Point Place, Wisconsin is the name of the fictional town in which FOX's comedy That '70s Show is set.
About
The town is described as a "dump" and is also reffered to as a "craphole" by Red. The town is somewhere in suburban Green Bay. It has been said that it has no movie theatres, and if they ever wanted to go see a movie, it would have to be in Kenosha, since the town is said to be small, although this is sometimes contradicted by other occurrences, such as the town having its own mall, library, courtyard, hotel (and a motel), police and fire department and a police academy. According to a sign that hung in the soundstage of CBS Studio Center during the show's original run, the population of Point Place is 28,211.
Houses
The Forman's House
- See also: The Forman Basement
The main setting for most of the series' scenes. The Forman house is more than just a home to Kitty, Red, Eric, and Laurie, but also to Eric's friends. Most of them have stayed with them at least once; Hyde stayed for most of the series after his mother skipped town and he was living on his own. Red, furious with the idea that he couldn't let Hyde live like that, cursed him out and forced him to get in the car and live with them; Fez, when he was waiting for the surprise visit from the Immigration Agency to make sure his and Laurie's marriage was legit.
Red found him in his shower, and kicked him out; Jackie, she stayed in Hyde's room for a couple of weeks, until she, one night, broke Eric's lego set and made Kitty, Red, and Eric (in the nude) come to see what was all the noise. She then went to stay with Donna. Bob as well needed some place to stay when Midge kicked him out. Donna would also come and spend the night with Eric in his bed. Kelso requested once to sleep in Laurie's room after Betsy was born to keep her safe from his rowdy brothers and all of the dogs in the Kelso home. Most of the scenes were shot in the basement, and most "circle" scenes were shot there as well. Most of Donna and Eric's relationship moments were shot on the hood of the Vista Cruiser outside in the driveway, and most of the Formans' family moments happen either in the kitchen or living room.
The set is very different from how the actual house is supposed to be. The set is designed as the basement being on the far left of the stage, then on its right is the Forman driveway with a bit of the Pinciotti house, then on the driveway's right is the kitchen. The kitchen's far right wall can swing open to get a better look into the scene, and it also detaches so that the other half of the driveway's porch can be shown. Then on the kitchen's right is the living room, and the Water Tower set, it is also used for a campground set or a place where the Vista Cruiser is off on the side of the road. The way the actual house is set up is the Pinciotti house on the right of the driveway, you either go in through the sliding doors to the kitchen or you can take a left from the porch to go down the steps to the basement.
Then you can either go down the kitchen hallway to the door to the basement, leading into the basement, the dining room (which if you take a right, it goes to the reading room, then living room), or take the door to the living room. You can then either take the stairway up to the hallway where on your right is Eric's room and on the left is Kitty and Red's, or you can take it into the reading room. You can also take it to the front door and on the the porch, which, if you take a left, goes straight to the driveway. In the episode "Water Tower" of the first season, Eric opens the door to Kitty and Red's room to find that he is looking the room to the bed. But in the episode "Kitty's Birthday, That's Today?!" a later episode, the door is now further down the hallway, and if you look in, you are looking down the room to see the bed.
Based on the house having a front door, but the driveway and garage being on the back of the house with street access, it's to be assumed that the Forman house is on the corner of two streets. The name of the street it faces is never given, however the house number on the street is 416.
The Burkhart Residence
Kelso accidentally sets Jackie's living room on fire
Jackie's house where she lives with her father, until he goes to prison for embezzlement of city funds. There is a piano, flammable curtains, white couch, glass windows, vases, and expensive items.
The Kelso Residence
The entrance of the Kelso residence
The house where Casey and Michael live. Eric goes there to confront Casey about Donna. Only the front porch is seen and a bit of the interior of the house. There is supposedly 8 Kelso's living in the house, most notably Michael, Casey, and an unnamed sister whom Hyde says will never lose her virginity because she is supposedly, ugly.
