Columbia River Maritime Museum

There’s something romantic about the sea and the lore of ships. Perhaps it’s the sense of being on a journey that ships provide, or knowing that ships were responsible for so much of human exploration and settlement of our planet. Ships and boats are strange places for many of us – we have no idea how to operate a boat or what all the parts of ships do. Ships are fascinating, as are the stories of the people who use them. But a whole museum dedicated to shipping on the Columbia River seemed like a stretch to me. I had heard of and had driven by the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon but never went. In March 2023 I finally decided to go but did not have high hopes – after all the shipping history here isn’t particularly famous and I don’t really care how a fishing boat works so why bother? Was I ever wrong! I can honestly now say that Columbia River Maritime Museum was quite interesting and very well curated. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend a visit, especially if you find yourself at the north Oregon Coast on a rainy or cold day! 

Columbia River Maritime Museum features two exhibit halls. The first is a large, open room displaying various types of boats used in the area. They’ve posed mannequins in the boats as if they were going about their business on the boats and time suddenly stopped. Tiered levels in the display area allow visitors to look inside the boats as well as at the hulls. The US Coast Guard boat display is especially creative, with a real sense of drama.

The back half of the museum is a series of galleries, each focusing on a different subject. This portion of the museum is more intimate, with dimmer lighting and a nice flow between sections. I found the permanent displays on navigation and cartography the most interesting. The rotating exhibit on Oregon shipwrecks was also very cool. I had no idea there were that many shipwrecks in the area or how dangerous the Columbia Bar crossing really is. It’s something you might hear about in the Pacific Northwest, but wow – that area of water has claimed dozens of boats and hundreds of lives to the extent that it’s known as the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific. The artifacts presented here included cannons, navigation instruments, weaponry, and many other items all recovered area shipwrecks, as well as written accounts of rescues and salvages.

When you think of shipwrecks in the Pacific Northwest, most people think of one boat: The Peter Iredale. It ran aground just south of the mouth of the Columbia River in 1905 and has been rotting on the beach for the last 119 years. It’s now just a few very rusty iron beams poking up out of the sand at Fort Stevens State Park. The Columbia River Maritime Museum does a wonderful job at presenting this particular subject. The Peter Iredale display includes some beautiful objects salvaged from the wreck including a gorgeous wooden desk. It also includes a fascinating book with pictures showing the deterioration of the ship over time. See my page on Fort Stevens and The Peter Iredale here to learn how to visit the wreck itself.

I was also amazed that they have an actual piece of the hull of the Exxon Valdez– I was in elementary school when that shipwreck happened and the environmental catastrophe it caused was very big headline news. When you see or hear about things in the news there is always a level of disconnection because you don’t experience it – everything is secondhand. Seeing the piece of hull brought a lot of memories back and also made all of that news feel more tangible. It wasn’t just news. It was real. I was absolutely not expecting to be presented with this particular piece of history at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

In all the Columbia River Maritime Museum is responsible for about 40,000 objects. It also includes a massive research library hosting some 20,000 books. Other ammenities include a 3D theater showing two short films, a gift shop, and The Lightship Columbia which can be toured for a fee (can be toured with or without admission to the museum – as of Dec 28th 2022 she had been damaged by gales and was towed to a nearby yard for repairs so she’s not tourable at the moment). The museum also offers workshops, lectures, and events for kids. In addition it’s got a fantastic location – right across Highway 30 from downtown Astoria, and right on the riverfront promenade. 

The museum’s website describes the museum as “nationally renowned” and I can see why. Columbia River Maritime Museum takes what could be a boring subject and really creates something fascinating out of it. The displays are beautiful and varied, the museum is well-designed, and the location makes visiting easy. If you visit, plan on two to three hours inside the museum. My advice: visit here in the afternoon, then enjoy a seafood dinner in Astoria, and finish off with a visit to The Peter Iredale at nearby Fort Stevens State Park for sunset – a fabulous Pacific Northwest maritime trio and a satisfying way to spend time in charming Astoria Oregon!