diff --git a/BayesWaveUtils/bayeswave_pipe/bayeswave_pipe_utils.py b/BayesWaveUtils/bayeswave_pipe/bayeswave_pipe_utils.py
index c3a69455ae4e96b5da4ac34daad03b1b86d7fb4c..d6381105454603d9bd0888c53b4809d93c10eca3 100644
--- a/BayesWaveUtils/bayeswave_pipe/bayeswave_pipe_utils.py
+++ b/BayesWaveUtils/bayeswave_pipe/bayeswave_pipe_utils.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class eventTrigger:
     Stores event characteristics and determines run configuration for this event
     """
     def __init__(self, cp, trigger_time=None, hl_time_lag=0.0, hv_time_lag=0.0, lv_time_lag=0.0,
-            trigger_frequency=None, rho=None, graceID=None, injevent=None,
+            trigger_frequency=None, rho=None, graceID=None, gdb_playground=False, injevent=None,
             frequency_threshold=200., default_srate=1024., min_srate=1024.,
             max_srate=4096., default_seglen=4., max_seglen=4., min_seglen=2.,
             default_flow=16., max_flow=64., min_flow=16., default_window=1.0,
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ class eventTrigger:
         # If graceID is given, override other trigger values
         self.graceID = graceID
         if graceID is not None:
-            self.query_graceDB(graceID)
+            self.query_graceDB(graceID, gdb_playground=gdb_playground)
 
     #
     # Update trigger properties
@@ -293,12 +293,15 @@ class eventTrigger:
         self.injevent = injevent
 
 
-    def query_graceDB(self,graceid):
+    def query_graceDB(self,graceid,gdb_playground=False):
 
         from ligo.gracedb.rest import GraceDb 
 
         # Instantiate graceDB event
-        gracedb = GraceDb()
+        if gdb_playground:
+            gracedb = GraceDb("https://gracedb-playground.ligo.org/api/")
+        else:
+            gracedb = GraceDb()
         event = gracedb.event(graceid)
         event_info = event.json()
 
@@ -349,7 +352,7 @@ class triggerList:
     def __init__(self, cp, gps_times=None, trigger_file=None,
             injection_file=None, followup_injections=None,
             cwb_trigger_file=None, rho_threshold=-1.0,
-            internal_injections=False, graceIDs=None):
+            internal_injections=False, graceIDs=None, gdb_playground=False):
 
         #
         # Assign trigger data
@@ -379,18 +382,18 @@ class triggerList:
 
         elif graceIDs is not None:
             # Create trigger list from graceDB queries
-            self.triggers = self.parse_graceDB_triggers(cp, graceIDs)
+            self.triggers = self.parse_graceDB_triggers(cp, graceIDs, gdb_playground=gdb_playground)
 
         else:
             # Fail
             print("don't know what to do.", file=sys.stdout)
             sys.exit()
 
-    def parse_graceDB_triggers(self, cp, graceIDs):
+    def parse_graceDB_triggers(self, cp, graceIDs, gdb_playground=False):
 
         triggers=[]
         for graceid in graceIDs:
-            triggers.append(eventTrigger(cp, graceID=graceid))
+            triggers.append(eventTrigger(cp, graceID=graceid, gdb_playground=gdb_playground))
 
         return triggers
 
diff --git a/BayesWaveUtils/scripts/bayeswave_pipe b/BayesWaveUtils/scripts/bayeswave_pipe
index e1103dad4354d11a0680dbd592eae37124328d4b..8adfad27c9b9424ff00a077854f726915d8b02d7 100755
--- a/BayesWaveUtils/scripts/bayeswave_pipe
+++ b/BayesWaveUtils/scripts/bayeswave_pipe
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ def parser():
     parser.add_option("-F", "--followup-injections", default=None)
     parser.add_option("-G", "--graceID", default=None)
     parser.add_option("--graceID-list", default=None)
+    parser.add_option("--gdb-playground", default=False, action="store_true")
     parser.add_option("--bw-inject", default=False, action="store_true")
     parser.add_option("--condor-submit", default=False, action="store_true")
     parser.add_option("--submit-to-gracedb", default=False, action="store_true")
@@ -390,13 +391,13 @@ if cp.has_option('bayeswave_options','BW-inject'):
 if opts.graceID is not None:
 
     graceIDs = [opts.graceID]
-    trigger_list = pipe_utils.triggerList(cp, graceIDs=graceIDs)
+    trigger_list = pipe_utils.triggerList(cp, graceIDs=graceIDs, gdb_playground=opts.gdb_playground)
 
 
 if opts.graceID_list is not None:
 
     graceIDs = np.loadtxt(opts.graceID_list)
-    trigger_list = pipe_utils.triggerList(cp, graceIDs=graceIDs)
+    trigger_list = pipe_utils.triggerList(cp, graceIDs=graceIDs, gdb_playground=opts.gdb_playground)
 
 if opts.submit_to_gracedb:
     if opts.html_root is None: