If you keep up with any social or streaming platforms, I’m sure you’ve heard that the beloved Netflix TV series Stranger Things released the first half of its fifth season on Nov. 26. If you needed a quick reminder, whether you’ve seen the series, have no idea what it’s about, or feel like you’ve forgotten everything you watched, here’s a quick rundown with no plot spoilers of the latest season.
The show follows a group of kids in the 1980s fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where their lives flip upside down (IYKYK) when their friend Will disappears. The search leads them into a secret government experiment, a bone-chilling parallel dimension called the Upside Down, and a mysterious girl with telekinetic powers known as Eleven. Between supernatural creatures, the small-town drama, and touching friendships made, the series mixes horrifying adventure and nostalgia in the best way possible.
While this new season definitely has some mixed feedback, we still get the OG nostalgia from the show. You think about your experiences growing up and the environment in which they all took place (especially if you’re an ’80s kid).
Feeling nostalgic, I began to think about my seasonally creepy college town that I’ve lived in for the past few years, and thought to myself: if stranger events took place at FSU, would some of these places resemble Hawkins? I took care of this, so you don’t have to leave your mind wandering.
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab): Hawkins National Laboratory
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If the series needed a real-life scientific powerhouse, the MagLab is the place. You knew this was going to be on the list, be honest. When I first heard that we housed something this niche and scientifically awesome, I was in shock. As the largest magnetic lab in the world, at 330,000 square feet, it already looks like somewhere Eleven would be tested, monitored, or rescued from. It’s also the highest-powered facility with an extremely quiet 40-megawatt power supply.
The massive machinery, restricted-access wings, and ultra-sterile corridors give undeniable Hawkins Lab energy. Season 5 leans even more into advanced technology and high-security research environments, and while we’re not spoiling anything, the MagLab mirrors that vibe almost too perfectly.
- William Johnston Building (WJB): Hawkins Lab Hallways & Government Research Areas
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WJB’s historic exterior but sleek, modern interior design hides one undeniable truth: once you’re inside, it’s a maze. The floors, the rooms, and checking which stair leads to which area is a true mystery for us.
The endless hallways, quiet study floors, and mysterious staircases feel straight out of a scene where Eleven uses her powers to save the day… at least for now. The suspiciously polished appearances mirror the government-controlled spaces and are confusing enough to make you wonder what’s really happening behind the walls.
- Doak Campbell Stadium: Starcourt Mall & Season 5’s “Bigger World” Moments
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Doak Campbell Stadium is iconic, massive, and when empty, genuinely eerie. We can already envision the echoing through concrete tunnels, dark ramps, and interiors instantly recalling the large-scale battle scenes of Stranger Things.
Without spoiling anything, Season 5 clearly raises the stakes visually: the spaces are bigger, the tension feels larger, and Doak fits that cinematic scale perfectly. If Netflix wanted a dramatic, high-stakes confrontation space, the stadium would deliver the exact vibe this new season gives us.
- Strozier Library Basement Floors: School Hallways & the Upside Down
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If any spot on campus feels a little too quiet for comfort, it’s Strozier Library’s maintenance areas. The dim lighting, low ceilings, and maze-like stacks make it a perfect stand-in for the Hawkins school hallways, where the group first encountered supernatural activity.
The silence feels loud, much in the same way scenes in the Upside Down do. Netflix could definitely film a suspenseful search or chase scene here without set alterations.
Personally, this series feels deeply nostalgic to my childhood but also frustrating because of how long the gaps are between the releases of the episodes. However, I’m excited for the remainder of the season to be released during winter break and to see how almost a decade of Stranger Things ends in this epic conclusion.
Feel free to let me know if you disagree with my location picks, or better yet, have a better take on which FSU campus spots feel like we’re in Stranger Things.
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