Our road trip to ‘Stranger Things’ film sites in Georgia

Last month, Sweetums and I took a trip to south Alabama for a speaking engagement and then to Georgia for a family event. In between, we ended up on some Georgia back roads, seeking out oddities to photograph for my upcoming guidebook to Southern roadside attractions.

We didn’t have tons of time but there were two must-see places on my list – towns where the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things” are filmed. The series, which begins its third season in July, is filmed in Atlanta studios and on location in numerous small Georgia towns. Two of the towns were in our path last month: Jackson and Stockbridge.

Jackson is a substitute for the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. In some scenes, the young characters in the show can be seen riding through the streets of Jackson.

A few local buildings can also be seen in the show, including:

1. Butts County Probate Court at 25 Third Street, which serves as the Hawkins Public Library.

jackson ga 1 — Butts County Probate Court at 25 Third Street in Jackson, Ga., serves as the Hawkins Public Library. in “Stranger Things.” I think this is the side they used as the entrance. (Photo by Wil Elrick | Permission Required)

jackson ga 2 — Front view of Butts County Probate Court at 25 Third Street in Jackson, Ga., which serves as the Hawkins Public Library. in “Stranger Things.” (Photo by Wil Elrick | Permission Required)

2. Jackson Drug, 4 Second Street, which serves as Melvald’s General Store where Joyce (played by Winona Ryder) works;

jackson ga 5 — The building at 4 Second Street serves as Melvald’s General Store where Joyce (played by Winona Ryder) works in “Stranger Things.” (Photo by Wil Elrick | Permission Required)

The_General_Store — A screen shot of Melvald’s General Store from “Stranger Things.”

3. An old furniture store at 2 North Oak Street, which serves as Hawk Theatre. (A marquee was added to the outside of the building for those scenes.)

jackson ga 4 — This building at 2 North Oak Street serves as Hawk Theatre in “Stranger Things.” A marquee was added to the outside of the building for those scenes. (Photo by Kelly Kazek | Permission Required)

stranger-things-theater — Screen shot from “Stranger Things” of the Hawk Theatre.

We then headed to nearby Stockbridge to see the abandoned high school which served as Hawkins Middle and Hawkins High schools. The school at 109 South Lee Street in Stockbridge was abandoned because of mold issues in 2015. It was built as Stockbridge High School and then served as Patrick Henry High School, which was the alternative school for Henry County.

We were excited to see the sign used in the show was still on the outside of the school … perfect for selfies.