk through Stars Hollow—even just for a few hours—you’ll want to say yes.

Need a hotel to stay in during your trip? Check out these top Los Angeles hotels for families.

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