Create Your Own Stars Hollow Experience This Fall in Kosciusko County
“It’s a Show? It’s a Lifestyle. It’s a Religion.” – Lorelai Gilmore.
It is officially Gilmore Girls re-watch season, as autumn descends in an array of bright colors, chill air, and cozy vibes. The nostalgia of this show fits perfectly with the autumn season, and the comfort it provides goes perfectly with the shortening days and colder weather. The most prominent location in Gilmore Girls by far is Stars Hollow, the small town where Lorelai and Rory Gilmore live. Sadly, Stars Hollow is not a real place you can visit, but Northern Indiana’s Kosciusko County offers some fun alternatives. Discover multiple small towns in Kosciusko County that offer the ultimate Stars Hollow experience.
The Village at Winona
Enjoy the fall season while walking through this small, lakeside community. Nestled on the shore of Winona Lake, the Village at Winona offers a wide variety of village-style shops lining the Winona Lake canal. If you are looking for a locally owned diner and coffee shop like Luke’s Diner, visit Light Rail Café. For an experience similar to the Star’s Hollow Soda Shoppe, visit Rocket Fizz, a specialty candy and soda pop store. The Canal Street Market is the town’s specialty grocery store, similar to Doose’s Market, and the two bed & breakfasts, The Chestnut House and Blue Heron Guest House, are similar to Lorelai’s Inn, The Dragonfly. Stay at one these bed & breakfasts and explore the Village and get a “coffee with a shot of cynicism.”
Pierceton
Known as the ultimate antiquing town, this 150+ year old small town attracts antique enthusiasts from across the Midwest. If you are looking for chaotic antique shops like Kim’s Antiques, visit shops like Beyond the Barn, Blue Pearl Fine Estate, Homespun Home, Kelsea Designs, My Red Moon Curiosities & Collectables, Puck’s Vintage Interiors & Goblin Market, Purr-Fectly Unique Design Studio & Boutique, Roberta’s Daugher Antiques, and Second Fiddle.
End the day by stopping in for a meal at The Old Train Depot. This post-Civil War station restaurant overlooks a hall with fireplace, hand-crafted wood bar, and railroad memorabilia. Lower-level seating, a second-floor deck perched over the railway, and a dinner car provide a variety of seating options. Craft martinis and cocktails with railway-inspired names, like Runaway Train and Sidecar, enhance dining. Wrap yourself in the cozy, rustic small-town vibes of Pierceton as the leaves change.
Mentone
This town is known for being home to the Biggest Egg in the World. The Mentone Egg is a concrete egg that stands at 10ft. tall and weighs 3,000lbs. Visit this quirky attraction, then walk down Pete & Freddy’s Pages Aplenty.
“I live in two worlds. One is a world of books.”- Rory Gilmore. If you share Rory Gilmore’s obsessive love of books, then this bookstore will be paradise to you. After wandering through the rooms full of books, visit Java Jacks for your coffee-fix, or visit Diana’s Family Restaurant for a Luke’s Diner-style meal.
Syracuse
“Reality has no place in our world!” – Lorelai Gilmore. This rings true for the dreamy lakeside town of Syracuse situated in between Syracuse Lake and Lake Wawasee, the largest natural lake in Indiana. Stars Hollow’s gazebo was absolutely iconic as the center of the town, and Syracuse has its own iconic gazebo. Enter this white gazebo and descend the stairs underground to the Down Under Bar & Restaurant. This hidden restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes as delicious as Sookie’s cooking.
Luke may have eventually sold his boat in Gilmore Girls, but you can still have a boating experience here in Syracuse. Ride the Oakwood Resort Tour Boat, offering complimentary rides to resort guests and also open to the public, or make reservations for the S.S. Lilypad, both offering tours of Lake Wawasee.
Experience a stay similar to that of the Dragonfly Inn at accommodation like Brook Pointe Inn and Oakwood Resort. Oakwood Resort sits right on Lake Wawasee for a stunning view, and even once burned down and had to be rebuilt, just like Lorelai’s inn. Brook Pointe Inn is nestled in the woods and offers a secret enchanted garden in the back.
Start Your Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow Experience
“It’s just my favorite time of year. The whole world changes color.” – Lorelai Gilmore. If fall and Gilmore Girls is your favorite combo, then Northern Indiana’s Kosciusko County is the fall getaway for you. Sadly, Stars Hollow isn’t a real place, but these small towns can offer you the ultimate Stars Hollow experience regardless. Book your getaway today.