Visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum for a fascinating look at life, work and nature on and in this mighty river that runs west across Oregon ending just beyond Astoria. View the many photos, artifacts and even a floating ship that bring maritime history alive.
Founded in 1962, the museum serves the local community and visitors, keeping the maritime heritage of Oregon and the entire Pacific Northwest alive.
Learn how river pilots and Coast Guard teams operate, sometimes under extremely hazardous storm conditions with waves up to 40 feet (12 meters) high. Stories of salmon fishermen and other working watermen are also told.
An exciting video documents rough water passages by the Coast Guard during a winter storm. Watch a 3-D film of the USS Ronald Reaganaircraft carrier that operates in the Pacific.
Delve under the water with a film by Jean-Michel Cousteau. See colorful fish captured in 3-D in the clear waters of the Bahamas, Fiji and Bimini.
Look for the 19th-century cannons that were discovered by a local teen in Clatsop County while beachcombing in 2008. The museum’s map collection starts with a 460-year-old chart of the Pacific Northwest.
Tour the United States Lightship Columbia moored just north of the museum building. For nearly three decades, this floating lighthouse helped guide ships at the mouth of the Columbia flowing to the Pacific Ocean, an area sometimes called the Graveyard of the Pacific because of the sandbars, currents and reefs that hampered safe travels. Hundreds of boats have been wrecked in this area. The U.S. Coast Guard and touring riverboats use this dock too.
Visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum during business hours any day, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are reduced admission prices for seniors, children and active duty military personnel. The 3-D film has an additional fee.
Travel to the site by car along the river or ride the Astoria Riverfront Trolley. Expect to spend an hour or two with the exhibits.
Before leaving, stop at the bookstore to purchase books, CDs or consignment works by local artists.
