Astoria
Pelican Art - Astoria
Photo by OCVA
Astoria-Megler Bridge - 1
Photo by OCVA
Cannery with bridge, boat
Photo by OCVA
Traffic Jam on Columbia River - 1
Photo by OCVA
Paddling canoe
Photo by Astoria Chamber of Commerce
Astoria is that little town that could, a city of 10,000 people on the Columbia River, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Founded 200 years ago at the beginning of Oregon’s North Coast, Astoria has been through boom and bust times more than once, weathering the collapse of both the Columbia River fishery and Oregon timber industry. It has risen once again as a cultural haven, often referred to as “little San Francisco.” Astoria is an old place that is newly hip. Here, Victorian mansions and maritime relics live in harmony with chef-driven restaurants and tattoo parlors.
Astoria is gritty, and likes it that way. But that rustic exterior is just a cover for the many enchanting dichotomies you’ll find waiting around the next corner. Here, fisherman are poets, loggers drink espresso, and Main Street welcomes both nouveau gallery and five n’ dime. For Astoria, it’s about character, and it’s also about characters: the people who call this place home with a passion that borders on evangelical. The skipper who challenges the same mighty river his great grandfather once fished. The artist who migrated here in search of a new palette. The hotelier who resurrected a once-bustling pier.
Once you come here and learn these stories, you’ll want to share them with others, and hope they’ll tell others, too. And, it’s a place to which you’ll want to return, to see what other stories you might have missed.
Featured activities
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Astoria Chamber of Commerce
Slow down in a place where 14 knots is considered speedy. It's amazing what passing freighters, fishing vessels, and sailboats will do to relax and refresh your spirit. So help yourself to the maritime heritage, historical sites, restaurants, shops, and natural splendor at the mouth of the Columbia.
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Columbia River Maritime Museum
Six galleries, the Great Hall, and the Lightship Columbia interpret the Pacific Northwest's rich maritime history. Visitors of all ages can experience what it's like to pilot a tugboat, participate in a Coast Guard rescue on the Columbia River Bar, and live in Astoria during the height of salmon fishing. Explore marine transportation from the days of dugout canoes, through the age of sail, to the present. Watch a dramatic 12-minute film introducing the history of life and commerce on the Columbia River, including the dangerous work of the Bar and River Pilots. Walk the bridge of a World War II warship, marvel at the 44-foot motor lifeboat plowing through a wave in a rescue mission. Participate in interactive and hands-on exhibits. You can board the Lightship Columbia, a National Historic Landmark, that once guided ships to safety at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Featured accommodations
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Comfort Suites Columbia River
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Hotel Elliott
In the heart of downtown Astoria, the hotel Elliott provides historic charm with an urban feel. Within walking distance of restaurants, shops, the Columbia Riverfront and multiple museums, experience what downtown Astoria has to offer. Featuring 32 uniquely restored rooms and suites, this historic five-story hotel weds early 20th Century elegance and contemporary amenities. Our "Wonderful Beds" are just one feature that makes our hotel unique and inviting to the traveler looking for an experience to remember. Enjoy our rooftop terrace with its extraordinary views of the downtown and surrounding areas. Rediscover the pleasures of classic lodging and leisure in the heart of historic downtown Astoria!
Featured Events
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Old Fashioned Christmas in the Flavel House
Old St. Nick will be attending the Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration in the Flavel House Museum from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, December 16th.Visitors will have an opportunity to see the decorated Flavel House Museum and be treated to holiday music, crafts, games, and stories for the kids. Everyone will enjoy the cookies and hot chocolate. Mom and Dad don’t forget your camera as you will want to capture that photo of your little one on Santa’s lap in front of the beautiful fireplace in the Flavel House library.
This event is made possible by the generous support of Easom Property Management and the Windermere Pacific Land Company. The event is free to CCHS members, regular admission applies to non-members.
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FisherPoets Gathering 2014
Fisherpoets and their fans are schooling up already. The planning committee is putting on its gear and firing up the main. The 2014 FisherPoets Gathering is coming sure as a flood tide.
The FisherPoets Gathering is sort of an ethereal, mostly oral, seasonal event that takes place in our darkest wettest days each year. There’s a lot of activity for about a week. Folks come from far away, stay late, tell stories, play music, polish up a few poems, fill the Wet Dog and Voodoo Room, Clemente’s and the Event Center, Baked Alaska and Fort George, maybe listen in on KMUN but shortly we all go our ways and if you got there a week late you’d have as much trouble finding fisherpoetry in Astoria as you would finding last week’s fish in Bristol Bay.
For more info
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Astoria Chamber of Commerce
111 West Marine Drive
Astoria, Oregon 97103
503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807
Email: visitors@oldoregon.com
website: www.oldoregon.com
