Georgia is the third-largest film production hub in the world, behind only California and New York. The 30% state tax credit introduced in 2008 draws hundreds of productions per year — everything from superhero tentpoles to prestige television. The result is a state full of recognizable locations that fans travel specifically to see.
The 7 sites below cover the most visited film locations in Georgia, from Savannah’s Forrest Gump square to the small towns that became Hawkins, Indiana.
Jump to: Atlanta · Savannah · Georgia Small Towns
Atlanta
Atlanta and its close-in suburbs host most of the state’s film infrastructure, with purpose-built studio complexes and a dense collection of on-location filming sites.
Jackson Street Bridge
Fulton County · Atlanta · Free
The Jackson Street Bridge in Old Fourth Ward is the location of the most recognized image from The Walking Dead — the opening of the pilot episode, where Rick Grimes on horseback rides across a bridge toward an abandoned Atlanta skyline. The actual Atlanta skyline is visible from the bridge, making the filming location immediately identifiable to fans.
Free to visit, accessible from the BeltLine. The bridge sits between the Old Fourth Ward and Cabbagetown neighborhoods.
Porsche Experience Center
Fulton County · Atlanta · Driving experience paid
The modern Porsche Experience Center complex in Atlanta was used as the exterior of the Avengers compound in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The building’s distinctive architecture was a recurring visual anchor of the MCU’s Avengers storyline.
The facility is a functioning Porsche driver experience center — visitors can book track time in Porsches regardless of the film connection. The exterior is visible from the public road.
Emory Briarcliff Campus
DeKalb County · Decatur · Free
The abandoned Briarcliff Summit Hospital on Emory University’s Briarcliff campus served as Hawkins National Laboratory in Stranger Things — the imposing institutional building where Dr. Brenner ran the MKUltra experiments on Eleven. The building is a 1920s-era hospital with exactly the institutional severity the show needed.
The campus is accessible and the exterior is free to view. Located about 5 miles east of downtown Atlanta in Decatur.
Savannah
Chippewa Square
Chatham County · Savannah · Free
The bench where Forrest Gump sat telling his life story to strangers waiting for the bus was filmed on the north end of Chippewa Square in Savannah. The square is one of Savannah’s 22 historic squares — a shaded park surrounded by 19th-century architecture. The original prop bench is now in the Savannah History Museum; the square itself is unchanged.
Free to visit at any time. Part of a natural walking route through the historic district.
Georgia Small Towns
Three small Georgia towns within 50 miles of Atlanta have become pilgrimage destinations for fans of some of the most popular TV shows of the last decade.
Downtown Senoia
Coweta County · Senoia · Free
Senoia’s small-town main street has been the most used filming location in The Walking Dead — serving as Woodbury in seasons 3 and 4, then redressed as Alexandria for seasons 5 through 11. Several storefronts remain dressed as they appeared in the show and a dedicated Walking Dead fan shop operates downtown. The production company, Stalwart Films, is based here and offers official walking tours.
About 35 miles south of Atlanta. The most complete Walking Dead filming experience outside of a studio tour.
Mystic Grill
Newton County · Covington · Operating restaurant
The Mystic Grill in Covington is the real-world version of the fictional Mystic Falls hangout in The Vampire Diaries — the restaurant where the main characters spent much of the show’s run. The restaurant operates as a working business and is decorated with Vampire Diaries memorabilia. Downtown Covington itself served as Mystic Falls throughout the show’s 8-season run.
About 35 miles east of Atlanta. Covington offers a self-guided walking tour map of the show’s filming locations downtown.
Downtown Jackson
Butts County · Jackson · Free
Downtown Jackson, Georgia — population 5,000 — is the real Hawkins, Indiana in Stranger Things. The town square, storefronts, and surrounding residential streets appear throughout the series as the fictional Indiana town. The courthouse square is immediately recognizable to fans of the show. Jackson is about 45 miles south of Atlanta.
Free to walk and photograph. The town has embraced the filming connection with local signage. Combine with a visit to Indian Springs State Park nearby.