Fez's Apartment
Kelso, Hyde, Jackie & Fez hanging out
Originally, Fez and Kelso share the apartment. But due to Kelso getting kicked off the police force, he takes the job as a security job at a Playboy club in Chicago. Jackie then moves in with Fez and realizes she has feelings for him. The apartment has a couch, TV, two bedrooms, a closet, a kitchen, and a bathroom. One of the rooms was tricked away from Kelso by Fez making Kelso believe the "best" room had evil spirits in it. The landlord, Fenton, lives below them. Red, when he sees the apartment, says he can't wait to mess it up because of the mess the gang made over the years in his house. So, red goes awry with his mischief, and makes a big mess in their apartment. While Jackie was living with Fez, one day she was going to relax at home and take a bath. She ended up falling asleep and the tub over flowed, causing the ceiling to crash down on Fenton, the landlord, in the unit below Fez and Jackie's apartment.
Education
Point Place High School
The high school of the town. All the major characters attended this high school, except for Donna after she leaves to go to Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow for senior year. The team is the Vikings and the gym is the town's bomb shelter. Eric has stated that he's got the best parking spot, next to the exit. Some fans assume that the high school is located at 2120 So. Michigan Avenue in Point Place, WI, after the Rolling Stones song/season 7 episode of the same name. There are not a lot of episodes that take place at PPHS, but there are a few members of the faculty that are mentioned, or have appeared on the show, including the guidance counselor Mr. Bray (played by Chris Elliot) and Michael Kelso's older brother Casey, who is running summer school gym class toward the end of season 7.
Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow
An unseen Catholic High School that Donna is sent to in the fifth season during her senior year of high school. It is 10 miles from the Forman's house, and Bob said that he sent her there because Eric 'dirtied her up so much'.
Old Maine
A grammar school that the gang attended until it was burned down by arson. It was said to be burned down by Hyde, but he claimed that he was out of town that week. The gang then visited there on the episode "Halloween." There, they found their permanent records, and read each aloud. Kelso lied about his age because he failed the 1st grade because he said he refused to write in cursive; "That stuff is hard!" Donna had a hard time keeping her clothes on; Hyde was accused of smashing a science diorama and was deemed a bad kid. He was also predicted that he would be the smartest man -- in his cell block; Eric was the one that smashed the diorama and blamed Hyde; causing Hyde to develop his bad reputation and be labeled as a "bad seed." Jackie was in a violent mood when Hyde revealed her middle name... "Beulah."
Point Place Police Academy
The Point Place Police Department's school for new cadets. Kelso attended the Academy to become a cop, though he temporarily transferred to an academy in Waukegan, Illinois after he accidentally burned down the one in Point Place during a flare gun practice gone awry. They also have visitors weekend, where Hyde and Fez came to see Kelso, or as then, Officer Mike. Annoyed with his sudden obedience of the law, they shaved his mustache to make him look like Adolf Hitler.
Businesses
The Auto Parts Plant
An unseen, unnamed plant where Red works in the beginning of the series, but later closes. David Milbank, the owner's son, said that his dad was burning off all the inventory and "That's all she wrote," as soon after, Eric punches him. Afterwards, Red is laid off.
Fatso Burger
A locally owned fast food restaurant and location of ridicule for Point Place's teens. Eric had his first job there, though he quit due to the job's high demand for his time. Both Red and Kitty went on dates on Friday nights there during their courtship. While Kitty became attached to the small-town charm of Fatso the Clown, Red believed they were just there to eat burgers. Fatso the Clown is stolen by the gang in the eighth season and is summarily destroyed (accidentally) by Fez. The restaurant was once owned by Jack Burkhart, before he went to prison for bribery.
Kelso and Annette at The Hub
The Hub is Point Place's local teen hangout, a tiny short-order diner renowned amongst Point Place's youth for its french fries. While the pilot depicted it as being a toned-down version of a cowboy bar, subsequent episodes presented it as a 1950s-style soda fountain. Earlier episodes depicted it as containing a small pinball arcade primarily featuring the Williams pinball game "Travel Time", . The Hub also had fake wood paneling and what appears to be a large peace sign painted on the wall behind the jukebox. As the series progressed and video games rose in popularity, the machines were removed and replaced by a Space Invaders cabinet ( a change the manager made after Fez told him that kids like space invaders better), and the Hub was painted, replacing the wood with a simple white wall.
