Where Was Stand By Me Filmed?

Publish date: 2024-05-24

Brownsville, Oregon

You may have been watching the movie and thinking to yourself, “Where was ‘Stand By Me’ filmed” anyway? And naturally, you might’ve originally thought they filmed it in Maine, where many Stephen King stories take place.

However, the bulk of the shooting, including the scenes with Gordie walking downtown, takes place in Brownsville, Oregon.

According to an article by KLCC, the town takes the movie pretty seriously. “Parts of the film were shot in Brownsville, Oregon, and the city became a popular tourist spot for avid fans. In 2013, Brownsville designated July 23 as “Stand By Me Day” and organized annual tours and events. This year is the 35th anniversary of the film’s release, and the event will return on a smaller scale this year, with COVID safety guidelines in place.”

More “Stand By Me” scenes in Brownsville

Rob Reiner picked downtown Brownsville as a primary filming location for its authentic 1950s style. Yet, it doesn’t seem to have changed much these days, retaining that same nostalgic charm. The infamous scene where the boys fire the gun took place there. The bridge the boys take back into town at the film’s end is also in Brownsville.

Do you remember the scene where Vern finds the penny? According to this article by John Regalado, “The city of Brownsville actually embedded a penny in the road to celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary”.

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker looking for a home to shoot near Brownsville with a nostalgic vibe, take a look at this classic historic colonial traditional family house. It would be a perfect match for the houses that a character from “Stand by Me” might live in.

The pie-eating contest

How can anybody forget the movie’s infamous pie-eating contest scene? If you weren’t too distracted by the vomiting to ask yourself, “Where was ‘Stand by Me’ filmed?” you would find out that this scene also takes place in Brownsville, Oregon.

According to an interview with director Rob Reiner in Entertainment Weekly: “The production built a tent in Brownsville, Oregon, hired extras, and ordered dozens of blueberry pies, plus vats of filling, from a local bakery”. This scene exemplifies how using a real-world location along with local extras can really teleport you back in time.

Lane County, Oregon

While most of the film was shot in Brownsville, they filmed other very memorable scenes in nearby Lane County, Oregon. Namely, the scene where the boys are in the junkyard and chased away by the terrifying dog. The scene where the older boys are knocking on mailboxes with baseball bats is also in Lane County.

From an article by the Cinemaholic: “Additionally, some scenes were filmed in Eugene, a major city situated by the Willamette River. The adrenaline-filled car racing scene was filmed at Royal Avenue in Eugene”. So even though much of the movie can feel like it may be in New England, you now know that the majority of filming was actually in Oregon.

Cottage Grove, Oregon

The last location in Oregon that we’re going to cover today is the red bridge that the boys cross as they start their quest. This is in nearby Cottage Grove, Oregon, and fans will be glad to know they can still visit this location.

From an article on Fast Rewind: “The bridge runs over Mosby Creek and can be found at the trailhead alongside highway 89 north of Burney Falls state park and is on a bike path named ‘Row River Trail’”. Finding an authentic rail bridge to shoot at like this one may be a little harder these days!

Check out 10 of the best movies filmed in Oregon here!