Hey you guys! Take a 'Goonies' tour of Astoria, Oregon
Though the 'Goonies' house may be off the market, you can always explore the coastal town where the beloved 1985 movie was filmed -- and find roadside gems along the way.
There must be something in the air. Two of the most famous houses featured in 1980s cult film classics recently hit the market.
I told you last month about how the Cleveland house featured in 1983’s “A Christmas Story” is for sale — along with the entire campus the owner has built around the house, including a gift shop and museum. The complex remains on the market for an undisclosed amount.
Not long after that, news broke that the hillside abode known as the “Goonies” house, in Astoria, Oregon, was for sale. Unlike the “Christmas Story”
house, the “Goonies” house has apparently been sold, to a fan of the 1985 film. (Adding the adjective “super” before “fan” seems redundant.)
I made the trek up to the house and explored other “Goonies” sites in town during my May 2021, visit to Oregon, and here’s an itinerary (along with some roadside America must-stops not featured in the film) that can help you plan your own trip out here.
1. The ‘Goonies’ house [Map]
In the movie, the young Walsh brothers and their buddies — together known as the Goonies — band together to save the family house (and the Goon Docks) from developers intent on building a golf course. Finding One-Eyed Willy’s lost pirate treasure is key to their hopes, and their adventure begins in the house’s attic, where a map and skeleton key are found.
The house was not only used for filming, it played a key role behind the scenes. Producer Steven Spielberg kept an office in the unfinished basement, according to the Oregonian, where he met with the film’s director, Richard Donner.
Sandi Preston bought the house in 2001, and initially allowed fans to poke around inside, but stopped that — except on “Goonies Day,” the annual celebration of the movie’s June 7, 1985, release date — because some fans pushed their luck, helping themselves to makeshift souvenirs.
Eventually, lookie-loos outside got to be too much, and Preston put up signs telling fans to turn around and head down the hill. When we visited, walkers were welcomed, but not cars, so you’ll have a little hike to make to see the house. Even so, we kept our distance out of respect.
The new owner’s identity will not be revealed until the deal closes early next year. He is described as a serial entrepreneur who watched the movie with his parents and sister and a friend, Michael — his very own Mikey, like in the movie — when it first came out, much like I did with my sister and parents, but without a Mikey. The new owner has done well in this world, able to afford a house that was listed for almost $1.7 million, commanded a lot of attention and likely went for higher.
The Goonies would indeed be proud of him!
The house for the likely new owner is a symbol of childhood and the enduring power of friendship, which he credits with helping him succeed. In fact, that childhood friend with whom he saw the movie in 1985 may move into the house next door.
“My childhood friendships were, and still are, instrumental to my development and success,” the new owner told the real-estate agent who handled the deal. “Buying this home is one huge step in showing your dreams can become reality with the right friends around you. You don’t have to be rich to achieve your dreams, but you do need a strong support group, honesty and a desire for adventure.”
Goonies never say die, after all, even when life leads you down a “rocky road.” See what I did there?
2.) Data’s House [Map]
And this stop is a twofer — Data’s house is right next door to the “Goonies” house!
The new owner has GOT to restore the zip line between both homes!
3.) Lower Columbia Bowl [Map]
Just as the movie begins, we meet Chunk (Jeff Cohen), who is playing an arcade game at the Lower Columbia Bowl when a police chase - the Astoria cops in hot pursuit of the Fratellis — roars by outside. Intrigued, Chunk rushes to the plate-glass window, where he proceeds to smash against it what looks like a very saucy pizza and a strawberry milkshake, making a big, dripping mess.
The bowling alley is still there, and a tribute to Chunk’s star-making moment rests in the window in the form of a drawing of the iconic cinematic food smush, for which Pepsi will always reap dividends if not good will. (More about Pepsi later.)
4.) Oregon Film Museum (The Clatsop County Jail) [Map]
The very first moments in the film are shot here and establish who the villains are — the Fratellis! (Well, the greedy developers imperiling the Goon Docks are villains, too, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.)
