28 Hours In Stranger Things’ Hawkins, Indiana

As a dedicated Stranger Things fan, my bucket list for *years* has included traveling to where the Netflix series was filmed. Luckily for me, one of my best friends from high school recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia — where the fictional Hawkins, Indiana, is set IRL — so I was able to visit her in one of my favorite set-jetting adventures of all time.

In keeping with my hardcore fangirl status, I not only love to collect merch from my favorite series and movies, I also like to fully immerse myself in my obsessions by traveling to their filming locations. In 2025, I journeyed to Thailand for The White Lotus attractions and Ireland for Normal People hot spots, but nothing compares to visiting Hawkins from Stranger Things with my BFF.

Even though some locations have been torn down now that the hit Netflix show has wrapped up filming (RIP, Hawkins High School), there are still so many Stranger Things destinations that fans can visit in and around Atlanta to make you feel like Eleven, Mike, and the rest of the Party. After watching the epic conclusion this November and December, you might want to plan your very own Stranger Things vacay.

Ahead, you’ll find my exact itinerary from the two days I spent in Hawkins, aka Atlanta, including one set from Stranger Things that’s now an epic escape room.

Walking Around Hawkins Square & Chilling In Eleven’s Bedroom

9:30 a.m.: Hawkins may be a fictional place from Stranger Things, but the town center from the show exists IRL in Jackson, Georgia. Since there are so many locations in this one area, this was the first stop of the day.

When I arrived with my friend, we immediately went to the Hawkins Library, which is actually the Butts County Courthouse. After snapping some pics, we walked around the square and to see the Radio Shack that Bob worked at in Season 2, Melvald’s General Store, Hawk Movie Theater, and the back alley where Steve and Jonathan fight in Season 1.

There are also plenty of photo moments in the area, like murals and Argyle’s Surfer Boy Pizza van parked outside of a Stranger Things tour company that was also selling merch. At one point, my friend and I stopped in Lucy Lu’s Coffee Cafe for a drink. I got the Eddie latte, inspired by Joseph Quinn’s character, with chocolate, coconut, and macadamia nuts.

10:30 a.m.: A quick walk outside the square is the site of Hawkins Presbyterian Church, which one local told us was used a lot for filming Season 5.

Noon: Once we were done in Jackson, we made our way back toward the Atlanta area to see some of the homes used for Mike and his friends around Piney Wood Lane in East Point. This included the Wheelers’ residence, which was recently bought by some fans, along with Dustin’s house, Lucas’ house, and Barb’s house.

1 p.m.: About 20 minutes away from all the Stranger Things homes is the location of Skull Rock in the Boat Rock Bouldering Area. My friend and I struggled to find the exact formation, just like Dustin and Steve did in Season 4, so I ended up taking pics at some rocks that kind of looked like Steve’s favorite make-out spot.

1:20 p.m.: On the way to Hawkins Lab, we stopped at Westside Reservoir Park, where Sattler Quarry from Season 1 is located.

1:45 p.m.: With a bit of traffic, we finally made it to the Briarcliff Building A at Emory University. Any Stranger Things fan will immediately recognize the exterior as Hawkins Laboratory, where Dr. Brenner was doing experiments on Eleven and Henry Creel, aka Vecna.

2:10 p.m.: At this point, it was time for a late lunch, so my friend and I stopped at Ponce City Market for some food. This isn’t a Stranger Things location, but we were able to refuel and do some shopping. It kind of felt like going to the Starcourt Mall from Season 3. We even tried on some clothes and took pics in an old school photo booth like Max and Eleven on their girls’ day.

6 p.m.: Our next Stranger Things stop was probably my favorite of the entire trip. An hour outside of Atlanta is the pumpkin farm from Season 2. Production also built Hopper’s cabin on the property to be used in Seasons 2 through 4, and the owners have since turned it into an escape room for fans. The storyline is based heavily on Season 3, so if you’d like to book it yourself, you’ll want to make sure you do a rewatch beforehand.

After solving the puzzle, we were able to take pictures in the space. I loved being in Eleven’s bedroom, where Hopper made her leave the door open while Mike was over. Since it was dark out once we finished and we had another early day ahead of us, my friend and I went back to her place after grabbing some dinner to watch a couple of Stranger Things episodes before bed.

Running Up That Hill Where Max Was Possessed

9:30 a.m.: Our first stop of Day 2 was an exciting one as a Steve Harrington fan. We stopped by the Palace Arcade, which is right next to the Family Video that Steve and Robin worked at in Season 4. There isn’t much going on in the empty building located on Church Street in Douglasville, but some fans have left behind screenshots of the show so you can see what was once there and compare it to how it looks today.

10:15 a.m.: About 30 minutes away is the Hawkins Community Pool that Billy worked at in Season 3. Since we visited in March, the pool at 2000 Lakewood Ave. was closed for the season, but I was only there to take pics anyway.

11 a.m.: The next stop on our Stranger Things adventure was the location I was most excited to see: Starcourt Mall. I’m super nostalgic for malls and really bummed a lot of them are closing down, so seeing Starcourt in Season 3 was everything to me. Unfortunately, the filming location, Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, is one of those closed malls, so we weren’t able to go inside.

However, we were able to sneak a peek between some cracks in the boarded-up doors, which was cool to see. The exterior was also instantly recognizable as the place where Eleven tells Mike she dumps his *ss.

1:30 p.m.: After grabbing lunch, my friend and I went to our last location of our Stranger Things tour, the cemetery where Max is possessed by Vecna in Season 4. This is where it’s discovered that the way to escape Vecna’s curse is by listening to your favorite music, and Max’s choice was “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush.

While in Stone Mountain Cemetery, I tried recreating this moment by having my friend take a burst of photos while I jumped in the air. I may not have gotten as much air as Max did, but the photos came out pretty good.

I Can’t Wait To Return To Atlanta After Season 5

There are so many Stranger Things locations in Georgia that I wasn’t able to visit every one on my list while I was in town. Some locations I still need to check off include the Creel house, the Bradley’s Big Buy where Eleven steals some Eggo waffles, the Byers’ home, and Benny’s Burgers. I was bummed to miss seeing Hawkins High School and Hawkins Middle School before they were demolished in 2024, so I definitely need to plan my next trip before more locations disappear.

My plan is to wait until after Season 5, so I can include as many new locations as I can from the final episodes. It’ll also be a nice way to continue my Stranger Things love even after I have to say goodbye. If you’re also a Stranger Things fan, this is your sign to take a set-jetting trip to Atlanta. You will not regret it. Trust me, friends don’t lie.