Did you know that the town of Castle Rock is actually located right here in Oregon? Well…not exactly, but the little Oregon town of Brownsville was one of the filming locations for the film Stand By Me, which took place in the fictional town of Castle Rock. The town still fondly remembers the summer it hosted the film crew, and even celebrates with an annual festival.

The pretty little town of Brownsville is home to fewer than 2,000 residents. It's a quiet town with more than a dozen buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mattia Panciroli/flickr
During the summer of 1985, Brownsville hosted a film crew, along with director Rob Reiner and young actors Wil Wheaton, RIver Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell.
Stand By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
The movie Stand By Me, based on the story The Body, written by Stephen King, was the story of four friends who set off on an overnight adventure to see the dead body of one of their classmates who had been hit and killed by a train. Gordie was played by Wil Weaton, Chris was played by River Phoenix, Teddy was played by Corey Feldman, and Vern was played by Jerry O'Connell.
The story takes place in the fictional town of Castle Rock, and the town of Brownsville was the shooting location for the town scenes.
Stand By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
As Gordie walks through Castle Rock on his way to meet up with his friends, viewers catch a glimpse of the old Masonic Lodge at the end of the street...
Mattia Panciroli/flickr
...and as he turns the corner, you'll see the historic C J Howe building.
Mattia Panciroli/flickr
In fact, as you watch the movie, you'll recognize several buildings from quaint little downtown area of Brownsville.
Stand By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
Near the end of the movie, after the boys' adventure, they head back into town, and there's a great shot of the Calapooia River Bridge.
Ian Sane/flickr
Vern says goodbye to his friends, and they watch him cross the street. He bends down to pick up a penny.
Standy By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
This spot, and many others, are marked with signs to commemorate the film. More than 100 citizens of Brownsville appeared as extras in Stand By Me.
Stand By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
The film crew left just one prop from the original movie set - this Castle Rock City Hall sign, which you'll find at Brownsville City Hall.
Stand By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
Every year on July 23rd, the town celebrates Stand By Me Day, with all kinds of events at different film locations all over town. You'll find a blueberry eating contest (like the one in the movie), lots of props and re-created film sets, and plenty of PEZ candy, which makes its own appearance in the movie.
Stand By Me Day July 23rd/Facebook
Stephen King's story, Rob Reiner's direction, and the acting talents of the four young actors were brought to life right here in Oregon!

Did you know that Brownsville was the filming location for this movie? What are your favorite scenes from Stand By Me?

There’s another Oregon town that became famous for a movie that was filmed there in the 1980s. The charming town of Astoria was the filming location for the movie The Goonies.

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Brownsville, OR 97327, USA