“Stranger Things”: Where the cult series was filmed and why Vilnius became its secret star

Today on Netflix, the fifth and final season of one of the platform’s most popular series, Stranger Things, premieres. The story about teenagers facing an evil from a parallel world called the “Upside Down” reaches its natural conclusion. Over the years, the project has become a true cultural phenomenon: millions of fans worldwide, iconic characters, and an ’80s atmosphere that became the show’s signature.

However, the success of the show is due not only to the story and the acting, but also to its carefully chosen locations.

Vilnius - the show’s unexpected hero

The fourth season of Stranger Things, praised by both critics and audiences, was partially filmed near the capital of Lithuania. The key location was the former Lukiškės Prison a gloomy building with centuries of history that perfectly matched the series’ atmosphere.

In addition, filming took place in other parts of Lithuania:

• Kiviškės Airfield (20 km from Vilnius) “played the role” of an airfield in Alaska belonging to the character Yuri Ismaylov.
• The village of Semeliškės, located 45 km from the capital, with the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas (1894-1895), became the setting for the fictional Kamchatka village of Kyrzran, where contraband goods were stored.

The show’s executive producer, Shawn Levy, commented on Lithuania’s contribution:
“From the very beginning, this series inspired everyone who had the chance to work on it. Lithuania was a real discovery for us. We are grateful to the city of Vilnius for its hospitality and for the opportunity to bring ambitious ideas to life. It’s all for our fans the best fans in the world.”

Vilnius becomes the new Mecca of the film industry

Participation in Stranger Things is not the first major project in the city’s history. In recent years, the following productions were also filmed in Vilnius:

• Chernobyl (HBO)
• Young Wallander (Netflix)
• Tokyo Trial (Netflix)

Filmmakers value Vilnius for its architectural diversity, which makes it possible to “recreate” different eras, as well as for its professional film crews.

So where was Hawkins really filmed?

Although the series is set in the state of Indiana, the real Hawkins was… in Georgia.

Main U.S. filming locations:

• Atlanta - stages at Screen Gem Studios (the National Laboratory).
• Jackson - downtown Hawkins: the Butts County Courthouse became the library in the series.
• Rome - Victor Creel’s house: Claremont House, built in 1892.
• Lithia Springs - Tiffany’s Kitchen turned into Benny’s Burgers.
• Duluth - Gwinnett Place Mall transformed into the legendary Starcourt Mall.
• East Point - most of the main characters’ houses.
• Bellwood Quarry (Atlanta) - the Sattler Quarry in Season One.

Additional locations:

• Albuquerque (New Mexico) “played” California - the town of Lenora Hills.
• Eldorado High School - the school where Eleven studied.

The psychiatric clinic building in Georgia, which represented Hawkins Lab in Season Four, deserves a special mention. It was closed in 1997 and later purchased by Emory University. In 2022, it was announced that the building would be demolished, turning it into another “cinematic legend.”

Following the series: how to get to the filming locations from Romania

For Stranger Things fans, Vilnius can become not just a point on the map, but a true dream destination, a place where reality intertwines with the series’ universe.

From Romania, Vilnius and other filming locations can be reached via convenient connections through major European hubs. From Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Timișoara, there are routes to Lithuania and the USA, where the Stranger Things legend was born.

Zbor24 helps you organize your trip comfortably and worry-free:

• free online check-in,
• 24/7 assistance throughout your journey,
• cashback on ticket purchases,
• fixed fare for groups of friends,
• help with reserving adjacent seats,
• free online check-in for all group members.

Travel to where your favorite series was filmed, and Zbor24 will take care of the rest.

The finale is coming and it will be epic

Although the official release date of Season Five remained secret for a long time, it is now known, and fans can expect a truly dramatic finale spread across the end of the year:

• the first part of the final season premieres today (November 26, 2025),
• the second part arrives on December 25, 2025,
• and the final eighth episode will be available on the night between December 31 and January 1, exactly when the world welcomes the New Year.

Viewers will therefore celebrate the arrival of 2025 together with the heroes of Stranger Things, and the series finale will become a symbol of stepping into a new year and a new era for all fans of the project.

One thing is already clear: Stranger Things will forever remain not just a story about monsters and telepathy, but a large-scale international project that transformed not only the quiet streets of Vilnius, but also many other locations around the world from American cities like Atlanta and Albuquerque to little-known corners of Europe into part of global pop culture.