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Hawkins, Indiana

General Info

Hawkins, Indiana logo
CityHawkins
Area/RegionIndiana
CountryUnited States
Latitude39.33333
Longitude-86.41667
Location NameHawkins, Indiana
Hawkins, Indiana is a small town located in rural Indiana, best known for its strange and eerie happenings. The town was home to the Hawkins National Laboratory, a top-secret government facility that conducted questionable experiments regarding parallel universes and telekinesis. Due to the laboratory's experiments, the town has been plagued with supernatural occurrences, causing the residents to live in a constant state of fear. The town boasts a retro aesthetic with its old-fashioned diner, family-owned stores, and neighborhood hangouts. Its high school is the central hub for teenage politics, fueled by social cliques and teenage drama. However, beneath its golden age facade, Hawkins has a dark underbelly. Ever since the disappearance of Will Byers, a young boy from the town, many mysterious events have unfolded. The town has witnessed a monster from another dimension going on a destructive rampage, telekinetic abilities from a young girl, and a treacherous government conspiracy. Hawkins, Indiana, is not for the faint of heart, but for the brave and curious who are willing to explore its eerie and other-worldly happenings. Visitors to the town are advised to have a heightened sense of awareness and keep an eye out for any unusual occurrences. But for those who seek adventure and the possibility of unraveling the town's secrets, Hawkins, Indiana, is the perfect location to explore the Stranger Things universe.

Overview

The Stranger Things Universe: Hawkins, Indiana

Hawkins, Indiana is a small, unassuming town nestled in the heart of America's heartland. But beneath the surface, it is home to a dark, supernatural underbelly that the residents of Hawkins are only just beginning to understand. The setting for the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Hawkins is a town defined by its mystery and intrigue, its secrets and the strange, otherworldly forces that inhabit it.

History

The town of Hawkins was founded in the late 1800s, and much of its early years were defined by the surrounding forests and quarries that provided the town's livelihood. With the arrival of the Hawkins National Laboratory in the 1950s, however, the town's fortunes began to shift. The lab brought with it a new era of technological innovation and scientific exploration, as well as a number of dark secrets that would eventually come to threaten the safety and security of the town and its inhabitants.

By the 1970s, Hawkins was a typical small town, with a close-knit community centered around its schools, churches, and businesses. But beneath the surface, strange things were happening. Reports of supernatural occurrences and unexplained phenomena began to surface, and rumors of government conspiracies and secret experiments at the Hawkins National Laboratory only added to the town's growing sense of unease.

Geography

Hawkins is nestled in the heart of Indiana, surrounded by lush forests and rolling hills. Its main thoroughfares include Main Street and the downtown area, which is home to a number of small businesses and local establishments. The town is also intersected by the Hawkins-Avonlea Road, which provides access to the surrounding forests and the abandoned quarry that the town once relied on for its economic survival.

To the east of Hawkins lies Hawkins National Laboratory, a sprawling research facility that has played a central role in much of the town's recent history. The lab is surrounded by dense forests and is only accessible via a long, winding road that cuts through the heart of the woods. The lab's remoteness and secrecy have only added to the air of mystery and intrigue that surrounds it.

Notable Locations
  • Hawkins National Laboratory: The source of many of Hawkins' troubles, the lab is a massive facility dedicated to scientific research and experimentation. Its secrets and the strange creatures that inhabit the Upside Down have caused no shortage of problems for the town and its inhabitants.
  • Hawkins Middle School: The site of the disappearance of Will Byers, the school serves as a central hub of activity for the town's younger residents.
  • Joyce Byers' House: The home of Will and his family, the house is a focal point of much of the show's action and is the site of a number of supernatural occurrences.
  • The Wheeler House: Home to Mike, Nancy, and their family, the Wheeler house is also a frequent setting for the show's action.
  • The Palace Arcade: A popular local hangout, the arcade serves as a central hub of activity for the town's youth.
  • Starcourt Mall: The newest addition to the town, the mall is a gleaming beacon of consumer culture that draws in a number of the show's characters.

Overall, Hawkins, Indiana is a town defined by its secrets, its strange happenings, and its rich history. With the continuing success of Stranger Things, audiences can expect the town to continue to be a central character in the show's unfolding narrative.

