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Inspiring travel through photography

Home » Travel » Americas » North America » Top 5 Things to do in Astoria – Oregon’s Northernmost Coastal Community

Top 5 Things to do in Astoria – Oregon’s Northernmost Coastal Community

Last Updated: May 15, 2022 // by Rhonda Albom // 34 Comments
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Looking down on Astoria Oregon from the top of the Astoria Column
Astoria Oregon (view from the top of the Column)

Astoria sits in the northwest corner of Oregon, at the base of the Columbia River. A charming coastal town, there are several interesting and unique things to do in Astoria.

Amongst its list of accolades, Astoria is the first permanent settlement on the west coast. More specifically, founded in 1811, it is the first American colony west of the Rocky Mountains. Therefore, it is also the oldest town in Oregon.

Holding on to much of its old-world charm, we found Astoria to be quant and understated, with a somewhat quirky downtown shopping area. It’s the ideal depiction of small-town USA, complete with picket fences and proudly flying American flags.

Today, the streets are filled with old houses, some charming, others showing their age.

It’s a city built around the fishing, lumber, and fur industries, yet its main waterway holds many hazards. There is a strong and ongoing maritime history here.

And, if you are a fan of the 1985 American comedy, The Goonies, you will believe Astoria’s home to a sunken treasure.

For us, Astoria was our first overnight stop on our adventure driving the exquisite Oregon coastline.

Top 5 things to do in Astoria

  1. Climb the Astoria Column for great views
  2. Get an insight into the maritime history at the Columbia River Maritime Museum
  3. Discover the lightship
  4. Check out the Flavel House Museum
  5. Take a stroll downtown and along the riverfront

Astoria Column

The Astoria Column is a towering monument on Coxcomb Hill. Constructed in 1926, its exterior beautifully depicts Oregon’s early history in a hand-painted mural spiraling around the 125-foot column.

To enjoy the impressive views from the top, we had to climb the narrow 164 spiral steps inside the column. At times, it was a bit dizzying, and when we passed others going in the opposite direction, it was nerve-racking.

However, the view from the top was well worth the effort.

When we visited, we were able to participate in a local fundraiser and fun tradition. In the second image, I have just launched a paper glider off the top of the Astoria Column. You can see it in the image.

An annual parking pass is only $5 for the Astoria Column. We purchased it, along with a glider ($1) to throw off the top at the gift store in the parking lot.

  • Astoria Column
    Astoria Column
  • Just after I through a glider off the top of the Astoria Column. (Look closely and you can see it)The purchase of the gliders is a local fund raiser.
    Throwing a paper glider at the top
  • Another view from the Astoria Tower
    Cloudy day view from the top
  • A view of Astoria Oregon on a nice day
    A view of Astoria on a nice day.
    Source: DepositPhotos

Columbia River Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum focuses on the local area and the Columbia River, including coast guard rescue, fishing and whaling, and the treacherousness of crossing the bar.

It shares many stories of survival and bravery and even more of defeat. It also highlights fishing, shipping, and military history.

This family-friendly museum is situated along the river and is home to the world’s largest collection of Pacific Northwest maritime artifacts.

Some of the internal highlights include

  • A lifesize replica of a coastguard rescue.
  • Large TV screens showing videos of boats attempting to cross the bar. These make the dangers clear.
  • A current list of boats lost at sea in the Columbia River since 1792.
  • Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria Oregon
    Lifesize coastguard rescue
  • Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria Oregon
    Video of boats attempting to cross the bar.
  • Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria Oregon
    List of boats lost at sea in the Columbia River since 1792.

The lightship (a lighthouse on a ship)

The lightship is docked outside the Maritime Museum.

Historically, it was in service in the 1970s and served as a lighthouse in the rough waters of the Columbia River.

Behind it are US Coast Gaurd vessels, one that has markings indicating successful intercepts of four ships carrying cocaine and 36 with marijuana (while marijuana is legal in Oregon, there are different federal laws that govern the seas).

a light ship that served as a lighthouse in the rough waters of the Columbia River
This lightship

Flavel House Museum

There are still four properties in Astoria that once belonged to Capitan Geroge Flavel and his family. One has been converted to a museum, and another stands derelict on a corner. We never looked for either of the other two.

The Flavel House Museum is a Queen Anne–style Victorian mansion featuring lovely gardens and elegant furniture of the period. Originally completed in 1885, it features ornate fireplaces and spiral stairs and is kept pristine.

The derelict house on the right also belonged to the Flavel family and has quite a sordid past.

