Stranger Things is officially back with its fifth and final season on Netflix. The first four instalments of the hit series, born from the Duffer Brothers’ now-iconic universe, followed Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the Hawkins crew as they fought monsters, government experiments, and the deepening horrors of the Upside Down.
While Hawkins is a fictional Indiana town, the show’s real-world backdrop has stretched well beyond it. Season 4, for instance, was filmed across Atlanta, Albuquerque, and Vilnius, Lithuania, giving the story its most expansive footprint yet. For Season 5, production was centred in Atlanta, Georgia, a city long considered the “Hollywood of the South”, and the home base for some of the show’s most recognisable neighbourhoods, forests, and lab exteriors. A true serioholic will already know the region has hosted a long list of other major productions, from The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead to blockbusters like The Hunger Games.
Stranger Things Season 5: Plot, cast and other details
Stranger Things Season 5 is the epic final chapter of the sci-fi horror saga, following Eleven and the Hawkins gang as they prepare for one last confrontation with Vecna after his mysterious disappearance.
“Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time,” reads the official synopsis.
The returning cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Winona Ryder. New additions this season include Linda Hamilton, Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux, despite the Duffer Brothers previously stating their intention to limit new characters to focus on the original cast.
Stranger Things season 5 will be released on Netflix in three volumes, with the first four episodes on November 26, 2025, three more on Christmas Day, and the series finale on New Year’s Eve. The final episode will also screen in select theatres across the US and Canada, with the first 5 minutes already released to mark Stranger Things Day. You can find the exact release dates for your region here.
The first four episodes are streaming now on Netflix.
Filming locations from Stranger Things Season 5
Atlanta, Georgia
While Hawkins may feel like the quintessential small-town Indiana, Stranger Things Season 5 is actually shot in and around Atlanta, Georgia. The production leans on a string of towns and suburban streets to double for the show’s iconic homes and public buildings in the fictional Hawkins. Outdoor scenes, from eerie woods to dramatic showdowns, often take place at real-world locations like Stone Mountain Park (more on the location below), giving the Upside Down’s shadowy landscapes an authentic, atmospheric edge.
Chattahoochee Hills
One standout set is the radio station WSQK 94.5FM, aka ‘The Squawk’, which trailers hint will play a key role in Season 5. The production team constructed it from scratch in a field off Hutchesons Ferry Road in Chattahoochee Hills, a city in Fulton County, Georgia, located about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta, complete with a towering radio mast that makes it feel genuinely lived-in.
“The region is home to Serenbe, an innovative community that combines sustainable design with small-town charm, complete with organic farms, nature trails, and a robust arts scene. Visitors can explore Serenbe’s shops, art galleries, farm-to-table dining, and wellness centres, or experience outdoor theatre performances, festivals, and artist workshops,” states the Explore Georgia website.
Did You Know?
A brand-new pop-up radio station, WSQK ‘The Squawk’, has recently launched, bringing the world of Stranger Things 5 to real life with non-stop 1980s hits. Hosted by American DJs including Vance Goodman and Mindy Flare, the station also features retro American-style adverts straight out of Hawkins.Stone Mountain Cemetery, Stone Mountain
The Hawkins Cemetery appearing in Stranger Things Season 5 was actually shot at Stone Mountain Cemetery, where Max pays a poignant visit to her brother Billy’s grave.
Oglethorpe University, Brookhaven
In Season 5, we follow Dustin as he heads off to college, which in reality is Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, Georgia. Known for its striking Gothic architecture, Oglethorpe was originally chartered in 1835 and refounded in 1916, and today stands as a selective liberal arts college.
LaVista Park, Brookhaven, is seen in Stranger Things Season 5
LaVista Park, a small and peaceful residential neighbourhood about 8 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, sits just off the I‑85 near Briarcliff and North Druid Hills. Famous for its lush, leafy streets that seem to stretch on forever, it provided the perfect backdrop as Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) enjoyed a date at the nearby Tara Cinema.
Also, explore our list of road-tripping destinations in the US.
Dominick’s Italian of Historic Norcross, Norcross
Fans can look forward to a return to Enzo’s, the Italian restaurant, which is actually Dominick’s in Norcross, Georgia. The eatery has been a backdrop to the complicated romance between Joyce and Hopper (David Harbour) and originally appeared in Episode 3, “The Case of the Missing Lifeguard”.
Claremont House, Rome, features in Stranger Things Season 5
Berry College in Mount Berry boasted that the Claremont House, used as the Creel House, is back in the spotlight. “This Victorian mansion, featured in both Seasons 4 and 5, has become a pilgrimage site for fans. Though it’s now a private residence, its eerie facade continues to captivate viewers,” they wrote on their website.
Built in 1882, the Gothic Revival-style structure sits near the centre of Rome, but let’s be real, Stranger Things will always know it as the Creel House. This is where Victor Creel moves his family in 1959 and accidentally unleashes season four’s ultimate nightmare, which we know as Vecna. In reality, the massive two-storey mansion is one of Rome’s most famous historic homes. It was built by local lawyer Colonel Hamilton Yancey in the late 1800s and comes with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
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(Feature image credit: Netflix)
This article first appeared here
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