The Hub is a normal hangout for the gang, and is spotted somewhere in the location of an alley, seeing as if you look out the front glass window, there is a building adjacent from its position. From the audiences' point of view, the Hub has a male/female bathroom on its right. Inside, there is a urinal, 2 stalls, a window, and tons of writing on the wall, most notably the writing "Touch Donna Pinciotti's panties for $5.00" written by Kelso, which she then pushes him out the window he was trying to climb out of. The Hub also has a policy: "buy something or get out!"
Bargain Bob's
A store that is run by Bob Pinciotti. It is shown through the first three seasons, and Red is employed there in the first season. It is the only store open on Christmas Eve, when Kelso comes looking for a Christmas present for Jackie and ends up playing Pong with Red, seeing how Red is so bored. Then, Price-Mart comes to town and Bob cannot compete with it, as it runs him out of business, and Bob throws a huge barbeque in honor of him wanting to be a big shot before everyone finds out it closes.
Charlie's Bar
A bar in Point Place where some of the adults and possibly the teens hang out. On Red's last day of work at the Auto Parts Plant, he joins his coworkers at the bar for one last drink. Ironically, this is the only time Red drinks with them here (the coworkers are presumably hated by Red but are friends with each other and apparently hang out and eat here). Red also takes Eric there for a drink after Eric and Donna break up.
The Fotohut
Fez' brief stint at The Fotohut
The Photohut is a local photo development store (based on Fotomat) that is a tiny hut in the middle of a grocery store parking lot. The town hippie, Leo, is the owner, and his assistant is Steven Hyde. The Photohut is painted blue on the outside, and in. It is filled with racks of cameras, film, light bulbs, etc. Fez once worked there, thinking that he was in control of the Photohut, making Hyde and Leo wear sweatshirts that read "The Fotohut is Phabulous."
He was then later fired. The Photohut also has a back room, in which they keep "The Game of LIFE" and other miscellaneous. It has a drive through window, and a cash register that is occasionally stolen from (By Hyde AND Leo.) When Leo disappeared in a Season 5 episode (Tommy Chong was actually arrested for selling illegal substances), Steven, Jackie, Kelso, and Fez found that everything in the Photohut was missing.
Point Place Church
An unnamed Church at which the Forman's and Pinciotti's attend Sunday Service. The Church has no central religion, seeing as it has no priest (though it did have the youth pastor, Pastor Dave), and no Church iconography. Though it is attended by Bob and Midge Pinciotti; established Catholics. It is also where they hold the Christmas Pageant, where Eric and his friends came together to make the Nativity Story. Eric directed; Hyde was Joseph; Jackie was The Virgin Mary ("Because she's pure and rides a unicorn!"); Donna was a wise man (she said she wanted to be a wise "woman"); Fez was a shepherd originally, then a wise man; and Kelso a wise man who was bearing gifts ("Gifts from space!" as Kelso came in with a space helmet made of tin foil on, seeing as Kelso wanted everything to be from space.) Pastor Dave said he would have directed, but he says, "the Church Board doesn't think I connect with the younger generation.." which Donna replies, "Oh, but I loved last years "Starry Night, Jazzy Night. It was really funny!" Pastor Dave then, disappointed, said, "It was a drama."
A one-stop shopping center that is a play-on of Wal-Mart which both Eric and Red work at on the second through fifth seasons. Red is an assistant manager, and Eric is a stockboy. Red fires Eric after Eric admits he and Donna are engaged, and Red quits after he suffers the heart attack on the finale of Season 5. In the season 4 episode, "Forgotten Son", Red is hired to make a training film for all future stock boys, and Kelso was to play the stock boy. However, he proved to be quite unproductive, having a different approach at the film, as he wanted to do something along the lines of "Grease." After attempting to make the film for quite some time, with an uncooperative Kelso disobeying Red's directions, he is fired and instead Eric is the subject of the film.
