Astoria, Oregon

Astoria is for explorers! As the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, Astoria offers a rich history for your exploration. It was first visited by Captain Robert Gray in 1792, by the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery in 1805, then adventuresome pioneers by the thousands. Now its your turn to experience the excitement of exploring Astoria.

Within a 20 mile radius, one can see dozens of exciting attractions including Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Fort Stevens State Park, Fort Astoria, Heritage Center Museum, Flavel House Museum, Uppertown Fire Fighters Museum, Astoria Column, and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, home to one of the nation's finest displays of model ships and nautical artifacts.

Astoria offers other fun discoveries, such as historic Victorian homes, the beautiful 4.1 mile long Astoria Bridge, cruise ships, and fishing charters offering the thrill of landing your own salmon, sturgeon, or crab.

A walk to explore the city's waterfront should include stops at the 6th Street Viewing Dock, the 14th Street Riverpark with its interpretive panels of river activity, and the 17th Street Pier where there's a chance to tour visiting ships. Discover the bustling business district with its many unique shops and galleries.

For the kids, there's nothing like a trip to the Uppertown Firefighters Museum at 30th and Marine Drive. It is full of fire fighting memorabilia from 1877 to 1963. The collection includes motorized, hand-pulled and horse-drawn fire engines, as well as a large photographic collection of some of Astoria's spectacular fires.

Astoria celebrates its Scandinavian heritage with the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, held in mid-June. Local Icelanders, Finns, Danes, Norwegians and Swedes join together to celebrate their heritage. Come celebrate and enjoy the costumed local townspeople dance the midsummer pole dance, see the bonfire burn to destroy evil spirits, and the tugs-of-war pitting Scandinavian nationalities against each other. The festival features authentic Scandinavian musicians, a smorgasbord of old world delicacies, ethnic entertainment, dancing, crafts and a parade.

Things to see and do in Astoria:

Astoria Column, Coxcomb Hill
Astoria Children's Museum, 11th and Exchange Streets
Uppertown Firefighter's Museum, 30th and Marine Drive
Heritage Museum, 16th Street and Exchange Ave
Captain George Flavel Museum, 8th Street and Duane Ave
Columbia River Maritime Museum, 17th Street and Marine Drive
Ft. Clatsop National Memorial, six miles south of Astoria, off Hwy. 101
Fort Astoria, 15th and Exchange Streets
The Astoria Aquatics Center
Camping
Other Camping Sites
Hiking Trails and Bike Paths
Freshwater Lakes
Historic Areas
Shipwreck Remains
Military Museum

Astoria Column, Coxcomb Hill
Known as the symbol of Astoria, the 125 foot tower has 164 spiral stairs that you can climb for a grand view of the Columbia River, the volcanic cone of Mt. St. Helens and the Pacific Ocean. It was built in 1926 by the Great Northern Railway, and is a favorite of kids.
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Astoria Children's Museum, 11th and Exchange Streets
The Museum offers families an opportunity to explore and play in a comfortable indoor setting. Changing exhibits are designed to capture the imagination of children of all ages. Upon entering you will find permanent exhibits that include a child sized grocery store, an active toddler area, boats to sail in our nautical area, and an inspiring art or craft project at the "Creation Station". Other exhibits change periodically.

A variety of programs are scheduled for toddlers during the weekday, and school age children on Saturdays. A greater number of activities are scheduled during school breaks and summer vacation. A monthly schedule of these programs can be found at the Museum, the Astoria/Warrenton Chamber of Commerce and the Astoria Public Library . Upcoming programs or events can also be found in the Daily Astorian's Thursday Panache section.

Hours of operation are Monday, Thursday and Friday from 11am-3pm. Saturday from 11am-4pm and Sunday 1pm - 4pm. The Museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. (Call for school break and summer schedule). For more information, call the Museum at 325-8669.
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Uppertown Firefighter's Museum, 30th and Marine Drive
An extensive collection of fire fighting equipment makes this museum fun for kids of all ages! On display are hand-pulled, horse drawn and motorized vehicles, fire fighting equipment and memorabilia.
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Heritage Museum, 16th Street and Exchange Ave
Features regional history, natural history, geology, Native American artifacts and important nautical events.
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Captain George Flavel Museum, 8th Street and Duane Ave
Elegant Victorian home built by Captain George Flavel. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a monument to the rich style and architecture of the Victorian age.
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Columbia River Maritime Museum, 17th Street and Marine Drive
Seven galleries display and interpret the region's maritime history. 24,000 square feet of exhibit space and the enormous collection of artifacts, models, paintings and displays make it worth the visit.
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Ft. Clatsop National Memorial, six miles south of Astoria, off Hwy. 101
Winter quarters for Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, this replica has a living history program. Demonstrations on making candles, clothing, smoking meat building canoes and firing flintlocks add life to the expedition displays.
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Fort Astoria, 15th and Exchange Streets
A small park is located at the intersection of 15th and Exchange streets, where John J. Astor's fur traders originally constructed a small fort.
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The Astoria Aquatics Center
The Astoria Aquatic Center is located on the east end of town at the juncture of 20th Street and Marine Drive. The Aquatic Center has four pools and almost 200,000 gallons of water. The center is open seven days a week. Call 503-325-7027 for center hours.

