Astoria Oregon Museums: 4 Great Places You Should Visit

My husband and I hadn’t been to Oregon in nearly 18 years.  With him being a history buff and me always eager to explore new places, we set up a trip to the Pacific North West to the beautiful little town of Astoria.  Not only is my husband fascinated by history, he’s also a huge Goonies fan being a product of the 80’s.  Astoria is the town the movie was based in and among other fabulous museums, has one that is primarily Goonies-based!  Whether you are into to film culture, maritime history, or Queen Anne architecture, there is something for you in Astoria!

Oregon Film Museum
Want to find out more about the films and film-making in the state of Oregon, the Oregon Film Museum is the place to visit.  Housed in the old Clatsop County Jail, the site is the opening jail break scene from The Goonies.  You can find tons of Goonies memorabilia (including Data’s jacket, bike, and even Baby Ruth’s for sale in the store) inside the museum as well as the getaway Jeep parked out front of the museum complete with bullet holes in the back!

Also, create your very own movies with live sets to record and edit complete with props.   Here you won’t need too much longer than an hour’s time.  Admission is $6/adults and $2/kids ages 6-17.

Flavel House Museum
Touring the Captain George Flavel House, you get a feel for life in 1885.  The Captain, who made his fortune through his occupation as a river bar pilot and through real estate investments, built the Flavel House as his retirement home at the age of 62. The Flavel House has been restored to accurately portray the elegance of the Victorian period and the history of the Flavel family.

This Queen Anne Victorian home exemplifies the elegance of the time period and features original Eastlake style woodworking.  The decor is stunning and we accessed two floors of the home and the carriage house.  The children’s room was interesting as a plaque was on the wall noting how many of our children nowadays play with the toys exhibited.  Good question.  After you tour inside, walk the grounds with their towering century-old trees, it’s truly a beautiful tour.

This self-guided tour is about 1 hour, 30 minutes long. Tickets are $6/adults, $5/Seniors, $2/kids ages 6-17, free to kids under 6.

Heritage Museum
Built in 1904 as Astoria’s City Hall, the building now houses the Clatsop County Historical Society’s regional museum. Here you can explore the history of the county through both temporary and permanent exhibits featuring early pioneers, immigrants, local industry, and Native Americans. Also if you study geneaology, there are archives available to peruse.

This self-guided tour is about 45 minutes-hour long. Admission is $4/adults and $2/kids ages 6-17.

Columbia River Maritime Museum
The official maritime museum of the state of Oregon, the space offers six galleries, the Great Hall, the Lightship Columbia, and even a 3D adventure from the dinosaur age-Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World.  I have to admit, I was excited more for the other museums and sights on our trip at first, but to my amazement this ended up being my favorite museum to explore.  The history was fascinating and I was so intrigued by the Columbia River Bar, the role of the Coast Guard and the work the bar pilots did amongst the dangerous wind and waves along the most dangerous bar crossings on the planet.

Also included in the museum, a fishing boat that washed up almost exactly two years after the 2011 tsunami in Japan nearly 4,500 miles away in Long Beach, Washington.  Donated to the museum from the owner, it’s set aside a tv monitor that plays a news clip of the story.

Outside you can walk about the Lightship Columbia, a floating lighthouse who’s story is just as necessary as the job was mundane.

Plan for 2-3 hours for this self-guided tour, possibly breaking it up with lunch in between and coming back.  I look forward to visiting on a return trip to catch up with the new exhibits. Tickets are $12/adults, $10/Seniors, $5/kids ages 6-17, free to kids under 6.

Which of these Astoria Oregon Museums would appeal to your family?

Our museum tickets were hosted as part of our media tour, all opinions our own.