Families visiting the Columbia River Maritime Museum during Oregon’s Spring Break, March 22^nd through March 28^th, will find a full week of hands-on, maritime-themed discovery. Guests of all ages can explore the galleries through scavenger hunts, join guided tours, and participate in daily EDU learning labs and talks designed to make maritime history come alive.

A highlight for many visitors is the opportunity to step aboard the Museum’s iconic Lightship Columbia for engine room tours. Once stationed at the mouth of the Columbia River until her retirement in 1979, the vessel offers a rare glimpse into the mechanics that helped guide ships safely through the notoriously challenging Columbia River Bar.

Throughout the week, young mariners can pick up a complimentary Dictionary of Key Terms, helping landlubbers quickly get onboard with maritime language. Free coloring sheets, scavenger hunts, and the Museum’s Book Boat called Sea Reads, offering nautical-themed books for every reading level, are also available.

Accessibility is woven into the visitor experience at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. The Museum’s Comfort Cart includes noise-dampening headphones, English and Spanish audio tours of Brix Maritime Hall, EnChroma glasses, and Sunflower Hidden Disabilities resources, to name a few of the accommodations available to visitors. The Museum’s limited inventory of wheelchairs and rollators is also available at no charge, ensuring all guests can experience the Museum in comfort.

Daily Spring Break Highlights

• Sunday: A tactile tour through select exhibits, designed to engage multiple senses.
• Sunday: An EDU Learning Lab focused on scrimshaw. Participants will view historic pieces from the Collection, learn how sailors created this intricate art form - and why it is now illegal - before trying faux scrimshaw using soap, a nail, and a cotton swab.
• Thursday: “Feel the Fur Trade,” presented through the lens of America 250, exploring the mouth of the Columbia River region before Oregon and Washington achieved statehood. This special feature connects local history to the nation’s semi-quincentennial.
• Friday: An EDU talk dedicated to lightships, examining their worldwide use, the Columbia River lightship station, and how advancing technology transformed navigational aids over time.
• Saturday: An Open Shop at the Sam Johnson Woodworking Shop at Barbey Maritime Center. Visitors can explore the historic train depot and connect with the Museum’s Education Crew.

A Voyage from Alpha to Zulu

On view this spring, Alphaboats: A Voyage from Alpha to Zulu features vibrant mixed-media paintings by Portland artist Peggy Biskar. The exhibition takes visitors on an alphabetical journey through the world of boats, blending bold color, texture, and maritime storytelling in a playful yet sophisticated presentation.

STEAMworks & Beyond

The Museum Store and pop-up STEAMworks Specialty Store, opening for the season on March 23, extend learning beyond the galleries. Featuring science, technology, engineering, arts, and math-inspired merchandise with a maritime twist, the Stores offer meaningful take-home experiences for curious minds.

After-Hours for Adults (21+)

March also offers two evening programs designed for adult learners:

• Friday, March 20: Salt & Spirit: A Maritime Tasting Voyage in partnership with Pilot House Distilling. Guests will sample three whiskeys aged at sea while learning about the vessels that carried them.
• Friday, March 27: Don’t Let the Cat out of the Bag, an after-hours lecture with Jason “Boats” Linnett—U.S. Navy and Coast Guard veteran, merchant mariner, and devoted thalassophile—exploring the maritime origins of common phrases still used today.

Both programs are for guests age 21+ and require advance reservations.

From hands-on youth labs and historic vessels to immersive art and spirited evening talks, Spring 2026 at the Columbia River Maritime Museum offers a season of exploration on Astoria’s waterfront. Chart your course at www.crmm.org and discover what’s making waves this spring.