Where was Animal House filmed?
1978
City Locations
Eugene, Oregon. College Grove, Oregon.
Location Types
American, NatureScapes, House, Schools/Colleges
Location Styles
Americana/Anywhere America, Classic Car, Dated/50's-60's-70's Building
About Animal House
Animal House is a classic National Lampoon film that was released in 1978. The movie follows college freshmen Kent Dorfman and Larry Kroger as they go through fraternity rush at Faber College. The roommates are rejected by Omega House first but end up rushing Delta House after meeting several of the fraternity members. Hoover is the president of the house, with the other members being Bluto, Otter, Boone, and Harley.
Kent and Larry suffer through hazing, earning the nicknames Flounder and Pinto. The two roommates become Deltas, but that doesn’t change the fact that the house is considered the worst fraternity on the entire campus. As Kent and Larry settle into college and frat life, Dean Wormer teams up with the president of Omega House, Greg, to get rid of the Deltas for good.
In an attempt to snuff out the Delta fraternity, the Omegas start a secret spy campaign to undermine everything that the enemy house plans. They swap out test answers the Deltas plan to steal, making the entire house fail, and so on. Even though the Deltas realize there is no way out of this, they decide to throw a final Toga party so the frat can go down in a final blaze of glory.
During the toga party, each of the frat members does something unexpected. Pinto ends up seducing the mayor’s daughter, Otter and Dean Wormer’s wife hookup, Bluto ends up covered in mustard, and Boone attends even after Katie, the girl he loves, asks him not to. After a “kangaroo court” hosted by the Dean, the Deltas lose their charter, but the boys decide to move underground.
They steal Flounder’s brother’s car for a trip to Dickenson Girl's College where they manage to get dates and go to a club. All the boys, except for Otter, lose their dates to other guys while in the club. Later on, when the Dean gets the midterm grades for the Deltas, he expels all of the boys, and Bluto offers a speech about “getting even.” The boys then crash the annual Homecoming Parade. Spoiler alert! We will be covering some of the best scenes here.
Animal House Locations
The popular college movie Animal House was filmed in a few Oregon cities, Eugene, College Grove, and Dexter. The campus used for Faber College was the real college campus of the University of Oregon. Multiple campus buildings were used, including classrooms and fraternity houses, as well as the university’s Autzen Stadium.
Other scenes were filmed on a lot in California at Universal Studios. Some of the university buildings used when filming Animal House were Johnson Hall, Fenton Hall, and Carson Hall. In Eugene, Oregon, West University was also used as a film set for the Animal House movie. The buildings utilized were Gerlinger Hall, the Teaching & Learning Center, and Phi Kappa Psi House. Each of these Animal House filming locations provided a unique setting for the 1978 John Landis college coming of age film.
Many of the original buildings have been demolished since filming, but some are still standing. To be used as a film set, the University of Oregon was paid $20,000 by production. Animal House hit theatres at the end of the 1970s and was released on DVD in 1998. After this movie, John Landis went on to direct the movie An American Werewolf in London.
Fun fact:
Parts of this popular 70s film were filmed at the University of Oregon, which acted as the fictional Faber College.
Pinto and Flounder walk to rush scene in Animal House
University of Oregon, Eugene OR
The first scene of the movie, which also introduces main characters Pinto and Flounder, shows the two roommates walking from their dorm to fraternity rushing. The boys are walking through the University of Oregon, and many of the campus buildings can be seen in the background. Pinto and Flounder are seen walking out of Carson Hall, and they pass Johnson Hall, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, the administrative building, and the Knight Library.
Many of these same buildings make frequent appearances in the background as the movie goes on, and some are later used as shots for college hijinks and fraternity fun. The University of Oregon campus buildings used in the film shoot were built in the early and mid-1900s. Carson Hall dates back to 1949, while Johnson Hall dates back to 1915. The Knight Library was constructed in 1937, and named for Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. Gerlinger Hall, built in 1921, and Hendricks Hall, built in 1918, can also be seen as Pinto and Flounder walk to rush.
The toga party scene in Animal House
University Teaching and Learning Center, Eugene, OR
The Toga Party thrown by the Deltas is one of the most iconic scenes from the entire Animal House movie. Bluto starts the well-known, “TOGA, TOGA,” chant before the basement is turned into the site of one of the biggest parties in the entire movie. The basement used was at Northwest Christian University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, even though a house close to the University of Oregon was used for exterior shots of Delta House.
The Toga Party scenes also feature musical cameos from Otis Day and the Knights. At the party, Otter gets the Dean’s wife to show up and as the party goes on things get wilder. The Toga Party is then used by the Dean to take away the Delta House charter.
