Private Stranger Things “The Upside Down” Film Locations Tour in Atlanta

The most fun part of this private Atlanta tour is seeing ordinary streets become Hawkins, Indiana. You will visit the homes of the Wheeler, Sinclair, and Henderson families, stand near Hawkins Middle and High School, and see the pool tied to Billy’s Season 3 story. The show comes alive through place, not a museum display.

I like the private vehicle and flexible guide style. You get bottled water, Midtown or Downtown pickup, and a guide who can match the pace to your group. I also like the mix of Stranger Things facts and Atlanta film history. The main consideration is price: at $175 per person, this makes the most sense for two or more serious fans sharing a private outing.

Key things to know before you book

• See Hawkins neighborhoods up close: Visit the homes used for the Wheeler, Sinclair, and Henderson families, plus streets linked to the boys’ bike rides.
• Cover the school and pool locations: Hawkins Middle School, Hawkins High School, and Hawkins Public Pool are all part of the roughly three-hour route.
• Get a private guide: Only your group takes part, with guides including Greg, Dana, Francesca, and Julio.
• Expect show trivia on the road: Guides use facts, scene context, behind-the-scenes details, and sometimes music to fill the driving time.
• Ask about extended possibilities: Some outings have included locations such as Skull Rock, Stone Mountain Village, Jackson, Atlanta Utility Works, and additional production sites, but these are not guaranteed on the standard tour.
• Plan around outdoor conditions: The tour needs good weather, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time.

Why Atlanta works so well as Hawkins

Stranger Things was filmed around the Atlanta area, where suburban streets, school buildings, industrial sites, and public facilities can play several different roles. That is the appeal here. You are not simply looking at a sign that says a scene happened nearby. You are moving through the actual settings and comparing the real place with the fictional town.

The contrast can be amusing. A quiet neighborhood becomes a place where kids race away on bicycles. A school building takes on a whole new identity. An industrial property becomes part of the Upside Down. Your guide helps connect the everyday view in front of you to the scene you remember from the show.

This is also a good way to see parts of Atlanta beyond the usual visitor circuit. The drive between stops brings you through residential areas and other parts of the city, and guides often add Georgia film facts and local background. If you are traveling with a parent or friend who likes Atlanta but is not deeply invested in the show, that extra context matters.

A private three-hour route through Hawkins

The tour begins at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue Northeast, or with pickup somewhere in Midtown or Downtown Atlanta. You choose a morning or afternoon departure. A guide contacts you by text the day before to confirm the pickup, so enter a phone number that will work while you are in Atlanta.

Because this is a private activity, your group is not mixed with strangers. That changes the feel of the outing. You can ask very specific questions, take a little longer at a favorite stop, or move along when a location is less important to you. The supplied vehicle and bottled water also make the three-hour drive easier, especially in warm weather.

The exact order can change, but the stops generally cover the following locations.

The Wheeler, Sinclair, and Henderson homes

The residential stops are among the best parts for fans who remember the characters as kids on bikes, arguing with parents, hiding secrets, or rushing toward the next crisis. You see the exterior settings connected with the Wheeler, Sinclair, and Henderson families, along with streets used for scenes involving Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas.

These are real homes in residential areas, not studio replicas. That gives the stop a more authentic feel, but it also calls for good manners. You will be viewing from public areas, and the tour is not a chance to approach residents or enter private property. Your guide handles the viewing points and helps you get the right connection to the show without treating a lived-in neighborhood like a theme park.

This part of the route is especially good for families. Younger fans often recognize the houses quickly, while adults may enjoy the ordinary Atlanta setting around them. Bring a phone or camera, but listen to the guide first so you know where photography is appropriate.

Hawkins Middle School

Hawkins Middle School is tied to the early adventures of Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas. Seeing the building gives you a clear sense of the backdrop for the school scenes and the world the boys were trying to navigate before the story grew darker.

The appeal is visual recognition. You may know the halls and schoolyard from the series, but the real exterior can look different without the show’s framing, props, and costumes. A strong guide bridges that gap by explaining what you are seeing and connecting the building to the scenes.

Do not expect a formal interior school visit. The tour description identifies the site as a stop, but it does not promise entry. Treat it as a location visit, with the guide pointing out the relevant setting from an appropriate public vantage point.

Hawkins High School

Hawkins High School brings a different mood. It is linked with Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, and Barb, so the stop reaches into the older characters’ story lines and the show’s high school world.

For fans, this can be one of the most satisfying comparisons between the fictional setting and the actual building. Your guide may show scene images or explain how production used the site. Guides Francesca and Greg are often praised for pairing location visits with show details, while other guides bring their own style and Georgia production knowledge.

Again, the attraction is generally the exterior setting rather than a guaranteed walk through the school. If access changes, your guide can still help you understand how the location appeared on screen.

Hawkins Public Pool

The public pool is the stop most closely tied to Billy’s Season 3 domain. It adds a sunny, familiar place to a tour otherwise filled with suburban homes, schools, and darker industrial settings.

The pool stop can be a quick visual visit, so it is worth having the relevant scenes in mind before you go. If you are traveling with children, explain that the tour visits a filming location and does not provide pool use. The supplied information does not include swimming access or admission.

This is also a reminder that the tour is about locations, not rides or attractions. You are tracing the production’s use of Atlanta-area places rather than entering a Stranger Things set.

Screen Gems Studios

Screen Gems is described as a glimpse of the studios where Stranger Things is filmed. For a fan interested in how television gets made, this is a useful change of pace from the on-location stops.

