Note: This was originally written in 2022 when season 4 volume 1 dropped. I have made some adjustments since then, but some of this will be outdated. I have made the necessary notes about changes to specific locations though.
The first volume of Stranger Things season 5 just came out, so I thought it would be a good time to share my story about my Stranger Things tour. Last month I moved to Georgia, and for those who don’t know, Georgia has become the “Hollywood of the South.” Many filming studios have started filming in Georgia rather than California due to Georgia’s tax incentives for studios. Many popular franchises (such as Marvel Studios and the Walking Dead) now film in Georgia, and Stranger Things has too. When looking at a map I realized I’m living very close to many of the most popular locations on Stranger Things, so I decided to take a tour of most of them. I’ll tell that story below and give advice in case you’re interested in visiting them too. (Spoiler Free)
Hawkins Middle School/High School
My first stop was the school that acts as a prominent location throughout the series. This is found in Stockbridge, Georgia and is actually known as Stockbridge Senior High School. They like being known as the school from Stranger Things, so they used to leave the “Hawkins Middle School” logo up all year, even when not filming. However, due to season 4’s turning it into Hawkins High School, that’s what the building says now. The area is nice, and the school is very easy to visit if you go on the weekend when it’s not being used. You can visit it yourself at 109 South Lee Street, Stockbridge.
Update: The school has been demolished and can no longer be visited!
Hawkins Lab
From there, I drove up to the Atlanta to see Hawkins Lab. Hawkins Lab is another very prominent location in the show. There’s an uneasy feeling that you get when visiting if you’ve watched the show and know all that occurred here. It’s actually found in Atlanta and is just as creepy in person. It was once a mental hospital but is now an empty building that even has underground tunnels. There are “No Trespassing” signs everywhere, and I saw some minor activity going on there, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to break in. It can also be kinda tricky trying to leave the parking lot with a bunch of one-way streets that lead to nowhere. If you want to visit it, it’s at Emory University Briarcliff Campus, 1256 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta.
Starcourt Mall
After leaving the lab, I drove up to see the building used as Starcourt Mall. Starcourt Mall is a major location in season 3 of Stranger Things. In reality, it’s an old abandoned mall in Duluth, Georgia. There’s a small amusement park right next to it, which I’m assuming is where the fair scenes took place in season 3. The mall was still open until about a year ago. Now a large portion of it is used as a Covid testing and vaccination center, while the rest has just been abandoned. While I would’ve loved to see the inside, there were “No Trespassing: Violators will be Prosecuted” signs everywhere. If you’d like to check it out, it’s at Gwinnett Place Mall, 2100 Pleasant Hill Rd, Duluth.
Hawkins Community Pool
My next stop after the mall was the Hawkins Community Pool. The pool that Billy works at in season 3 is an actual community pool in Atlanta; however, when I visited, it was not in use. This was a really cool spot to check out as the locker rooms and lifeguard chairs are all the same as they were on the show. If you visit when the pool’s open, I’ve heard that everything inside the locker rooms looks exactly like it did on the show, but unfortunately I couldn’t get any closer. In order to visit it, go to South Bend Pool, 2000 Lakewood Avenue SE, Atlanta.
Characters’ Houses
I ended my first day of the tour by driving down to where most of the characters’ houses are located. Each of their houses are real houses in neighborhoods throughout the area. But these are private residences, so it’s important to respect their privacy. It’s unfortunately apparent that they have had issues with tourists getting too close, and as a result they have had to put signs up everywhere to stay away. In order to respect their privacy, I chose to just drive by and take a picture out my window. Mike’s, Lucas’s, and Dustin’s houses can all be found in the same neighborhood (along with Barb’s) in East Point, while Will’s house is in a different town, Fayetteville, and is out of sight. I’ll include the addresses to each of those below:
Note: Mike’s house has recently been sold, and the plan is to turn it into a Stranger Things-themed Airbnb!
Mike: 2530 Piney Wood Lane, East Point (pictured above)
Downtown Hawkins
A few days later, I decided to head down to another town that is significant throughout the show. The town of Jackson, Georgia, is used as downtown Hawkins in the show. This is a cool town to visit because it fully embraces the fact that Stranger Things films here. The main square of the city is where you’ll find all the main landmarks. In the center is the Butts County Courthouse, which is used as the public library in the show. Along one street, you’ll find Bradley’s Olde Tavern, which is the theater where Steve wrote things about Nancy on its sign. You can also buy a Stranger Things-themed burger here. Along another street, you’ll see the stores used as Melvald’s General Store, where Joyce works, and right next to that is the Radio Shack that Bob works at. There’s also a coffee shop here that displays the actual Radio Shack sign from the show and all the Stranger Things posters. There is also a Stranger Things-themed escape room here. If you’re watching season 5, this town is heavily featured in the background as this is the area under military control. To see all of this, visit Butts County Courthouse, 26 3rd St, Jackson, GA 30233.
