Movie Locations

The Goonies (1985)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The town of Astoria, Oregon is something of a film lover’s paradise. The coastal city has served as the backdrop to many famous films, including “Kindergarten Cop,” “Free Willy,” “Short Circuit” and more. Perhaps most famous of all, however, is “The Goonies.” While not quite all of the production occurred in Oregon, such as studio scenes and the final beach scenes, the film is primarily known for being shot in and around Astoria. The enduring popularity of the film attracts visitors from around the world to visit the locations.

The opening scene was filmed at the former Clatsop County Jail, which was an actual working jail from 1914 to 1976. The building has since been converted into the Oregon Film Museum, which offers self-guided tours and celebrates Oregon’s film history, with an emphasis on Astoria, where the building itself is located.

LOCATION: 732 Duane St, Astoria, OR 97103

Here is the interior of the jail cell where Jake Fratelli, played by Robert Davi, stages his escape. There’s a replica of the note the guard reads hanging at the back of the cell.

The first cell is filled with various merchandise and memorabilia related to the film.

The last jail cell contains Data’s costume from the film.

Here is the exterior of the building, which is seen as Jake escapes into a getaway vehicle with the Fratellis. The same building was used in the films “Short Circuit” and “Come See the Paradise.”

A replica of the escape vehicle is parked out front. It is not the actual Jeep used in the film.

While the Oregon Film Museum is admittedly small and focuses primarily on “The Goonies,” if you’re a fan of the film, we encourage a visit.

Mouth, played by Corey Feldman, lives at this house. The exterior is only seen for a brief moment as the Jeep flees from police.

LOCATION: 32 Skyline Ave, Astoria, OR 97103

The house is mostly seen from interior views, with the police chase seen out the window behind Mouth. The chase continues down Valley Street.

LOCATION: Skyline Ave / Valley St, Astoria, OR 97103

The jeep continues down this path and onto the beach. This is the entrance to Cannon Beach, which is located about 40 minutes south of Astoria.

LOCATION: Near 1164 Ecola Ct, Cannon Beach, OR 97110

The jeep proceeds into an off road vehicle rally taking place on the beach, where it successfully eludes police. The famous rock in the background is Haystack Rock, also commonly referred to as the Goonies Rock.

LOCATION: Haystack Rock, US-101, Cannon Beach, OR 97110

Haystack Rock is impressive to see in person and worth taking the detour from Astoria if you have the time.

The most famous of all locations from the film is of course the house of Mikey and Brand, played by Sean Astin and Josh Brolin respectively. The house sits up an inclined driveway and attracts many visitors, standing among the most popular filming locations in the United States. The house gained headlines in 2015 when the former owner became irritated by excessive visitors, many of whom left litter and proved disruptive to their privacy. Eventually the homeowner took extreme measures, posting signs that visitors were not allowed up the driveway and even went as far as covering the home in a blue tarp, to discourage visitation or photography. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. The house has since been sold to new owners, who are much more fan friendly and accommodating to all of the tourism the house attracts.

LOCATION: 368 38th St, Astoria, OR 97103

The driveway leads to several homes. At the time of this writing, here is how the foot of the drive appears. There is a sign saying “Yes” to visitors, but also asking “No cars” and pedestrian traffic only. If you do visit, please be respectful of the residents and do not drive your vehicle up, leave any litter behind or engage in any disruptive behavior. There is a donation box in front of Mikey’s house and we encourage leaving something in return for their hospitality.

Seemingly less enthusiastic about all the visitors are the owners of the house of Data, played by Ke Huy Quan. The home is fenced off with no trespassing signs. Thankfully the home is still easily visible from the top of the drive. As long as you are respectful, get your photos and move along without trying to cross the fence, you will not likely encounter any issues. Both homes are located just a couple blocks away from another famous filming location, the school from “Kindergarten Cop,” which is easily within walking distance.

LOCATION: 304 38th St, Astoria, OR 97103

Just across the street from the Oregon Film Museum is the museum where Mr. Walsh works.

LOCATION: 441 8th St, Astoria, OR 97103

The Fratelli hideout was located at Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach, not far from Haystack Rock. The area is located on Ecola Park Rd, near the Indian Beach Trail and Ecola Point. The Lighthouse Lounge was constructed for the film and no longer exists at the location.

LOCATION: Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, OR 97110 (GPS coordinates: 45.919673, -123.974976)

The park, which offers beautiful views, is a frequent filming location, having also appeared in such movies as “Kindergarten Cop,” “Free Willy,” “Twilight,” “Point Break” and more.

There’s even a sign there marking it as the filming location of “The Goonies,” as well as a mention of “Kindergarten Cop.” It’s a long and winding road through the woods to reach this area, but it is a location well worth visiting.