You should keep expectations sensible. The experience does not promise a studio tour, soundstage entry, or behind-the-scenes access inside the facility. You will see the studio setting from the tour route. The value comes from understanding that the familiar world of Hawkins is built from both real Atlanta locations and controlled studio production.

The guides add most of the meaning here. They can connect the studio to Georgia’s wider film industry and explain why Atlanta works as a production base. That broader view is one reason the tour can still entertain someone who is not able to name every character.

Brimborn Steelworks

Brimborn Steelworks is the most atmospheric stop on the advertised route. It is presented as the nesting place of the Mind Flayer, so the industrial setting carries the strongest Upside Down connection.

This is where the show’s ordinary-world locations give way to something more ominous. The site may look like an industrial property in person, but the association with the series does much of the work. Some outings have also included Billy’s car, and nearby production-related sights have appeared on longer or customized trips, but you should not assume every extra sight is part of the three-hour booking.

A guide can make this stop memorable by showing scene images, pointing out production marks, or explaining how the location was dressed for filming. One account also described seeing marks left on a building where props had been attached. Details like that help you notice the physical traces of production, though access and visibility can change.

The guides make the difference

This tour depends heavily on the person behind the wheel. The strongest part of the experience is not simply reaching six map points. It is having someone who can explain why each place matters, keep the drive lively, and adjust the outing to your interests.

Greg is repeatedly praised for his humor, show knowledge, Atlanta information, and ability to keep the route moving. He has also adapted outings to individual interests, including adding Marvel filming locations during one private trip. Dana is known for a warm, personal approach and for combining Stranger Things knowledge with Georgia film industry background. Francesca brings strong enthusiasm, scene references, photos, and behind-the-scenes details. Julio is described as friendly, interactive, charismatic, and well informed about Georgia production.

That does not mean every tour will follow exactly the same script. It means you should tell your guide what matters most. If you want houses, schools, industrial sites, or production trivia, say so at the start. A private tour gives you more room for that than a large bus outing.

Some groups have seen additional locations outside the core route, including Stone Mountain Village, Jackson, Atlanta Utility Works, Skull Rock, Hawkins Headquarters, and other Season 5 related sites. Treat those as possible additions, not promises. The standard experience is the three-hour route listed above.

Is $175 per person a fair price?

At $175 per person, this is not a bargain sightseeing loop. A minimum of two people is required, so the starting cost for a pair is $350. For a dedicated fan, the price buys more than transportation. You get a private vehicle, a guide focused only on your group, pickup in Midtown or Downtown, bottled water, and a route that would be awkward to assemble independently.

The value improves for a family or small group that wants a private outing. You are not paying for a generic Atlanta tour with one brief television reference. The full three hours are built around Stranger Things locations, with time for questions and photos.

The calculation is different if you only want a quick look at one or two famous sites. In that case, the cost may feel high. You also need to remember that many locations are viewed from outside, and the experience does not promise studio access, indoor school visits, or entry to private homes.

Timing, comfort, and practical details

The tour lasts about three hours and offers morning or afternoon departures. That makes it easy to place between other Atlanta plans. A morning outing leaves the rest of the day open, while an afternoon departure can work after a slower start.

Pickup is available in Midtown and Downtown, with the listed meeting point at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue Northeast. The tour ends back at the starting point. A private vehicle is useful because the sites are spread around the Atlanta area, and public transport would not offer the same direct route.

Most people can take part, and the activity is near public transportation. Children need paid tickets and must be accompanied by a paying adult. Animals are not allowed. If you have a special requirement, get approval before booking rather than relying on the special requirements note.

Weather matters. The tour requires good conditions, and poor weather can lead to a new date or a full refund. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time, but changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted.

Who should book this Atlanta tour?

I would choose this for a committed Stranger Things fan, a family with a young fan, or a small group that values privacy. It is also a good pick if you want to pair television locations with a look at Atlanta neighborhoods and Georgia’s film industry.

You do not need to know every episode to enjoy it. The guides add enough Atlanta and production information to give non-fans something to follow. Still, the experience has its greatest impact if you recognize the houses, schools, characters, and Season 3 pool scenes.

I would skip it if you want a general city tour, a full studio tour, or guaranteed access inside every building. I would also compare the three-hour option with any extended or VIP offering if your main goal is to see outlying places such as Skull Rock or additional production sites.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if standing where Hawkins was filmed sounds more exciting than simply watching another episode at home. The private format, strong guides, and mix of homes, schools, pool, studio, and industrial sites give you a focused way to see the show’s Atlanta world.

The best booking choice is to bring at least one other fan, enter a reliable phone number, request the guide’s pickup confirmation, and ask about your must-see locations at the start. At $175 per person, it is a special-interest experience, not a low-cost city ride. For the right fan, that focus is exactly what makes it worth the money.

FAQ

How long is the Stranger Things filming locations tour?

The tour lasts approximately three hours.

What locations are included?

The route includes the Wheeler, Sinclair, and Henderson homes and nearby Hawkins streets, Hawkins Middle School, Hawkins High School, Hawkins Public Pool, Screen Gems Studios, and Brimborn Steelworks.

Where does the tour start?

The listed meeting point is 423 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia 30312.

Is pickup available?

Yes. Pickup is offered in the Midtown and Downtown areas of Atlanta. Your guide contacts you by text the day before to confirm pickup.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $175 per person, and at least two people are required per booking.

Are children allowed?

Yes. Children must have a paid ticket and must be accompanied by a paid adult.

Is bottled water provided?

Yes. Bottled water and private transportation are included.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted. If poor weather cancels the tour, you will be offered another date or a full refund.