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Museum · Astoria, Oregon
Columbia River Maritime Museum
A riverfront museum in Astoria about navigation at the mouth of the Columbia, one of the world’s most dangerous bars, with boats, a lightship moored there and exhibits about the Coast Guard.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Columbia River Maritime Museum
The Columbia River Maritime Museum sits on Astoria’s waterfront and tells the story of navigation at the mouth of the Columbia River. The bar where the river meets the Pacific, with strong waves and currents, is known as one of the most dangerous for navigation, and hundreds of shipwrecks have occurred in the area.
Exhibits show rescue boats, navigation instruments, the fishing industry and the salmon canneries that made the town wealthy, and the work of the pilots who guide ships across the bar. One of the rooms displays a Coast Guard rescue in large surf.
Docked beside the museum, the lightship Columbia, which for decades marked the river’s entrance, can be visited. From the museum’s windows you can watch freighters passing and see sea lions on the buoys and pilings along the waterfront.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About one and a half to two hours.
Best time
Any time of year; on rainy days it’s a good covered activity.
How to get there
On Astoria’s waterfront, within walking distance from downtown. There is parking beside the museum.
Tip
Include the visit to the lightship, which is covered by the same ticket; check the current schedule.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Columbia River Maritime Museum
What is in the Columbia River Maritime Museum?
Exhibits about navigation, shipwrecks and rescues at the mouth of the Columbia, salmon fishing, and a lightship docked alongside.
Why is the mouth of the Columbia River dangerous?
Because the meeting of the river with the Pacific creates strong waves and currents over a sand bar, which have caused hundreds of shipwrecks.
How long does a visit to the Astoria maritime museum take?
About an hour and a half to two hours, including the lightship.