Astoria has become a mecca for filming location enthusiasts and with the multitude of famous locations on display around the area, we consider it among the top destinations in the US to visit for movie lovers.

Back To The Future Part II (1989)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1989 sequel “Back to the Future Part II” is once again shot primarily around Southern California. The film makes use of several locations from the first film, revisiting many of them from the perspective of an alternate timeline. Marty McFly’s house once again appears in the film. It can be found in the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles, in the town of Pacoima, California.

backtothefuture1

LOCATION: 9303 Roslyndale Ave, Pacoima, CA 91331

After Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer sees her future self, she faints. Marty and Doc drop her off at her house, which can be found in Monrovia.

LOCATION: 161 N Magnolia Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016

Marty discovers that life in 1985 has been altered and his home town is now a dangerous area. The auditorium of Whittier High School can be seen behind him.

LOCATION: Whittier Ave / Bailey St, Whittier, CA 90601

Marty comes across the home of Mr. Strickland, which can also be found in Whittier. While we did not experience any issues during our visit, we’ve heard stories of others being confronted for filming or photographing this residence.

LOCATION: 12511 Bailey St, Whittier, CA 90601

Biff’s house can be found in South Pasadena, on the same street as George and Lorraine’s houses from the first film.

LOCATION: 1809 Bushnell Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030

The exterior of Whittier High School once again serves as Hill Valley High School, which is primarily seen from the back of the school.

backtothefuture16

LOCATION: 12417 Philadelphia St, Whittier, CA 90601

This tunnel is featured a couple times in the film as Biff makes his way to the dance. Near the end of the film, Biff and Marty fight over an almanac from the future. Marty rides a hoverboard as Biff tries to elminitate Marty in the tunnel. The tunnel can be found in Griffith Park, just before you reach the famous Griffith Observatory. The same tunnel can be seen in 1988’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” also directed by Robert Zemeckis.

LOCATION: Mt. Hollywood Tunnel, Mt Hollywood Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Several vehicles from the film can be seen on the Universal Studios Hollywood Tour, including this Litestar Pulse.

LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

Also on the tour is this Ford Probe.

This Ford Edsel is also on display.

Related articles: Back To The Future (1985)

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

In the opening scene of the 2021 sequel “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” this house is featured as an exorcism is performed on a boy.   Known as the Travis-McDaniel house, the home became well known decades earlier for being used in the film “Fried Green Tomatoes.” The house sits at the corner of Travis St and Bride St in Senoia, Georgia. Senoia filming locations are of course likewise synonymous with the TV series “The Walking Dead.”

friedgreentomatoes1

LOCATION: 204 Bridge St, Senoia, GA 30276

Twilight (2008)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2008 film “Twilight,” starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, was filmed in Oregon, Washington and California. At the beginning of the film, Bella, played by Stewart, is living at her mother’s house, supposedly located in Phoenix, Arizona. The real home can actually be found in Santa Clarita, California.

LOCATION: 22301 Cataro Dr, Santa Clarita, CA 91350

The Cullen house, where Bella meets the family of Edward Cullen, played by Pattinson, can be found in Portland, Oregon. Contrary to appearances, the house is located in a regular neighborhood, with many other homes nearby. However, the house is unfortunately not visible from the corner of NW 32nd Ave and NW Quimby St. It sits up an inclined drive, which curves slightly and the tree line blocks the view. The current owners are apparently not welcoming to public visitors, as they have signs posted at the base of the drive stating the path is private. In spite of the sign, it appears to us the path may still be part of the public strip of road, at least a bit further up. There’s even a “dead end” sign, implying the road is public. However, we’re uncertain and wouldn’t recommend walking up unless you verify ahead of time that is indeed the case. Here is an aerial view of the home.

LOCATION: 3333 NW Quimby St, Portland, OR 97210

Later in the film, the vampire James is hunting Bella, who flees back to Phoenix. Bella stays at this hotel, which is actually located in Valencia, California.

LOCATION: 24500 Town Center Dr, Valencia, CA 91355

Re-Animator (1985)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1985 horror film “Re-Animator,” directed by Stuart Gordon, supposedly takes place in Switzerland and Massachusetts. The production, however, actually took place in Southern California. In the opening of the film, Herbert West, played by Jeffrey Combs, successfully brings his dead professor, Dr. Hans Gruber, back to life at the University of Zurich Institute of Medicine in Switzerland. The university was a composite of two locations. The exterior was shot at Loyola Hall on the grounds of Loyola High School. This side of the building faces Venice Blvd.

