I grew up in the 1980s, the era of mixtapes, Saturday morning cartoons, and a certain ragtag group of kids from Astoria, Oregon, who went hunting for pirate treasure. Visiting Goonies filming locations as a road-tripping adult is a fun way to revisit those days.
"The Goonies" hit theaters when I was nine, and my parents took my brother and me to see it on the big screen. More than 30 years later, Kel and I found ourselves back in those same feelings after catching a screening at our local Alamo Drafthouse. That familiar mix of adventure, friendship, and booby-trapped chaos still held up.
So when I finally made my first trip to Oregon earlier this year, tracking down the actual filming locations from the neighborhoods of Astoria to the dramatic stretches of the coast quickly became one of the highlights.
And now, with a sequel officially moving forward after four decades and Steven Spielberg on board as a producer, there's never been a better moment to revisit where the original magic was made. Here's a look at the iconic Goonies spots you can still explore today.
Table of Contents
Map of Filming Locations
Oregon
Astoria: Where the Adventure Begins
Oregon Film Museum (Former Clatsop County Jail)
Our first stop on "The Goonies" trail in Astoria was the Oregon Film Museum, housed inside the old Clatsop County Jail. If you remember the opening jailbreak scene, Jake Fratelli faking a suicide note while Francis waits outside with a black getaway Jeep Cherokee, this is the place.
The building looks almost exactly as it did in the film, just without the mayhem and gunfire. Inside, the small museum leans into its Hollywood history with props, film trivia, and a few playful, low-tech sets where you can direct your own scene.
It doesn't take long to walk through, but it's a fun warm-up that drops you right back into the movie's first chaotic minutes.
Flavel House Museum (Across the Street)
Across the street sits the Queen Anne-style Flavel House Museum, which fans will recognize from the early montage where the Fratellis race through town. Later, Mikey's dad is seen there as he rides his bicycle through town.
Even if you don't go inside, it's worth pausing to admire the architecture and the classic Pacific Northwest setting that helped make those opening shots so memorable.
Lower Columbia Bowling Alley
During the opening car chase, as various Goonies are introduced around downtown Astoria, we see Chunk squish his pizza and milkshake against a window as the Frattellis and police whizz by.
This Goonies filming location is inside the Lower Columbia Bowl (826 Marine Drive), a bowling alley that commemorates the window with a drawing of Chunk.
Mikey's House (The Goonies House)
After leaving the Oregon Film Museum, I made my way up the hill to one of the most iconic spots in "The Goonies" universe: Mikey's house at 368 38th Street. Perched above Astoria, with views stretching toward the river, it's the backdrop for some of the film's most unforgettable moments.
This is where Mikey's (Sean Astin) friend and neighbor, Data (Ke Huy Quan), ziplines across the driveway and crashes through the screen door. Chunk (Jeff Cohen) is forced by Mouth (Corey Feldman) into the legendary "truffle shuffle" to gain entry.
The boys crowd into the attic and discover the treasure map. And then they tie up poor Bran (Josh Brolin) before racing down the driveway on their bikes to begin their search for One-Eyed Willy's treasure. Even after all these years, it's easy to picture the chaos unfolding right on that porch.
The house recently changed hands, selling for roughly $1.6 million to a superfan who has been renovating it to resemble the 1985 version as closely as possible.
From the street, the updates feel true to the movie's spirit without turning the property into a theme park. I've also read he's working on filling the house with movie memorabilia.
Standing there, I couldn't help thinking about one of my favorite moments in the film, when Cyndi Lauper's "Good Enough" kicks in and the whole story shifts into gear.
Movie fans are welcome to walk up the driveway and view the house respectfully from the designated areas, but it's still a private residence, as are the surrounding homes.
A little courtesy will go a long way toward ensuring those visiting the neighborhood after you are welcome. It's a quick stop, but for longtime fans like myself, it's priceless.
Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock
From Astoria, the coast opens up into one of Oregon's most bucolic stretches, Cannon Beach, home to the unmistakable Haystack Rock.
