Astoria, Ore., gets ready to celebrate ‘The Goonies’ 30th anniversary

“The Goonies,” a charming action-comedy that’s a cross between “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Tom Sawyer,” has developed a cult following since it was released in 1985. And one of the main locations, the picturesque town of Astoria, Ore., has turned the anniversary of the film’s release into an annual Goonies Day Celebration each June.

The movie, directed by Richard Donner from a script by Chris Columbus, will celebrate its 30th anniversary a year from now, and the town is reaching out to the cast and fans in hopes of topping the 25th anniversary fete, which attracted an estimated 15,000 visitors.

Astoria Marketing manager Regina Willkie said she doesn’t yet know which members of the cast will show, but that costume contests, concerts, scavenger hunts and location tours are planned.

One of the locations, the site of the opening jailbreak, is now the Oregon Film Museum and features green-screen projections and a tour of the jail cell used in the film.

The movie follows the adventures of a group of pre-teens as they seek out pirate riches to stave off foreclosure of a family house. Along the way, they come across a fugitive family, the Fratellis, who chase them through a series of tunnels, waterfalls and trapdoors on the way to the pirate ship.

Even if “The Goonies” isn’t on your list of all-time favorite movies, the town of Astoria should be on the radar of anyone visiting the Oregon coast. Billed as the oldest settlement west of the Rockies, the town of 10,000 is rich with history and Victorian architecture.

Overlooking the Columbia River as it thrashes toward the Pacific, Astoria has two national historic districts: the Astoria Downtown Historic District and the Uniontown Alameda Historic District. More than 500 buildings are designated as local landmarks.

Info: Travel Astoria, (800) 875-6807

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