Stars Hollow is getting bigger: Everything ‘Gilmore Girls’ fans can visit in 2026
Pack your coffee and prepare to smell snow. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is bringing Stars Hollow back for the holidays, and the 2026 version gives “Gilmore Girls” fans more places to explore than ever before.
In the year 2000, “Gilmore Girls” began its run on The WB network. 26 years later, the show still has a rabid fanbase. If you’ve never stepped inside Stars Hollow, or already visited during a previous holiday season, there will be more to explore in 2026.
Naturally, there are plenty of returning “Gilmore Girls” landmarks and for 2026 there are new locations opening to event guests for the first time.
You no longer need to take the Warner Bros. Studio Tour
For the first time, Gilmore Girls Holidays will be offered as its own ticketed event, meaning fans can visit Stars Hollow without purchasing admission to the full Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood.
General admission to Gilmore Girls Holidays is $79. Guests who want both experiences can purchase a $124 bundle that includes Gilmore Girls Holidays and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Studio Tour
Gilmore Girls Holidays runs Dec. 12, 2026-Jan. 3, 2027, and will be closed Christmas Day. Warner Bros. describes this year’s version as an evolution of the former Holidays Made Here event and its most expansive “Gilmore Girls” holiday experience to date.
Here’s what you’ll be able to visit this year.
What can you actually visit at Gilmore Girls Holidays?
Part of the appeal of Gilmore Girls Holidays is that Warner Bros. Studios served as the real filming location for Stars Hollow. Midwest Street on the studio backlot became the fictional Connecticut town throughout the series, meaning visitors aren’t simply walking through a recreation built for the holiday event.
What’s new for 2026
Luke’s Apartment
For the first time, fans can venture upstairs from Luke’s Diner and into Luke’s Apartment. This isn’t simply a recreation placed somewhere on the backlot: Warner Bros. is rebuilding the apartment inside Stage 13, its original filming location, using specifications from the original production.
Chilton School Graduation Courtyard
The experience is expanding beyond Stars Hollow with a new Chilton School Graduation Courtyard. Warner Bros. says the setting will let guests revisit a pivotal chapter in Rory’s story, recalling her graduation before leaving Chilton for Yale.
The Gilmore Estate
The Gilmore Estate isn’t entirely new, but there will be more of it to explore in 2026. Warner Bros. is expanding the walkthrough of Emily and Richard Gilmore’s Hartford home, the setting for the family’s famous Friday night dinners.
Rory’s Basket Auction
Another new addition comes straight out of season two’s “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” Rory’s Basket Auction will turn the Stars Hollow tradition into an interactive experience, referencing the Season 2 episode in which Jess outbids Dean for Rory’s basket — and the lunch that comes with it.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Studio Tour
New Stars Hollow food and merchandise
Come hungry. Gilmore Girls Holidays is expanding its themed food and beverage lineup for 2026, including a few items that go deep into “Gilmore Girls” fandom.
New Caesar’s Chilaquiles Nachos will be served in a collectible upside-down Luke’s baseball hat, while a new Gazebo Popcorn Bucket pays tribute to the centerpiece of Stars Hollow’s town square.
At Stars Hollow Creamery, the eternal Dean vs. Jess vs. Logan debate becomes dessert. Three new themed shakes will represent each of Rory’s boyfriends: Dean, Jess and Logan.
The Secret Bar will also introduce new cocktails, including a tiramisu martini, I Smell Snow peppermint colada and Jackson’s peach julep. More themed food and specialty drinks will be announced closer to opening day.
There’s new merchandise, too. Her Universe is creating an exclusive collection of “Gilmore Girls” apparel and accessories, while Department 56 is expanding its Stars Hollow collection with Kim’s Antiques and Miss Patty’s School of Ballet miniatures. They join the existing Lorelai’s House and Luke’s Diner collectibles.
What’s returning to Stars Hollow
Gilmore Girls Holidays is centered on Midwest Street, the Warner Bros. backlot location used to film Stars Hollow for the series. For the holiday event, the area is transformed back into the fictional Connecticut town.
During the 2025 event, fans could walk through Lorelai’s House, Luke’s Diner, the Dragonfly Inn and Miss Patty’s School of Ballet, while Stars Hollow storefronts included Doose’s Market, Kim’s Antiques and the Stars Hollow Bookstore.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Studios Tour
Warner Bros. has not yet released a complete list of which of those individual locations will return in their 2025 form. The company says additional Stars Hollow surprises and experiences will be announced in the months ahead, so the four new and expanded experiences announced Sept. 29 are only part of what’s planned.
Learn more at WBstudiotour.com.
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