The main pool is a six lane, 25 yard lap pool. The shallow end is 3-1/2 feet deep and the deep end is eight feet deep. Users may enter by stairs, or a handicapped lift is available. The pool temperature is maintained at 84 degrees.

The second pool is a warm water pool with depths from 1-1/2 feet to five feet. 88 degrees is the normal maintained temperature and there are stairs and a ramp for entry and exit. This pool has a water play feature, a 105 foot open slide with a 20 foot drop, and it features Oregon's first lazy river.

The spa pool holds 10 adults and the temperature is a steady 100 to 102 degrees. A Kiddies Pool has a water temperature of 88 degrees and offers a variety of interactive features.

A fitness room is available for adults. The equipment includes an In-Shape multi-station gym, an assortment of dumbbells with benches, a treadmill and recumbent bike. There are locker rooms for men and women and, for those with small children, there are also family change rooms. The Aquatic Center also has a Food Bar/Concession Stand.

Programs include: Lap Swimming, Open Family Swim, Water and Land Exercise, Therapy Swim, Learn to Swim Parties, Birthday Parties, Scuba Lessons, Open Kayak, and Pool Rentals.

Aquatic Center staff members are professionally trained and wish to offer the highest level of service. For more information call (503) 325-7027.
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Camping
Fort Stevens State Park (Fees)
Fort Stevens State Park (503-861-1671) features camping and day use areas located near several mile of ocean beach and a variety of historical and recreational attractions.

Park Attractions
The camping area at Ft. Stevens provides 9 yurt sites, 253 tent campsites, 128 water/electrical sites and 215 full-hook up sites. Five campsites and one yurt site are accessible to those with disabilities and are located near the accessible restroom. The park also features 5 group sites and 7 hiker/biker campsites.

Yurts (circular domed tents with plywood floors) are available for nightly rentals. Furnished with a space heater, lights and beds, they are reservable up to 11 months in advance, as are the campsites, by calling 1-800-452-5687.

A recreational vehicle waste water dump station is located 400 feet east of the registration booth. Near the registration booth is information concerning tides and evening programs, public telephones and a message board.
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Freshwater Lakes
Coffenbury Lake provides two swimming areas, restroom, picnicking and a boat ramp. The speed limit on the lake is 10 mpg. Creep, Crawl and Crabapple Lakes are small, but each does have a boat ramp for fishing or canoeing.
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Hiking Trails and Bike Paths
Fort Stevens has over six miles of hiking trails and nine miles of bike paths, and is the beginning of the Oregon Coast Trail traversing south to California.
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Other Camping Sites
Astoria Warrenton Seaside KOA
The 310 sites include 54 Kamping Kabins.
1100 Ridge Road
503-861-2606, or 1-800-562-8506

Kampers West
1140 NW Warrenton Drive
503-861-1814 or 1-800-880-5267
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Historic Areas
Abandoned Fort
The Fort Stevens Military Reservation guarded the mouth of the Columbia River from the Civil War until World War II. The fort, located one mile north of the campground, was turned over to the State Parks and Recreation Department in 1976.

Park visitors can explore the abandoned gun batteries. You can climb to the nearby commander's station for a scenic view of the Columbia River and South Jetty. A brochure for a self-guided walking tour is available on request.
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Shipwreck Remains
Near the beach parking area is the rusting wreck of the "Peter Iredale". The English sailing ship ran aground during a storm in 1906.
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Military Museum
The Military Museum contains many military artifacts and interpretive displays depicting the history of the fort from the Civil War era to the shelling of Battery Russell by a Japanese submarine during World War II. The museum is open daily from June through September and Wednesday through Sunday during the remainder of the year.

Guided Tours
During the summer months, guided tours of one-of-a-kind underground Battery Mishler and a tour in the back of a restored 1954 "deuce-and-a-half" army truck are also available. Group tours may be arranged by calling the Historic Area Military Museum at (503) 861-2000 between 10 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday. Allow two weeks advance notice.

Tours, special events and museum services are provided by the Friends of Old Fort Stevens, a private, non-profit group.

South Jetty on Clatsop Spit
South Jetty was built in the late 1800's by the Corps of Engineers. An observation platform located near the jetty is a good spot to watch waves breaking and see big ships crossing the Columbia River bar. Wildlife viewing platforms, located on the Clatsop Spit overlooking the Columbia River and near Swash Lake, are excellent spots for bird watching.

Information provided by the Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce and Oregon State Parks
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Astoria Lodging Information

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