Columbia River Maritime Museum
The Columbia River Maritime Museum in 2012
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| Established | Association: 1962 Museum: 1963 |
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| Location | Astoria, Oregon, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 46°11′23″N 123°49′26″W / 46.189745°N 123.823895°WCoordinates: 46°11′23″N 123°49′26″W / 46.189745°N 123.823895°W |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Collection size | 30,000 objects |
| Visitors | Approx. 100,000 (annually) |
| Website | www.crmm.org |
The Columbia River Maritime Museum is a museum of maritime history located about ten miles (16 km) from the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon, United States. It has a national reputation for the quality of its exhibits and the scope of its collections and was the first museum in Oregon to meet national accreditation standards. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is the official state maritime museum for Oregon.
The museum opened in August 1963 in the Old Astoria City Hall and in 1982 it moved to its current location, on the waterfront. A remodeling and expansion was undertaken in 2001–02.
The Columbia River Maritime Museum Association was founded in 1962 by Rolf Klep, a commercial artist and avid marine artifact collector. After a public fundraising campaign, the group acquired the Old Astoria City Hall from the Oregon Military Department, to house the new museum. The association named its first museum director in January 1963, and the Columbia River Maritime Museum opened to the public in August 1963, in the former city hall, at 1618 Exchange Street.
In the early 1970s, a new fundraising campaign was launched for a planned move to a newly constructed, larger facility on the city's waterfront. As well as providing more space for the growing collection of artifacts, the move would allow the museum's buildings to be adjacent to some of the historic ships moored in Astoria, such as the Lightship Columbia. Construction of the new facilities began in May 1975 and cost $2.75 million. The museum moved to its new waterfront site in May 1982. The new building provided 37,000 square feet (3,440 m2) of space, on a 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) site.
The museum's 40th anniversary and a $6 million remodeling and expansion project were celebrated May 11, 2002. The renovation increased exhibit space to 44,200 square feet (4,110 m2) and now houses interactive historical exhibits and museum acquisitions. Visitors may experience what it is 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. Huge windows make the Columbia River a living backdrop for exhibits that are interactive and touchable, many accompanied by interviews with people involved in the events depicted.
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