Giggster logo
The Goonies movie cover Movie Locations Guide

Where was The Goonies filmed?

1985

City Locations

Astoria, Oregon

Location Types

American, House, Retro, NatureScapes, Police/Jails

Location Styles

Beachfront, Dated/50's-60's-70's Building, SUV

About The Goonies

“Hey, you guys!”

Meet Mikey (Sean Astin), Chunk (Jeff Cohen), Mouth (Corey Feldman), and Data (Jonathan Ke Huy Quan), four friends who call themselves ‘the Goonies.’ This ragtag bunch of misfit kids live in a working-class neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, in an area known as ‘the Goondocks.’ With Mikey’s home about to be foreclosed to make way for a new country club, the Goonies get together for one last weekend before going their separate ways.

But when they discover an old map they believe will lead to the buried treasure of fearsome pirate One-Eyed Willy, they hatch a plan to track down the treasure and keep the developers at bay. And so the adventure begins, with the map leading the friends to an abandoned restaurant near the beach on a secluded stretch of coastline.

The kids deduce that One-Eyed Willy’s secret caves must be hidden below the restaurant. But that’s not the only problem: the restaurant also happens to be the hideout of the ruthless Fratelli crime family.

So while the Goonies discover a hidden tunnel and must dodge a host of perilous booby traps laid out by One-Eyed Willy to protect his treasure, they also have the fearsome Fratellis hot on their heels. Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey) and her sons Jake (Robert Davi) and Francis (Joe Pantoliano) are one mean family, and they’d certainly be happy to get their hands on One-Eyed Willy’s long-lost riches.

Eventually, after plenty of close scrapes along the way, the Goonies navigate the maze of underground tunnels and find One-Eyed Willy’s ship, the Inferno, and the eye-watering bounty it holds. But when the Fratellis arrive too and try to steal the treasure for themselves, what follows is an earth-shattering final showdown. If these misfit kids are going to escape, they’ll need to use all of their smarts — and rely on some help from the Fratellis’ deformed and mistreated younger brother, Sloth (John Matuszak).

We won’t give away the ending, but suffice to say The Goonies is rollicking good fun from start to finish. Directed by Richard Donner and based on a story by none other than Steven Spielberg, this 1985 adventure comedy has all the hallmarks of a cult classic.

The Goonies Locations

Astoria, Oregon, is famous for many things, from its early history as a fur trading port to being home to the Lewis and Clark National Historical Site. But for ‘80s film buffs and goonies from all over the world, the city is best known as the place where The Goonies was filmed.

That’s great news if you want to re-enact some of your favorite scenes from the movie, as many of the iconic locations are easily accessible in and around Astoria. At the top of the list is Mikey’s house — a private property that will forever be colloquially known as the Goonies House — which looks more or less exactly the same from the street as it does in the film.

But take a drive around the area and you’ll soon find a host of other instantly recognizable locations from The Goonies. These include the jailhouse where the Fratellis help Jake make a daring escape, historic Flavel House which the Goonies ride past as they begin their search for the treasure, and Ecola State Park where the friends discover the entrance to One-Eyed Willy’s underground tunnel network.

So if you’ve got a full day to explore The Goonies filming locations in Astoria, you should be able to tick a lot of iconic sites off your bucket list.

Fun Fact:

Josh Brolin, who plays Brand has starred in True Grit, No Country For Old Men, and a host of other acclaimed productions. The Goonies was his acting debut.

The Goonies find the treasure map scene in The Goonies

Mikey’s house, 38th Street, Astoria, OR

The Goonies find the treasure map scene in The Goonies

Every epic quest must start somewhere, and for this group of young friends, the adventure to find One-Eyed Willy’s treasure begins in Mikey’s attic. As the klutzy Chunk and the rest of the Goonies explore the eclectic selection of items stored in the attic, Mikey’s main concern is that they’ll get him into trouble.

But that all changes when he stumbles across the ancient map and starts to believe that it may in fact be real. “What if? Just what if this map could lead to One-Eyed Willy’s rich stuff? Then we wouldn’t have to leave the Goondocks,” Mikey exclaims in wonder.

Of course, this scene is set in the most famous of all The Goonies filming locations in Astoria, Mikey’s house. Located on 38th Street, this iconic residence is a must-visit on the itinerary of any fan of this ‘80s classic. However, just remember that it’s private property, so show some courtesy and make sure to follow any of the homeowner’s signposted rules.

The Fratellis bust Jake out of jail scene in The Goonies

Oregon Film Museum, Astoria, OR

The Fratellis bust Jake out of jail scene in The Goonies

As far as memorable opening scenes go, you’ll be hard pressed to find many that can hold their own against the start of The Goonies.

