Since hitting our screens in 2016, Stranger Things has become a TV series phenomenon. It seemed completely new and comfortingly familiar, a shrewd combination of a nostalgic, Spielsbergian adventure and a modern-noir thriller. Complete with boundary-pushing visual effects, of course. The series takes place in the entirely fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana: so where was Stranger Things actually filmed? And can you visit there yourself? Here’s our guide to the best Stranger Things filming locations…
WARNING! This article features spoilers for Stranger Things Seasons 1-5
Where was Stranger Things filmed?
Stranger Things was primarily filmed in the USA, specifically in the state of Georgia around the Atlanta area, despite being set in Indiana. It was the primary home for Hawkins between season 1, 2, and 3 of Stranger Things, but the horizons were opened up as the story moved to California. The California scenes were filmed in New Mexico, and Hopper’s sub-plot in Russia took place all the way in Europe, in beautiful Lithuania!
The Stranger Things filming locations for season 5 haven’t been confirmed yet, though the cast and crew returned to many previously used locations around Georgia to bring the epic story to a close.
Image source:Owen Rupp / unsplash
1. The Sattler Quarry
The Sattler Quarry is one of the more prominent Stranger Things Season 1 filming locations. It’s the place where Jim Hopper finds the supposed body of Will after a long search. Of course, we later find out that the body is a fake, planted by the shady agents of the Hawkins National Laboratory. Later, the quarry is the setting for a face-off between Mike, Dustin, Troy and James, in which Troy threatens to cut out Dustin’s teeth unless Mike jumps into the water below. Mike makes the jump, but Eleven is there with her powers to save the day.
In the real world, the Sattler Quarry is the former Bellwood Quarry of Atlanta, which was mined for more than a century. Today, you can visit the quarry yourself, as it’s no longer in use, though there are plans to turn it into a huge reservoir park.
2. Starcourt Mall
One of the most important filming locations in Stranger Things Series 3, Starcourt Mall is the setting for Scoops Ahoy, where Steve and Robin work. We later learn that the mall is a front for a secret Russian Base, and the whole place eventually burns to the ground during an epic battle with the Mind Flayer.
Clearly, it was important to get this filming location right. And the creators struck gold when they found the Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, suburban Atlanta. It’s got the perfect, slightly faded retro stylings for the show – as though barely anyone has visited since the ‘80s. The best part? You can visit it yourself.
3. Hawkins National Laboratory
This sinister building is home to many of the experiments that are undertaken by the CIA & NSA in season 1. Host to all sorts of horrors, such as the infamous MK ULTRA experiments of the ‘60s the lab eventually becomes the gate to the infamous Upside Down.
In our world, the Hawkings Laboratory isn’t a laboratory at all. The brutalist architecture is taken from Emory University Briarcliff campus in Atlanta, which you can visit yourself! (Interior shots were completed at EUE studios, also in Atlanta).
4. Hawkins Community Swimming Pool
It’s where Billy Hargrove and Heather Holloway work as local lifeguards, and also where some serious chemistry between Billy and Karen Wheeler plays out. It’s also the place where El uses her powers to throw Billy through a brick wall – so a bit of a mixed bag for Billy… In reality, this super retro pool is South Bend Pool on Lakewood Avenue in Atlanta and was filmed very close to the Stranger Things studios.
5. The Wheeler House
Home to some of the most important scenes in every season, the Wheeler House is one of the most iconic Stranger Things filming locations. It’s where the boys play Dungeons and Dragons in the show’s unforgettable opening, and it’s where Mike desperately tries to contact Eleven using his Supercom.
In our universe, the Wheeler house can be found on Piney Wood Lane, East Point Georgia. Stranger Things megafan? The house can be yours for just shy of $200,000.
6. Palace Arcade
Season 2 kicks off in the Palace Arcade, home to the Dragon’s Lair arcade game that Dustin obsesses over. The show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, said: “we love board games, but in truth have spent much more time playing video games, so we wanted to weave them into the fabric of the show.”
The filming location for the Palace Arcade isn’t an arcade at all, but an old laundromat that was converted especially for the show. You can find it on Church Street in Douglasville, Georgia. You may not be able to play Dragon’s Lair, but the retro stripes are still painted on the side – perfect for a photo opp.
7. Downtown Hawkins
The centre of Hawkins is the location for plenty of drama throughout all three seasons of Stranger Things. The creators opted to use the Town Square of Mulberry Street, Jackson, Georgia for their purposes, which is distinctive and instantly recognisable if you visit today.
