the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environmentmerriam-webster.com

ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, contexture, environs, medium, environment, mise-en-scène, setting, surround, surroundings, terrainSynonyms

Spirits don’t need houses to haunt; ships, wharves and beaches will do just as well, and those will be among the spooky milieus investigated in this Staten Island event, which comprises five institutions on the harbor campus.Laurel Graeber, New York Times, "Events for Children in NYC This Week," 26 Oct. 2017