WFPP Radio Station
A small radio station that was established in the 1970s, playing pop music and hard rock. Donna worked at WFPP for most of the series as an intern, and then later as a full time DJ. Her on-air name is "Hot Donna," and after she says her name, she plays a recorded bacon sizzling that she said was recorded in the morning. A famous DJ in Point Place is Jerry Thunder aka. 'The Sound', whom Donna gets to meet and actually turns out to be a rather formal gentleman who enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons with Max, the station owner and, at times, Alice Cooper.
The Dog Food Factory
Joanne's place of work where Eric also works for a while during the fifth season, until Eric gets fired from the factory when Joanne dumps Bob. Eric's job title was 'coupon liaison.'
Irish Al's Wee Golf
Irish Al's Wee Golf, a mini-golf course where the minor character Mitch (Seth Green) worked. Kelso apparently vandalized the clown statue.
Point Place Public Library
Brooke, the girl Kelso got pregnant at a Molly Hatchet concert, works there, dedicating herself to the books. The gang can be seen here, but mostly Kelso, wanting to get close to Brooke and the baby. Hyde, Kelso, Eric, and Fez all thought it was a just a parking lot for drinking beer in and a wall for leaning against (and for Fez, peeing.) The library has a whole assortment of books, including every issue of Playboy. Eric once wanted to check out some Playboy and wanted a guy to check it out for him, but instead got Brooke, who refused to let him take them. She told him "to go out, buy some flowers, and thank God an actual live woman lets you touch her." He then tried to get a kid to check them out for him, and the kid told him to go in stores and buy them. Eric screams and yells "At least I'm not the one reading the Hardy Boy's Mysteries! And for your information, the secret treasure is hidden inside the grandfather clock! Ah, what a loser." The kid then throws a firecracker that Kelso gave to him at Eric and Eric runs away screaming.
Grooves
Grooves Record Store is a chain of record stores owned by William "WB" Barnett (Tim Reid.) It has a "listening" pit designed by Hyde, with the furniture set up exactly like the Forman's basement, with the couch and two chairs as well as a round table. It has a whole wall dedicated to Led Zeppelin (Hyde's doings after he had a compromise with Angie), and the records are in milk crates. There is a whole rack of tapes behind the counter, and has a back room, but little is known about it.
Its fire alarms were removed because Hyde wanted to have a 'circle' without anything going off. There is a head corporation in Milwaukee, WI in which Angie moves to, making Hyde the remaining owner of Grooves, Point Place, WI. As said by Jackie, she owns a record store, since she was the girlfriend of Hyde, in which he replied, "No, I own a record store." Then "WB" answers, "No, I own a record store," as Jackie then says "I own 1/3 of a record store!" in astonishment.
A Muffler Shop that was run down, but then bought Red in the seventh season. Eric vandalized it before knowing Red bought it, thinking it was a fun prank by spray painting out "ler" on the word "muffler" so that the sign would read "Nobody Likes a Loud Muff". The title is ironic, seeing as Eric never worked at the Muffler Shop, only visited with Kitty, though Red had offered Hyde a job there. In an episode, Red had wanted to put his Muffler Shop on the air with "Hot Donna" as Red thanked Donna for doing this and said she was a "nice girl." He was then selling dirty calendars and Donna had said on the radio that he was doing this. His shop got more attention than ever, and even Donna saw Bob there buying a calendar. The shop ideally closes down in the eight season, Red selling it to a big chain of muffler shops, then retires.
The Sleepytown Lodge
A nearby lodge that is just "three puke-holes" away from the Hub.
The Starlight Motel
A motel Red and Kitty went to on their wedding night and on their anniversary 25 years later.
The Auto Salon
Red loves going there for car shows, much for Kitty's dismay, either to watch cars or brag about his Corvette (that he sold shortly afterward) or about his muffler shop.
