In 1926, Buster Keaton’s The General was filmed in Cottage Grove and the surrounding countryside. The movie included a spectacular locomotive crash and the wrecked train became a minor tourist attraction until it was dismantled for scrap during World War II. The 1973 movie Emperor of the North was filmed in and around Cottage Grove, as were portions of the movie Stand By Me, which was filmed along the railroad tracks east of Cottage Grove. Lastly, parts of the 1978 movie Animal House were filmed around town. The 25th anniversary of Animal House’s release was celebrated by the citizens with a toga party on August 30, 2003 on Main Street, where the climactic parade sequence from the movie was filmed.