In honor of Groundhog Day, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the 1993 comedy that still makes me laugh every time I see it.
I always thought that if Bill Murray had to get stuck reliving the same day over and over again, at least he was staying in a charming house like the Cherry Street Inn, right?
In 2008, the house became a real-life Bed & Breakfast called the Royal Victorian Manor, so it became possible to stay where he and Andie MacDowell did in the movie.
Keep reading to take a closer look at the house and sets where they filmed the classic comedy!
The Cherry Street Inn from “Groundhog Day”
Bill Murray plays a weatherman who goes to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day Festival, but the movie was actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, about an hour northwest of Chicago.
A reader named Jeff grew up there and told me about the Victorian they used for the Cherry Street Inn.
He says the house had been completely white, trim and all, before the production designers painted it for the movie — but only the front-facing parts of the house that would be seen on film:
Jeff shared some of his childhood memories of the house:
“I grew up in Woodstock and played in the home which was owned at the time by my friend’s parents.
“This was the largest home I had ever been in and very grand indeed.
“My most vivid memory was playing basketball on the 3rd floor, a huge ballroom that was used by the kids as a play area.”
The interior scenes of the Cherry Street bed and breakfast were not filmed inside the actual house, however. They built the interiors on a soundstage in a warehouse nearby.
I’m told the only times the crew entered the house at all were to turn on lamps for the proper lighting effects needed for the exterior shots.
It was a private house at the time, not a Bed & Breakfast.
Screenwriter Danny Rubin said he was inspired to write the story after reading Interview with the Vampire, which got him thinking about what it would be like to live forever.
The original idea was to have him relive February 2nd for 10,000 years, but in the end, director Harold Ramis says that his ordeal probably lasted closer to 10.
In the commentary they talk about how miserably cold it was when they were filming.
They had to put heaters around actors during outdoor scenes “to keep their faces from freezing.”
The innkeeper Mrs. Lancaster asks Phil every morning how long he’ll be staying.
After the first day he doesn’t really know how to answer that!
When I was taking these screenshots I noticed that they have
a framed painting of the house hanging in the hall:
Phil wows his fellow residents at the inn when he knows all the answers on game shows:
The staircase has a beautiful stained-glass window at the landing:
The Upstairs Hallway
There’s a bathroom Phil has to share with the other guests down the hall.
Unfortunately, the water temperature is never quite right:
In the deleted scenes we see Phil mastering pool, taking bets on basketball games, and bowling perfect games.
He also beheads the ice sculptures with a chainsaw in one.
Early drafts of the script explained Phil’s situation by having an old girlfriend put a hex on him to teach him a lesson.
In the end, though, they left it up to the viewers’ imaginations.
The view of the neighborhood from his room:
Every morning he wakes to the radio alarm clock and the local station playing, “I’ve Got You, Babe.”
Even though he tries to destroy the alarm clock, it’s always working again the following morning…
David Nichols was the production designer for the movie, and Lucy Fischer was the set decorator.
Fischer also worked on the house for the Christmas Vacation movie (see those sets here).
Andie MacDowell played Phil’s producer Rita who goes to Punxsutawney with him for the festival.
When she visits him we see that he has a sitting area connected to his bedroom.
In the commentary they say that she got such a kick out of Bill Murray,
she often couldn’t stop laughing during their scenes.
I love the montage they put together of her slapping him across the face day after day after day…
By the way, did you know that Brian Doyle-Murray, who plays the gravelly-voiced Groundhog Day official that Phil saves from choking, is Bill Murray’s older brother?
Also have to add for fans of the sitcom “The Middle” that he played Frankie’s boss at the used-car lot. Love that show.
I can’t resist showing you this coffee table in his therapist’s office. We had one just like that when I was growing up! Brings back memories. As do those plaid pillows and the hunter green sofa. If you had something similar in your house, raise your hand!
It was a big deal for the town of Woodstock to have this movie filmed there. It has become something of a tourist attraction since then.
Remember that pothole full of icy water Phil plunges his foot into each morning on his way to Gobbler’s Knob? There’s now a plaque on the ground that says, “Bill Murray Stepped Here.”
The “Groundhog Day” House Today
A former listing for 344 Fremont Street in Woodstock said:
Royal Victorian Manor Bed and Breakfast is an 1894 Victorian home that has evolved to offer the perfect combination of modern amenities while maintaining its original majestic qualities. Renovations began in late summer 2009, completed in February 2010.
Large and stately, our nineteenth century home reposes at the top of the hill on Fremont Street and looks out over the city like a Victorian monarch surveying her realm. Built in 1894 by Judge C.P. Barnes, a McHenry County judge, the house was occupied by the judge and his wife and two children until 1914.
An example of Victorian architecture with a Queen Anne rococo decor, our Manor has undergone a facelift to bring back her former glory and adding a modern twist.
