Groundhog Day: Woodstock and Punxsutawney

The story begins here. The weatherman Phil travels to Punxsutawney with his producer and cameraman for his annual coverage of the Groundhog Day festivities. Punxsutawney is known for its Groundhog Day celebration each February 2, and that real event gave the 1993 film its premise. Nearly all of the film was shot in Woodstock, Illinois, so the town on screen is a stand-in.

Location precision: The film is set in Punxsutawney but was shot elsewhere; the pin marks the town, not a specific scene.

Visitor guidance: The real Groundhog Day celebration takes place each February 2.

Woodstock, Illinois, plays Punxsutawney, and its town square features prominently in the film. Principal photography ran from March 16 to June 10, 1992, in weather that was often bitterly cold. By the end of the shoot, as summer began, fake snow was used to replicate the winter setting. Today the square hosts Groundhog Days, a celebration of the city's role in the film.

Visitor guidance: The square is a public park surrounded by shops and restaurants in downtown Woodstock.

The Tip Top Cafe is a setting for several scenes, including the diner where Phil shows his seemingly God-like ability to predict the future. It was purpose-built for the film. Local demand later led to a real diner with a near-identical name at the same location, and the restaurant is on the Square and still a small diner today.

Location precision: The cafe was built for the film and the checker found no exact pin; look for the diner on the square.

Visitor guidance: A diner stands on the Square today.

The Woodstock Opera House served as the exterior of Rita's hotel in the film, and its tower is used for Phil's suicide leap. The building dates from 1889, when it housed the library, council room, justice court, fire department and a second-floor auditorium. It is one of the oldest continually operating theatres in the United States.

Visitor guidance: The building anchors the square and still hosts concerts and theatre.

In one of the film's loops, Murray is nearly run over by a train. Those shots were filmed at the Illinois Railway Museum, near Woodstock, rather than anywhere in Pennsylvania. The museum is a railroad museum in Union, Illinois, and the largest railroad museum in the United States.

Visitor guidance: The museum is at Olson Road in Union, Illinois.

In one of Phil's darkest loops he is shown kidnapping Punxsutawney Phil and driving them both off a cliff. The scene of Phil driving a truck over a cliff was shot in Nimtz Quarry in Loves Park, Illinois, about 34 miles (55 km) from Woodstock. A rail system propelled two vehicles into the quarry on separate takes, to give the director a choice of shots.