LOCATION: 1901 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006

The interior university scenes were filmed in Pasadena at William G. Kerckhoff Laboratories of the Biological Sciences on the grounds of California Institute of Technology.

LOCATION: 535 S Wilson Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

While GPS will get you in the general vicinity, the grounds are big and it can be confusing if you don’t know where to look. While the exterior is never featured in the film, here is what it looks like on the outside. This entrance faces S Wilson Ave, with GPS coordinates of 34.137110, -118.127688.

Herbert West goes to Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, the exterior of which was actually filmed at VA West LA Veteran’s Hospital. The interior scenes were a composite of two more locations, first at the former Pacoima Memorial Lutheran Hospital (11600 Eldridge Ave, Sylmar, CA 91342), which has since been demolished. The morgue interior scenes were filmed at Occidental Studios in Hollywood (201 N Occidental Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026).

LOCATION: 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073

The house of Dan Cain, played by Bruce Abbott, can be found in Hollywood. Herbert West rents a room from Dan. The interiors were shot at the real home, aside from the basement, which was also filmed at Occidental Studios.

LOCATION: 2238 Canyon Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068

The exterior of Dean Halsey’s house can be found near the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 405 S Irving Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90020

The Ring (2002)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2002 horror remake, “The Ring,” starring Naomi Watts, was filmed in Washington, Oregon and California. Katie, played by Amber Tamblyn, lives at this house, located in Los Angeles. The home is now unfortunately heavily obscured by shrubs and trees.

LOCATION: 413 S McCadden Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Rachel, played by Naomi Watts, lives at this apartment, located in Seattle. The view of her apartment faces Seneca St, near the intersection of Western Ave and Seneca St.

LOCATION: 1200 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Flowers In The Attic (1987)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1987 film “Flowers in the Attic” was shot in California and Massachusetts. The family house seen early in the film can be found in South Pasadena, Californa.  The same house can also be seen in several other films, including the Rob Zombie remake of “Halloween,” “She’s Out Of Control,” “Little Fockers,” “Bruce Almighty” and “Star Kid.”

halloween2007-7

LOCATION: 1960 La France Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030

The grandmother’s mansion, which serves as the primary location in the film, was a composite of several locations. The main exterior was shot at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Massachusetts (290 Argilla Rd, Ipswich, MA 01938). Additional scenes were filmed at Doheny Mansion in Los Angeles and Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.

After sustained abusive behavior from their grandmother, the children eventually discover their mother has abandoned them and is living a life of luxury. They watch in secret as she dances with a man whom she intends to marry. These scenes were filmed at the famous “Pompeian Room” of the Doheny Mansion, located on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles.  While the mansion does offer occasional tours to the public, some of the guides can be strict about allowing photos inside.  Many films have shot at the mansion, including “The Princess Diaries,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Drag Me To Hell” “The Three Amigos” and more.

catchmeifyoucan2

LOCATION: 10 Chester Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90007

The wedding scenes for the film’s climax were shot at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. While the outside of the Greystone grounds is open daily and free to the public, getting inside is a bit more challenging. The property is owned by the City of Beverly Hills and regularly accommodates productions and private events. Therefore, only a few times a year is access to the inside of the estate possible. Planning ahead is required if you’d like to see inside. The mansion has been featured in dozens of films.

therewillbeblood6

LOCATION: 905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

The room used in the scene can also be seen in such films as “The Big Lebowski,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Air Force One.”

biglebowski9

Never Been Kissed (1999)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

In the 1999 romantic comedy “Never Been Kissed,” the childhood home of Josie Geller, played by Drew Barrymore, is supposedly located in the Chicago area. The house can actually be found in Los Angeles, California.

LOCATION: 368 N Ridgewood Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90004

The high school seen in the film is John Marshall High School.  A regular location in film, the school has also appeared in such movies as “Teen Wolf,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Teaching Mrs. Tingle,” “What Dreams May Come” and many more.

teenwolf1

LOCATION: 600 S McCadden Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90005

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1999 teen comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, was filmed around Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. In the opening scenes of the film, the Seattle skyline is shown from Kerry Park. The park is a famous tourist spot, which attracts a lot of visitors. The park was also featured in the films “Life or Something Like It,” “A Guy Thing” and “The Details,” with this same view also serving as the drawing of the Seattle skyline on the television show “Frasier.”

LOCATION: 211 W Highland Dr, Seattle, WA 98119

One of the primary locations of the film is the high school, which is Stadium High School in Tacoma. The exterior and interior are featured in numerous scenes throughout the course of the film. Here we’ll cover a few of the highlights. Early in the film, Michael, played by David Krumholtz, gives Cameron, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a tour of the school and a breakdown of all the social dynamics. The front entrance of the school is seen as Cameron is enamored with Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik.

