Emory-owned abandoned hospital used in ‘Stranger Things’ demolished

Share Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Emory University-owned building used in the hit Netflix series “ Stranger Things ” has been demolished. Known nationwide as the Hawkins National Lab, the structure was actually called the Briarcliff Building. The building on Briarcliff Road was torn down as the university redevelops the area for a proposed senior living community. Briarcliff Building was built in the 1960s as a mental health treatment facility and acquired by Emory when it purchased the 42-acre Briarcliff campus in 1998. The university vacated the building in 2024. But in December 2025, 19-year-old Leah Palmirotto fell from the building’s roof and died while exploring the structure. Briarcliff Building was once listed among the dozens of buildings the university rents out to filmmakers, but it was removed shortly after Palmirotto’s death. PREVIOUS COVERAGE 19-year-old dies after falling off abandoned hospital building used in ‘Stranger Things’ Loved ones remember teen who died after falling from building featured in ‘Stranger Things’ Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.