The Owner of the 'Goonies' House Has Been Forced into Hiding

Are you a fan of The Goonies?

Photo Credit: Drew Struzan/Amblin Entertainment/Wikimedia

If so, then perhaps you’re aware of the fact that “The Goondocks,” the house that sets the plot of the film in motion, is an actual house in Astoria, Oregon:

Photo Credit: Facebook/Jay Everett

In 2001, a fan of the film named Sandi Preston bought the house, which was in disrepair, and fixed it back up.

She gave tours, held weddings, and even fought neighbors when they tried to close off the house to visitors in 2014.

Local efforts to cash in and move traffic from private to public space led to the creation of the Oregon Film Museum:

Photo Credit: The Goondocks

The museum houses props and artifacts from The Goonies as well as other films shot in Oregon like Short Circuit, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Animal House.

You might also recognize the jail that houses the museum as the same one the Fratellis escape from in The Goonies.

They also tried to encourage visitors to check out other local landmarks like the murals from Kindergarten Cop and the beach with those familiar rocks:

Photo Credit: The Goondocks/Andy Petrou

All of that only seemed to encourage more visitors to the house, who saw the museums and other landmarks as things to do in addition to, as opposed to an alternative to visiting the house.

If you’re a fan of our Fact Snacks, have been relatively active on the Internet, or are able to pick up on my heavy-handed foreshadowing, then you probably already know that the story goes sour:

Photo Credit: Did You Know?

It wasn’t exactly an overnight thing – the number of tourists had been steadily growing year after year.

And the house is on a public road, so it wasn’t like there was much they could do to stop people from coming. So they tried other measures, like prohibiting parking:

Photo Credit: Edsen Brian Hughes/Facebook

But a lot of people were still doing inconsiderate things like peeking in the windows at 11 p.m., leaving trash, letting their dogs poop in the yard, and even vandalize.

Preston feels that the fans have changed over the years, or at least their attitudes:

“They don’t have a sense of family or community but feel entitled and let no one get in their way. We see it daily with the threats against us; all because we choose to have some privacy.

It’s been unrestricted for 14 years and we are worn out.”

Photo Credit: Instagram/Kelly Ferguson

So, she posted signs in the neighborhood with the following:

“Imagine that you buy a house, fix it up, spend money, time and love. Then the city of Astoria encourages 100,000’s of people to come and stand in front and view it.

This driveway (maintained by homeowners) sees 1,000+ people every day. Most are kind, fun and welcome, but many are not.”

The sign then goes on to remind visitors they are, “in a beautiful place,” before suggesting alternative places to visit.

It is a public road, but I can’t imagine having more than 1,000 people come by every day to take selfies. That certainly does seem excessive.

In this view from the house, you can see several alternative places to view the house in town:

Photo Credit: The Goondocks

Here’s a photo from the Safeway parking lot:

Photo Credit: Sam Clark/Facebook

Heck, if it’s a picture you want, you don’t even have to go to Oregon. There are hundreds of them from people who’ve already made the pilgrimage on that Facebook page I mentioned, along with other film locations in the area:

Photo Credit: Facebook

That’s just part of the first page.

And there’s still video out there from more collegial times, if you’re looking for a tour of the inside.

The town does still hold an Annual Goonies Day on June 7 every year. So it’s not like you can’t still do that Goonies vacation you’ve been dreaming of.