The exterior of Northwest Christian University’s Center for Teaching and Learning is also used as exterior shots of the Tri Pi sorority. Boon’s girlfriend, Katy, tries to talk him out of going to the toga party at all. Katy tells Boons, “I'll write you a note. I'll say you're too well to attend." However, he goes to the party anyway.
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Double secret probation scene in Animal House
Johnson Hall, Eugene, OR
The term “double secret probation,” is one of the most popular quotes from Animal House and is uttered by Dean Wormer when he is talking about the Deltas. This happens when he calls Greg Marmalard, the president of Omega House, into his office for a meeting about the Deltas. The Dean hates the frat and would do anything to kick them off campus. He puts them on double secret probation after hearing that the frat house is already on probation.
When Greg says the Deltas are already on probation, he exclaims, “They are? Well, as of this moment, they're on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION!" The Dean also tasks Greg and the rest of the Omegas with helping him rid the campus of the Deltas for good. Johnson Hall on the University of Oregon campus is used for Dean Wormer’s office. The office is seen again later when the Delta’s pull a prank on the Dean by putting a horse in his office.
During the horse prank scene, the characters D-Day and Bluto give a gun to Flounder, not telling him it is loaded with blanks. Flounder aims away from the horse anyway when he fires, but the loud noise causes the horse to have a heart attack and die. The office is used again in another of the funny scenes in Animal House as the Dean meets with the mayor, and crew members work to remove the body of the horse.
Bluto is a zit scene in Animal House
Erb Memorial Union, Eugene, OR
Animal House is full of hilarious scenes that are still remembered today. One of the best scenes in Animal House that is still a fan favorite happens in the cafeteria on campus, when Bluto fills his mouth with mashed potatoes, pushes in his cheeks, and says he’s a zit. Bluto, played by John Belushi, says “See if you can guess what I am now,” before filling his mouth with mashed potatoes. He shoves his fists into his cheeks, exclaiming, “I'm a zit. Get it?"
The cafeteria used can be found on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Erb Memorial Union Fishbowl. Following the iconic zit scene, the cafeteria breaks into a massive food fight. The dining hall is still standing on campus today and can be visited by students and guests.
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Flounder at the stables scene in Animal House
Hayward Field, Eugene, OR
During a scene featuring ROTC training near the stables, Flounder is reprimanded by Neidermeyer for having a pin on his uniform. When Flounder tells him it is a pledge pin for fraternity rush, Neidermeyer becomes upset.
Neidermeyer asks, “A PLEDGE PIN?!?! On your UNIFORM?! Just tell me, mister, what fraternity would pledge a man like you?" When Flounder tells him it is a pin for Delta, he puts Flounder on stable duty. “You'll report to the stable tonight and every night at 1900 hours, AND WITHOUT THAT PLEDGE PIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
This scene takes place near the university’s Hayward Field, which dates back to 1919. In 2018, the field was demolished so it could be turned into a new stadium. Hayward Field is also featured in the scene where the boys are hitting golf balls at military trainees.
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Homecoming parade scene in Animal House
Main Street, Cottage Grove, OR
Just like the scene where Otter is beaten up, the homecoming parade during the movie’s finale was also filmed in Cottage Grove, Oregon. This city is around 20 miles away from Eugene. The homecoming parade is one of the best scenes in Animal House and cuts through the city’s Main Street. The scenes of the parade showcase multiple downtown Cottage Grove buildings and streets.
The Deltas decide to crash the homecoming parade after being expelled by the Dean for having low grades. The boys decide to go to the parade after Bluto gives an inspiring speech, which has become one of the most quoted parts of the entire movie.
“What the **** happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst! 'Ooh, we're afraid to go with you, Bluto, we might get in trouble.' Well, just kiss my a— from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this! Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer,” Bluto’s moving speech inspires the boys into action.
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Conclusion
Animal House is considered one of the best college movies ever made and was directed by John Landis. It is the first movie that Kevin Bacon was ever in and is part of the iconic National Lampoon’s film series. It first came out in 1978 and was re-released on DVD for its 20th anniversary. A big percentage of the movie was filmed at the University of Oregon, and surrounding Oregon locations.
Other scenes were filmed at Universal Studios in California, but most of Animal House was created in Oregon. The movie was popular when it came out and has become a classic over the years. It is full of iconic scenes and quotable moments that fans love. While some of the filming locations in Animal House have been torn down or rebuilt, others are still standing in similar shapes from decades ago.