Film / TV Series: Stranger Things

Season: S1 & S2

Production used prop across Season 1 and Season 2.

Hawkins National Laboratory (HNL) is one of the most important locations introduced in Stranger Things Season 1. On the surface, it appears to be a highly secure government research facility operating on the outskirts of Hawkins. Beneath that controlled exterior, however, the laboratory is responsible for experiments that ultimately unleash a threat far beyond the boundaries of the town.

The laboratory is overseen by Dr. Martin Brenner, also known as ‘Papa’, who conducts secretive experiments involving children and extraordinary psychological abilities. Among them is Eleven, a young girl who has been raised and experimented on inside the facility. Her abilities become central to the laboratory's research and eventually play a role in opening a gateway to another dimension.

For production, Hawkins National Laboratory is also particularly recognisable for its institutional environment. Laboratory equipment, security materials, medical items, documentation, uniforms and other practical details help establish the facility as a functioning research complex rather than simply a fictional backdrop. These details contribute heavily to the authenticity of the Hawkins Lab sequences and help create the show's distinctive 1980s government-research aesthetic.

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