Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon Announces $15.1 Million in Gifts and Will Move Forward on Planned Museum Expansion

Columbia River Maritime Museum is thrilled to announce the largest gifts in its 61 year history. Museum Trustee Terry Graff, Trustee of the James Harding Living Trust, has donated $10 million from the trust to be used for the museum’s expansion project, which includes construction of a new exhibit hall, modifications to the existing building, and campus integration encompassing wayfinding, landscaping, and outdoor displays. 

Museum Trustee Dr. Gerald Warnock has donated $5 million to the project, which was approved by the museum’s board on August 14, 2023. The board also voted for the new building to bear the Warnock name.

Additionally, Trustee George Beall has donated $100,000 to the effort.

“We are absolutely overwhelmed with Mr. Graff’s and Dr. Warnock’s and Mr. Beall’s generosity. These tremendous gifts propel us forward in achieving our vision of being a truly world-class maritime museum,” said CRMM Board Chair Michael Haglund.

“Our goal for this new building is to provide a rich, interactive visitor experience inspiring our guests with enthusiasm, curiosity and appreciation for our region’s long and varied maritime heritage,” said museum Deputy Director Bruce Jones. “We are particularly excited about the opportunities a dedicated classroom and interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) area provide for us to help inspire young people to careers in maritime and other STEAM related fields and an understanding of the importance of maritime industries to our communities, economy and nation.”  

“Our five year Strategic Plan highlighted the need to bring more of our extensive collections from storage to the public in pursuit of our vision of being a truly world-class maritime museum,” said CRMM Board Chairman Michael Haglund.

CRMM has hired Portland-based Opsis Architecture, Astoria’s Rickenbach Construction as general contractor, and Seattle-based Storyline Studio as exhibit designer to develop a plan for the expanded campus.  The building is projected to have 26,600 square feet, including 19,800 on the ground floor and a 6,800 square foot second floor.

"It is important that this new building will complement both the existing
Museum campus and Astoria's historic working waterfront,"
said the museum’s Executive Director, Sam Johnson.

In 2022, Columbia River Maritime Museum greeted nearly 104,000 visitors and reached 9,694 students through its popular Museum in the Schools program. The Museum’s floating attraction, the historic lightship Columbia, completed extensive maintenance in drydock in 2021-22 with the support of significant grants from the National Park Service, M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, State of Oregon and private donors. 

Jones noted that among other highlights planned for the new building are a WWII Liberty Ship lifeboat built by Portland’s Gunderson Marine, a 60 foot racing shell built by famed boatbuilder George Pocock of “Boys in the Boat” fame; a first order Fresnel lens; recreational boats built and used in our region, fishing vessels built by Astoria’s Wilson Brothers and Bumble Bee shipyards, and a “log bronc” utility boat used to corral logs.

Additionally, Jones said, the museum is working with the U. S. Coast Guard for approval to provide a home to the historic 52 foot motor lifeboat TRIUMPH II, which saved and assisted fishermen from 1961-2021 on the Columbia River Bar and far offshore; and a soon to be retired Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin search and rescue helicopter, one of the types used in Astoria’s Advanced Helicopter Rescue School each winter.

CRMM’s board voted to approve fundraising up to a total cost of $30,000,000, including $4M of contingency funds, for the project. If fundraising is successful, the museum hopes to begin site work in September 2024 and open the doors on the new museum building in summer 2026.

According to CRMM Curator Jeff Smith, “this project brings our founder Rolf Klep’s vision to fruition. It is a continuation of a long journey we have been on for over six decades.

For further information contact CRMM Deputy Director Bruce Jones, [email protected]  (503) 741-5914