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    Columbia River Maritime Museum

    4.5 (173 reviews)
    Closed 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

    Columbia River Maritime Museum Photos

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    Dari P.

    This was a tour stop. Interesting exhibits. Cute gift shop. Movies, boats and information about early exploration.

    Sue B.

    Since it was raining all day, my husband and I decided to check out this museum. We spent a wonderful four hours there and enjoyed every minute of it. We spent about three hours looking at the exhibits and touring the lighthouse ship and also purchased the two additional 30 minute movies for five dollars each. I learned so much, and we both found the shipwreck exhibit, especially fascinating. We learned so much about the Astoria area and the Columbia river. I have a newfound respect for the area. This is a gem of a museum!

    Bennette I.

    My husband recently got a year pass for the Five Oaks Washington County Historical Society and they have reciprocal museums that they partner with. For the month of February (2025) it was for the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria - so off we went. The entry fee is $18.00 each and we paid nothing for the two of us - Score! The museum is a lot larger than it appears. The installations are amazing, some very artistic and carefully thought out. There were some amazing replicas and actual boats shown throughout the years. The overall feel is spacious and extremely informative and the staff was so helpful and pleasant. There was a movie option for $5 and a well stocked gift shop. The pass also included a tour through a Coast Guard ship named Columbia. Lots of options and I highly recommend!

    Museum entry to all exhibits
    Kathy E.

    Very well done exhibits on a variety of aspects around the Columbia River. History, native culture, Coast guard, river/bar pilots, river/boat art, etc. All extremely interesting. Easily can take a couple hours going through.

    This is the biggest Museum in Astoria. It is also the dullest. Seems to be all about shipwrecks. If you are from out of state and never comiming back. Maybe visit. Otherwise save yourself from total boredom. The only thing I found interesting was the Columbia light ship moored next door. They are building an event center next door.

    Coast Guard Ship
    Sierra A.

    Beautiful museum with indoor and outdoor exhibits. Loads of history plus different areas for kids and families. A must see if you're interested in oceanic adventure!

    Brenda N.

    Wonderful place to see local maritime history, boat structures, Native American history and challenges and an overall wealth of information! Gift shop offers fun trinkets, too!

    Tankers await cargo outside the shipping lanes
    Franklin B.

    This isn't a "bad" review, it's just the museum was a bit underwhelming to me. The exhibits were large and extremely professional, especially the coast guard rescue boats. The museum offers various exhibits from native lifestyles to Navy connections. Shipwrecks are a big theme and first-time visitors get a very good visual interpretation of ships and shipwrecks. The storytelling was lacking in my opinion and I didn't feel a connection between "exhibits" and "history. I was insulted to be hit up for an extra fee for a movie about aircraft carriers. Nothing said whether aircraft carriers plied the Columbia. Also, there is nothing about river commerce, did anyone notice giant ships sailing up the Columbia? And, hey, I know it's a touchy subject, but Robert Gray named the river after his ship, Columbia Redidiva. A mention of this history might have been interesting. On the plus side, the building the museum is housed in is really cool, those giant curved wood beams in the main display area were awesome. Please check my review of the Heritage Museum a few blocks uptown from the Maritime Museum.

    You can tour the inside of the Columbia Lightship! It's so cool!
    Hannah S.

    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!

    Columbia River Maritime Museum - aboard the lighthouse ship
    Kim R.

    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.

    Kari P.

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

    One of several ship's bridges displays
    Marjorie H.

    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.

    Coast guard rescue boat
    Mark T.

    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.

    Japanese flags signed by friends and family

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    Ask the Community - Columbia River Maritime Museum

    Review Highlights - Columbia River Maritime Museum

    Fantastic musuem dealing with all things related to shipping, fishing and Coast Guard operations in the area..

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    Oregon Film Museum - Notes to the Goonies

    Oregon Film Museum

    3.3(137 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    This was our second time at the OFM. It's location was a long-ago jail, used as a shooting location…read morein 1985's "Goonies," and currently houses a museum dedicated to the history of Hollywood productions that were filmed at least partially in Oregon, although it is largely dedicated to "The Goonies," and is a pilgrimage site for fans. Besides the exterior, they have a (fairly inauthentic) reproduction of the Fratelli's Jeep in the lot, and of course the jail cell inside, and a collection of various collectables, authentic props, and reproductions from Goonies as well as a few other films. There is also a "film studio," where you can make up to five scenes from a list of provided scripts or you can improvise. You get a QR code to save and send out the finished film. It's pretty cool, actually. Here's the bad: This is a county jail from 1914 Astoria. It is...not a large space. Depending on the day, it can be crowded. Like, hard to move crowded. Anxiety-inducing crowded. Give up without seeing everything crowded. But you can take your Goonies photos and learn a little for $6/adult $2/child as of 12/27/25. Not too shabby. There is also a gift shop with some pretty cool merch and even Baby Ruth bars. ***In other area movie news, the school from "Kindergarten Cop," other sites from Goonies, and "Short Circuit" are in town, among others. But you probably new all that.***

    I didn't super love the Oregon Film Museum. It felt more like the Goonies museum, which I…read moreunderstand, but I wish it had more from other films! It's located in the old jail house from Goonies, which was a really cool setting. That being said, the inside is super cramped!! There are essentially two hallways and each one has a dead end, so you have to turn back around. There is a room where you and your party can film scenes from Oregon films. That part was very neat! You get emailed your films afterwards.

    Photos
    Oregon Film Museum - The Oregon Film Museum had these cutout cardboard characters from every cast member of the 80's cult classic...The Goonies.