  • Flavel House Museum
    Flavel House Museum
  • Old house in Astoria Oregon
    Now derilct former Flavel family house
Flavel House Museum photo credit: Wikipedia

Stroll downtown and along the riverfront

One of the things we love to do when we are somewhere new is just to stroll around town. In Astoria, we walked along the peaceful Astoria Riverfront, the quirky downtown area, and several of the residential streets.

Some of the highlights included:

  • A riverfront boardwalk passing canneries and restaurants.
  • A sign highlighting the site of the first US Post Office west of the Rocky Mountains.
  • We walked past Fort Astoria, once operated by fur traders. Originally constructed in 1811, the current one is a replica.
  • A downtown shopping area complete with several legal marijuana dispensaries. Curiosity brought me inside of sweet Relief, the first of them to be licensed. Here I found cabinets filled with buds, edibles, liquids, or transdermal (tropical).
  • A colony of sea lions that have taken over one of the piers, similar to what has happened at Pier 39 in San Francisco. (We found the Astoria colony of sea lions near the corner of Leif Erikson Dr at 36th St.)
  • Sign marking site of first US post office west of the Rocky Mountains
  • Fort Astoria
    Fort Astoria
  • Sealions on a pier
    Sea lions on the pier
  • Sealions in Astoria Oregon
    A closer look at the sea lions.

Where to stay in Astoria Oregon

I know there are several hotel options in Astoria, but we opted to stay at a Bed and Breakfast so charming that I can’t imagine wanting to stay anywhere else. One look at the exterior, and you know why they named it the Rose River Inn.

The room was a classic example of my image of colonial hospitality and decor, including the fireplace. Importantly, it had all the modern conveniences including WiFi and a super comfortable bed.

Best of all was the fabulous breakfast. We opted for the room with the enclosed sitting deck. It was a perfect place to enjoy a water view, relax, and write this article.

It is in the historical district off the main road, so there is plenty of parking. More importantly, it is centrally located enough that we could walk everywhere. Plus, there was one of the intriguing Flavel derelict houses just across the street.

Reserve your room at the Rose River Inn

Rose River Inn B&B in Astoria Oregon
This is the Rose River Inn B&B

More on Astoria

  • Looking for more Oregon photos, be sure to check out this stunning book by Greg Vaughn, fellow travel blogger: A guide to the natural landmarks of Oregon.
  • Astoria was the starting point as we drove down the Oregon Coast to San Francisco, a small segment of any USA exploration.

Save on your trip with these resources

We use these aggregator companies to save time and money. They do the work for us by providing a list of options, prices, and reviews for anywhere we are travelling worldwide. Plus, we have personally had positive customer service experiences with all of them: 

  • Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
  • Hotels: we use Booking.com as they consistently return the best rates and their reviews are from actual guests. However, for self-contained lodging, use VRBO
  • Cars: we use RentalCars to find the best deals and dealer ratings.
  • Private guides: we often hire private guides from Tours by Locals
  • Travel Insurance: we start at InsureMyTrip as they are the best option to compare plans and find the right coverage for you.

Before you book the rest of your trip: Check out our travel resources page for more companies that we use when you travel.

We believe this list to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.

Save for later

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media, including Pinterest.

Astoria Column is one of several interesting sites in Astoria Oregon, the states northernmost coastal community.

Have you been to Astoria?

More from the USA you might like, including our USA Adventure road trip.

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Alaska Cruise Tips: Know Before You Sail

Disclaimer: We are frequently provided with a complimentary entry or other benefits. However, the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

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Category: North AmericaTag: Oregon, USA

About Rhonda Albom

Capturing the essence of travel through photography, Rhonda Albom is the primary author and photographer at Albom Adventures. She is an American expat based in New Zealand. She travels the world with her husband.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alex Silgalis

    July 8, 2016 at 4:57 pm

    Never knew about this town of Astoria. Looks beyond amazing and will definitely check out on our way up the coast this winter to get some turns in at Mt Hood.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      July 9, 2016 at 1:02 pm

      There are many amazing towns along the coast.

      Reply
  2. Ruth

    July 4, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    Astoria looks like a very interesting town. I will like to go to the top of the column. The views are great! Surprised to see how many ships have been lost int he area.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      July 5, 2016 at 12:45 pm

      It’s a very difficult river to navigate, lots of hidden danger.

      Reply
  3. Minoru

    July 2, 2016 at 2:39 am

    Hi! It’s very interesting post.I enjoyed your photos very much. Thanks for sharin. We are in Canada now.

