Netflix Tourism To Sites Of Shows Like “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” And “Ozark” Is A…

When you watch your favorite TV shows on Netflix, do you dream of traveling to the locations where they were filmed? You are not alone. According to a new survey by OnBuy, an online marketplace based in the UK, more than 100,000 people search the location of Netflix’s top 11 shows every month.

With much of the world shut down by COVID-19 restrictions, more people are watching streaming services like Netflix than ever. Netflix , one of the premiere “stay at home stocks”, just reported adding ten million viewers this quarter and enhanced revenue (if disappointing earnings).

The OnBuy TV Cinema Department looked at how many people were searching for information on the locations of 11 of the most successful and watched Netflix shows.  Many people who’ve watched big Netflix shows like STRANGER THINGS, OZARK, BLACK MIRROR, BREAKING BAD and MONEY HEIST may be planning to break out of their homes, and travel to where their favorite shows were set. (Considering the current travel situation with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s wise to email or call before booking, as well as check for local or national restrictions.)

STRANGER THINGS was by far the most popular show searched, with more than 42,000 monthly searches for the locations where the show was filmed.  OnBuy says much of the show’s filming took place around Atlanta, Georgia, including the Stone Mountain Cherokee Loop Trail. If you’re a do-it-yourself traveler, OnBuy says the trail is easy to find following the coordinates 33.808399, -84139244 or searching “Stone Mountain Hiking Trail” on Instagram.

If you prefer a guided tour, organized “Stranger Things” tourism has already sprung up in Atlanta. Civitatis will pick you up at your hotel and take you on a day tour of the fictional town of “Hawkins” where the show takes place. Naturally, the tour operator is taking measures due to COVID-19. Tours will not consist of more than 4 people per group, a safe distance of one meter between clients will be maintained whenever possible, and handing out of printed material such as maps or brochures will be avoided.

Season four of STRANGER THINGS was filmed in Vilnius, Lithuania at the former century-old Lukiškes Prison and other locations in the Eastern European country. Although Americans are currently restricted due to the US coronavirus rate, fans living in the European Union and the UK may be able to visit, “provided the incidence of COVID-19 (coronavirus infection) in the country where they lawfully reside has not exceeded 25 cases/100 000 population in the last 14 calendar days.”, currently 1,084.9 cases per 100,000 people

Sttill, American Netflix fans have many other options. One popular show with potential tourists is Netflix’s OZARK, a crime drama starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. OnBuy’s data shows that more than 6,000 people a month check out the locations for OZARK, which has received 14 Emmy Award nominations.

Although the series is set at a waterfront resort at the Lake of the Ozarks, most of the shooting actually took place around Atlanta, specifically at Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier. Fans will be happy to know they can stay in the 3,500-acre home of drug lord Del Rio as it was filmed at the Chateau Elan Winery and Resort in Georgia. To get there, search “Lake Allatoona” and “Chateau Elan Winery & Resort” on Instagram.

BREAKING BAD, originally aired on AMC,was actually the tenth-most popular streamed show on Netflix last week. Netflix is also showing the first four seasons of prequel BETTER CALL SAUL, and many fans have already visited Albuquerque, New Mexico where the shows are set. There’s even an RV tour of BREAKING BAD sites like Jesse’s house, Chucky’s, Dog house, Tucco’s, Combo’s corner, thRV Junkyard, Los Pollos Hermanos, Owl Cafe, Jane’s, Walt’s house, the Car Wash and Superlab.

The tour also includes new BETTER CALL SAUL locations. In a necessary concession to COVID-19, the proprietors offer contact-less check-in, staggered seating, a limited number of rider and  social distancing. Mask must be worn at all times, hand sanitzer is provided, and buses are cleaned and disinfected after each tour.

For those who can travel further afield, Madrid is the site of another of OnBuy’s top searched Netflix shows, the Spanish crime and hostage drama MONEY HEIST. Since Netflix acquired the global streaming rights in 2017, the tale of a crime mastermind and his spooky thugs became the most-watched non-English language series (although subtitles and a dubbed version are available) on the streaming site.

The show’s first two seasons were primarily filmed in Madrid. In a bit of Hollywood-style magic, the series was set at the Royal Mint of Spain, but filmmakers, not allowed to film exteriors there, instead used the National Research Council. Madrid’s official tourist site has a page on MONEY HEIST, while Guruwalk offers a walking tour in Spanish. Or you can just search “CSIC” on Instagram

Other Netflix filming locations are available near and far. New York’s Logos Bookstore (search Logos Bookstore” on Instagram) is where the popular psychological thriller YOU was filmed. On the other hand, BLACK MIRROR went to Capetown, South Africa. to film the $7 million mansion belonging to Ashley O. (Search “Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa” on Instagram.)

Television is a powerful medium. Shows like GAME OF THRONES have motivated viewers to get off their couch and go to GOT sites. While coronavirus may have limited travel, fans will continue to watch Netflix and dream of standing where their favorite characters stood.