History

Hawkins, Indiana: A History Lost in the Upside Down Hawkins, Indiana is a small and unassuming town situated in the heart of the Midwest. Nestled deep within the vast expanse of the hoop fields and corn mazes, it's easy to mistake this sleepy enclave for just another small town and a dot on the map. However, as fans of the Netflix series Stranger Things will know, Hawkins houses a secret that is far from ordinary. From the sinister government conspiracies to the paranormal entities that haunt its streets, Hawkins has seen it all. This is the story of this small town's evolution through the years. The Early Years In the late 1800s, Hawkins, Indiana was little more than a rural backwater outpost, nestled in the heart of America's heartland. The town's founding was a modest affair, with pioneering families setting up shop and beginning to carve out a livelihood in the middle of the sprawling landscape. The first settlers in the area primarily engaged in farming, while others started small trading outposts and stores. Things slowly began to change for Hawkins in the early 1900s, with the arrival of electric power and telephone lines. The resulting increase in connectivity with the outside world brought new economic opportunities and fuelled the growth of the town's retail sector. Yet, for the most part, Hawkins remained a small town in the vast Midwest, with little to distinguish it from its neighbors. World War II Hawkins, Indiana changed dramatically during World War II. The growing military-industrial complex in the United States began to take hold, and Hawkins found itself playing a small yet crucial role in the government's wartime efforts. The midwestern US was an ideal location for a secret military base, being remote and sparsely populated, and the government's attention increasingly turned to places like Hawkins. In 1943, the government established a military base in the outskirts of Hawkins, with the secret mission of conducting experiments in the fields of science and technology, including weapons such as nuclear bombs. Though the residents of Hawkins were initially excited by the prospect of the military base bringing much-needed jobs to the area, the true nature of the experiments soon became apparent, and widespread fear began to spread. The Cold War The end of the war did not spell the end of the military base in Hawkins. The onset of the Cold War saw the government ramp up its efforts to research and develop new technologies, and Hawkins continued to play a key role in this research for over a decade. However, it was during this period that something else began to stir within the town that would have profound and lasting effects on its future. In the 1960s, young Will Byers disappeared without a trace while returning from a night of playing Dungeons & Dragons with his friends. The investigation into his disappearance eventually led to the discovery of a mysterious alternate dimension, which the locals called the 'Upside Down.' Though the investigation was officially closed, the strange goings-on in Hawkins have continued to this day, with the abductions and disappearances of several more young residents. The Present Day In the decades since the Cold War, Hawkins has continued to evolve. The military base has long since been disbanded, and the area has returned to its primarily agricultural roots. However, the town is no longer just a small dot on the map. The strange happenings that have plagued Hawkins for years have brought a new kind of attention to the town, with curious tourists flocking to see the sights and explore the mysteries of the Upside Down. The strange energy that courses through Hawkins remains, with more groups and organizations taking an interest in the town's mysteries. Yet, despite all this, the people of Hawkins remain resolutely and determinedly themselves - grounded, dedicated, and determined to hold on to their way of life as much as possible, no matter how much the world around them changes. Conclusion The history of Hawkins, Indiana is one that is intimately tied to the secrets and mysteries of the Stranger Things universe. A small town that was once little more than a passing thought for most people has now become a cultural phenomenon. The legacy of the mysterious experiments and paranormal entities that haunt the streets of Hawkins will continue to shape the town's future, ensuring that it remains one of the most memorable and iconic locations in all of popular culture.

Background

Welcome to Hawkins, Indiana, a small town filled with secrets, danger, and supernatural happenings. Located in the heartland of America, this seemingly quiet town is steeped in history and mystery, making it the perfect setting for the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Hawkins, Indiana was founded in 1834, and like many small towns across the United States, it's passed through different stages throughout its history. However, everything changed in November 1983, when Will Byers vanished into thin air, plunging the town into turmoil and forever altering Hawkins. The town itself is situated in the northwest corner of the state of Indiana, just a few miles south of the Michigan border. The population sits at just shy of 30,000, spanning generations of families that have lived and died within its boundaries for nearly two centuries. The town is nestled in a lush valley surrounded by dense forests, making it the perfect place for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. However, lurking within its woodlands are dark secrets and supernatural forces that threaten everything the town stands for. The town center is dominated by the picturesque and historic Hawkins Library, which is a hub of activity for the locals, supplying the latest titles, newspapers, and magazines from around the world. The Hawkins Police Station lies just up the road from the library and serves as the center of law enforcement for the town. One of the local favorites in Hawkins is the Palace Arcade, where teenagers can hang out, play video games, and get a bite to eat. The arcade is also where Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will spend a lot of their time, and it plays a key role in the first season of Stranger Things. Hawkins is divided into different areas, with the largest of those being the suburbs, where most of the town's population resides. Houses are varied, ranging from classic, turn-of-the-century mansions to more modern ranch-style homes. One of the standout locations in the town is the Wheeler residence, where Mike and his family live. The southern part of Hawkins is dominated by a long stretch of woods, which runs down the length of the town's border with the neighboring state of Illinois. This location is where most of the supernatural occurrences happen, and it's also where the shadowy organization known as the Hawkins National Laboratory is situated. The Hawkins National Laboratory was initially established in the 1950s as an attempt to carve out a space edge over America's Cold War rivals. The lab was responsible for a variety of research during the decades that followed, but little is known about what was researched there in the early 80s until Eleven and Chief Hopper's investigation uncovered its most closely kept secrets. Hawkins, Indiana, is a town unlike any other, and it's fertile ground for storytelling. The winding streets, historic buildings, and dense forests provide the perfect stage for the supernatural events that unfold in Stranger Things, and it's impossible to imagine the show taking place anywhere else.