Does Stranger Things’ Hawkins Laboratory Really Exist? More Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Netflix Show’s Filming Locations
Seven years after its first season premiered to Netflix subscribers, Stranger Things remains one of the streaming platform’s most popular shows. Unfortunately for fans, it will soon be coming to an end, as we know that Stranger Things will end with Season 5, although the good news is that an animated spinoff has been greenlit. In any case, it goes without saying that anticipation is running high for the fifth season, so some of you might be doing some extra reading on the series to bide time until more details about Stranger Things’ final season come to light (the latest update on that front is Terminator’s Linda Hamilton joining the cast).
As a way to help sate such appetites, we’ve decided to go over some behind-the-scenes facts concerning the Stranger Things filming locations. Oh sure, it’s worth knowing about all the work that goes into creating The Upside Down, such as what was detailed in a Tudum interview in the midst of Season 4, but there’s also interesting details to learn about the places out in the world where the cast and crew visit, including whether or not the Hawkins National Laboratory does exist.
Hawkins National Laboratory Was An Actual Building In Georgia
Hawkins, Indiana likely would have remained a quiet Midwest town had the U.S. government not created a portal to the Upside Down within Hawkins National Laboratory, but things are certainly a lot more lively as a result. The laboratory was a key location in Stranger Things’ first two seasons, and in Season 4, we flashed back there to learn about the origins of Vecna, the show’s overarching antagonist. Well, the laboratory does indeed exist… or rather, it did.
In real life, it was originally the Atlanta-based Georgia Mental Health Institute, which operated from 1965 to 1997. It was purchased by Emory University in 1988, but in its final years, the building was only used for film and television productions, and was otherwise empty. Along with filming the exterior, Stranger Things also shot a fair amount within it, with other interior shots being handled at a studio. In late August 2022, The Emory Wheel reported that the building would be torn down, with a senior living center going up in its place.
Hopper’s Cabin Is Located On A Private Farm
When he’s not looking after the citizens of Hawkins as their sheriff or fighting the Upside Down’s sinister forces, David Harbour’s Jim Hopper relaxes at his cabin nestled within the town’s woods. As with the Hawkins National Laboratory and most of the other locations for Stranger Things’ Hawkins-based scenes, this cabin is located within Georgia, specifically on the privately-run Sleepy Hollow Farm.
That said, the cabin’s interior shots are filmed at a studio, and while one can’t just walk into the cabin for free to see what it truly looks like within, there is a fun way you can check it out. The cabin is used as an escape room, so if you’re in the area, consider going there for a group activity.
The Starcourt Mall Scenes Were Shot In A Now-Closed Mall
While major studios/companies like Netflix have resources that allow them to build massive sets, creating an entire mall from scratch would be a daunting and expensive endeavor. Fortunately for the Stranger Things team, that wasn’t necessary. They turned to the Gwinnett Place Mall located in Duluth, a town right outside of Atlanta, Georgia, to shoot the scenes taking place at Starcourt Mall in Season 3.
This was arguably the most important location in the show that season, as we met Maya Hawke’s Robin there, witnessed Russian operatives opening a different gate to The Upside Down underneath the complex, watched our protagonists battle the Mind Flayer inside of it and much more. Gwinnett Place Mall had long been abandoned by the time the Stranger Things people started rolling cameras there, and sadly, a dead woman was discovered on the premises months earlier, per Gwinnett County.
Season 4’s Rink O’Mania Scenes Were Shot At A Roller Rink In New Mexico
Stranger Things Season 4 dedicated a significant chunk of its time to following characters like Eleven, Mike, Will and Jonathan in California, where the Byers family moved following the tragic events of Season 3. But like how Georgia doubles for Indiana on this show, New Mexico served as the haven for Season 4’s California-set scenes. This included the shocking moment at the Rink O’Mania when Eleven gave one hell of a beating to a bully who’d been tormenting her.
The rink scenes were shot at the Skate O’Mania, previously known as Roller King, in Albuquerque. As KRQE learned, Skate O’Mania was allowed to keep the set decorations left behind after filming concluded, so if you live near there, feel free to see if they’ve been kept up.
The Kamchatka Prison Scenes Were Shot In Lithuania
Another fresh location Stranger Things Season 4 visited was Russia, though once again, a different place place served as a substitution for those scenes. The cast and crew traveled to Lithuania to shoot the portion of the show following Hopper at the Kamchatka Prison, which started out with him just being tortured by the Soviets. However, audiences learned at the end of Season 3 that this prison was also home to a Demogorgon, and in Season 4, it was later revealed that there were a lot more of these creatures being contained there, as well as a piece of the Mind Flayer.
In real life, this is the Luki?k?s Prison in Vilnius, which was built in the early 20th century and the Nazis took over during World War II. The prison was shut down in 2019, but as of 2022, it’d been turned into a Stranger Things-themed Airbnb. Not to worry, the cells where you’d be staying are fully furnished and a lot comfier than what Hopper stayed in.
Keep your eyes peeled on CinemaBlend for more updates on what’s happening with Stranger Things Season 5 and other coverage concerning the show. Don’t forget to look through the lineup of best shows on Netflix and best movies on Netflix if you’re looking for more content to stream on the service.
