Columbia River Maritime Museum

In June 2025, we crossed the extensive Lewis & Clark Bridge across the Columbia River and arrived in Astoria, Oregon. The Columbia River is beautiful and many miles wide at this point. We continued to drive on the Astoria Main Street, and we stopped to look at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. It was about 8 PM or so, and the Maritime Museum was closed. However, the Maritime Museum outdoor scenery and decorations were amazing and captured our attention. I would love to patronize this Maritime Museum someday in the future, and return to Astoria, Oregon to see more of the scenery and the mighty Columbia River. This Maritime Museum had great outdoor decorations and an amazing view of the Lewis & Clark Bridge.

Excellent Exhibits! The Lightship was cool to walk through. Ticket is included in admission or $5 on own. The movies are timed, select times at admission for ticket(s). The two 3D movies, additionsl $5, each. Poor 3D, but good films on arctic and aircraft carriers. You can reenter museum and take as long as you want. Plenty for kids to interact in pilot house exhibits and activity room. Give time to go through, watch movied, tour ship and experience exhibits. I was there 3-4 hours and did it all.

A thoroughly enjoyable museum, especially if you are remotely interested in Maritime matters. You start with a dramatic diorama of a coast guard boat battling the well known massive waves at the mouth of the Columbia. Inside you find facts about the fishing industry, pilot boats, working barges, and in one section they have the bridge of an old WWII Destroyer (amazingly small). Plan to spend at least an hour wandering around and thoroughly looking at everything.

What an experience! My wife and I really enjoyed the Maritime Museum! From seeing all the displays to seeing historical photos this place was one of our favorite stops along the coast.

Interesting museum. Interesting exhibits. Nice facility. Museum has indoor exhibits, outdoor pieces of interest and a ship at the pier you can wander through. Lots of history. Lots of information about the dangerous Columbia River Bar. Sad and fascinating. Many souls lost where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Impressive exhibits and artifacts of boats and the perils of navigating the Columbia Bar, aka "the graveyard of the pacific". Two intact fishing boats in a stunning main room set the tone. Exhibits about navigation and the many shipwrecks over the past 150 years fill in the juicy details. But wait, there's more! An entire hall is devoted to the original mariners of the Columbia, the Chinook culture and their reliance on canoes for trade. Several of these large vessels are also on display, and you can learn how they were made from cedar logs. The Emerson is also on display. This rowing vessel served Emerson C. Hendrickson on his record-setting unsupported solo row from Washington state to Queensland, Australia in 2018. I saved the final attraction for last: the lightship Columbia, docked immediately behind the main building. Not only can you walk the main deck, but also climb below to experience the crew quarters. This experience alone makes the Columbia River Maritime Museum worth visiting.

This place was incredible. Very very well thought out and displayed history of the maritime past and present of the Columbia River and how insanely dangerous entering and exiting the mouth is. I was impressed how big it was. I spent 6 hours here.

This is a must do in Astoria. I really enjoy touring the Lightship and imagining what it must have been like to be part of this crew. The 3D movies in the museum are great. So much maritime history. I could spend so much time here.

Fun museum. Lots of artifacts to read about. Movies to watch. 18 for adults. 5 bucks for a mushroom or shark movie. Fun time.

Fun spot to spend a couple of hours. We stopped in last Saturday in the afternoon and wandered around a while. There were a decent amount of visitors but it didn't feel crowded. There is so much info...photos, documents, and loads of video...about the history of the area. Really quite interesting, especially when explained and demonstrated so thoroughly. Fascinating to learn why this particular chunk of water is so dangerous and has been so deadly throughout time. You can add a 3D film to your ticket, which we didn't do, and entrance to the lighthouse vessel is included with regular admission. Having been on larger military vessels, we found the ship slightly underwhelming and were only aboard for maybe 10 minutes. I would think that kids and anyone who hasn't been aboard a vessel such as this would find it pretty cool however. Everything was maintained well and staff was friendly. The museum is definitely an informative and interesting place.

