The easiest place to see Stranger Things in real life is downtown Jackson, Georgia, a small county seat south of Atlanta that stands in for the show’s downtown Hawkins. The town square, the building that played the Hawkins Public Library and the stretch of 2nd Street with Melvald’s General Store are all walkable in one afternoon. Several other Georgia sites, from a working grocery store in Palmetto to a cemetery at Stone Mountain, are also open to visitors, while a few, including the Wheeler house and the former Starcourt Mall, are not.
Stranger Things was set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, but the series was shot in Georgia. According to Wikipedia’s article on the show, the first season was filmed from November 2015 into early 2016, mainly in the Atlanta area, with Jackson serving as the basis for Hawkins and studio work done at Screen Gems Studios in Atlanta.
Quick facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Downtown square and 2nd Street in Jackson, plus sites around metro Atlanta |
| City/State | Jackson, Georgia (main stop), with others in Palmetto, Douglasville, Atlanta, Stone Mountain and nearby towns |
| Film or show | Stranger Things (Netflix) |
| Can you visit? | Yes for the Jackson square, the Palmetto grocery store, public parks and cemeteries. Exterior views only for some buildings. No for private homes and the closed mall. |
| Cost | Walking the square is free. A guided Jackson walking tour was listed at $35 for adults and $25 for children 10 and under as of October 2026. |
| Best time to go | Daytime on a weekday for quieter streets |
Downtown Hawkins: Jackson, Georgia
Jackson is the seat of Butts County. Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) describes its downtown square as the stand-in for Hawkins, with the courthouse serving as the Hawkins Public Library and Bradley’s Olde Tavern doubling as the Hawk Theater. Some sources describe the library building as the probate court building rather than the courthouse, so treat the exact label with caution. Either way, it is the civic building on the square, and you can see it from the sidewalk.
Other stops on the same few blocks include:
- Melvald’s General Store. According to Afar, Melvald’s General Store, where Joyce Byers works, is at 4 Second Street. GPB noted that the building looked to be under construction with no exterior signage when its reporter visited, so do not expect a storefront.
- The Radio Shack building. The former Radio Shack from the show sits next to the general store, and Explore Georgia’s listing for Jackson Escape Games says an escape-room business now operates inside it, with four of its five games themed after the show.
- Murals and the alley. GPB mentions a character mural, a poster wall and an alley mural with “Byers was here” graffiti.
- Lucy Lu’s Coffee Cafe. GPB says this café on the square has a Stranger Things-inspired drink menu.
Guided walking tour
The Stranger Tours site offers a guided walking tour of downtown Jackson that lasts about 1.5 hours. As of October 2026, it lists adult tickets at $35 and tickets for children 10 and under at $25, with booking online or by phone, and the meeting point at Hawkins Headquarters on East 2nd Street. Tour times are not listed on the page, so check availability when you book.
Other Georgia locations
The sites below are ordered roughly by how easy they are to visit.
| Site | Town | What it was | Visitor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley’s Big Buy (now a Piggly Wiggly) | Palmetto | Grocery store where Eleven grabs Eggos | Working supermarket, so shop normally. Afar says staff have given informal tours. |
| Stone Mountain Cemetery | Stone Mountain | Hawkins Cemetery | Cemetery grounds. Be quiet and stay off graves. |
| Stone Mountain Park | DeKalb County | Woodland and railroad scenes | Public park open year-round per Afar. Check the park’s site for entry fees. |
| South Bend Pool | Atlanta | Hawkins Community Pool | Public pool with seasonal hours. Check with the City of Atlanta. |
| Hawkins Police Department | Douglasville | Hopper’s workplace | A former city hall, per Wikipedia. View from the street. |
| Hawkins Lab (Emory Briarcliff campus) | Atlanta | Lab exterior | Not open. Afar says photos of the exterior are welcome, but do not go in. |
| Starcourt Mall (Gwinnett Place Mall) | Duluth | Season 3 mall | Closed. Do not enter or photograph past signs. |
Hawkins Police Department
Douglasville’s former city hall played the sheriff’s office, according to Wikipedia. Sources disagree on the street address, so search for the old city hall on a map and verify in person. GPB also lists the Palace Arcade in Douglasville, which it describes as mostly abandoned.
Hawkins Lab
The lab’s exterior is a building on Emory University’s Briarcliff campus in Atlanta, and Afar says you cannot go inside but may photograph from outside. Interiors were built on a soundstage.
Starcourt Mall
Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth stood in for the Season 3 mall. Afar reports that a sign bars entering or photographing the property, and Gwinnett County’s mall redevelopment page says the site is mostly vacant and the county is working with a development partner on a redevelopment plan. There is nothing to visit there.
Private homes and rentals
Some filming locations are people’s houses.
- The Wheeler family house is in East Point. GPB says it is private property, so photographs should be taken from the road without trespassing. This guide does not give the street address.
- The Creel House in Rome, Georgia, is a historic 1882 home. GPB gives no information on public access, so view it from the street only.
- GPB reports that the Byers home in Fayetteville is available to book as an overnight rental. Availability and prices change, so check the booking page rather than assuming you can stop by.
Visiting etiquette
- Stay on public sidewalks near homes and storefronts, and do not walk onto lawns, porches or driveways.
- Keep voices down in neighborhoods and do not block driveways to take a photo.
- Do not use drones near private homes or near active filming.
- Buy something when you photograph a shop. Small-town businesses often have fans stopping by.
- Treat cemeteries as cemeteries. Do not recreate scenes on graves.
- Read our filming location etiquette guide for a longer checklist.
Planning your trip
Jackson is about an hour south of Atlanta by car in light traffic, and the sites are spread across several counties, so plan on driving. A practical plan is to spend a morning on the Jackson square and the walking tour, then have lunch in town. Add the Palmetto grocery store and Douglasville in the afternoon if you want to keep going, since both sit on the Atlanta side of the state. Save Stone Mountain and the Atlanta sites for a second day, and expect weekend traffic around Atlanta.
FAQs
Where is Hawkins in Stranger Things filmed?
Downtown Hawkins was filmed mostly in Jackson, Georgia. Other Hawkins locations are scattered across metro Atlanta and nearby towns, including Douglasville, Palmetto, Stockbridge and Fayetteville.
Can you tour the Stranger Things locations in Georgia?
Yes. A guided walking tour of downtown Jackson is available through Stranger Tours. The other sites are self-guided, and some are exterior views only.
Can you visit the Starcourt Mall?
No. Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth is mostly vacant, signs prohibit entering or photographing the property, and Gwinnett County is planning its redevelopment.
Is the Wheeler house open to visitors?
No. It is a private home in East Point. Respect the residents and view it only from the public road.
Was Stranger Things filmed in Indiana?
No. The show is set in Hawkins, Indiana, but it was filmed in Georgia.