The director throws the audience straight into the action as we see Jake Fratelli fake his suicide — “You schmuck! Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to kill myself?” reads his ‘suicide’ note — and launch a daring escape attempt from the county jail. There are shots fired, leaping flames, and a high-speed car chase through the streets of Astoria, while we’re also quickly introduced to the movie’s main protagonists and villains. As a viewer, you’re only been watching for a few minutes but already you’re hooked.

The best part about this is that the Astoria county jail is still standing today and looks exactly as it did in the film. In fact, it’s now home to the Oregon Film Museum, which celebrates film and TV production in Oregon, and the timing of the museum opening coincided with the 25th anniversary of The Goonies.

There’s a special Goonies exhibit here, and you can even see the jail cell where Jake was held. You might even see the Jeep used in the escape parked out the front, so be sure to check out this iconic site on Duane Street in downtown Astoria.

The Goonies begin their adventure scene in The Goonies

Flavel House, Astoria, OR

The Goonies begin their adventure scene in The Goonies

As the friends set off to see where One-Eyed Willy’s treasure map leads, their adventure takes them out of Astoria and towards a beautiful stretch of Oregon coastline. But before that, they race out of town on their bikes, the map held tight in their possession, and come across Mikey’s dad working at the museum.

This gorgeous building is also one of the most easily recognizable Goonies landmarks in Astoria. It’s the Flavel House, a Queen Anne-style home on Exchange Street that was built back in 1885. Today it’s also known as the Captain George Flavel House Museum, so if you’re stopping by for a photo out the front, it’s worth checking out the history on offer inside.

The Goonies find the Fratellis’ hideout scene in The Goonies

Ecola State Park, OR

The Goonies find the Fratellis’ hideout scene in The Goonies

Before long, the friends soon find themselves at an abandoned restaurant on a rugged stretch of coastline. With the help of the map and an old doubloon, they work together to crack the code and find out where they need to go next.

“Guys...I think I have a match. I’m sure of it! The lighthouse, the rock, and the restaurant all fit the doubloon. That must mean that the rich stuff is near the restaurant,” exclaims Mikey.

What they’re about to realize is that they’ve also stumbled upon the Fratellis’ hideout and are about to land themselves in a whole world of trouble. They hear gunshots as the Fratellis murder two FBI agents, and the old restaurant gives off a decidedly creepy vibe.

The site where this scene was filmed is found in Ecola State Park, which is roughly 25 miles south of Astoria. While the exterior of the restaurant never existed in real life — the production crew constructed it around a park shelter — you can still stand in the same spot the Goonies did when they made sense of the old treasure map.

The Fratellis escape along Cannon Beach scene in The Goonies

Cannon Beach, OR

The Fratellis escape along Cannon Beach scene in The Goonies

Once you’ve finished checking out Ecola State Park, be sure to head a few miles further south to check out another memorable filming location from The Goonies. After the daring prison escape at the start of the film, the Fratelli family lead the police on a car chase through town and down onto the beach.

While her sons are skeptical about the escape route, their mother knows exactly what she’s doing: “Ah, trust in your old mother, boys!” she cackles. “Throw her into four-wheel drive and hold onto your hats.” And with that, the criminals launch onto the sand just as a truck race along the sand gets underway, leaving the despairing cops in their wake.

To check out this famous stretch of silver screen sand, head to Cannon Beach. It’s a very pretty part of the Oregon coastline, and the views of Haystack Rock from here are truly spectacular.

The Inferno sails again scene in The Goonies

Goat Rock Beach, CA

The Inferno sails again scene in The Goonies

The climactic final scenes of The Goonies are shot on the beach. Once again, we don’t want to give away too many plot details in case you’ve never seen the film, but just as the action seems to be wrapping up, the sheriff notices something in the distance.

“Holy Mary mother of God. Look at that!” he exclaims, as we see One-Eyed Willy’s legendary ship drifting out to sea. And as the Inferno sails into the sunset, a tearful Mikey waves him farewell: “Bye, Willy. Thanks.”

Given that much of the film was shot on location in Oregon, you might be surprised to learn that this part of the movie was shot in California. The final beach scenes after the Goonies escape the tunnel network and their fate is decided were actually filmed on the Sonoma Coast.

With its craggy rock formations, Goat Rock Beach is the ideal setting for the conclusion to this thrilling adventure. However, given that it’s over 700 miles away from Astoria, it’s a site you’ll probably want to explore on a separate trip to your main Goonies adventure.

Conclusion

If you’re a long-time fan of this classic ‘80s film, it’s well worth taking a detour to northwestern Oregon to check out the locations of the best scenes in The Goonies. Astoria is less than two hours’ drive from Portland and Vancouver, making it ideal for a Goonies-centric day trip or weekend adventure.

It may have been released almost four decades ago, but The Goonies is one of those films that continues to live on in the hearts of minds of misfits, treasure hunters, and ‘80s film buffs all over the world. After all, “Goonies never say die!”