    Reply
  4. Trekking with Becky

    July 1, 2016 at 7:35 am

    Interesting! I didn’t know any of this. I love the column! ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      July 1, 2016 at 9:42 am

      Astoria is pretty amazing.

      Reply
  5. Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields

    July 1, 2016 at 1:01 am

    Hi Rhonda. Did you see the Lewis and Clarke exhibition? It is a recreation of the camp where the expedition spent the winter before heading east again. David and I were in Astoria a couple of years ago and one of the things we most enjoyed was the connection with Lewis and Clarke. Although Lewis and Clarke are not well known outside the USA they are almost folk heroes within the US.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      July 1, 2016 at 9:41 am

      We missed it, but I do hope to get back to the Pacific Northwest again. I just loved the entire coastline.

      Reply
  6. Patrick Weseman

    June 30, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    What a beautiful area. I have never been there. Great pics.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      We drove from there to San Francisco over in a bit over a week, (making tons of stops along the way). You might want to put it on your bucket list. Lots more photos coming of our adventure.

      Reply
  7. Marie Moody

    June 30, 2016 at 5:08 am

    These are absolutely fantastic pics. Thanks for sharing… love them and thanks for stopping by… I’m gonna read more about these. So interesting

    Reply
  8. N J Magas

    June 30, 2016 at 4:33 am

    If ever a house was haunted, it’s that second one. >>;

    Also, that maritime museum looks amazing. I love museums that have miniatures.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 10:30 am

      It does look haunted, but if you read the back story there is no mention of haunting.

      Reply
  9. Kathe W.

    June 30, 2016 at 3:43 am

    good ol’ Astoria! Such a pretty town!

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 10:28 am

      Glad you love it too.

      Reply
  10. Alissa Apel

    June 30, 2016 at 3:41 am

    Oh my goodness that is a lot of steps to go up Astoria Column. I think it was so worth it though!

    Those sea lions are cute! I want to go up and hug them, but that would probably be a bad idea.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 10:22 am

      It wasn’t the number of steps that was so difficult for me, but rather the spiral nature of them. Narrow on the inside, wider on the outside so really scary to pass people when we were not on one of the landing decks.

      Reply
  11. Crystal Collier

    June 30, 2016 at 2:51 am

    Never been to Astoria, but it’s on the list. So the big question on my mind: why were the sea lions caged? ๐Ÿ™

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 10:27 am

      I had to go back and zoom in the photo. It appears that the left side of that enclosure is open, so they are not enclosed in the cage. I know that the boaties of Astoria are not happy giving up their pier and tried to scare the sea lions away. Check out this video, which also mentions the metal cages: Inflatable dancers are latest Astoria sea lion hazing tools

      Reply
  12. Cascia Talbert

    June 30, 2016 at 2:37 am

    I’ve never been to Astoria, but we’ve driven by the Columbia River when we used to live in Spokane, WA. It is so beautiful out there. I had no idea that sea lions live by that river. Your photos are beautiful!

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 10:20 am

      I don’t know if they have always lived there. It’s a new “problem” for the town. It’s only been in the news for the past few months.

      Reply
  13. Parent Club

    June 30, 2016 at 12:50 am

    That sordid past house looks intriguing…

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 10:18 am

      I linked to the story, it was pretty interesting.

      Reply
  14. Birgitta

    June 29, 2016 at 11:32 pm

    Great photos and info!

    Reply
  15. Tanja (the Red phone box travels)

    June 29, 2016 at 9:37 pm

    an interesting place, especially the colourful column:)

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 30, 2016 at 8:54 am

      Climbing the column was a bit frightening, but worth the effort.

      Reply
  16. Pieni Lintu

    June 29, 2016 at 7:15 pm

    Great shots and info!

    Reply
  17. ladyfi

    June 29, 2016 at 3:44 pm

    What a lovely area.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 29, 2016 at 8:17 pm

      Yes, it was the start of a great few days . . . coming soon.

      Reply
  18. tomthebackroadstraveller

    June 29, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    Have I ever been to Astoria? Yes! I spent a week in the hospital after a head on car accident on Highway 101. The food was awful.

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 29, 2016 at 8:16 pm

      Yikes, not a good visit for you. I hope you get to come back sometime and enjoy it.

      Reply
  19. Comedy Plus

    June 29, 2016 at 11:40 am

    Yes, hubby and I have been to Astoria. The food is very good there and the history very rich.

    Have a fabulous day. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Rhonda Albom

      June 29, 2016 at 11:44 am

      It seemed all the food we selected on the entire Pacific Northwest was excellent.

      Reply

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