Venue
1548 Woodland Avenue, Punxsutawney, PA 15767, United States
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Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney guide
Waiting for Phil at Gobbler's Knob.
In short
Groundhog Day falls on Tuesday 2 February 2027 in Punxsutawney, with gates at Gobbler's Knob opening at 3am. It suits good-humoured travellers willing to stand in the cold before dawn to hear whether Phil saw his shadow. Dress for winter, and expect thousands of fellow visitors.
Every 2 February, before dawn on a wooded hill outside Punxsutawney, men in top hats lift a groundhog called Phil into view and announce whether he saw his shadow: six more weeks of winter if he did, an early spring if he did not. Thousands of people stand in the cold to hear it.
The ceremony has been held formally since 1887, and for most of that time it was a local affair. The 1993 film Groundhog Day changed that, turning a small-town ritual into a national one. In 2024 the state governor even named Phil Pennsylvania's official meteorologist.
What visitors find is part folk tradition, part all-night party. The forecast takes seconds; the real event is the long wait in the dark with a crowd that has travelled a long way for a joke everyone is in on.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Punxsutawney, United States
Venue: Gobbler's Knob
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Folk Festival, Community Events
Currency: US dollar (USD, $)
Time zone: Eastern Time (UTC-5, UTC-4 in summer)
Language: English (Spanish widely spoken)
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Warm clothing for hours on Gobbler's Knob
Early February nights in western Pennsylvania are cold, and on Gobbler's Knob you will be standing in one spot for up to five hours. There is no seating. Wear thermal layers, a hat, gloves and waterproof boots, because rain or melting snow can turn the ground to mud. Hand and foot warmers make a real difference after the first couple of hours. Check the forecast the day before and dress for a colder night than it promises.
The alcohol ban and paying in cash
Alcohol is not allowed at the event and is not sold there, so leave the hip flask behind. Food stalls and a souvenir stand operate on the Knob, and cash is the easiest way to pay. The choice of merchandise is bigger in town, where shops often open the night before, so buy your groundhog hat downtown and keep your hands free on the hill.
Where and how it is celebrated
The main cities where the festival is celebrated.
Gobbler's Knob
What happens on the day
- Evening before
Groundhog Ball and banquet
The town at its most sociable. Walk downtown and buy merchandise before the morning crush.
- 03:00
Gates open
Performers keep the crowd going from the stage for about four and a half hours. One visitor arriving at 5am found at least 10,000 people already there.
- About 07:20 to 07:30
The forecast
Shortly after sunrise the Inner Circle brings Phil out and reads the verdict.
- Until about 14:00
Downtown
Breakfasts, chances to meet Phil and souvenir shops.
Staying overnight or driving in before dawn
The alternative is to skip sleep altogether. Pittsburgh is a little under two hours away and State College about two, so a midnight departure gets you to town in time for the gates. If you go that route, book a car you trust on winter roads and share the driving.
Shape the trip around two days. The evening before Groundhog Day is when the town is at its most sociable, with the formal Groundhog Ball and the annual banquet on the same night. Arrive in daylight, walk the downtown, pick up any merchandise you want before the morning crush and eat a proper dinner. Then sleep a few hours, because you will be leaving for Gobbler's Knob long before dawn.
The Inner Circle and how Phil's forecast is read
The ceremony is run by the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, a group of local men who wear top hats and tuxedos for the occasion. The club's president is said to understand Groundhogese, the language Phil speaks, through an acacia wood cane. The vice president then reads the matching scroll aloud. Shadow means six more weeks of winter. No shadow means an early spring.
The club keeps up the joke with a straight face. Its official line is that there has only ever been one Phil, kept alive since the 19th century by a sip of groundhog punch, the elixir of life, served at the club's Groundhog Picnic each autumn. The name Phil itself dates only from 1961, and its origin is unclear.
The record favours winter heavily. Between 1886 and 2026 Phil called six more weeks of winter 109 times and an early spring just 20. That lopsided tally is part of the fun: almost nobody comes to Gobbler's Knob expecting good news about the weather. They come for the ritual, the cold and the shared absurdity of waiting all night for a rodent.
Getting there
By car
Punxsutawney is about 84 miles north-east of Pittsburgh. From I-80 take exit 101 onto PA-255 south, then Brady Street (US 119). From Altoona, PA-36 runs straight in. Expect snow or ice in February.
By air
DuBois Regional is a short drive along US 119. Southern Airways Express flights end on 31 January 2027, and Contour Airlines is due to start Atlanta and Chicago O'Hare flights on 1 February; check before booking.
To the Knob
Park in town and take a shuttle bus up the hill; passes are usually needed at peak hours.
Where to stay during the festival
Punxsutawney has fewer than 6,000 residents and as many as 40,000 visitors on the day, with only a handful of places to stay. Book as soon as you decide, and look along US 119 towards DuBois if the town is full.
Weather and what to pack
Early February in western Pennsylvania is deep winter. Days are cold, the pre-dawn hours on the Knob are colder still, and snow on the ground is common. Four hours standing in the dark is colder than it sounds.
Worth packing
- Insulated boots and thermal socks
- Layers, a warm hat and gloves
- Hand and foot warmers
- A flask of something hot
- A headlamp or torch for the walk from the shuttle
Car hire in Punxsutawney
Airport transfer to Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney
Met at arrivals and driven door to door to Gobbler's Knob.
Restaurants and food in United States
Places to eat in United States before or after the celebrations.
Joe's Stone Crab
11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Cuisine:SeafoodAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Bar
Alinea
1723 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
Cuisine:ModernistAmerican
- Dine-in
- Counter seating
Franklin Barbecue
900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Cuisine:Texas barbecueAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Commander's Palace
1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130, United States
Cuisine:CreoleNew Orleans
- Dine-in
Katz's Delicatessen
205 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002, United States
Cuisine:Jewish deliAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Counter seating
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Not very. Empirical estimates put his success rate at between 35% and 41%, which is part of why nobody takes the forecast too seriously.
No. The 1993 film is set in Punxsutawney but was shot in Woodstock, Illinois, so the streets you see on screen are not the ones you will walk.
Phil lives with his mate Phyllis at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library downtown, where visitors can look in on them. Phil can also be seen at the Groundhog Zoo associated with Gobbler's Knob.
Yes, entry to the Knob is free and no ticket is needed. The only likely cost is a shuttle pass, which is normally required to ride up from town during the busiest hours.
Yes. The ceremony is carried by the Weather Channel and, within Pennsylvania, by PCN. It has also been streamed online since 2018.
Yes. It comes from the Lenape language and is usually translated as town of the sandflies, or of the mosquitoes. Locals shorten it to Punxy.
The Weather Discovery Center at 201 North Findley Street has interactive weather exhibits. The Groundhog Club headquarters displays memorabilia, and the Historical Society museum on West Mahoning Street covers local history.
Before the 1993 film, crowds were around 2,000. Recent estimates run to upwards of 25,000 on the Knob, and the whole town may host as many as 40,000 people over the day.
Booking
More than 30 fiberglass groundhog statues stand around Punxsutawney. Hunting for them is a good way to spend the afternoon after the forecast.
Families & accessibility
Yes. In March 2024 the Inner Circle announced that Phil and Phyllis had two babies, the first such event in the club's history.
Timing & weather
He has been called Phil only since 1961. Where the name came from is unclear; one theory links it to Prince Philip.