Filming locations in Astoria

Visiting Astoria: a set-jetting guide. A misty old port at the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria has the kind of steep, salt-worn charm that sticks in the memory, and for a generation of fans it is forever the home of The Goonies. The 1985 kids' adventure was shot among the town's hillside Victorian houses, and the place leans happily into its starring role.

The pilgrimage centres on the Goonies House, the hilltop Victorian where the gang sets off on its treasure hunt. It is a private home, so the rule is simple: view it from the public road below and keep off the driveway, out of respect for the people who actually live there. From the street it still looks out over the river exactly as it does in the film, and that view is the whole point.

For the wider sweep of the town and water, climb to the Astoria Column. The painted hilltop tower gives the panoramic views over Astoria and the Columbia that appear in the film, and there is a long-standing tradition of launching a balsa-wood glider from the top once you have climbed the spiral stairs inside. A small parking fee covers the site, which is open daily, and the outlook is the best in town.

Set-jetting here is wonderfully compact. Astoria is small and quirky, the kind of place you cover on foot and by short hops in the car, with the Goonies House and the Column as the two natural anchors of a half-day. Leave time to wander the steep streets in between, because the town's faded-port character is half the fun.

Use Astoria as a base for the wider coast, too. It sits as the gateway to the wild Oregon shoreline, all driftwood beaches and big weather, so the film locations slot neatly into a longer coastal trip. Bring a rain jacket, expect mist, and let the moody Pacific light do exactly what it did for the movie.