Punxsutawney
Punxsutawney travel guide
Gobbler's Knob at dawn, Phil's library burrow and painted groundhogs
A small western Pennsylvania borough that hosts Groundhog Day every 2 February, roughly two hours by car from Pittsburgh. Come for the festival (one or two nights) or stop for a few hours on an I-80 road trip from May to October. Costs are very high, and Visa Waiver visitors need an ESTA.
Punxsutawney is a borough of under 6,000 people in southern Jefferson County, western Pennsylvania, about 84 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. For 364 days a year it is a quiet small town on Mahoning Creek. On 2 February it becomes the most watched weather forecast in America, when Punxsutawney Phil emerges at Gobbler's Knob and the crowd swells to around 40,000.
The groundhog ritual dates from the 1880s and is run by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, whose Inner Circle members wear top hats and tuxedos for the ceremony. The 1993 film made the event famous worldwide, though almost all of it was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, so do not expect to recognise the streets.
Out of season the town still has enough for a half-day stop off I-80: Phil and his mate Phyllis live in a glass-fronted burrow at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, more than 30 fibreglass groundhog statues are dotted around the streets, and the Weather Discovery Center explains how forecasting actually works.
Expect a small-town scale. There are a handful of restaurants, one or two hotels and a few bed and breakfasts, which is why Groundhog Day rooms are booked out a year ahead and many visitors stay in DuBois or further along I-80.
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Top things to do in Punxsutawney
A day built around one groundhog: his burrow, his hilltop, his statues and a weather museum, plus a few old streets.
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Best time to visit Punxsutawney
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs near 1C to 3C and lows around -9C; dress for hours outdoors before sunrise.
Highs of 25C to 27C and the wettest months, around 105 to 128 mm, with the town at its most relaxed.
Highs of 16C to 22C and turning leaves on the drive in from PA-36 or US-119.
Groundhog Day falls on 2 February every year, with the ceremony at Gobbler's Knob before sunrise; the town organises events over the preceding days, and rooms within an hour's drive go months ahead.
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Getting there
I-80 exit 101 and the drive from Pittsburgh
There is no passenger rail or regular intercity coach, so Punxsutawney is a driving destination. Most travellers fly into Pittsburgh International (PIT) and drive a little under two hours, either on I-79 and I-80 or by the slower scenic route up PA-28 to Kittanning and then PA-85, PA-210 and US-119. From I-80 take exit 101 onto PA-255 south, then US-119 (Brady Street) into the centre. From Altoona and I-99, PA-36 runs straight into town in about an hour and a half. The closest airport is DuBois Regional (DUJ), a small Essential Air Service field with a few commuter flights; check the current airline and routes before planning around it, as the federal air service contract there has recently changed hands.
- Pittsburgh International (PIT)
- Main gateway, under two hours by car
- DuBois Regional (DUJ)
- Small commuter airport, roughly half an hour north
- I-80
- Exit 101 to PA-255 and US-119
- From Altoona
- PA-36, about 90 minutes
- Hire a car with good winter tyres for February; western Pennsylvania roads can be icy before dawn.
- On Groundhog Day itself you cannot drive to Gobbler's Knob; use the official shuttle from town.
Where to stay
Mahoning Street B&Bs and the I-80 motels
Beds in town are few. The Inn at Punxsutawney on Alliance Drive has a pool and breakfast, and the Barclay Bed & Breakfast on East Union Street is a six-room Victorian house a short walk from the centre. Around Groundhog Day both are booked far ahead, so most visitors look along the I-80 corridor in DuBois, Brookville or Clearfield and drive in the evening before.
- Town centre
- Walk to the library burrow and statues; very limited rooms
- DuBois
- The nearest cluster of chain hotels, about 30 minutes north
- Brookville
- Small hotels at I-80, about half an hour away
- For 2 February, reserve a room as soon as dates open, often a year ahead.
Getting around
On foot around Barclay Square
The centre is small and flat enough to walk: Mahoning Street, Findley Street and Barclay Square hold the library, the Weather Discovery Center and many of the groundhog statues. Gobbler's Knob is about 2 miles southeast of town on Woodland Avenue, a short drive the rest of the year. On Groundhog Day private cars are kept away from the Knob and shuttle buses run from town through the night, with the first departures in the small hours. There is no local bus network for visitors, so outside the festival a car is essential.
- Walking
- Library, Weather Discovery Center and statues within a few blocks
- Gobbler's Knob
- About 2 miles southeast on Woodland Avenue
- Festival shuttles
- From town to the Knob overnight on 2 February
- Pick up a statue map in town and walk the groundhog trail in an hour or so.
Know before you go
What makes Punxsutawney worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The countdown at Gobbler's Knob, fireworks and music in the dark before Phil's verdict is read out.
- Phil and Phyllis behind the glass at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, visible from the street.
- Hunting down the painted groundhogs, each statue decorated by a different sponsor or artist.
Good to know
- The film was not shot here; Woodstock, Illinois stood in for Punxsutawney.
- Groundhog Day means standing outdoors for hours at temperatures well below freezing; bring boots and layers.
- Restaurants are few and close early, so plan dinner before you arrive on quiet evenings.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Punxsutawney, month by month
How cold will the pre-dawn wait at Gobbler's Knob be? The month-by-month averages below give a good idea.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (via Wikipedia).
