One of the biggest hits on Netflix, Stranger Things is a horror and suspense series set in the 1980s. The series focuses on a number of characters in a small town as they encounter supernatural threats.
Despite taking place in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the series is filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Interior shots on Stranger Things are filmed at Screen Gem Studios.
Wheeler House
One of the main homes seen in Stranger Things is the house belonging to Mike Wheeler and his family. The house is seen many times through the course of the series. It’s located at 2530 Piney Wood Lane.
Sinclair House
Located just two houses away, at 2550 Piney Wood Lane, is the house belonging to Lucas Sinclair’s family.
Holland House
Barb Holland was a recurring character seen in the first season. Her house is located just around the corner from the first two houses. It’s located at 2980 Piney Wood Drive.
Henderson House
Just down the street is the Henderson House, where Dustin lives. The house address is 2886 Piney Wood Drive.
Byers House
The Byers house is not located in the same neighbourhood, but quite far away. The house used for filming is located in Fayetteville, Georgia. The owner’s are notorious for their privacy, and apparently don’t want their address published or shared. I was told by someone associated with the production’s locations that the owner even stopped allowing filming. This was after a falling out with the production. This is why the 3rd season ended with the Byers family moving.
Out of respect for the owner’s, I won’t publish the address here on my site.
Downtown Hawkins
Scenes set in downtown Hawkins were filmed in Jackson, Georgia. Parts of the main town square were altered to appear as they did in the 1980s. In this area, the courthouse doubled as Hawkins Public Library. Also seen are Melvald’s Store, an old Radio Shack, and the Hawk Cinema.
Hawkins Laboratory
The building featured as the secretive Hawkins Lab is actually part of Emery University in Briarcliff. The building is nothing special, but definitely has an eerie look to it.
Hawkins Middle School and High School
In Stranger Things, Hawkins Middle School and Hawkins High School are located next to each other. In reality, both are filmed are Stockbridge Senior High School. Shooting took place inside and all around the facility as well.
In early 2022, we learned that this school is set to be demolished in the near future. You can read more details here.
Several entrances and buildings are used, as well as the parking lot where Max can be seen skateboarding. There was also a large tree that is near the water tower which has since been cut down.
When I visited, it seemed like the high school wasn’t in use. However there is an elementary school on the same site that is used. Please be careful and respectful when visiting. You can read about my suggested guidelines of location hunting here.
Hawkins Police Station
The building used as Hawkins Police Station is actually an office located at 45 Pray Street in Douglasville. The police sign on the side of the building has been removed but the outline is still visible.
The Palace Arcade
The location of the Palace Arcade was filmed at 6500 Church Street in Douglasville, just a few blocks from the Hawkins Police Station. The exterior was decorated as a classic 80s arcade. While the signage has been removed, the colour scheme and paint remains.
Inside, the space was used to create the arcade. The interior has been completely emptied, but the checkered floor can still be seen through the windows.
Bradley’s Big Buy
Bradley’s Big Buy is actually filmed at the Piggly Wiggly location in Palmetto at 504 Center Street. This is the store in season 1 where Eleven discovers Eggos. In season 3, the characters break in when Eleven is injured. This location was used for both internal and external filming.
The store has a number of items from the series, including some memorabilia and souvenirs for sale. They also have some 4th of July props used in Season 3. Another item is a prop box of Eggo’s from the 1980s that Eleven holds.
I had a chance to speak to the manager, who told me the store was closed for a full week while they filmed scenes for season 3. The manager stayed on site to supervise the building, and the rest of the employees were paid their salaries to stay home that week.
The Pumpkin Patch
The pumpkin field that was featured in the plot for season 2 is located at Sleepy Hollow Farms in Powder, Georgia. As the farm is private property and only open for certain events, check their website if you want to visit.
Benny’s Burgers
In the first season, Eleven is discovered stealing food off plates at Benny’s Burgers. These scenes were filmed at Tiffany’s Kitchen, located at 7413 Lee Road, Lithia Springs, Georgia.
The Van Flip
The memorable scene where Eleven causes a van to flip was located in Tucker, GA. The effect was filmed in front of the houses located at 3782 and 3788 Sarahs Lane.
Starcourt Mall
The Starcourt Mall is a major location in season 3. Scenes from the mall were filmed at the nearly abandoned Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, GA.
The exterior of the mall had it’s signage changed and was surrounded by old cars from the 80s for season 3 scenes. Since then, the mall signs have been restored.
The production recreated an 1985 food court along with a number of storefronts, like the Gap, Radio Shack, and a cinema. There was also Scoops Ahoy, the fictional ice cream shop where Steve and Robin work.
Unfortunately the entire area was curtained off when I visited. In addition, mall staff was extremely rude. Even though you need to pass by this area to reach certain stores, they tell you not to look at anything, and even follow you. You’d think these days, the management would welcome anything that brings clients in to the mall.
It’s a shame that everything has been dismantled since I visited. I think an 80s themed mall would probably be a huge attraction. They could have kept this area open for fans to visit, and then put some Stranger Things attractions and souvenir shops in some of the empty areas of the mall. It would have been a huge attraction for people to visit the mall, and given fans a chance to see the set.
Season 4 Locations
A fair amount of filming for season 4 took place in Albuquerque, as a stand in for the California locations. I haven’t had the chance to visit any of the new locations yet, but please check out my friend Lindsay’s info about season 4 locations at Dirt.com.
If you have any questions or thoughts about Stranger Things or the filming locations, please share with me in the comment section below.
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