8. Bradley’s Big Buy
One of the most charming scenes in Season 1 involves Eleven shoplifting frozen Eggos from Bradley’s Big Buy. This is our first true glimpse of El’s powers and cheeky personality, as she leaves carnage in her wake. The best part about this scene? You can find a fully operational Bradley’s – called the Piggly Wiggly store in our universe – in Palmetto, Georgia. Apparently, the staff are pretty accommodating to visiting fans of the show… just make sure you pay for your Eggos.
9. Rink-O-Mania
Stranger Things season 4 sees half of the cast moving to sunny California, with a bit of a rocky start. Good to know that trouble doesn’t only lie in Hawkins! Rink-O-Mania sees some adorable interactions between Eleven and Mike (with Will as a bit of a third wheel…), but also some ruthless bullying which seems to be a theme of season 4 actually.
The real Stranger Things filming location is actually a roller rink called Skate-O-Mania – wonder if this inspired the show’s name – located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The interior and exteriors were used, so if you’re craving that bouffant ‘80s vibe, you know where to go.
10. Kamchatka Facility
While most of the Stranger Things filming locations are located in the US, season 4 had the cast and crew venture out into Europe, specifically Lithuania! The gulag scenes in fictional Russia where Hopper is imprisoned were pretty harsh and harrowing to watch, though they did also introduce us to a new fave, Dimitri. You’ve really got to take the good with the bad in this show. The real location for the Kamchatka Facility is the Lukiškės Prison in Vilnius. This is a deactivated prison which once hosted political prisoners and it has a bit of a dark history, which serves well for the purposes of the show.
The church where Yuri stashes his illegal contraband is a real church also in Lithuania, though in a town called Semeliškės. It’s the St. Nicholas Church where you will only find religious artefacts, and no packages intended for smuggling, thankfully.
11. Pennhurst Mental Hospital
Nancy and Robin team up in season 4 with some very eccentric makeup and hairdos in order to pass for psychology students. Why? They want access to Victor Creel – a man just at the beginning of unraveling the threads of the Upside Down – and he is kept at Pennhurst Mental Hospital. In reality, this site is actually Mary Hall, an all-female residency for students at Berry College in Georgia. Visiting this Stranger Things filming location might be possible on an open day?
12. Skull Rock
Season 4 also introduced a beloved new character in the form of eccentric, rebellious, and brave Eddie Munson. Skull Rock is his hideout in the woods, but if you want to actually visit you’ll have to head to the Boat Rock Bouldering Area in Atlanta.
13. The Creel Residence
A new infamous house appears in season 4 in the form of the Creel Residence, a pretty home with a not so pretty story (think family massacre and the start of Vecna, hmm…)! It’s a gorgeous Victorian mansion surrounded by lots of trees and greenery and you can find it on a residential street in Rome, Georgia. You’ll just have to remember that this home may be lived in, so try to be respectful when you visit.
14. Lenora High
The new high school that Eleven and Will attend, home to some nightmareish bullying and epic and violent showdowns, is actually filmed at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque.
15. Surfer Boy Pizza
Johnathan might have been a bit of a lone wolf in previous seasons of Stranger Things, but in season 4 he has a very good friend Argyle, a stoner who works at Surfer Boy Pizza. The retro-style pizza joint is giving us all the vintage vibes, and really making us hungry to be honest. Well, if you were hoping to get a slice for yourself, you may be disappointed when you find out the truth: Surfer Boy Pizza is actually Aliberto’s Mexican Food in Los Lunas, New Mexico. Though, Mexican food is pretty delicious too.
16. Fish n’ Fly
In an effort to save Hopper from the gulag, Joyce and Murray team up with the dubious smuggler Yuri all the way up in Alaska. His tiny plane is the one they use to make their voyage, and it takes off from the real Kyviškės Aerodrome in Vilnius.
And all those snowy Alaska scenes? Those were actually New Mexico, a desert state. Safe to say the set design here is pretty epic.
17. The Upside Down
Getting to the Upside Down is easy. All you need is a small, psychic child, and dash of inter-dimensional contact. Pop through the rift at the underground subsystem of CIA lab, and after a quick chat with a Demogorgon at customs you should have a short journey into the Upside Down. We recommend packing lunch – and bringing a map.
