Families visiting the Columbia River Maritime Museum during Washington’s Spring Break, April 5^th to April 11^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.

Also on tap in April, our Education Crew is celebrating Lightship Columbia’s Diamond Jubilee with a special lecture that shares the history of the Museum’s largest artifact (April 28).  Select April Sundays (April 12 and April 26) will include Wildlife Walking Tours.  Join the Education Crew for a nature walk along the waterfront – starting at the Museum’s 17^th Street Plaza, east to Mill Pond, and back.  Practice your wildlife identification skills, learn fun facts about common north Oregon Coast species, and experience maritime history and culture from a new viewpoint.

From hands-on youth labs and historic vessels to immersive art, Spring 2026 at the Columbia River Maritime Museum offers a season of exploration on Astoria’s waterfront. Just a three-hour drive from Seattle, you can access the stunning coastline, experience the charming shops and restaurants nearby, and soak up the riveting history of the Columbia River. Chart your course at www.crmm.org and discover what’s making waves this spring.