Georgia Mental Health Institute, hospital
The Georgia Mental Health Institute was a former psychiatric hospital in Atlanta located on the historic Briarcliff estate and opened in 1965. The campus contained multiple concrete and steel buildings housing treatment rooms, laboratories, classrooms for medical education, and patient residency areas.
The institute was founded in 1965 as a partnership between the state of Georgia and Emory University to modernize psychiatric care. It closed in 1997 as the state shifted away from the large hospital model toward community-based services.
The institute was connected to Emory University and played a role in training mental health professionals for the state. This partnership made it a place where science and patient care worked together, reflecting how the city developed advanced medical services.
The site is located on a large estate with historic and modern buildings that can be explored on foot, though some buildings are scheduled for demolition. Visitors should know the property is currently undergoing changes and not all areas may be accessible.
The campus was used for film production and served as the setting for laboratory facilities in the television series Stranger Things. The massive, fortress-like concrete buildings created the perfect backdrop for fictional conspiracy scenes and also appeared in other films and television shows.
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