I've long been fascinated by the Columbia River bar - ever since I first heard its nickname "Graveyard of the Pacific". I learned about it from a show on the weather channel many years ago about the harrowing Coast Guard rescues on this most treacherous stretch of water. And this museum truly does it justice!! So much fascinating history and info - and very nicely organized and displayed. It's crazy how many shipwrecks there are along the Columbia River bar. They even have a life-size display of one of those Coast Guard ships doing one of their crazy rescues! You can also explore the Columbia Lightship on the water behind the museum - a floating lighthouse. And they even have an awesome exhibit on the locally famous Peter Iredale shipwreck- complete with pictures of the ruins from over the years, all the way back to the early 1900s! There's a lot to see before you even get inside - there are several displays on the grounds of giant anchors and propellers- and there's an active Coast Guard ship docked out back. Tickets are very reasonably priced, it's easy to find, and there's plenty of parking and clean bathrooms. Lots to explore and I feel like one visit definitely wasn't enough to take it all in. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I'd definitely stop in again for another explore next time I'm around!

We came in on a late Wednesday morning. We enjoyed walking around the exhibits-they had a great variety of subjects to see. Some of those being flags/flag language, international voyages, shipwrecks, local canning history, World War 2, and maps of the world tracking currents, winds, water temperature etc. There is so much amazing world and local history here, and lots to learn. We even got to go on a retired vessel and walk around to see where the sailors used to eat, sleep and work. This was an interesting experience. They also have a lovely gift shop where you can buy treasures that both showcase the museum and Astoria itself. This is a must do for anyone coming to Astoria!

The Oregon visitors guide and family recommended this museum for our visit to Astoria. It's pretty big and has a lot of info on the maritime history of the northern coast of Oregon. It's definitely worth a stop.

This is a wonderfully curated museum tended by history loving professionals and volunteers. I've been here 4 times now, and learn something new each time. Its big, its alot to take in. I've never paid the extra dollars for the movie experience tho. Graveyard of the Pacific - boy the mouth of the mighty Columbia River has dealt a massive toll on ships and their seafarers. History? This place is LOADED. lewis and Clark. The Astoria Expeditions. Native peoples that thrived here and then suffered from the white man invasion. There is military stuff here too. The bridge of an actual WWII Navy Destroyer! AntiAir guns you can touch. Maps! Navigation! The Coast Guard and stories of the brave men and women who lived/died helping those in need. Admission prices are a little steep. I think if you REALLY wanna get into a membership is the way to go, I wish I'd just done that the first time. The Lightship Columbia is a fascinating way to get a glimpse of the inglorious life at sea. The gift shop is loaded with cool, reasonably priced stuff. And dont forget the Peacock is sitting out there in the parking lot! Highly recommend, I'll be back again.

This is a must-see when visiting Astoria. Their collections cover the history of fishing and canning in the area; shipwrecks and the reasons behind them; weather and water conditions; WW2; and local river pilots. It's a lot. There is also a light boat to tour. They offer two 3D movies for an additional $5charge. We saw the one on sea lions, and I recommend it. We spent several hours at the museum, and it was well worth it. The museum store is also nice. All of the staff were great.

This is a truly special, spectacular museum and a must see if traveling in the northern Oregon coast. It has so much great stuff to see and read you must allow several hours. If your trip involves more than a day then pick the worst weather day to visit so that you can allow enough time. There are lots of other places to visit in this northwest corner or Oregon including Cape Disappointment across the Columbia in Washington that you might prefer to visit on the better weather days. There are lots of places to stay in Astoria as well as down in Seaside and Cannon Beach. We have not been back since COVID and hope to do so soon.

Very thoughtful and well put together museum. It cost about $16 a person for adults and kids were slightly less. The cost of admission comes with the tour of the Lightship Columbia. To watch some of the 3-D films. It cost an extra five dollars and last about 25 minutes. They have a cute gift shop with a variety of items. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend going to check this museum out.

This is definitely one of the finest museums I have ever visited in my 76 years. The exhibits cover the maritime history of the Columbia river, the Coast Guard, fishing in the region, and much more. They're all kinds of exhibits, most regarding boats, (the actual boats used), and a lot of interactive exhibits, and shows. There is even an old light ship tied up outback that you can tour. As of yet I've only been there once, but I definitely wish to return to Astoria, in part because of this wonderfully fascinating museum.

very interesting museum covering a very interesting area. great historical info about the area. the approaches to the river are so dangerous and difficult to pass that there have been a lot of shipwrecks. at the same time, the transport was critical to the development of the northwest. this museum covers it well. great visit.

Me and the husband enjoyed this so much on our trip to Astoria! There was so much to see, the staff were incredibly sweet, it had the cutest little gift shop! Super interesting information.

