5 Oregon Towns Where Famous Movies Were Filmed
Oregon is wedged between two major North American destinations for filmmaking, Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia. But the state has more of a connection to Hollywood than one may think. Whether their stories were based in Oregon or not, numerous movies have been shot here over the years. Some have spotlighted the state's biggest cities, while others have showcased the most majestic or even the creepiest parts of Oregon's smallest towns. Everything from The Goonies to Edward Cullen and Bella Swan has been featured in these remarkably beautiful Oregon towns.
Astoria
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Goonies, the historic vaudeville Liberty Theatre hosted a screening of the movie that helped put Astoria on the filmmaking map. Richard Donner's 1985 classic was filmed in multiple spots around town, including the location of the Walsh house on 38th, which became one of the most recognized homes in 80s cinema. You can view the house at the East End Mooring Basin near the Astoria Riverfront Trail.
This spot gives you an alternative view of the house that young Sean Astin and Josh Brolin once hung out in, without having to illegally trespass on the privately owned property. Even the Flavel House and the old county jail (now the Oregon Film Museum) show up on-screen, which makes wandering those blocks feel like you're stepping straight into Donner's frame without any of the manufactured nostalgia. Once you're down by the water, the Pilot House on 14th still stands from Free Willy. And given its status as a luxury vacation suite, you can even stay in it. A five-minute drive inland leads to Astor Elementary School, the Kindergarten Cop campus immortalized on those "movie trail" signs placed around town.
Portland
Portland's known for its epic food scene, particularly downtown and in the Chinatown district, but filmmaking... not so much. Still, director Gus Van Sant chose to film part of 1989's Drugstore Cowboy in a few spots around town. The film, which starred Matt Dillon, featured the old Nob Hill Pharmacy on NW Glisan, the Irving Apartments on NW Irving, and even Union Station's neon clock tower. Van Sant came back for his 2007 coming-of-age story, Paranoid Park, rooting its emotional center at Burnside Skatepark, still wedged under the east side of the Burnside Bridge.
The 1995 film, Mr. Holland's Opus, featured Grant High School as the heart of its story, with extra scenes filmed at the gorgeous University of Portland overlooking the Willamette River. Surprisingly, Powell's City of Books hasn't been heavily featured in any major motion picture, despite being one of the most beloved and visually incredible attractions in the city. Though stepping into this Pearl District maze of paperback and hardcover books is a bit like entering a movie in itself. Portland is also known for some of its residential architecture, something Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke clearly discovered. While the film (and the book it's based on) takes place in the Washington town of Forks, the Cullens' house is actually in the Willamette Heights area of Portland. Madison High School and the Yale Union Laundry Building were also featured in several key scenes of the film.
Mount Hood
Mount Hood has earned its spot in film history, primarily thanks to Timberline Lodge, the mountain's iconic outpost in Government Camp right on the mountain. Director Stanley Kubrick used its exterior as the Overlook Hotel in the 1980s film The Shining, and its sequel, Doctor Sleep, returned decades later to shoot the same facade. Of course, the real Timberline Lodge isn't a haunted labyrinth like the one in the movie; it doesn't even look anything like it.
The interior of the Overlook was filmed on a soundstage in England and has none of the rustic, warm charm of this ski destination. It is one of six ski areas in Mount Hood, including Snow Bunny, Summit, and Mount Hood Meadows. Below the mountain, which is the tallest peak in the state, are Mount Hood Village and Mount Hood National Forest. The latter is a 1.1 million-acre preserve that was featured in the horror/suspense movies Green Room and 2020's Alone. Parts of 1993's Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey were also shot here.
Cannon Beach
Alongside the waters of the Pacific Ocean and below Ecola State Park, the town of Cannon Beach draws in tourists all year long. Many head to Haystack Rock to explore the tidepools, but others come to see where their favorite movies were filmed. Ecola State Park stretches out for 9 miles along the coast and has been featured in many movies, including Twilight's moody surf scene with Kristen Stewart's Bella and Taylor Lautner's Jacob. Director Kathryn Bigelow even turned Ecola into Bells Beach, Australia, for Point Break with Keanu Reeves. Even 1993's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III opened with samurai warriors thundering down the park's shoreline. But perhaps most famously, the park showed up in 1985's The Goonies as the location of Brand's showdown with Troy and the exterior of the fictional Lighthouse Lounge. The aforementioned Haystack Rock also makes an appearance in the background of the film's car rally scene. In real life, the beach beneath the famous sea stack hosts a different kind of rally, the annual Fat Bike Festival. The May event sees hundreds of people ride along the shore at sunset and a big party on Tolovana Beach.
Eugene
Eugene sprawls across the western Willamette Valley, roughly 100 miles south of Portland, with the Pacific Coast to the west and the Cascade foothills rising to the east. Its University of Oregon campus has hosted more than lectures; it's been the backdrop for one of the biggest cult classics of all time. 1978's National Lampoon's Animal House (directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller) immortalized Delta and Omega Houses on East 11th Street and still fuels traditions like "Shout" at football games. Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces sent Jack Nicholson to Denny's on Glenwood Drive, while Stand By Me roared through Royal Avenue in a car racing scene. Beyond these landmarks, Eugene's versatility shines in films like Without Limits, Tracktown, and Reese Witherspoon's Wild. Oregon's second-largest city is also home to an impressive concentration of craft breweries. The Eugene Brewery Tours give locals and tourists alike the chance to walk or bike to the various breweries downtown, in the 5th Ave area, or further out in West Eugene. Aside from bar hopping, Eugene is also famous for its running culture, as epitomized in its nickname "TrackTown USA." Runners glide along Pre's Trail and around Hendricks Park, not far from the university that helped make Animal House the beloved film that it is.
Oregon's landscapes and cities have long drawn filmmakers, from the rugged Pacific coastline to the lush Willamette Valley and the dramatic slopes of Mount Hood. The state has hosted everything from 80s cult classics like The Goonies and Animal House to sweeping dramas like Mr. Holland's Opus, teen adventures like Stand By Me, and iconic fantasy romances such as Twilight. Across its small towns and major cities, Oregon continues to offer the kind of backdrops that capture imaginations and draw in movie-loving tourists year after year.