According to Zillow, the real “Groundhog Day” house has 8 bedrooms, 9 baths, and nearly 6,000 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $695,000.
Check the Royal Victorian Manor website for photos and information about how to stay there.
*2018 Update: Unfortunately, the B&B has since closed, but you can see interior photos on Zillow and exterior views on Google Street View.
Visit my Movie Houses page to see more I’ve featured, including the house from “Jumanji” and other favorites!
I just love that you show the movie scenes as well as a real tour of the home. This one is an old favorite. Since the groundhog saw his shadow this morning, this was a much needed treat to head into six more weeks of winter. Thanks for sharing~
I really hope the groundhog called it wrong this time. I’d like spring to come tomorrow, please! 🙂
Thanks, Brandyn!
In my neck of the woods, the gophers are still frozen under ground. There isn’t even an opportunity for them to see their shadows 😉
Brr!
This is my favorite comedy. One of Bill Murray’s best. Every time I scroll through the channels and see it running even if it’s halfway through I have to stop and watch it.
Captivating post Julia! What a great old Victorian…. too bad they couldn’t have actually filmed the interior scenes inside the actual house!
I hope they play that movie today! I need my Groundhog Day fix!!
It’s such a lovely house with so much potential…thank you for posting photos….it’s too bad the current décor does not do justice to the home. It could’ve looked so much prettier!!!
What a great memory of playing basketball on the 3rd story floor! And I love that the town has memorialized Bill Murray’s footprint 🙂 The fact the trim of only the front of the house was painted isn’t that surprising. Just consider again the interesting revelations of past decorating shows 😀
True! 🙂
What a nice post to read today. Every time it’s groundhog day, this movie always comes to mind. It’s such a funny comedy and I can’t get enough of it. Especially because of Bill Murray. He’s such a funny actor.
Thanks for letting us take a peek inside the actual house. It’s such a beautiful place, but I prefer the movie sets.
Your comment reminds me that you may have been one of the first people to tell me about the B&B in Woodstock, Kim. It’s probably been over a year now, though, so my memory is fuzzy. But knowing you, you did! 🙂
That’s right, I totally forgot. It is definitely one my favorite Victorian homes.
Fun post, Julia! Love this movie. Boy, they did a fabulous job creating the interior of a Victorian for the sets! They fooled this old house lover! 🙂 The real interior is pretty, but I find it a bit earthy and dark. The neighborhood looks a lot like the small town I live in. I’m sure it will remind many of your readers of their own small, North American towns. Have a great week and keep warm!
LOVE that movie! Andie McDowell lives in the Asheville area, and I’ve seen her up close and in person. She’s just as beautiful and gracious in person as on screen.
I should say ‘lived’, though she still owns property in the general area, I believe.
What a gracious Victorian home – so wishing the groundhog had not seen his shadow…can hardly wait for the first signs of Spring!!
Great house, I can see how it makes for the perfect B&B. That is one huge house to have a ballroom on the third floor!….to play in there as a kid must have been fun.
Such a funny movie. My other two favorites of Bill Murray are ‘What About Bob’ (which has a great house by the lake which I believe you featured on your blog some time ago), and also ‘The Man Who Knew Too Little’.
I love the “What About Bob” one, too! Here are the photos if anyone wants to see it:
https://hookedonhouses.net/2011/01/30/then-now-the-lake-house-from-what-about-bob/
I actually live about 10 minutes from this house, my husband and I took our two kids to watch filming, very interesting! There were tons of people lining the street, my son was about 4 and when he saw Bill Murray he yelled out “it’s the ghostbuster dude” …Murray heard him, walked over, picked him up and we got a picture. Nice guy! Fun to see some of how a movie is done, cameras rolling on train tracks, but Murray made our day!
Ooh, fun! I love that. Must make watching the movie even better, having been there to see them filming it!
Sue, this is such a sweet story! 🙂
Yes it was…if I remember right Bill’s response was “wrong movie kid”…he was so nice to everyone!
I love older homes. Aside from that, can we have an internet moratorium on the phrase “former glory”? I don’t know why it is, but that phrase makes me literally cringe. I can’t be the only one who feels this way. Thank you.
Real estate agents love that phrase. I’m afraid we aren’t getting away from it any time soon. Sorry!
This story really was perfect for this movie
oops sorry what I meant was this house was perfect in the movie fit it well
Teach me to do three things at once
What a fun post! I love that movie so much. It’s a comedy, but, I believe it has some serious parts. The one that always gets me is when he tries to save the life of the homeless man who dies on Groundhog Day , and the nurse who tells him that ” it was just his time.” Thanks for sharing!
I agree — that scene gets me choked up every time!
The house from the Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day” is now for sale, the listing for it is below.
Jeff
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/344-Fremont-St_Woodstock_IL_60098_M73057-13076?row=20