1. Hendricks County is Perfect for Gamers
All members of the Hellfire Club and the party led by Mike Wheeler would have loved the opportunities to connect and build a community around tabletop gaming in Hendricks County, including Dungeons & Dragons. Unlike, 1980s Hawkins, they will find a welcoming community of gamers with lots of games and accessories available.
- Valkyrie’s Vault in Brownsburg is a local gaming store and hangout that offers everything an avid gamer would want or need. They also host events where gamers can come together in an inclusive environment to learn about and play games.
- Also in Brownsburg, Bulldog Community Gaming offers a social setting for gamers to come in and have fun playing card games. They carry items for Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, YugiOh, Digimon, Sol Fusion and Dungeons & Dragons.
- k0s Card Shop in Avon is perfect for players and collectors of trading card games, specializing in Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering and more.
2. Press Play Gaming Lounge: What 80s Arcade Kids Dreamed About
Stranger Things fans know the Palace Arcade played a key role in season 2 of the show. While Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Will were spending all their quarters on Dig Dug and Dragon's Lair, they also came into contact with Mad Max for the first time at the arcade.
All five of those Hawkins teens could only have dreamed of an arcade like Press Play Gaming Lounge, located in Brownsburg. Press Play is a new style of family fun entertainment with virtual reality, video games and more! It unlocks the kid within adults and creates the ultimate fun zone for groups of all ages.
3. Community Pools Have Come a Long Way
The Hawkins Community Pool was a summer respite in the Stranger Things series, and Billy Hargrove (RIP) was the favorite lifeguard amongst the local moms in Hawkins. Hendricks County is home to not one but three aquatic centers that employ more lifeguards than Hawkins High could possibly provide.
- Splash Island Family Water Park is a 4 ½-acre Caribbean-themed outdoor waterpark, open May through September. It features six waterslides, a 900-foot leisure river, a lily pad crossing, two pulsating vortexes, two springboards, a lap swimming area and a zero-depth entry water playground.
- Murphy Aquatic Park provides an ADA-accessible water playground featuring wider runways for wheelchairs. Inside this park, you'll also find the largest wave pool in central Indiana, water basketball goals, two water slides and rentable cabanas.
- Gill Family Aquatic Center has become a centerpiece attraction for the town of Danville. The aquatic center boasts a splash playground, two waterslides, diving boards, a lazy river, swimming lanes and more.
4. Eleven Would "L'eggo" Her Eggos Over These Waffles
It is not often that a frozen breakfast item becomes synonymous with a popular television show, but Eggo waffles will always have a Stranger Things tie for fans of the show. It was the food Mike would sneak to Eleven when she was hiding in the Wheeler's basement, and it was the food Eleven stole from the grocery store when she left the safety of the Wheeler home.
We assume that Eleven's taste has evolved slightly over the past 40 years, and that an elevated waffle experience is what she would find in Hendricks County. The Butter Pecan Waffles at Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery in Danville are a must-try, and who could turn down the Belgian Waffles at Oasis Diner in Plainfield?
5. Eddie Munson Would Be a Hero at the Indiana Guitar Show
Eddie Munson was definitely one of the show's most misunderstood and likable characters. His iconic Master of Puppets scene is one of the "most metal ever" in TV history.
I think Eddie would've found his people and fit right in at the Indiana Guitar Show, the single largest musical event in Indiana. It draws musicians from all over to buy, sell & trade with national dealers during two shows annually in the spring and fall at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex in Danville.
6. From Scoops Ahoy to Ice Cream Shops to Enjoy
Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley have come to epitomize what the platonic male/female friendship can look like on television, and they first met while scooping ice cream at Scoops Ahoy in the Starcourt Mall. I think both would be impressed with the scoops available in Hendricks County, and none of these local shops are sitting on top of a secret Soviet military base (at least I don't think they are...).
- Danny's Mexican Ice Cream makes everything in-house. Traditionally, Mexican ice cream provides a creamier texture, and Danny's offers unique flavors like Ferrero Rocher, Queso and Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake for a unique experience.
- Mandy's Ice Cream is a Brownsburg favorite with unique flavors like Root Beer Float, Rhubarb Crumble and Ube Chai.
- Danville Dips specializes in mouthwatering ice cream, but they also serve food and other frozen treats inside an inviting storefront on the square in Danville.
- Other favorites include Lizton Dairy Bar, The Cup and the Cone, Frost Bite and The Frigid Frog & More.
7. VW's Are Taken Care Of
One of the most eccentric characters on the show arrived in season four, a teen pizza deliveryman for Surfer Boy Pizza named Argyle. While Argyle would definitely appreciate the Hendricks County pizza scene, I think he would also value the care his signature Pizza Boy VW Vanagon would receive here.
Not only is Hendricks County home to the Circle City Volkswagen Club Volktoberfest each year, but Buggy Works Inc. is located just inside Hendricks County on Raceway Road. They specialize in all things VW.
8. So. Many. Christmas. Lights.
One of the most iconic moments of the Stranger Things series came in season one, when Joyce Byers communicated with her son, Will, from The Upside Down using Christmas lights. If there is something that Hendricks County does really well, it is holiday light displays.
Christmas on the Square is held annually on Black Friday, where Danville's large Christmas tree is lit. The event is a popular holiday tradition, and I have to think Will and the rest of the Byers family would love it.
9. A Great Place to Explore on Two Wheels
The bicycles ridden by our gang of '80s kids were almost silent characters in the Stranger Things series. So much so that Schwinn and Mongoose released replicas of the bikes ridden in the show by Mike, Lucas and Max.
Hendricks County is a great place for bicycles. From the B&O Trail to the Vandalia Trail to numerous other routes across the county's towns and parks, the Hawkins crew would be able to explore this area without Eleven having to flip pesky utility vans out of the way.
10. A Skate Park Max Would Love
From her debut in season two, Max Mayfield was clearly the coolest member of The Party, with her skateboarding, video game prowess and Mongoose BMX bike. She was also the first to display a teen attitude, which she then taught to Eleven, much to the chagrin of Sheriff Hopper.
Forty years later, she might not be hitting a lot of ramps on the skateboard, but it's easy to imagine her as the parent of a skateboarder. Anderson Park in Plainfield provides a great setup for shredding, drawing riders from across central Indiana.
11. Amateur Radio Culture
As the charter members of the Hawkins Middle AV Club, Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Will are avid users of CB radios, and in Season 3, Dustin constructs Cerebro, which is a strong enough radio to reach his genius girlfriend, Suzie.
Needless to say, the Hendricks County Amateur Radio Society (HCARS) and its annual Hendricks County HAMfest event would be something our heroes would enjoy. The club, call sign N9HC, owns and maintains its own Cerebro, the 147.015 repeater located near Belleville, Indiana.
