The Goonies is a 1985 adventure comedy directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg. Set in Astoria, Oregon, the film follows a group of local kids who discover an old pirate map while trying to save their homes from foreclosure. Their search for One-Eyed Willy’s treasure leads them through tunnels, traps, criminal hideouts and underground caverns, turning a desperate childhood adventure into one of the most beloved family films of the 1980s. Much of its lasting appeal comes from its mix of humour, danger, friendship and genuine treasure-hunt atmosphere, with the young cast giving the film a chaotic but heartfelt energy.
The film is strongly tied to the Oregon coast, especially Astoria, Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park. Astoria provides the everyday world of the Goonies, with Mikey’s house overlooking the town, the old Clatsop County Jail used for the Fratelli jailbreak, and other local streets and buildings appearing during the opening chase. The story then moves toward the coast, where Cannon Beach and the view of Haystack Rock help give the treasure hunt its dramatic Pacific Northwest identity. Ecola State Park was used for the clifftop area where the Fratellis’ hideout, the Lighthouse Lounge, was built specially for the film. The underground caverns and pirate-ship material were created through sets and studio work, while the final beach sequence was filmed at Goat Rock Beach in Sonoma County, California. Together, these locations give The Goonies a strong sense of place, moving from small-town Oregon streets to rugged coastline, forested cliffs, hidden tunnels and a mythic pirate world beneath the surface.
Oregon Film Museum
Oregon Film Museum is used in "The Goonies" (1985), as the old Clatsop County Jail for the opening jailbreak sequence.
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