LOCATION: 111 N E St, Tacoma, WA 98403

The same school also appeared in the films “I Love You to Death” and “Nishabdham.”

During the end credits of the film, a band is seen performing on the roof of the school.

The football stadium next to the school also appears in numerous scenes. As Michael is leaving the school, he nearly gets into a collision with another vehicle, so he swerves his bike off the side of this hill toward the football stadium.

The Stadium Bowl is located to the left of the main school entrance.

Here is the area where Patrick, played by Heath Ledger, serenades Kat, played by Julia Stiles, from the stands and eludes the pursuing security.

The house of Kat and Bianca can also be found in Tacoma.

LOCATION: 2715 N Junett St, Tacoma, WA 98407

After Kat and Bianca’s father issues a rule that Bianca can only date if Kat does first, Cameron hatches a plan to get Patrick to date Kat, in turn opening the doors for Cameron to date Bianca. Cameron and Bianca visit the Fremont Troll in Seattle to discuss Kat’s personal tastes and how to win her over. The troll was built in 1990, led by the efforts of the Fremont Arts Council, as a way to revitalize the area. Not all GPS systems are great at navigating to the sculpture, perhaps because it sits beneath Aurora Ave N. The sculpture can be found at the intersection of N 36th St and Troll Ave N. Navigating to Troll’s Knoll Park, which is directly to the left, is another good way to get to the correct area. The troll is a tourist attraction and usually early mornings are your best bet if you’re wanting sparse crowds. By afternoon and evening, it’s usually surrounded by people lining up to get pictures. The sculpture also appeared in the film “Love Happens” and the TV show “Once Upon a Time.”

LOCATION: Fremont Troll, N 36th St / Troll Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

Kat and Patrick play a game of paintball at Gas Works Park in Seattle. At one time the area was a gas plant, but it ceased operations in 1956, when the city converted to natural gas. Some of the structures were left in tact and the area now serves as a public park.

LOCATION: 2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103

The same park has appeared in the films “Singles,” “Three Fugitives” and “Little Fish,” as well as the TV shows “Six Feet Under” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Free Willy (1993)

/ filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1993 film “Free Willy” was largely filmed in Oregon, with additional scenes filmed in Washington and Mexico City. Jesse, played by Jason James Richter, is a troubled boy who stays with his foster parents, played by Michael Madsen and Jayne Atkinson, at this home, located in Astoria, Oregon. Astoria is well known for many iconic filming locations, such as “The Goonies,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “Short Circuit” and more.

LOCATION: 3392 Harrison Ave, Astoria, OR 97103

Jesse is assigned to work at a park and clean up graffiti as part of his probation. He goes to Northwest Adventure Park, which is actually Oaks Amusement Park in Portland. There he meets Willy the whale. This building was used as the exterior to where Willy is kept. In the film, on the other side is a water tank and sloped seating arena. At the real location, it’s just a parking lot on the other side. This building is the Oaks Park Roller Skating Rink. The water tank scenes were filmed at the former Reino Aventura Park in Mexico City, which is now a Six Flags (Six Flags México, Blvd. Picacho-Ajusco Km 1.5, Jardines del Ajusco, Tlalpan, 14200 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico).

LOCATION: 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, OR 97202

Just across from the Oaks Park Roller Skating Rink is the house of Randolph, who becomes a mentor and friend to Jesse. While the house is private, it is easily visible from the park, which is completely open to the public and does not require any admission fee. While it’s on the same park grounds, we’ve provided the exact GPS coordinates below.

LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 45.473363, -122.663271 (on the grounds of Oaks Amusement Park)

Near the end of the film, the park owners hatch a plan to kill Willy and collect the insurance money. Jesse organizes a rescue for Willy and takes him to Dawsons Marina, which is actually Hammond Marina in Hammond, Oregon. Hammond is located just a short distance from Astoria. There’s a sign there identifying it as the filming location. We always love when places honor their film history in this way.

LOCATION: 1080 Iredale St, Hammond, OR 97121

Here’s a closer look at the sign.

Here is where Glen smashes through the gate with his truck.

Here is the boat ramp where they release Willy into the water.

Here is where Dial and Wade approach and try to stop Jesse, with a fight ensuing.

Willy is finally released and has an opening to freedom, but some boats approach and block the opening.

Jesse then runs out onto the jetty and signals Willy to jump over it. In the film, it is made to appear Jesse runs directly along the jetty, but this would be impossible. The crew added a wooden pathway just behind the foremost rocks, to allow a smooth running platform.

Willy jumps over Jesse to freedom, reuniting with his family on the other side.