    The Oregon Film Museum had these cutout cardboard characters from every cast member of the 80's cult classic...The Goonies.

    Oregon Film Museum - Entrance to the museum, a throwback in time.

    Entrance to the museum, a throwback in time.

    Oregon Film Museum

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    Heritage Museum

    Heritage Museum

    4.4(14 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Interesting museum chock full of local historical info and artifacts…read more We decided to tour the Flavel House but ended up buying combo passes to the 3 museums. Heritage was fun. They've plastered the walls in signs and dates offering hours of reading should you have the time and/or inclination. We did not...but we certainly enjoyed around an hours worth of wandering and learning more about the history of the area. Cool stop in Astoria.

    Having moved to Astoria 3 years ago, and just finished reading "Astoria" by Peter Stark, I was…read moreexcited to visit this museum. Entrance fee is $5 for adults. Lots of local history and artifacts here. I enjoyed the native American exhibits, the exhibits about the Astor expeditions, and Black History and the fishing stuff. I was excited to learn about the more 'bawdy' parts, the prostitution, gambling, drinking, etc. I was surprised that the cause of the Tonquin explosion was listed as unknown, while Peter Starks book postulated it was a wounded seaman who torched it. Shocked to read about the Ku Klax Klan taking hold in the 1920's. The feuds between Catholics and Protestants carried on. The printed exhibit map is highly inaccurate. The ornate bar lacked context - I didnt see any printed descriptions. Felt like the 'bawdy' exhibits belonged in here as opposed to strewn about the hallway. Still, a worthy effort here. For $5, cant complain :) I did take ALOT of photos, but I dont think its right to post their artifacts/exhibits.

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    Heritage Museum
    Heritage Museum
    Heritage Museum

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    Fort Stevens

    Fort Stevens

    4.9(7 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    One of the better preserved old forts on the west coast. You can explore the fort's various…read morebatteries and buildings (not all are open to the public), as well as walk along scenic trails. Be wary of disc golfers though! Nice visitor center with a lot of historical information.

    Fort Stevens is the campground for people adverse to "roughing it". There are seemingly more RV…read moresites than "traditional" tent camping ones, complete with electrical and plumbing hookups. Not to mention rentable yurts and cabins, (hot!) showers, (relatively) clean restroom facilities, and even a firewood delivery service, right to your campsite! Fort Stevens is also massive: miles of hikeable/bikeable trails, sandy beaches, a lake with a boat ramp, a shipwreck, a disc golf course, a military history museum (and gift shop), and several abandoned military installations and batteries to hike and explore. There's more to see and do here than can be experienced in a single camping trip, and after more than a half dozen visits to the park, I'm still discovering new secrets! Also, keep an eye on the various post boards around the park, in which special events, such as storybook readings, put on by the Friends of Fort Stevens, occur on many a summer night. As I mentioned earlier, this is camping only in the loosest sense of the word, in that you're sleeping outside (well, if you're not in an RV, yurt or cabin). The campsites are relatively small, and close together, but that is also part of the charm, particularly for children: they're all but guaranteed to make some new friends during your stay here, as there will be rugrats running around, skating, riding bikes, exploring, and likely yelling and screaming all around you, for as long as the daylight persists. Intimacy and privacy does not exist here. There are better places to camp in the Pacific Northwest, particularly for those who desire privacy, serenity, an escape from noise and the presence of others, and a place to commune with and be surrounded by nature (and nature only). Those places exist, but Fort Stevens is not one of them. Despite all that, I have a sentimental attachment to this place, thanks to childhood memories of camping here in my youth. Now, I'm hoping to impart similar memories on my children. Fort Stevens may not be *for* everyone, but it *has something* for everyone. If you can't see that, go get lost in the woods elsewhere.

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    Fort Stevens
    Fort Stevens
    Fort Stevens

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    ASTORIA MUSEUMS - Beaches at sunset nearby

    ASTORIA MUSEUMS

    3.8(183 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Goonies never say…read more..... Some movies are classics. I will forever love watching the Goonies. It has always been one of my favorites. The fact it was made in my home state of Oregon just makes it a little bit more awesome. Being in Astoria on vacation made this house a bucket list item. We didn't need to look through the windows at what the new owners had done. Or take items. There is a donation box. Please help pay for the constant vandalism. There was a time a previous owner had stopped access for obvious reasons. Let's try and respect the current owner and not keep the true fans from enjoying a bit of Oregon movie history. Just being in front of this actual lived in house from the Goonies movie is amazing. I really enjoyed thinking about all the movie scenes and how cool it would have been to be on set for filming. So much history. I know we've seen it already but I can't wait to see it up close again.

    I've probably seen The Goonies movie about 50 times in my life. While in Astoria, we decided to…read morecome by to check out the house. It was pretty easy to research and map out how to get here. It's in a neighborhood on a private driveway. Be sure to not park in their driveway or the neighbor's spot. You can park in the neighborhood somewhere and walk up. There's a sign at the bottom of the driveway too, the owners know people will come by to take photos etc, so they aren't bothered by it. Just be respectful and you'll be fine. For any inconvenience, they put out a donation bin if you want to drop a few dollars for coming by. Cool to see the house that I admired as a little kid. Glad to have come by to snap a few photos and see it in person. We walked the neighborhood too, we were out of there in like 20 mins. Childhood memory fulfilled.

    Photos
    ASTORIA MUSEUMS - The house

    The house

    ASTORIA MUSEUMS - The Goonies House

    The Goonies House

    ASTORIA MUSEUMS

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    Columbia River Maritime Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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