The Viking's Lounge
This is for elderly men what the Hub is for the youth. This is the place where elderly men, including Red (and, twice, Steven Hyde) hang out and hide from their wives. It is also known for having a sauna, where Hyde gets uncomfortable when the old men open their robes.
That One House That Needs to Be Painted
A house featuring a poor paint job that acts as that closest thing to a ghetto Point Place has.
The Truck Stop
At the edge of town. Eric ends up there while filming his movie. He finds Leo when he gets out on the side of the road. He and Leo can't pay their tab with money so they use another currency.
Holiday Hotel
A hotel in Point Place where the high school job fair takes place. It is here that Hyde meets up with Roy Keene, his former "Big Brother", and takes a job as a hotel kitchen worker under Roy's supervision. It is here that Kelso gets involved with the Point Place Police Academy during the job fair and in the interim takes a job as a bus boy for the hotel. Eric is in need of cash to support his family and make money to marry Donna and wins the title of waiter in a competition against Kelso. Nurses conventions and weddings are frequently held at the Holiday Hotel. Presumably based on Holiday Inn.
Point Place Shopping Mall
Houses many of Point Places retail amenities such as The Cheese Palace where Jackie took her first job as Cheese Maiden. Halverson's department store is where Kelso got an underwear modeling job. The jewelry store is where the character Fenton is introduced, and it is mentioned he worked at the lingerie store before that. There is also a bridal store where Jackie goes every week to try on wedding dresses. The mall is one of Jackie's favorite places to be so she can pretend she is a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and sign autographs for 6th graders. Midge thinks the mall is a great place to wear White Shoulders perfume.
Le Motel
Donna and Eric rented a room here once, but she got too drunk off the mini-bar in the room, that she began to be loud, and the person in the neighboring room hit the wall to signal for them to be quiet. Turns out, Red had brought Kitty (Eric's Parents) to the Le Motel to get away for the evening. It ends up being a huge mess. This French motel is also where Casey Kelso takes Donna. During which, Eric is worried and thinks that Casey and Donna are going to, "do it". Hyde makes sure they didn't by pulling the fire alarm all night.
Point Place Hospital
The town hospital where some of the major characters are sent for suffered injuries. Kelso is sent there after an allergic reaction to eggs (he drinks raw eggs to try and impress Jackie). Hyde is sent there after accidentally being pushed off the water tower by Donna. Red is sent there after his heart attack at the end of season 5. Leo is sent there after a car accident where Fez drives into some crates which fall on top of Leo. It is presumably where Burt (Kitty's father) dies. Kitty Forman, in the beginning of the series, works at the hospital, and later quits. She soon wishes to go back and works there throughout the rest of the series. Eric goes to work with her in the episode "Career Day". He later faints at the sight of blood and child birth.
Landmarks
The gang hanging out at the Water Tower
Point Place also has a water tower, a famous set used in That '70s Show. It is first seen in the season 1 episode Water Tower where the kids are painting a marijuana leaf on it. Though Hyde says it looks like the hand giving the finger, and makes Kelso go and fix it, prompting him to fall and break his arm. Red then mentions it when he gets home, saying that some vandalizing dumb-asses have painted on the Water Tower. He says, "And it was giving me the finger." The next time it is seen is at the end of the episode where Fez is trying to fix it to make it not look like the hand giving the finger, and saying that his American friends would be proud. However, he falls off backwards while attempting to reach a spot.
Eric has had a slight discomfort for being on the water tower in the episode "Too Young To Trick-or-Treat, Too Young To Die" as he gets a rush of vertigo after he falls off his roof but catches himself just in time. In the water tower scene, he chases Donna up the ladder of the Water Tower to see what she's up to, but she was only up there for a picnic. Eric then slips after Donna pushes him, and she brings him back up. He then falls off again, this time from the guard rail, and falls into a bunch of trees.
