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 Walsh home, as seen in the movie.
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 House, with Chunk performing the truffle shuffle.
The Goonies stood outside the house.
The living room of the property.
The attic in which the Goonies find the treasure map.
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 GOONIES 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.
The Goonies house as it looks now, not too much has changed at the property.
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.
Inside the living room of The Goonies house as it looks today.
A tour of the attic in which the Goonies found the treasure map.
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.
Owner Sandi Preston (right) with a Goonies fan in her home.
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.
This is something we have seen at many other movie-houses, the owners of the Home Alone house even got the house blurred out on Google Maps for privacy.
The house has now been covered in tarp to try and stop fans from coming to the house.
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!’.
One of the signs telling Goonies fans to stay away from the property.
Another Goonies sign warning fans off approaching the house.
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.
The Oregon Film Museum, once a county jail.
Alternatively, you could take a trip to Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, both of which feature in The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop, for free.