Netflix finally released an official map for the Stranger Things universe that explains how every place and dimension is connected within the world, from where the Mind Flayer resided in Dimension X/the Abyss all the way down to Hawkins High School in Hawkins. Stranger Things went out with a bang during Season 5, as the show featured the final confrontation between Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and the gang from Hawkins, Indiana. The fifth and final installment was rather divisive, but it did tie together some loose threads and answer some major questions about how everything was connected.
In a recent issue of Tudum Magazine (Netflix's official magazine), a graphic was included within the pages that featured a full, detailed map of essentially the entire Stranger Things world (except for Russia and some other minor locations). Specifically, this map detailed exactly how Hawkins was connected to the Upside Down, how the Upside Down was connected to the Abyss/Dimension X, and the access points between all three.
As shared by artist Andrew DeGraff (who created this graphic), the map reinforces that the Upside Down was not a different dimension itself, but rather an unstable wormhole that connected Hawkins directly to the Abyss, which is where Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and the Demogorgons resided.
The broad view of the map puts everything into perspective by showing the Abyss on the top and Hawkins on the bottom, with the Upside Down directly between them.
However, there is a more detailed look at some of the specific locations that were important during Stranger Things' five seasons, specifically when it came to entry points into the Upside Down or the Abyss.
For example, there are 20 numbered landmarks on the map, with a key at the bottom of the magazine page to help readers directly identify what each number represents.
For example, number one represents Eleven's Training Camp from Season 5 where she continuously tried to hone and increase her powers in order to make it into the Upside Down as efficiently as possible.
The number two landmark on the map represents Hawkins High School, which was a major setting for multiple seasons of the show.
The third landmark is meant to showcase Hawkins Library, which is where Nancy Wheeler and Robin Buckley went to research the murders of the Creel family.
Hawkins Hospital is at landmark four. The hospital showed up in multiple seasons, and most notably was where Max Mayfield was being held while she was in a coma during a large portion of Season 5.
Hawkins Lab is arguably the most important location in all of Stranger Things, and it is marked as the fifth landmark. The lab was where Dr. Brenner carried out his work, and was essentially the birth place for the Upside Down in the show.
The sixth landmark is The Byers' house, which is where the story of Stranger Things truly started. A lot of Season 1 was set at the Byers' house with Joyce trying to figure out where Will had gone, and it remained an important location for future seasons.
The first six landmarks on the map were in the real world, but landmark seven, Exotic Matter, is the first to be in the Upside Down. Interestingly (and accurately), the map depicts the Upside Down as a direct mirror of the overworld. However, some elements, like the Exotic Matter, are not visible in the representation in the overworld, since it was only seen in the Upside Down.
The eighth landmark is "The Squawk" radio station and tower. It is also depicted as being in the Upside Down, even though it was a location in both the Upside Down and the regular world. This is the radio station where Robin Buckley worked, and it ended up being the central hub for the party in Season 5.
Gable Ridge Road Base is represented as landmark nine in the Upside Down on the map. This was the military base that was seen in the Upside Down in Season 5. Notably, it is where Will and everyone else present realized he had powers like Eleven.
Landmark 10 is the one and only location to be shown in the Abyss, and it is none other than the Mind Flayer. At first, it looked as though the Mind Flayer was simply Vecna's lair in the Abyss, with towering, finger-like structures going up in the sky. However, after the Mind Flayer was "activated," those structures came down and revealed themselves to be the Mind Flayer's legs, proving that Vecna was operating inside the creature the entire time.
The eleventh landmark, which is the Hawkins Lab Rainbow Room, is depicted in the more detailed side of the map. This side actually shows rooms or locations in full detail. For example, the dead patients inside the Rainbow Room can be seen lying on the ground after they were killed by Vecna.
The red wasteland, which was established by Max in Season 5 is the Center of Henry Creel's Mind. It is landmark 12, and looks identical to how it did in the show. This is where Holly was able to escape after being trapped by Mr. Whatsit (aka Vecna).
Landmark 13 showcases The Wheelers' house, and gives a detailed look at the demogorgon attacking the Wheelers during Season 5.
Hawkins Elementary School and playground is the fourteenth landmark. It proved to be an extremely important location in Season 5, as it is where Holly spoke with Mr. Whatsit before being taken by him.
The mineshaft, which is primarily shown inside Henry Creel's mind in Season 5, is depicted by landmark 15. Season 5 showed the importance of the mineshaft, and how Henry was exposed to the Mind Flayer for the first time.
The Cave is landmark 16, and is quite similar to the mineshaft. The cave was a source of Henry's personal trauma, as it is where he was essentially possessed by the Mind Flayer. Inside Henry's mind, characters like Max and Holly went to the cave to hide from Henry, because, for some time, it was too traumatic a place for him to enter.
Landmark 17 represents The Snowball Dance, which was a dance at Hawkins Middle School that was showcased in Season 2.
The Creel House, which was an extremely important location inside Henry's mind, in the real world, and in the Upside Down is landmark 18.
The nineteenth landmark represents the 1959 Hawkins High School hallway. Season 5 revealed that Henry went to school with Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper, and the hallway was a place in Henry's mind that Max visited often.
The final landmark on the map depicts the high school's play that took place in 1959, which was an important part of history for Henry Creel, and something that lived inside his mind for years to come.
It is also worth noting that the entire map also shows different entry and exit points between the different dimensions and places. For example, there is a "tunnel" connecting the wasteland inside of Henry Creel's mind to the Abyss, where the Mind Flayer is.
Stranger Things Finally Cleared Up A Lot of Confusion
One of the biggest complaints many had with Stranger Things Season 5 is that it didn't provide enough information on how the Upside Down connected Hawkins to the Abyss. Yes, it explained that the Upside Down was a wormhole, but the exposition was rather surface-level.
This new map finally gives fans a visual of how everything within the world is set up and exactly how everything is connected. It is also nice for fans to be able to look at the map and see exactly where different events occurred throughout Season 5 and the rest of the show.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions from Season 5 that fans are still hoping to learn answers to. The Stranger Things universe is far from dead, as a new project titled Tales From '85 was just recently released, and there are plans for more content to come in the future.
