You probably think Hawkins is a real place. It feels real. The damp woods, the wood-paneled basements, and that iconic downtown area where Joyce Byers loses her mind over Christmas lights—it all feels like it belongs in the heart of the Midwest. But if you hop in a car and drive to Indiana looking for the Upside Down, you’re going to be disappointed.
Honestly, the real answer to where is Stranger Things filmed is surprisingly south of the Mason-Dixon line.
While the show is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Roane County, Indiana, almost the entire production lives and breathes in and around Atlanta, Georgia. It’s a classic Hollywood trick. Georgia’s tax incentives are the real reason the Demogorgon stalks the Peach State instead of the Hoosier State.
The town of Hawkins is actually Jackson, Georgia
If you want to walk the same streets as Nancy and Jonathan, you need to head to the city of Jackson. Specifically, the Butts County Courthouse Square. This is where the production team sets up shop to create the "downtown" Hawkins vibe.
It's a sleepy town. Usually.
When the cameras roll, they transform the local shops into 1980s relics. The Butts County Courthouse is that stately building you see in the background of all those wide shots. It looks timeless. That’s the magic of it. You can actually visit the alleyways where Steve and Jonathan had their first big scrap. It’s right there, tucked away behind the main storefronts.
A lot of people think they build these sets on a soundstage. They don't. Most of what you see in the town center is a real, working Georgia town that just happens to look like 1984 with a bit of set dressing and some vintage cars.
Finding the Lab and the creepy woods
The Hawkins National Laboratory is probably the most recognizable building in the whole series. It's brutalist. Cold. Terrifying.
In real life, it’s a part of Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus in Atlanta. It used to be the Georgia Mental Health Institute. If you think it looks creepy on screen, it’s even weirder in person. The architecture is pure mid-century gloom. It’s not a high-security government facility, though. It’s mostly used for university administration and storage these days, but fans frequently pull over to snap photos of the exterior.
Why the woods feel so familiar
Ever notice how the woods in Stranger Things look exactly like the woods in The Walking Dead?
That’s because they are.
Most of the outdoor "Mirkwood" scenes are filmed in Georgia’s state parks.
- Stone Mountain Park: This is where the kids walk along the train tracks.
- Sweetwater Creek State Park: Used for several of the more desolate, overgrown forest shots.
There’s a specific kind of pine forest in Georgia that, when color-graded correctly, looks identical to the American Midwest. The production team uses a lot of fog machines. Like, a lot. It helps hide the southern flora that might give the secret away.
The houses: Where the Wheeler family actually lives
The Wheeler house is the heart of the show. It’s where the Dungeons & Dragons games happen. It's where Mike pined over Eleven.
You can find the real house in a neighborhood in East Point, Georgia. It’s a private residence on Piney Wood Lane.
Please, don't be that person. Don't knock on the door. The people living there are just trying to have dinner, not discuss the lore of the Mind Flayer.
Interestingly, the Sinclair house and the Henderson house are also in this same general area. The production designers chose this neighborhood because the houses have that "anywhere in America" suburban look that was popular in the late 70s and early 80s.
The Starcourt Mall wasn't a set
Season 3 was basically one long commercial for 80s mall culture. You might assume they built that neon-soaked masterpiece in a studio.
Nope.
They used the Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Georgia. At the time of filming, the mall was mostly dead. It was a "ghost mall." The crew took over a massive wing of the vacant space and rebuilt an entire functional 1980s shopping center. They reconstructed store fronts for Waldenbooks, Chess King, and, of course, Scoops Ahoy.
It was a massive undertaking. After filming wrapped, they actually left the set up for a while, guarded by security, before eventually tearing it down. It’s one of the most legendary locations in Georgia filming history because of the sheer scale of the practical effects.
The move to New Mexico and Lithuania
As the show grew, the scope expanded. In Season 4, the story fractured.
We weren't just in Hawkins anymore.
The "California" scenes where Eleven moves with the Byers family weren't filmed in California. And they definitely weren't in Georgia. They moved that part of the production to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The desert landscapes and the specific architecture of the schools there provided a sharp contrast to the lush green of the Hawkins scenes.
Then there was the Russian prison.
Hopper’s storyline took us to a snowy wasteland. For this, the crew traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania. They filmed at the Lukiškės Prison, which had recently closed. It provided a level of gritty, historical authenticity that you just can’t replicate on a backlot in Atlanta. The cold you see on David Harbour’s face? That’s real.
Why Georgia stays the home base
It's about the trees. It's about the light.
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The Duffer Brothers have mentioned in various interviews that Georgia provides a specific "Amblin" feel. It’s that Spielbergian atmosphere of the 80s.
Beyond the aesthetics, the infrastructure is insane. Atlanta has become the "Hollywood of the South." Most of the interior scenes—like the Byers' living room or the tunnels of the Upside Down—are filmed at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Atlanta.
They have massive stages there.
When you see a character "disappearing" into the wall, they've built a specific rig in the studio to handle it. You can't do that in a real house in East Point without losing your security deposit.
How to visit these spots without being a nuisance
If you’re planning a road trip to see where is Stranger Things filmed, you have to be respectful.
- Jackson, GA: This is your best bet. It’s a public town square. You can eat at local diners and walk the streets. It feels like Hawkins.
- The Lab (Emory Briarcliff): You can drive by, but don't try to go inside. It’s private property and university security doesn't play around.
- The Parks: Go hike Stone Mountain. It’s beautiful, and you can find the tracks. Just wear good shoes; it’s steeper than it looks on TV.
- The Houses: Stay in your car. Take a photo from the street. Don't step on the lawn.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you really want to dive into the filming locations, don't just guess.
First, check out the official Georgia Film Office website. They often list "film tours" or certified locations that are open to the public. It's better than following a random Google Maps pin that might lead you to a confused grandmother's backyard.
Second, if you're a photographer, the best time to visit Jackson for that "Hawkins" glow is during the "golden hour" just before sunset. The way the light hits the red brick of the courthouse is exactly how the show looks.
Finally, keep an eye on local news in Senoia and Jackson. While Season 5 is the end of the main series, spin-offs are always a possibility, and Georgia is likely to remain the home of the franchise. Pack your camera, bring some Eggo waffles for the road, and enjoy the weirdly southern heart of Indiana.
Practical Note: Many of these locations are actively used for other productions. If you see yellow signs with code names (like "ST" or something similar) pointing toward a road, it usually means filming is happening nearby. Always follow local traffic laws and never trespass on marked sets.