The Viewpoint Inn

Here’s a little secret you might not know: Oregon is home to lots of movie stars! Not of the Hollywood glam variety, rather it’s the state’s striking locations that take center stage, be it vampires in the Columbia River Gorge, a thriller on Mt. Hood or a scavenger hunt for pirate treasure on the coast. Experience these cinematic adventures by visiting the places they occurred—just don’t forget a camera, star sightings are everywhere!

Astoria on the coast is one of the most popular places for filming. Cult-classic film, “The Goonies” just celebrated its 25th anniversary and you can still visit the house where Chunk did his famous truffle shuffle. Also see the Flavel House Museum where Mikey’s dad worked, and catch the view of where the pirate ships sets sail from Indian Beach at Ecola State Park . If you’re walking through downtown or the residential areas, you’ll see familiar sights from “Kindergarten Cop,” “Short Circuit” and “Into The Wild.”

Meander near the University of Oregon to see the fictitious home of the Alpha Beta Phi’s from “Animal House.” And in nearby Brownsville, stroll through the historic downtown, where the unforgettable pie-eating contest in “Stand By Me” took place.

Nothing is quite as spooky as 1980′s “The Shining,” where Jack Nicholson and family were stranded in a snowy abyss at Timberline Lodge. Stay for a night at the historic lodge, whose lobby and exterior look eerily the same.

You can visit scenes from Gus Van Sant’s “Drugstore Cowboy” in NW Portland’s Alphabet District. And “Twilight” fans can ponder whether they’re team Edward or team Jacob at the many Oregon spots highlighted in the flick. Whether it’s on a hike through Multnomah Falls or Oxbow Park or an overnight at The Viewpoint Inn, the site of the prom scene.

Photo Courtesy of Dawn Rasmussen, who documented her Twilight Tour on our blog last spring.