There has only been one incident where someone has fallen off the Water Tower and not live to tell the tale: Charlie Richardson. He gets beer and wants to share it saying "It's finally nice to fell like being a part of something.." Then, leaning on the railing, it breaks and he is left screaming as he falls. Fez, instead of grabbing Charlie, grabs the beer out of his hands. Donna and Kelso both look at him as Donna says "Wow, that was a really awkward landing. Is his neck supposed to bend that way?" Then, shortly after his death, The crew comes to the Water Tower, and Donna explains how dangerous it is up there, where Kelso replies, "I guess that this proves that we're totally vincible to these kinds of things." The rail then breaks and Kelso falls and yells up to the gang "Screw that! I'm invincible!" Since his death, the Water Tower has since been named the "Charlie Richardson Memorial Water Tower." The kids never acknowledge that name though. (Bret Harrison was actually offered to play the role of Sam Sullivan in "The Loop", therefore, killing off his character.)
There has also been a scene where Kelso wrote "Michael + Jackie" on the front of the Water Tower, in which Hyde is upset and punches Kelso, making him fall. Then, in a season 8 episode, when Fez brings Jackie up to the Water Tower, the sign now reads "Michael + Fez," Fez, accidentally writing over "Jackie" instead of "Michael" because it was dark. He also says in the finale, that he wanted his first kiss to be "Up here, but I mean, look at it, this place is a dump."
In the same episode Kelso painted "Michael + Jackie" Fez began painting his manhood on the tower. However, Kelso fell off the tower, and Hyde ran down to check on him. Fez was only able to paint a circle before he was arrested.
Every principle male character besides Bob, Red, Leo, and Randy, fall off the Water Tower at some point in the series' run. Kelso has also claimed that he has fallen off the Water Tower in every grade (since 1st of course, when he moved to Point Place), in which Hyde says, "A record that will stand until his son goes to school".
Funland USA
An amusement park that is about 12 miles from the Forman house. The gang asked Eric and Donna to go, sitting on Eric's bed and being silent, and Fez asking her as he was in her bathroom. They both declined however. The mascot at Funland is Woofy the Dog (Played by Tom Kenny of SpongeBob SquarePants), and he seemed to have a liking to Jackie. Kelso seems to get lost every time he is there because he says "there's fun around every corner!" The whole place is pink and fluffy, a place Hyde dare not to go if it weren't for the rides.
The Reservoir
A popular hangout for the gang where they went skinny dipping. During that session, however, their clothes were stolen and were forced to drive back in the Vista Cruiser to Hyde's house naked. Kelso said, "Yeah, your mom's used to having naked guys around anyway," in which Hyde punched him. It is also revealed in this episode Fez has a tattoo on his behind after he gets up to change the radio station. In the end of the episode, he makes it dance. He can also pick up change with it.
War Memorial Auditorium
Donna meets Ted Nugent
A stage built mainly for concerts with a balcony row and floor seats. The gang saw Ted Nugent here, and Donna went backstage to meet him. This is the same Ted Nugent concert in which Hyde and Fez tried to sell merchandise in the form of T-Shirts. Fez, having a terrible accent, accidentally had shirts made with the words, "Tad Nugent," on them. Hyde was furious, and they made $0.
Mount Hump
Mount Hump, a popular destination to have sex, is where Donna was considering having the wedding, at first. There, Eric is staring at all the panties in the ground and pays no attention to Kelso's van rolling down the mountain. They soon see it and quickly react, but see it crash, saying it didn't so much crash as, separate in to the sources of nature. They could only collect the wheel of the now destroyed van.
The Lake
A hangout for the gang on their High School Graduation. They went camping nearby and the police started a rumor that there were alligators in the lake, so they would prompt teens from not skinny dipping. Many incidents occurred here, where, Eric saw his sister wet and naked, and his sister saw him as well; and Fez saw Donna wet and naked, and finally, when he tried to slow himself down, he yelled out "Nice honkers!" That is where Fez and Laurie had sex also.
Edited By Sean Poe, Kentucky, 08/22/2014