In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Punxsutawney
Go for one night on 1–2 February for Groundhog Day, or as a 2-hour stop off I-80; skip it as a base — there is no other reason to sleep here.
Punxsutawney is a small borough in the Pennsylvania Wilds known for one thing: Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog of Groundhog Day. The Bill Murray film was shot in Woodstock, Illinois, not here. Outside 2 February the town is quiet — a weather museum, a groundhog zoo, a souvenir shop and 30-plus fiberglass groundhog statues. Come for the festival or as a short break on I-80.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Feb (for Groundhog Day); May–Oct for a quiet stop
- Avoid
- Jan and Feb outside Groundhog Day (cold, little open); icy roads Dec–Mar
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–160 excl. bed · High $160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Pennsylvania State Police (non-emergency) 717-783-1000
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $2–4 |
| Pizza (large) | $15–22 |
| Beer, draught | $5–8 |
| Museum entry (Weather Discovery Center) | $8–12 |
| Souvenir T-shirt | $20–30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PIT · Pittsburgh International
- About 2 h by car via PA-28 and US-119; the usual gateway.
- DUJ · DuBois Regional
- Smaller regional airport about 30 min away; limited flights — check.
- SCE · State College Regional
- About 2 h by car; limited flights — check.
Typical fares
- Pittsburgh → Punxsutawney by car
- about 2 h, fuel about $20 each way (check)
- DuBois → Punxsutawney by car
- about 30 min
- Downtown → Gobbler's Knob
- about 2 km (1.2 mi), 25 min on footabout 1.2 mi (2 km), 25 min on foot
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. The town is small enough to walk between Mahoning Street, the museum and the souvenir shop, but Gobbler's Knob is about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the centre on Woodland Avenue — walkable in summer, drive in winter. No local bus service; taxis are limited, so plan around your own vehicle.You need a car. The town is small enough to walk between Mahoning Street, the museum and the souvenir shop, but Gobbler's Knob is about 1.2 mi (2 km) south of the centre on Woodland Avenue — walkable in summer, drive in winter. No local bus service; taxis are limited, so plan around your own vehicle.
See and do
Known for
- Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day
- Gobbler's Knob
- Groundhog Zoo
- Weather Discovery Center
- Fiberglass groundhog statues
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| DuBois | US-119 north, about 30 min by car | About 35 min |
| Clearfield | US-322 east from DuBois, about 50 min by car | About 55 min |
| Cook Forest State Park | PA-36 north then PA-899, about 1 h 15 min by car | About 1 h 20 min |
| State College | I-80 east then PA-26 or US-322, about 2 h by car | About 2 h |
| Pittsburgh | US-119 south then PA-28, about 2 h by car | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / Mahoning Street
- Walk to the souvenir shop, museum and restaurants; a handful of rooms.
- Alliance Drive (US-119 north)
- Highway-side hotel with parking and a pool; 5 min drive from the centre.
- Union Street B&B
- Victorian house near the centre; six rooms, book ahead for festival week.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is Gobbler's Knob? | Where is Gobbler's Knob? |
| Is the museum open today? | Is the museum open today? |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where can I park? | Where can I park? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Groundhog Day crowds: the borough goes from about 6,000 to 40,000 people on 2 February. Arrive before dawn, park where directed, and expect to stand outside in the cold for hours.
- Winter roads: PA-36, PA-255 and US-119 ice up; check conditions before driving from Pittsburgh or State College.
- Most businesses are small and family-run with limited hours; call ahead or check the official site before a special trip.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the rural roads in and out of town.
A quiet rural borough; the real risks are winter driving on ice and cold exposure at the 2 February festival. Violent crime is low. Keep to lit streets at night and don't leave valuables visible in a parked car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Punxsutawney yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day
- Gobbler's Knob
- Groundhog Zoo
- Weather Discovery Center
- Fiberglass groundhog statues
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Weather Discovery Center: weatherdiscovery.org/
- Wikivoyage: Punxsutawney, revision 5285195 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5285195
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Punxsutawney
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Pennsylvania State Police (non-emergency)717-783-1000
No embassies here; the nearest consulates are in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — check the official site.
Groundhog Day is the only time the town fills up. Book beds months ahead and arrive before dawn.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/punxsutawney). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.