Abandoned Hawkins Laboratory

My recent exploration of this abandoned site really got me thinking, especially after seeing how many people search for 'Hawkins Lab' and 'is Hawkins a real place.' It's fascinating how a fictional location from a show can spark so much curiosity about its real-world counterpart or inspiration! To answer the big question first: no, Hawkins, Indiana, and its infamous Hawkins National Laboratory are entirely fictional creations for the world of Stranger Things. While the setting feels incredibly authentic to 1980s small-town America, the sinister government facility where Eleven's powers were honed and the Upside Down portal first opened is purely a product of the Duffer Brothers' imagination. However, the show's creators have mentioned drawing inspiration from real-life Cold War-era government experiments and mysteries, like the infamous Project MKUltra, adding a chilling layer of realism to the fictional lab's premise. Looking at the photos from my visit, you can really see why this abandoned building evoked the feeling of Hawkins Lab. The brutalist concrete facade, with its pattern grilles and large windows, definitely has that imposing, institutional look that defines the show's facility. Inside, the atmosphere was even more striking. Walking through the long, dark hallway with its checkered floor tiles covered in debris, past a lonely red fire extinguisher, it felt like stepping into a forgotten corner of a secret research base. You could almost hear the distant hum of machinery or the echo of scientists' footsteps. One of the most intriguing finds was the interior with the broken glass display case containing what looked like a detailed architectural diorama of a building complex. It makes you wonder what purpose it served in this real-world abandoned place. Was it a blueprint for a grand, unfinished project? For a moment, it made me think of the complex layouts of the lab seen in Stranger Things Season 1, where secret experiments and terrifying discoveries unfolded. The empty office rooms with open drawers, the service elevator, and the unfinished or dismantled wooden structures all contributed to a sense of a place abruptly deserted, leaving behind its mysteries. While this particular location isn't the actual filming site for Hawkins Lab (those are primarily in Georgia, utilizing various existing buildings and sets for different parts of the facility), it perfectly captures the aesthetic and chilling isolation of the fictional lab. It reminds us how much atmosphere and story can be conveyed through architecture and decay. So, while you can't visit the real Hawkins Lab, exploring places like this helps bring a piece of that Stranger Things magic into our world. What do you think? Does this abandoned site capture the Stranger Things Hawkins Lab vibe for you? Have you visited any real-life locations that remind you of the show?