A timetable for Groundhog Day on 1 and 2 February
To see Groundhog Day at Gobbler's Knob, arrive in Punxsutawney by mid-afternoon on 1 February, ride an official shuttle bus up overnight, and wait through music and fireworks until the Inner Circle brings Phil out at sunrise. Shuttle back to town afterwards for breakfast and the street events.
The day before: park and walk the centre while it is still light. Visit Phil and Phyllis at the library on Mahoning Street, call into the Weather Discovery Center on North Findley Street, and photograph a few of the fibreglass groundhogs. Eat early.
Overnight: the gates at the Knob open in the middle of the night, and the stage keeps the crowd busy until dawn. Wear the warmest clothes you own.
Sunrise: the Inner Circle in top hats lift Phil from his stump, he 'tells' the club president whether he saw his shadow, and the forecast is read from a scroll: six more weeks of winter, or an early spring.
If you are touring, our Groundhog Day page covers the ceremony in more detail, and Baltimore or New York are long but straightforward drives east afterwards.
Laska's Pizza, small-town diners and booking on 1 February
Eating in Punxsutawney means Laska's Pizza on Main Street for pizza and strombolis, plus diners and family-run restaurants with generous portions and early weekday closing. On 1 February every table fills, so book or eat in the late afternoon. DuBois and Pittsburgh have far more choice.
Laska's Pizza has a covered outdoor seating area and, inevitably, its own groundhog statue; it closes one day a week, so check before you go. The rest is diner breakfasts and sandwiches. DuBois has more restaurants along the I-80 corridor, and breakfast at the inn is the practical answer to the early start on 2 February.
Seeing Punxsutawney Phil outside February
Outside February, Punxsutawney takes about half a day. See Phil and Phyllis through the window of their burrow at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, visit the Weather Discovery Center on North Findley Street and the historical society museum on West Mahoning Street, then drive 2 miles to Gobbler's Knob, open year-round.
The library burrow is climate-controlled, and you look in from outside. The Weather Discovery Center explains weather and the history of forecasting through hands-on displays that suit children. The Punxsutawney Historical & Genealogical Society museum covers the area from Native American settlement to the groundhog tradition and opens only in the afternoons. On an ordinary day Gobbler's Knob is a small wooded clearing with a stage and a stump, far easier to photograph than on 2 February. Afterwards, rejoin I-80 east to State College or west towards Ohio.
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How we research our Punxsutawney travel guide
Groundhog Day arrangements and shuttles are checked against punxsutawney.com each year. Entry rules follow the State Department's visa pages, and park details the National Park Service.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of PunxsutawneyUS State DepartmentNational Park Service
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Punxsutawney.
General
The forecast is given at sunrise on 2 February at Gobbler's Knob. The site opens in the middle of the night, with entertainment for the hours before dawn.
With his mate Phyllis in a burrow at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, where you can see them through a window.
Almost none of it; the 1993 film was shot mainly in Woodstock, Illinois.
Early February averages a high near 1C to 3C and a low around -9C, and it can be much colder before sunrise.
DuBois and Brookville on I-80 are the usual fallbacks, each about half an hour away; book as early as possible.
The centre is small and flat enough to walk: Mahoning Street, Findley Street and Barclay Square hold the library, the Weather Discovery Center and many of the groundhog statues. Gobbler's Knob is about 2 miles southeast of town on Woodland Avenue, a short drive the rest of the year. On Groundhog Day private cars are kept away from the Knob and shuttle buses run from town through the night, with the first departures in the small hours.
Punxsutawney is best known for:
- The countdown at Gobbler's Knob, fireworks and music in the dark before Phil's verdict is read out
- Phil and Phyllis behind the glass at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, visible from the street
- Hunting down the painted groundhogs, each statue decorated by a different sponsor or artist
Getting there
No; on Groundhog Day the Knob is reached by shuttle buses from town. On other days you can drive the 2 miles out on Woodland Avenue.
Pittsburgh International (PIT), a little under two hours by car. DuBois Regional (DUJ) is closer but has only a few commuter flights.
There is no passenger rail or regular intercity coach, so Punxsutawney is a driving destination. Most travellers fly into Pittsburgh International (PIT) and drive a little under two hours, either on I-79 and I-80 or by the slower scenic route up PA-28 to Kittanning and then PA-85, PA-210 and US-119. From I-80 take exit 101 onto PA-255 south, then US-119 (Brady Street) into the centre.
Booking
The town of under 6,000 sees crowds of up to around 40,000 on 2 February.
Timing & weather
Half a day covers the library burrow, the Weather Discovery Center, a stretch of the groundhog statue trail and Gobbler's Knob.
Families & accessibility
Yes; it is a hands-on museum about weather, natural phenomena and forecasting history, a few minutes' walk from the library.
Visa & documents
With an approved ESTA, citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (most of Europe, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand among them) can stay up to 90 days. Everyone else needs a B-2 visitor visa, which means an interview at a US embassy. Since January 2026 nationals of a number of countries face full or partial entry restrictions.
Health & safety
Trouble is rare on a US trip. Petty theft and car break-ins are the most common problems for visitors, so leave nothing visible in a parked car, especially at trailheads. Natural hazards deserve real respect: hurricanes hit the south-east from June to November, and the west sees wildfires and extreme heat.
