Columbia River Maritime Museum

Address:	1792 Marine Dr, Astoria, OR 97103, USA
Phone:	+1 503-325-2323
Site:	crmm.org
Rating:	4.6
Working:	9:30AM–5PM 9:30AM–5PM 9:30AM–5PM 9:30AM–5PM 9:30AM–5PM 9:30AM–5PM 9:30AM–5PM

Location

Photos 1

Reviews 8

Darcy Rose Cronin

Maritime history isnt something I know much about, and this beautiful museum does a great job of sharing this rich and intriguing history. I especially love the cultural context of the history and how it has changed over time. Its a beautiful location and certainly worth a visit. I would love to give this beautiful museum the full five stars, and I would if I wasnt rating it as a mother. I had been told before buying my familys annual membership that it was kid friendly. The truth is that it has little to engage kids. My expectations had probably been too high, and It turns out that the one room with activities for kids didnt include very much at all (although it does change...the next time it has even less for them to do) With kids ages 10, 7 and 2 of both genders, I was hoping that they would have something to really capture their interest. It turns out that they only really love the OMNIMAX theater, which isnt even about the maritime history. Personally, Ive enjoyed and learned as much as one can when visiting a museum with three children under the age of 10. Lastly, Ive really enjoyed the rotating exhibits, especially the current photography Inside Astoria, from the perspective of windows looking out around Astoria. Its beautiful and the opening was a lot of fun, even with kids. ;-)

Ian Clarke

Dont get me wrong. I think this is a fabulous medium-sized museum. It is informative about the regions maritime past using a marvellous balance of three dimensional (artefacts) and two dimensional (didactic interpretive panels and film/audio-video) display systems. The broad sweep of history through the Columbia Rivers military, commercial, and industrial past. (I missed any reference to native history) is impressive. BUT, and heres the rub, having found every other museum in the city already closed, we arrived with half an hour left before closing time. They kindly asked whether we would be able to return in the morning, but when we said no they shrugged, charged us the full price, AND failed to tell us that two large-screen films had already been shut down for the day. The thought of allowing us in for a reduced rate never crossed their mind, nor did an apology when we asked about the missing films on our way out. This is too good a museum for such a small-minded approach. This would have been unacceptable at the museums, historic places, and World Heritage Site I used to manage. Come on AMM! Youre a terrific little museum. Five star actually! I know you can do better.

James Browning

I am a Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer (retired). I spent over half my career at various Lifeboat Stations on the Oregon Coast. I have wanted to visit the Maritime Museum for years. It was a very emotional experience for me and those that visited with me. I am a professional mariner and therefore wont point out any of the flaws in information posted in the museum. All things considered, it is an outstanding museum and I would recommend it to everyone. However, it was kind of gut wrenching to discover upon arriving at the museum in the official "Coast Guard City" that they do not even offer a discount to Active Duty or Retired Military of any branch. We served, sacrificed, and some crossed the bar not to return allowing this museum to even exist. I ended up as the unofficial tour guide on the Lightship Columbia. Which I really enjoyed, I used to love giving tours at the stations and cutters I served on. For a lot of reasons, the museum was a very emotional experience, being told by the cashier that a discount will not be given to any Active Duty or Retired Military just made it worse. My suggestion is to rethink your policies or rethink the sign out front...just saying.

Brendan C

Very entertaining and enjoyable museum. The museum encompasses a huge time frame of the area around the mouth of the Columbia river. You will see both past and present, ranging from early maritime trade to modern search and rescue from the Coast Guard. In addition to regular museum exhibits, you may pay an additional fee to see a video centering on the tumultuous weather in the area. Your basic fee also allows you to step on board a nice boat in the harbor and take a look around. Particularly touching were exhibit sections on Yosegaki Hinomaru, good luck flags sent with Japanese soldiers in WWII that were taken as war trophies, the particular significance unknown to the soldiers at the time. The OBON SOCIETY has made some inspiring efforts to find families of the soldiers and return the flags. If youre interest in coast guard rescues, there is also some awesome info on how dangerous the area is for ships and how the coast guard has evolved over the years and responds to incidents. All in all, an outstanding museum!

Adahy Lewis

Phenomenal place to visit. So much info in this place I could have spent half a day exploring everything, and the building seems small from the outside so the content inside is astonishing. Touring the Lightship moored outside is recommended too. And seeing the Coast Guard ships moored there is cool too. And the Coast Guard booth staffers are quite friendly to answering questions about the ships so long as there isnt a pressing issue for them to address (I think they actually like staffing the booth for something to do while in dock). No going aboard the Coast Guard ships though, they arent part of the museum. A wonderful thing in this museum I had no idea was there is the actual bridge from a WWII Fletcher-class destroyer. They build the museum AROUND the destroyer bridge, so that is a permanent attraction. We only spent an hour+ change there and I wanted 3 hours. Allow for time in it. Has a "regular life" section, "weather" section, "WWII" section, and more.

A Private User

We visited on a cold day last january [2008] and found a warm welcome from the staff, as well as one of the best museums I have ever been in the North America. The realism of the many displays, some of them inter-active, and the standard of presentation of the exhibits made this a genuine learning experience at most levels from Grade 1 right up to me [early 60s]. I highly recommend it as a must-do if you are visiting this part of the world [we come from East Anglia in UK]. It should be on the visits list of any school from about 4th grade on up. I could have spent a fortune in the excellent store, too, full of high quality merchandise that was appropriate to the ethos and stated aims of the museum. If the word museum conjures up mental pictures of stuffed animals and old books in gloomy old glass cases, then THIS place will change your mind for good. Thierry A de C Foley [UK]

M. Merryman

There were so many varied interests represented here that its hard to imagine someone wouldnt enjoy it. Geology, fisheries, boating, immigration, meteorology (the real time NOAA map by itself is worth admission). Appear on a weather news broadcast, watch Coast Guard rescues, see yourself in infrared, solve pilots dilemmas, hear personal narratives of immigrants who built the fisheries industry on this river. Shop the latest cool gadgets for emergency preparedness (or just very cool camping and picnics. Solar cooker? Breifcase grill?) PLUS theres a gift shop with stuff you can actually use and maybe even need. It took us 3 hours, and my husband hates museums. He wouldnt leave, except he finally got hungry. And besides, they were closing: 5 p.m.

Herp Derp

I MISS THIS PLACE SO FREAKING MUCH!!!! It was so much fun learning about maritime things such as boats, more boats, navigation with a sextant, war boats, old boats, new boats, you even get to go on and explore a boat!!! From what I understand, its a floating lighthouse, and you get to see every part of it for yourself. Thats how awesome this place is. So make room in your brain! Because youre in for a boat-tastic learning boat-speriance!!! Also, STEAM BOAT!!!! There is one, and you can ride it!! (For an extra fee) This place is a must! So stop on by when youre going through Astoria. Also, if youre into Navy vessels, then youll be happy to know that there is a complete 1:1 replica of a command bridge inside. Now THAT was fun. :3