Where Was Groundhog Day Filmed? Bill Murray’s Iconic Comedy Flick From 1993!!

If you like watching comedy films, then I’m hoping you have watched Groundhog Day, at least once! However, if you’re intrigued to find out where was Groundhog Day filmed, then read this article till the end. As, today apart from giving you an overview of this iconic film, I will also share its filming locations.

The American comedy-drama film, Groundhog Day was released in 1993. This comedy film gained huge popularity amongst viewers of all age groups. Harold Ramis, apart from directing this super-entertaining film, also pitched in as a screenwriter alongside Danny Rubin. The basic premise of Groundhog Day follows the character of Phil, a self-absorbed weatherman, who gets stuck in a time loop while covering a special event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Groundhog Day was an overall commercial success, as it went on to gross over $105 million at the box office.

This engaging fantasy-drama film also won a couple of major awards over the years, including BAFTA Awards in 1994.

Now, without further ado, let’s explore where was Groundhog Day filmed so that you can take a closer look at the filming locations. Plus, I will also introduce you to the plot of this film, later in this article.

Where Was Groundhog Day Filmed? Let’s Know This Comedy Flick Closely!

The premise of Groundhog Day is set in Pittsburgh, although the shooting almost didn’t take place on location. The makers couldn’t acquire the filming permissions for the desired locations, which were scouted by the crew in Pennsylvania during the initial stage of production.

Thus, the creative heads of the unit asked the members to look for other potential filming locations across the midwestern part of America. Soon, a number of locations in and around the state of Illinois were scouted by the team.

Harold reviewed the locations in person, and later decided to shoot the majority of his movie, in different parts of Illinois. The crew miraculously arranged permission for shooting in Pennsylvania at the eleventh hour. Thus the makers decided to capture a few iconic sequences around the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania as well.

The principal photography commenced in the second week of March 1992 and continued till the end of June, of the same year. The filming schedule remained unchanged for the most part, as the crew stayed on top of the filming dates. 

So without waiting any longer, let’s discuss in detail where was Groundhog Day filmed and find out more intriguing facts about the specific locations.

Illinois | USA

The opening sequences of the movie, depicting the outdoor scenes of Punxsutawney, were actually filmed in the village of the Algonquin. The filming crew captured several exterior shots of the village and later morphed them. The majority of the outdoor sequences in Algonquin were filmed on the outskirts of the village, to avoid any disturbances from traffic and crowds.

Other pivotal sequences in Illinois were captured around the city of Woodstock. This lively city is an integral part of McHenry County and is located 45 miles northwest of Chicago. Thus the logistics required for shooting were easily transported on location. Scenes depicting the Bread & Breakfast lodge in the movie were captured inside a vacant property located at 344 Fremont St, Woodstock.

A few other exteriors featured the Old Court House and Opera House, located in the downtown area of Woodstock. The filming crew had to take special shooting permission from the authorities of the Court House, before capturing the exterior scenes. The famous bowling sequence in the movie was filmed inside Wayne’s City Lanes. The crew booked the entire bowling alley for 7 days straight and extensively captured the interior scenes.

After the majority of the outdoor sequences were filmed around the city of Woodstock, Illinois, the production members moved to the final shooting location.

Pennsylvania | USA

The final sequence of the movie was filmed in and around the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The filming team captured several outdoor shots in the downtown area of this iconic city. Important to mention that, scenes depicting the sign of Marchand in the movie, were also filmed here.

The shooting lasted for two weeks in Pennsylvania. Most of the filming was done around the city of Pittsburgh, although a handful of scenes were also captured in Blairsville. After that, the production members moved to California and filmed the remaining interior scenes of the film inside Universal Studios.

Alright friends, now allow me to give you an overview of Groundhog Day. So that you can get a fair idea about the basic premise of this iconic film. In addition, you can check out The Longest Day, Legends of the Fall and 12 Years a Slave as well.

Plot Of Groundhog Day | What’s It About

The central story of Groundhog Day revolves around the character of Phil, an arrogant and self-obsessed weather news reporter, who gets stuck in a time loop. At the beginning of the movie, Phil almost reluctantly takes on the responsibility to cover the ground report of a special event in Pennsylvania.

The lead actor’s insensitive nature entices him to under-estimate the age-old tradition of “Groundhog Day” in Pennsylvania. But soon, Phil finds himself stuck in a time loop, living the same day over and over again. The re-occurrences of the same events eventually drive the lead actor nuts! Watch Groundhog Day to find out how Phil manages to break the never-ending cycle.

Final Words

Alright folks, so I hope you enjoyed the read and finally know where was Groundhog Day filmed. Do mention your thoughts in the comments section below, and don’t forget to check out other amazing articles on Viebly.