Even if you've never seen "The Goonies," the 235-foot sea stack is one of the most photographed landmarks in the Pacific Northwest. But for fans, this beach instantly sparks memories of the movie's wild opening sequence.
In the film, the Fratellis drive past Ecola Inn before shifting into four-wheel drive and joining a 4x4 rally speeding north along Cannon Beach. The scene is pure 1980s excitement, and Haystack Rock looms in the background the entire time like an unofficial co-star.
Walking the beach now, it feels surreal how untouched it looks compared with the movie: the same long stretch of sand, the same booming surf, the same volcanic monolith rising out of the Pacific Ocean.
On my visit, Kel and I strolled along the water's edge, imagining the Fratellis' beat-up Jeep fishtailing across the sand. Cannon Beach is easy to visit year-round, and lovely at low tide when you can wander closer to the tide pools around Haystack Rock.
Related: Best Places to Camp in Oregon
Ecola State Park: The Fratelli's Hideout
Ecola State Park was one of the stops I was most excited about, a place where the movie blended real scenery with a bit of Hollywood magic.
The famous "Lighthouse Lounge" hideout wasn't an actual building on the coast; it was a set constructed just for the film. But the spot where it stood, high above the crashing waves, is very real.
You'll find it at Ecola Point, where the cliffs drop into the Pacific and the coastline unfurls in both directions.
Standing at the overlook, it's easy to imagine the weather-beaten shack perched on the edge, the Fratellis' car out front, and the kids creeping closer as the wind kicked up around them.
Today, there's no trace of the set (a restroom is in its place), but the view is exactly as it appears on-screen: mist drifting over the headlands, surf pounding the rocks, and that Oregon backdrop that made the hideout feel so remote.
On the way to Ecola Point, you'll drive the narrow, forested Ecola State Park Road. I believe the overhead shot of the Goonies biking through the trees (and Bran being driven off the road by Troy) was filmed along this same stretch. The tall evergreens, tight curves, and filtered sunlight make it instantly recognizable once you're there in person.
Ecola is an easy stop if you're already exploring Cannon Beach, and it's worth lingering for a bit. The park has short trails to Indian Beach, picnic spots, and sweeping views that capture the rugged, cinematic feel of the Oregon Coast.
Fans of the original "Point Break" starring Keanu Reeves may also recognize the beach seen from here, as it was used in the movie's final scene depicting big waves from a 50-year storm.
California
Sonoma Location That Closed the Film
Although most of "The Goonies" was filmed in Oregon, the movie's final shot of One-Eyed Willy's pirate ship drifting out to sea was captured hundreds of miles south on the Sonoma Coast.
Poor weather on the Oregon Coast forced the production to pivot, and Blind Beach at Goat Rock State Park became the stand-in for the big finale.
I visited Blind Beach a few years ago on a road trip up the Sonoma Coast from San Francisco, and it's easy to see why the crew chose it.
The coastline here feels striking, with steep bluffs, churning surf, and giant sea stacks scattered offshore. The tell-tale sign that you're in the right place is Arched Rock.
In "The Goonies," this beach is where the kids reunite with their families and watch One-Eyed Willy's ship emerge from behind the rocks before gliding into the open ocean.
Blind Beach is part of Sonoma Coast State Park. A small parking lot is accessible at sea level between Goat Rock Beach and Blind Beach, allowing you to stand in the same spot where the final scene was filmed.
It's a gorgeous stop, whether or not you're following in the footsteps of the Goonies, and ties the film's adventure to a completely different slice of West Coast scenery.
Visiting these Goonies filming locations brought back the same sense of adventure I felt watching the movie as a kid. Astoria's neighborhoods, coastal viewpoints, and forest roads all carry hints of the story that made the film so enduring.
The mix of nostalgia and real-world scenery makes this stretch of the Pacific feel timeless, and the bonus finale spot on the Sonoma Coast ties it all together. Fans can easily turn this into a road trip of their own, blending movie memories with some of the region's most beautiful landscapes.
