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.
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.
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 Spots
North Coast
Heritage Museum
Built in 1904 as Astoria’s City Hall, this building is now home to the Clatsop County Historical Society’s Heritage Museum, Research Center & Archives. Explore the history of Clatsop County through temporary and permanent exhibits featuring Native Americans, early pioneers,...
1618 Exchange St.Astoria, OR
503.338.4849
Email us (cchs[at]cumtux[dot]org)
North Coast
High Life Adventures
Enjoy a tour of 8 zip lines in a beautiful setting. Join two tour guides on an exhilarating zip line experience around and over a seven-acre lake. A mile of zipping, sure to create lasting memories for the whole family....
92111 High LIfe RdWarrenton, OR
503-861-9875
Email us (info[at]highlife-adventures[dot]com)
North Coast
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Explore the world of 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 and perils of the the Columbia River. Sail a model boat on...
1792 Marine Dr.Astoria, OR
(503)325-2323
North Coast
Long Beach Peninsula Visitor Bureau
The Long Beach Peninsula welcomes visitors with all the ingredients of an authentic Northwest coastal experience. Our villages offer great seafood, comfortable lodging, cute shops, colorful festivals, and one-of-a-kind attractions. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River and Willapa Bay, nature’s...
3914 Pacific WayAstoria, OR
800-451-2542
Email us (jane[at]funbeach[dot]com)
North Coast
Oregon Film Museum
The Oregon Film Museum celebrates the art and legacy of films and film-making in the State of Oregon. Housed in the old Clatsop County Jail, the museum invites visitors to explore these and other films and the production behind making movies in...
732 Duane StreetAstoria, OR
503-325-2203
North Coast
Black Dogg Guide Service
Captain Gordy Webster, owner of Black Dogg Guide Service, is a USCG licensed captain in Oregon and specializes in fishing for Albacore Tuna, Salmon, Bottom Fish, Halibut, Sturgeon and Crab. We fish the Pacific Ocean and the world famous Buoy...
Hammond, OR (503) 313-6740
Email us (Gordy-w[at]hotmail[dot]com)
North Coast
Lance Fisher Fishing
The great thing for fishermen here in the Pacific Northwest is that you have year around runs of Salmon, Steelhead, and Sturgeon. Some months are certainly better than others, but to enjoy such an abundance of different types of fishing...
422 Gateway Ave.Astoria, OR
(503)902-4213
Email us (info[at]lancefisherfishing[dot]com)
North Coast
Flavel House Museum
Experience the elegance of the late Victorian period by touring the home of Captain George Flavel. The 1885 Queen Anne home features original Eastlake influenced woodwork, period furnishings, and exotic hardwood fireplace mantels. Begin your tour at the Carriage House...
441 8th St.Astoria, OR
503.325.2203
Email us (cchs[at]cumtux[dot]org)
North Coast
East Mooring Basin Boat Ramp
Located at the mouth of the Columbia River, the East Mooring Basin Boat Ramp is popular and convenient launching point for anglers.
Astoria RiverwalkAstoria, OR
North Coast
Blind Slough Logging Camp
A logging camp located between Knappa and Brownsmead. Established around 1883, the post office was established in 1910, and closed in 1924. In 1923, some 300 people were employed by the Larkin-Green Logging Co. Source: Ghost Town USA Located 19...
Astoria, ORNorth Coast
Astoria Underground Tour
Take a self-guided tour of Astoria’s Underground. This walking tour takes you and your group along clear pathways on one level where you will safely tour through the underground with pre-recorded narration providing stories of entertainment and history. This tour...
1125 Marine Dr.Astoria, OR
(415)713-4141
Email us (info[at]oldastoria[dot]com)
North Coast
Skookum Fishing Charters
Fishing charter in Astoria, Oregon.
2608 Irving AveAstoria, OR
(503) 410-9720
Email us (Leafgeraghty[at]gmail[dot]com)
More Info
Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce
Astoria, OR Mail: PO Box 176
Astoria, OR
503-325-6311
Email us (visitors[at]oldoregon[dot]com)