Hey, you guys, I took LEGO Sloth with me on vacation and captured some photos!

I just ventured to Cannon Beach, Oregon, which is one of the locations where the classic movie The Goonies was filmed. I have had this LEGO Sloth for a while now waiting for when I return to the Oregon Coast.

If you are not familiar with the 1985 film, The Goonies, Sloth is one of the most memorable and unexpectedly lovable characters. His real name in the movie is Lotney Fratelli, and he’s the physically imposing but gentle-hearted youngest son of the criminal Fratelli family.

Spoiler alert: Sloth’s arc goes from feared “monster” to beloved hero throughout the movie, and it mirrors the film’s theme of looking beyond appearances and valuing friendship and loyalty over stereotypes. That little arc is one of the reasons I love the movie and the character of Sloth.

As much as I tried to get the children on our family vacation excited about The Goonies before vacation, it really didn’t help, and I felt like my parents trying to get me excited about Singing in the Rain when I was a kid. Regardless, they were subject to my touristy Goonies stops and photos.

Sloth Visits The Goonies’ House in Astoria

On our way to Cannon Beach, we stopped by the Goonies’ House in Astoria. This two-story, three-bedroom Victorian sits at 368 38th Street in Astoria, on a bluff with sweeping views of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. This house served as the residence of Mikey and Brand Walsh in The Goonies, where they discovered the treasure map in the attic and launched their adventure. As of early 2025, it’s undergoing a frame-by-frame restoration led by designer James Pearse Connelly, aiming to return both the interior and exterior to their on-screen 1980s appearance while bringing the home up to current codes.

Not pictured above are groups of people waiting to take photos of the house, so my time was limited to hop in and capture a few photos of LEGO Sloth in front of the famous house.

Random Sloth Facts

Something I did not know until putting this little toy photo essay together is that Sloth was played by John Matuszak, a 6’8″, 280-pound former NFL defensive end nicknamed “The Tooz.” Heavy prosthetics and makeup were used to create his distinctive look, which took hours to apply each day. The Superman shirt Sloth reveals was an intentional nod to Superman director Richard Donner, who also directed The Goonies.

After that, on our way back to the car, I saw Sloth’s famous line “Hey You Guys!” on a garage and captured another quick photo. This time, the children’s patience was gone, so I didn’t have much time to get creative, as you can see below.

LEGO Sloth Returns To Cannon Beach

The big ole rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon, aka Haystack Rock, is another classic Goonies spot. In the early chase sequence, after the Fratelli brothers break Jake out of jail, the police pursue them in a high-speed car chase. The chase passes through Cannon Beach, with Haystack Rock clearly visible in the background.

In between surfing, skimboardin,g and playing on the beach, I snuck a few photos of LEGO Sloth in front of Haystack Rock. I do wish I had brought my 100mm macro lens instead of my 50mm since the compression effect would have been a bit cooler from afar.

I also managed to capture some photos from Ecola State Park, but didn’t like any of the LEGO pics. You can see one of my landscape photos featuring the spot where Mikey points out Haystack Rock as a landmark on One-Eyed Willy’s map. Following directions translated from the map and using the doubloon to navigate the area, they discover the Lighthouse Lounge and venture off to meet Sloth and hunt for the treasure.

How Did I Capture These Photos?

I captured all these photos with a Nikon Z6II and a Nikon 50mm lens with the exception of the landscape photo above where I used a 70-200mm lens. No external lights for me this time since the clouds made for most excellent massive lightboxes both days.

The Goonies Trip:

In case you would like to go on this adventure yourself:

  • Explore Astoria filming spots (jail, houses, Flavel House).
  • Drive: 25 minutes to Ecola State Park for the cliff scenes.
  • Continue15 minutes to Cannon Beach for Haystack Rock.
  • (Optional) If you’re hardcore, head to California’s Goat Rock Beach for the final location.

One more Goonies Fun Fact: The pirate ship scene at the end was the first time the child actors saw the ship; their reactions were genuine, but because Matuszak was in full Sloth makeup, they also reacted a little to him. Until next time, Toy Photographers!

Overall, I always love bringing a toy or two with me on vacation to mix up my normal landscape/cityscape stuff. See you on the next adventure!