Bradley’s Big Buy
Several weeks later, I decided to come see Bradley’s Big Buy in Palmetto, Georgia. This store is featured several times throughout the show but is probably most recognized by the scene when Eleven gets Eggos and then knocks the front doors down. There’s another scene shot here that shows Mike and Eleven on the floor of one of the aisles. In reality, the store is a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, but they leave the Bradley’s sign up too because they’re proud to be a part of the show. When leaving the store it actually reads “Thanks for shopping at Bradley’s” as a nod to its Stranges Things appearances. If you find the Eggos in the store, you’ll actually notice they’re in the same spot as they were on the show, and then the aisle that Mike and Eleven were on is easily identified to. To visit this store, you will want to go to 504 Center Street in Palmetto, GA.
Hawkins Cemetery
I recently took another small road trip to check off some more Stranger Things filming locations. My first stop was at Stone Mountain Cemetery which is used in the show as Hawkins Cemetery. On the show it was used for a character’s funeral in season 1 and then it was in an iconic scene from season 4 when the song “Running Up That Hill” is played. In reality, it’s a small cemetery right by Stone Mountain, and it was much smaller than I expected. If you want to visit it, its address is 1025 Silver Hill Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30087.
Sattler Quarry
My next stop was at Sattler Quarry. This was used a couple times in season 1. At one point a body was found here (resulting in the funeral mentioned above), and at a different point some bullies told Mike to jump off it. In reality this is Bellwood Quarry in Atlanta, and it’s actually used as a filming location for several different projects. It’s the survivors’ camp from season 1 of The Walking Dead and also appears in Vampire Diaries and The Hunger Games. There’s a really nice park here that gives good views of the quarry, but be careful when driving here. If you put “Bellwood Quarry” in your GPS, it will lead you to a neighborhood on the rough part of Atlanta where you don’t want to get out of your car. Instead, go to Westside Park, 1660 Johnson Road Northwest, and use the main entrance. There aren’t clear directions where you should go, but if you look at the map near the parking lot, you should be able to figure it out.
Benny’s Burgers
The next stop was Benny’s Burgers where Eleven visited early in season 1. There was a crime scene here later, and in season 4, a group of basketball players hung out here. The real building is also used as a restaurant called Tiffany’s Kitchen. I would’ve liked to go inside and eat at the actual restaurant, but my plans changed while I was there, so I just sat in the parking lot and took pictures of it. It can be found at 7413 Lee Road, Lithia Springs.
Creel House
The Creel House is a major location in seasons 4 and 5. This is where Vecna lives in the Upside Down and is a central location to his back story. While you may remember it as a creepy location in the show, it’s actually just a regular house that someone lives in. When visiting, it’s very obvious that this is the Creel House from the show, and it’s a lot bigger than the pictures make it out to be. Because it’s private property, please respect their space if you come. It’s located at 906 E 2nd Ave, Rome, GA. This is pretty far from all other locations I’ve shared in here, and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend making the drive out just to look at a house. But if you’re going to be in the area, it’s definitely a cool stop.
Downtown Hawkins – Other
While Jackson is most commonly used as Downtown Hawkins, there’s another area that is sometimes used as well. This is Douglasville, Georgia. Here, I was able to visit Palace Arcade (pictured above) where the main characters occasionally visit to play arcade games throughout the series. Right next to that (just out of frame in that picture) is Family Video where a couple characters work in season 4. Then just down the street is the Hawkins Police Station where Hopper works. When you visit, the arcade/video store is an abandoned building on the side of the road. There’s still a sign post standing which is used in the show, but that’s about it. And I’m not sure what the police station is actually used for, but I know it’s not really a police station. The arcade is at 6501 E Church St, Douglasville, while the police station is at 45 Pray Street, Douglasville.
Overall, I really enjoyed this Stranger Things Tour. I love visiting filming locations around the world and find it interesting to see how movies/shows are shot and made in real-life locations. If you’re interested in taking this same tour, I included the addresses of each location to make it easier. There are some other places in the area that I haven’t visited yet, and when I do I’ll probably update this post. Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!
Tyler's Travels 