Awesome! Just awesome. A must see! The movies are wonderful and it's just so interesting and fun. It's not just about boats, but people and history and ship wrecks. It's a wonderful experience. And what a view.

Entering this museum, a visitor is faced with this statement before entering the galleries: Since 1792 approximately 2,000 vessels -- including over 200 large ships -- have sunk at the Columbia River bar, and more than 700 people have lost their lives to the sea. These dangers have earned this area the title 'Graveyard of the Pacific.' Mariners agree that the combination of high seas, a mighty river, and shallow, shifting sand bars make the Columbia River bar one of the most dangerous bar crossings in the world. That statement is a fitting introduction and it raises visitor expectations. Can this museum connect the dots and explain this all? Yeah, the connecting galleries do a great job illustrating the challenges of this region. The first and main gallery is a display of various boats that plied the waters here over time. It's the remaining galleries that, for me, pack the most impact. There are scale models, artifacts, and snippets of data and science interspersed to add context. Watching a few videos featuring ravaging waves rocking otherwise seemingly indestructible ships was eye-opening. Fortunately, a Coast Guard 44300 self-righting and self-bailing boat is dramatically displayed in the front gallery facing the windows. This unsinkable boat, while looking modern, was retired successfully. It was reassuring to see a boat that was essentially built not to sink. The retired Lightship Columbia sits in the waters behind the museum. Children love romping around inside this cool piece of history. I was lucky to visit the day before the museum closed to the public due to the pandemic. When it reopens, this place should be a must-see for any visit to scenic Astoria.

I absolutely LOVED this museum. It is filled with so many interesting exhibits AND the Columbia tour is included! During the visit I watched movies and learned about the power of the river and the history of boating and the local tribes and the maritime industry and so much more.

Amazing museum! I chose to watch the 3-D movie "Aircraft Carrier" it was well done and very interesting! Then touring the museum was fascinating! Could have spent much more time here but it was a beautiful day in Astoria and wanted to enjoy the weather outside. I pan to go back again to spend more time on some of the displays.

One of the nicest building in Astoria, Oregon. Riverside train station is infront of museum. Rail track infront of museum and docked ship at the backside looks really cool. Loved this place. Unfortunately it was closed when we reached but we admired beauty from outside and the arts kept inside which was visible from glass were really good.

My family and I stopped here on a whim on the way to the Oregon Coast for a mini vacation. I am so glad we did! The museum is one of the best museums I have been too and I have been to a lot. It was very well laid out, very informative (I had no idea how dangerous the bar crossing was or how Astoria played a part in WW2), clean, and fun. There were a lot of interactive displays for kids AND adults. I was super bummed that the boat was closed at 1. When we got there, we were not told that so when we left the museum to walk out to the boat, we were really disappointed that we didn't get to tour the boat, especially for the price of admission. There were no working water fountains, which was a real bummer as we got thirsty. I get covid but have an alternative available. The gift shop was one of the best gift shops I have been too, the person who is buying for the shop is very talented. Lots of cool things to look at. I found several things I liked (and purhcased) and I usually hate kitschy gift shops with basic crap that ends up in landfills. Overall a great museum and we were glad we went.

The maritime museum is a very interesting place. Lots of historic stuff from the World Wars, the USCG, and some interactive things Inside too. They have a little Movie to watch if you're interested but I have a 3 year old so i didn't want to disturb others and I didn't watch it. The only thing I wish they'd have working was the interacting boat they had available to "drive" but maybe it was closed due to COVID but when we went in there the buttons didn't work. But other than that, it sits In front of some USCG cutters which is cool, and there's a small old CG boat as part of the museum right next to the active duty boats. Definitely worth seeing at least once.

Great, informative, interesting museum. displays, artifacts, films, pictures shows the staggering number of wrecks in the area. History covers fishing, trapping, trading, and exploration of the Columbia River and surrounding mud flats, rocks, tidal areas with loads of good exhibits. unbelievable what the coast guard and lightship crews do. loved it, glad we went

Fun place to spend the day learning about the local maritime & fishing industries ... our grandson is 10 & he really enjoys the boats ...

Interesting museum all about where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. The permanent exhibits are arranged interestingly. Overall, a good way to spend time and learn new things. I would recommend visiting the museum if you are already in Astoria, but I would not go out of my way (drive an hour) to visit.

We went to Astoria to sort of drive through since we were already at Cannon Beach and not too far away. The maritime museum was a place we are so grateful we swung into. We loved seeing the artifacts, the history, and the information unique to this region. The displays were well-maintained and informative and we feel as though the admission was worth the $14 adult admission fee.