Jake Fratelli is being held in a jail cell here, but he tricks a security guard into letting him out and makes his way to freedom. Outside, his brother, Francis, and their mother, who just goes my Mama, are waiting for him. They scram in their Jeep Cherokee, and one actually sits outside the jail today, which is now home to the Oregon Film Museum. Note the bullet holes from the chase with the Astoria cops, just like in the movie.
The museum explores films shot in the state, but of course, the big draw and the reason you are here is “The Goonies,” and it’s essentially a museum for the movie. (Apologies to “Kindergarten Cop” die-hards, whose needs are met here, too, if not as lavishly.)
Inside you can explore the jail cell from which Jake makes his escape — feigning suicide to lure an unsuspecting guard inside his cell and then knocking him out.
You can mingle with life-size cutouts of characters from the movie, and see Data’s elaborate suit and bike, film-shoot ephemera, a Goonies’ arcade game and more. You can also step inside a “hot set,” take a mug shot of yourself and leave a note for “The Goonies.”
The gift shop does not disappoint, and I left with a Truffle Shuffle refrigerator magnet.
5.) Flavel House Museum [Map]
This Queen Anne masterpiece is across the street from the film museum and might be overlooked by the casual “Goonies” fan, but real Goonies aficionados know this is where Mikey’s dad works as a museum curator in the film.
6.) Haystack Rock [Map]
We spy Haystack Rock during the opening chase scene, where the Fratellis’ Jeep Cherokee, Mama Fratelli at the wheel, conveniently blends into a truck rally already happening on the beach. The Goonies also see it in the distance as they make their way to the Fratellis’ hideout. Cannon Beach is not actually in Astoria, however, but a quick 25-mile drive to the south.
Just north of here is Ecola State Park, where key scenes were filmed, including the action at the Fratelli hideout, which was built just for the film, and other moments with the kids exploring. The area where One-Eyed Willy’s ship emerges is nowhere near here — it’s down in Northern California, north of Bodega Bay, itself another must-see cinema-history destination. More here.
6.) Astoria Coffee Company (where Rosalita is almost run over) [Map]
We catch a glimpse of this building in the opening credits, during the police chase. We are introduced to Rosalita, the newly hired Walsh family housekeeper who is almost run over by the same car chase that attracts Chunk (and his milkshake) to the window.
What is today the Astoria Coffee Company was closed the day we were there, but the coffee is highly rated. Perhaps I should have bought some from the vending machine out front!
Other roadside America in these parts
For the lover of natural vistas, classic architecture, walkable downtowns, as well as road food, Astoria and environs will not disappoint.
Here is a quick tip sheet of other sites with terrific signage in the area you’ll want to visit while in town.
Bell Buoy Crabs, Seaside Oregon [Map]
Portway Tavern, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
Triangle Tavern, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
Suomi Hall (Finnish Brotherhood), Astoria, Oregon [Map]
Labor Temple Diner and Bar, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
Sunflower Dairy building, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
Columbia Travel neon sign, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
The Banker’s Suite Ballroom [Map]
Custard King, Astoria Oregon [Map]
Below is my Instagram post about Custard King:
Van Dusen Beverages features the same Pepsi logo on Chunk’s milkshake cup! Pepsi is placed prominently in the film. There’s even a Pepsi cooler— with the previous version of the logo — outside the Fratellis’ hideout. [Map]
Hong Kong Restaurant and Lounge, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
Home Baking Company, Astoria, Oregon [Map]
The Desdemona Club, Astoria, Oregon (don’t miss the tiny Olympia Beer neon sign) [Map]
Thanks for taking my “Goonies” tour! I hope you get a chance to do this for yourself one day! If you enjoyed this and are a fan of my content, please consider upgrading your subscription to paid! And consider giving The Retrologist as a gift to people would appreciate roadside adventures — and who doesn’t really?