TV & Movie Houses The Goonies House – Goonies Never Say Die!

In 1985, the adventure-comedy movie ‘The Goonies’ hit screens around the world. While the movie is today best remembered for Sloth, the ‘truffle shuffle’, pirates and treasure, the main focus of the movie was the Goonies house.

The house, located in the city of Astoria, Oregon, was home to the Walsh family. Struggling financially, they were on the verge of being evicted from the home. After ‘the Goonies’ find a treasure map in the attic, they decide to go on a treasure hunt, in the hope of saving their home.

Those who have seen the film will undoubtedly remember the house. A number of memorable scenes take place there. The truffle shuffle, the broken ornament and finding the treasure map to name few.

The Goonies would go on to become a cult classic. In 2017 the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Being described as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

THE HOUSE TODAY

The house today is a private residence owned by Sandi Preston. Located at 368 38th Street, Astoria, Oregon, Sandi bought the property in 2001, where she lived peacefully for the first few years. However, in 2005, when The Goonies celebrated its 20th anniversary, things changed.

Throughout the summer she would have Goonies fans standing outside her home taking photos. At first, Sandi would greet people and even give them impromptu tours of the house.

However, this ended when the numbers kept growing and fans would leave behind beer bottles, cigarette butts and other litter.

In the summers since then, Sandi would have up to 1,200 people per day standing outside her home, walking up the drive, and getting in the way of neighbors.

Some people say she shouldn’t complain, she knew what she was getting into when she bought the property. Sandi admitted that The Goonies was one of her favorite movies growing up, and she knew the house was used in the movie. Fans argue its part and parcel of owning a piece of movie history.

However, she has also said that not all of her run-ins with fans have been negative. ‘Most endearing was a woman whose son had died, and ‘The Goonies’ was his favorite movie,’. ‘She had brought his ashes to Oregon.’ ‘I asked if she wanted to scatter some in the garden, which was in full bloom, so she and her family did that.’

Despite this, the constant bombardment of fans turning up at her house day and night has led to drastic action. To try and stop people from coming to the house, a trespassing sign and a number of other signs have been put up telling people to stay away. More recently Sandi has gone even further, Sandi covered her house in a blue tarp in an effort to stop fans turning up.

The blue tarp may stop fans from being able to view the house, but it doesn’t really make it a nice place for Sandi to live. Who has now become a prisoner in her own home. Maybe now, a number of years after the 30th anniversary celebration, it’s finally time for the Goonies ‘To Say Die!’.

THE CITY OF ASTORIA

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the town of Astoria was a popular movie location. Movies such as Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, Short Circuit and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III all used Astoria as a filming location.

The Oregon Film Museum, which is now located at the old Clatsop County Jail, Astoria, celebrates film-making in the state of Oregon. Visitors to the museum can take a look around for just $6.

Alternatively, you could take a trip to Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, both of which feature in The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop, for free.