Interesting, but not all that special really. The most interesting map was on the wall but no copies were not for sale. I've been there once, won't be going back.

This was an educational and user friendly kind of place. All of the exhibits and hands on displays were great. From Veterans to children, there is something for everyone. The store there was also a great place to find something unique. It's well wort the entrance fee.

Must go see. It's a wonderful museum dedicated maritime community and the PNW. It a offers a lot of information on commercial fishing to things happening during WWII. Also discusses why they call this the Graveyard of the Pacific.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum specializes in naval and marine history of the river and the entire region. Founded in 1962, the museum isn't huge, but it is well done ... and boasts the largest collection of Pacific Northwest maritime artifacts. * Open daily 9:30 - 5:00 * Closed Thanksgiving & Christmas * Adults $14; Children $5 * The movie (3D) is $5 extra * Parking is free * Photography is allowed * Plan 2-3 hours to see the exhibits * Be sure to see the lightship Columbia docked outside * Crossing the Bar warns about dangers of the river * Science of Storms was educational about weather * The USS Shark wreck (1846) exhibit is ok * Learning about Astoria's legendary salmon fishing was cool * I needed more time for the Japanese/American war trophies * It's the official state maritime museum of Oregon All-in-all, I think just about any family or tourist will have an educational and merry time at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

I came here since I was looking for things to do in Astoria. The museum was much larger than I expected. It was one of the nicer maritime museums I've been to. There's a lightship named Columbia right outside the museum that's included in the admission. You get to see the mess hall, galley, communications room, and sleeping quarters. It closes earlier than the museum so you should check it out first. I really enjoyed the weather reporting exhibit where you can pretend to be a weatherman in front of a green screen, the WWII battleship, and the return of the Japanese soldier flags. There were a lot of exhibits on fishing, weather, and maritime history of Astoria. You learn a lot about of Astoria and it was all very interesting. I would recommend this museum if you want to learn more about Astoria.

This is a great museum with lots of hands-on learning experiences for children. You'll learn how the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean and all the danger the sailors have to face especially when weather is not on their side. If you or your child ever wanted to be a weather reporter you'll love giving the weather forecast. We were surprised to learn so much about weather. You can learn about hurricanes here. For an additional price you can watch a 3-D Hurricane movie.  You can also experience the winds in a hurricane wind simulator. You could easily spend half a day here. After visiting this museum you sure will have profound respect for the U.S. Coast Guard. You can spend quite a bit of time here if you'd like. Its also a great way to get away from the rain for a few hours.

Great museum, lots of history here. You will be exposed to the history of the Columbia River and the storied and varied past of Astoria, you can almost feel how it once was in this town 100+ years ago. If you're willing to spend a good hour here you'll leave as if you've learned something of the past and wonder where the future will take you.

Great storytelling, even for kids. Go here. Support them. Learn something. This is a good location that is easy to find as well. Great for tourists looking for something to do that has no crowds during COVID. The gift shop also has a lot of cool stuff!

This is an interesting museum. Admission price is very reasonable. Not too expensive. As well, expect to spend over an hour here. It is very educational. Lots of history explanation. Good artifacts. Made mostly for adults. But of course its somewhat linked to the famous Astoria bridge Outside they have the Columbia Ship and that is the most interesting part compared to what is inside.

One of my favorite museums. Whenever I am in Astoria, I make a point to go there. Located on the mighty Columbia River it's a great place for family or just adults. My big draw was touring the United States lightship Columbia. A great maritime museum focused on the Pacific Northwest in general and the Columbia River in specific.

We were nicely surprised by the maritime museum when we were only planning to see the Turtle Odyssey movie. We paid extra to fill the time til the movie and we're glad we had the hour to tour. The introduction to Astoria and its history was very interesting and I especially loved all the artifacts of the native people. How did they get the boats in that place?! Impressive and the morals were beautiful. We couldn't tour the Columbia ship and I didn't understand the explanation of why. Not a huge disappointment but we did pay for it. Maybe a rain check or a discount in the gift shop? Just a suggestion...other then that we enjoyed the museum and LOVED the movie. Well worth it!

