*Show spoilers ahead!
The Duffer Brothers may have set Stranger Things in fictional Hawkins, Indiana, but they filmed almost everything in Georgia and the surrounding South. Which makes sense when you think about it—the South sure knows how to cling to the past, and we can hold a grudge better than Vecna/Henry/One.
With the new season dropping on Netflix, it’s time to map out a Southern Stranger Things road trip (sans Demogorgons). We’re digging up real Stranger Things filming locations, neon-lit arcades, dusty record shops, vintage diners, and entire towns that feel preserved in time.
Grab your Walkman and hit the road with us before the last few episodes drop.
Metro Atlanta’s Stranger Things Filming Locations
Jackson / Downtown Hawkins
The town square in Jackson, Georgia (about 50 miles south of Atlanta) is the heart of Hawkins. The public library where the kids did their research is the city’s actual library. The RadioShack is still around. That alley where Jonathan and Steve had their fight is right there on West 2nd Street.
You’ll be charmed by the Stranger Things filming locations and the general nostalgic nature of Jackson’s charm, but the experiences don’t end at photo ops. Stop into Lucy Lu’s Coffee Cafe to order a Stranger Things-themed brew, then book a themed escape room at Jackson Escape Games.
The Houses of Hawkins
The houses from the show are worth tracking down, but please always respect owners’ privacy! The Byers’ house is in Stockbridge (admire from afar). Steve Harrington’s house—where Barb was snatched by the pool—is in Riverdale at 8253 Carlton Road. The Wheeler house is in East Point, and Henry Creel’s now infamous murder house is in Rome at 906 E 2nd Avenue. The Hargrove/Mayfield house is in Stone Mountain (5280 Moore Street), and the trailer park of horrors is at 1478 Kilgore Rd.
The whole East Point/Stone Mountain area is worth exploring since multiple character homes are clustered here. Stone Mountain Park itself was used for many woodland scenes, and Stone Mountain Cemetery is where Max visited Billy’s grave in that Kate Bush-soundtracked levitation scene that broke the internet and my heart.
Gwinnett Place Mall-Turned StarCourt
Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth is (mostly) closed now, which is partly why Netflix used it for the Starcourt Mall scenes in Season 3. The other reason? It was built in 1984 and captures the perfect essence of American consumer culture in the 1980s. The food court and actual storefronts used in filming are blocked off now, but if you peek through the cracks, you can still catch glimpses of old neon lights (and hopefully no skewered bodies).
Hawkins Lab and Other Key Locations
The creepy Hawkins National Laboratory is actually the condemned Georgia Mental Health Institute on Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus. It’s got real history as a psychiatric hospital (operated 1965-1997) and looks exactly as unsettling as you’d expect, though we don’t think there are any interdimensional portals hidden about. You can’t go inside, but the exterior is a hotspot for selfies.
Palace Arcade, where Mad Max dethroned the boys, was filmed at a former laundromat in Lithia Springs. The building’s still there, with its paint job intact and those checkered floors visible through the windows. If you need your Eggo fix like our girl Eleven, head to the Piggly Wiggly in Palmetto, which transformed into Bradley’s Big Guy in the show.
Make the trek to Powder Springs to see Hopper’s Cabin at Sleepy Hollow Farm (628 Sleepy Hollow Road) – it’s the actual cabin from the show where El and Hopper hid out listening to Jim Croce and watching Miami Vice. Now, it’s a themed escape room experience.
80s-Inspired Southern Getaways
Fondren District | Jackson, Mississippi
Fondren was once home to the Mississippi Lunatic Asylum and was called “Sylum Heights.” Now it’s an ultra-cool hub near Jackson that feels stuck in time in the best way.
Start your morning at Brent’s Drugs, the historic soda fountain that’s been serving the community since 1946. Then, head to the End of All Music JXN to browse new and used vinyl and turntables while sipping “browser beers” as you dig through crates. The retro vibes continue at shops like Hunt The Shop and Interiors Market, which are treasure troves for vintage finds, and at the historic Capri Theatre and the old bowling alley, Highball Lanes.
San Marco | Jacksonville, Florida
This historic neighborhood sits just minutes from downtown Jacksonville, but feels like you’ve transported to an entirely different era.
Historic San Marco Square is filled with dining, boutiques, and art galleries, plus plenty of throwback points of interest to explore while you’re in town. Like Metro Diner, which has been serving guests in its historic building for 25 years, and Dreamette Soft Serve has been a Jacksonville tradition since 1948.
Electric Dough Pizza Co. took over the iconic San Marco Theater building, preserving its gorgeous Art Deco façade while turning it into a family-friendly restaurant, and Theater Jacksonville, dating back to 1938, is the oldest community theater in the country.
Ruben’s Department Store | August, Georgia
Ruben’s Department Store in downtown Augusta has been operating since 1898. Today, it’s filled with retro denim, classic hats, and hard-to-find sizes like slim, husky, big, and tall. Located on lively Broad Street, Ruben’s is precisely the kind of place the Stranger Things costume department would raid for authentic ’80s pieces. How do we know that? Because they actually did!
Find more Southern travel inspiration here.
