Columbia River Maritime Museum

Introduction

The Columbia River Maritime Museum, located in Astoria, Oregon, is one of America's finest maritime museums, dedicated to telling the maritime history of where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. Astoria is Oregon's oldest American settlement, situated at the mouth of the Columbia River where it flows into the Pacific, historically a major fur trading and fishing center. The museum houses a vast collection of maritime artifacts and historical exhibits, including exquisite ship models, navigation instruments, fishing equipment, and Coast Guard historical materials. The most striking feature is the towering Columbia River Lightship No. 60, a historic lightship that once guided countless vessels safely into the Columbia River mouth, now open to the public. Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to the top for spectacular views of where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. The museum also vividly displays the dangerous sandbars and the famous Bar crossing history of the Columbia River, where the thrilling stories of numerous shipwrecks inspire awe at the power of nature.

✨ Highlights

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