What a great place to take some time to experience. We had no idea of what we'd see but were so glad we stopped and wandered through the museum. There were many naval artifacts to see and maritime exhibits. Very educational but not in a ho-hum boring way. There is some interaction and, when tired, many benches to sit on to take a break. I was impressed with the layout, cleanliness, and vast number of items. Included in the admission price is the ability to board the lightship Columbia. We gave that a 3/5 but worth going through since we'd paid the admission price. Well worth the time and admission price!

The museum itself is very informative. Great for visitors and children. Learned a heart deal about the Columbia river. There is an optional film/movie you can purchase and watch in a small room. The film is always changing throughout the year. And it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Columbia river. For instance, the last I visited the film was about iguanas in the Galapagos island (a big propaganda push for the theory of evolution where you'd least expect it).

This is a must-see while you're visiting Astoria. Plan on 2+ hours to learn about the Mighty Columbia, the Bar and the ingenuity, skill and courage of the river pilots who make it possible to navigate it. There's lots of history here. I confess that I did not want to go in and told my husband to go ahead and I would meet up with him later after exploring the river front area. Just then, a storm blew in and it started raining cats and dogs, so I agreed the timing was right. In retrospect, I'm so glad that we experienced the exhibits together. I highly recommend it, even if you don't have any particular interest in maritime history.

I'm not really into museums but this was more like an adventure. Really opens your eyes to maritime dangers.

Very well done. Lovely presentation. The Japanese war flags was a very touching exhibit. Enjoyed the carrier video.

I am a walk through museum guest. But this place was so interesting and beautiful I had to stop at every exhibit and read the info and touch the display. It is a must see for adults and kids. The beauty of the weather screen, map collection, writings of explorers, flags of Japanese soldiers nd boats... lots of boats.

This is not a typical small town museum. This is a wonderful - and very large - collection of the last 120+ years of working with and in the sea on the NW Oregon coast. Inside the museum are whole fishing boats (not mock ups), Coast Guard Life Boats both past and present, all in realistic settings. There are many items from the past that are displayed with great narratives. Outside the museum is an in-water 1950's lighthouse ship (The Columbia) that is open for viewing (imagine being at anchor 7 miles off-shore the Columbia river mouth for 10 day tours. In all weather). What museum would be complete without a gift shop? This one is very nice with lots of trinkets and stuff for your refrigerator. They done a beautiful job of what has been collected and how it is displayed. First class, in my opinion.

I have driven past this museum several times and stopped in to visit. This place is great if you want to know the history or the Columbia river. The exhibits are very educational and they tell the story of how the river was discovered and how it has grown over the years.

Amazing place! There is just so much to see. The sheer number of quality exhibits to see were impressive. The museum covers the history of the area, the maritime aspects woven intricately into this history, as well as a wealth of information about Astoria's place in the world. Admission includes a tour of the lightship Columbia docked nearby. Allow at least a couple hours to do the tour justice.

Awesome If you like history and anything and everything to do with the ocean, including boats/ ships, this museum is for you! This museum has a special emphasis on Astoria and the Columbia River but isn't exclusive to it.

If you go Astoria, the Columbia River Maritime Museum(CRMM) is a must. The museum is HUGE! Lots of history and artifacts! I don't usually like museums but I actually had fun here. You can even pretend to be a weather man with their green screen. If your kids are into boats, ships, ocean, etc. CRMM is going to be a fun stop.

Don't take kids under 10 and you'll have a ton of fun and get to experience one of the best maritime museums I've been to. They tried to make it work with kids but it just doesn't because the adult part of the museum takes 2-3 hours to get through and the kid stuff isn't interesting enough/too technical to keep their attention that long plus, if memory serves, kids are the same price as adults.

A fun spot, but it took about 30 minutes to make it through the whole thing and about 5 minutes on Columbia, left us wanting more especially for the price. A fun stop but not a must see.

This place was unexpectedly awesome. We were in Astoria for a few days and were looking for a way to spend out morning and found our way to the museum. We left excited to learn about the region and impressed with the scope a quality, this is definitely worth a visit if you are in town and worth driving to if you are not.

One of the BEST museums! A plethora of information and knowledge to enjoy! The interactions with the knowledgeable staff are always pleasant too! Worth the 5 hours spent there and this wasn't my first visit! So much to read and always delightful in what I come across during my time reading and listening to the audios. This is great for all ages because no matter what age, you'll feel excited and more of an expert to the History of this area and blue Ocean!

Very interesting exhibits! Especially enjoyed the section dedicated to the Coast Guard.