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Fog curling off the Columbia River. Wildflowers pushing up through the forest floor near Fort Clatsop. The smell of fresh coffee drifting through a Victorian inn tucked into the heart of Oregon’s oldest city west of the Mississippi. Spring in Astoria, Oregon isn’t just a season — it’s an awakening.
The summer crowds haven’t arrived yet. The landscape is impossibly green. The air is crisp, salty, and clean. And somehow, this already extraordinary city feels a little more like a secret kept just for you.
At Clementine’s Guest House, our 1888 restored Victorian inn sits right in the middle of it all — steps from the Columbia River, the museums, the galleries, and the antique stores that make Astoria one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved destinations. If you’ve been thinking about an Oregon Coast getaway, here’s every reason to make it happen this spring.
*Photo courtesy of Conde Nast*
The Buzz Around Mariner’s Hall at the Columbia River Maritime Museum
If you love the sea, the ships, or the stories of the people who sailed them — there has never been a more exciting time to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
One of the most celebrated maritime museums in the United States, CRMM is in the middle of its most ambitious transformation ever. Mariner’s Hall, a breathtaking 24,500-square-foot expansion, is set to open and cement Astoria’s place on the world cultural map. The new building — featuring a stunning curved timber roof spanning 60 feet — will bring to light an extraordinary collection of historic vessels and maritime artifacts that have been held in storage, unseen by the public, for years.
What’s planned for Mariner’s Hall?
- 19 historic boats and vessels, including a rare WWII Liberty Ship lifeboat, a 60-foot racing shell built by legendary boatbuilder George Pocock (of Boys in the Boat fame), and a working “log bronc” utility boat
- A rare first-order Fresnel lighthouse lens — a marvel of 19th-century maritime technology that focused light for sailors navigating treacherous coastlines
- The Merrimac, a stunning 1938 wooden yacht built right here by Astoria Marine Construction Company
- A dedicated STEAM classroom and interactive education space for all ages
- An orientation theater and retail shop
This expansion is about more than boats — it’s about the people who built them, sailed them, and built whole communities around them. The stories of the mariner, the fisherman, the Chinook paddler.
The existing museum is already spectacular on its own: exhibits on the treacherous Columbia River Bar (known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific”), the U.S. Coast Guard, the legendary Lightship Columbia, and powerful Indigenous exhibits honoring the Chinook Nation’s ancient maritime culture. Visit and witness this once-in-a-generation transformation taking shape — then come back when Mariner’s Hall opens its doors.
Second Saturday Art Walk: Astoria’s Most Electric Monthly Tradition
Plan your visit around the second Saturday of the month and you’ll land in the middle of one of the Oregon Coast’s liveliest cultural events: Astoria’s 2nd Saturday Art Walk.
Running noon to 8 p.m. through the heart of downtown, the Art Walk is when galleries, shops, and creative spaces throw open their doors and celebrate. Look for the colorful pinwheels marking each participating venue, then follow your curiosity from block to block. You’ll find snacks, refreshments, live music, and an ever-changing showcase of original art by local and regional artists. New exhibitions open every single month — meaning there’s always something fresh to discover, no matter how many times you’ve been.
A few gallery highlights to look for:
- RiverSea Gallery — A beloved destination gallery celebrating over two decades in Astoria. Four thousand square feet of original paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and fine craft by notable Pacific Northwest and national artists. New shows open every Art Walk.
- Imogen Gallery — Contemporary works by jewelers, mixed-media artists, and painters in the heart of downtown.
- Astoria Art Loft — Rotating monthly exhibitions, artist workshops, studio rentals, and artist receptions timed to the Art Walk.
- Luminari Arts — Described by locals as “an adventure and an experience of visual delight.” A gallery and gift shop unlike anything else in town, overflowing with jewelry, ceramics, original paintings, and the wonderfully unexpected.
- Astoria Visual Arts (AVA) — Curated community exhibitions and collaborative shows throughout the year.
Art Walk maps are available at participating galleries and through the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association at astoriadowntown.com/art-walk.
Spring Art Walk dates always fall on the second Saturday of April, May, and June — a perfect anchor for a long weekend stay.
Photo courtesy of MyFamilyTravels.com – Phog Bounders Antique Mall
Antique Heaven: One of the Pacific Northwest’s Great Vintage Shopping Districts
Astoria is, without question, one of the finest antiquing destinations in the Pacific Northwest. The city’s richly layered history — maritime trade, commercial fishing, timber, and waves of Finnish, Scandinavian, and Chinese immigrants — means the stories embedded in these shops are ones you simply won’t find anywhere else.
The best part? Nearly all of it is walkable from Clementine’s.
Local favorites worth exploring:
- Phog Bounders Antique Mall (892 Marine Dr) — Consistently rated Astoria’s best antique shop. Packed floor-to-ceiling with rotating inventory: glass floats, vintage postcards, maritime collectibles, furniture, and genuine curiosities. The owner is constantly buying and selling, so every visit reveals something new.
- Astoria Vintage Hardware — Architectural salvage meets artful design. Old door knobs, drawer pulls, light fixtures, vintage toys, and beautifully displayed furniture. Budget at least an hour.
- Reliques & Antiquities — A fun, quirky shop with a flair for the unique and the wonderfully unexpected. Every piece has a story.
- Jonathon’s Ltd. — A jewel box of stones, gems, diamonds, and jewelry ranging from the 1840s to the present.
Spring is a particularly ideal time to browse — mild weather, easy parking, and an unhurried pace that lets you linger over the shelves the way antiquing was meant to be done. Pack a tote bag, or better yet, an empty car trunk.
More to Love in Astoria This Spring
Spring is a season of renewal across the entire city. Here’s what else awaits:
The Astoria Riverwalk
The 12.8-mile Columbia Riverwalk Trail comes alive in spring with cyclists, joggers, dog walkers, and birdwatchers. Catch the Astoria Riverfront Trolley for a scenic ride past historic piers, breweries, and waterfront views. Sea lions bark from buoys; cargo ships drift upriver toward Portland. It’s quintessential Astoria.
Fort Clatsop & Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Spring may be the single best season to visit Fort Clatsop. The surrounding coastal forest bursts with new growth, wildflowers carpet the trails, and rangers in period dress bring the 1805–1806 winter encampment vividly to life. Hike the Fort to Sea Trail — a gorgeous 6.5-mile route that follows roughly the same path the Corps of Discovery walked to reach the Pacific. For a quieter option, the Kwis Kwis Trail near the fort is a locals’ favorite for spring wildflowers and peaceful solitude.
The Astoria Column & Cathedral Tree Trail
Climb 164 steps to the top of the Astoria Column for a sweeping 360-degree view of the river, the ocean, the coastal mountains, and more than 600 Victorian rooftops below. Or approach it the scenic way — the Cathedral Tree Trail winds 1.5 miles through old-growth Sitka spruce forest to a magnificent ancient tree before connecting to the Column. A perfect spring morning.
Fort Stevens State Park & the Peter Iredale Shipwreck
Just a short drive from downtown, Fort Stevens State Park offers miles of trails, beach access, Civil War–era military ruins, and the haunting iron skeleton of the Peter Iredale — a British sailing ship that ran aground in 1906, its rusted bones still jutting dramatically from the sand at Clatsop Beach. Spring’s moody skies make for some of the most memorable photography of the wreck all year.
Youngs River Falls
In spring, snowmelt swells Youngs River Falls — a 54-foot cascade tucked into the forest just outside Astoria — into a roaring, mist-shrouded spectacle. A short, easy path leads from the parking area to the falls. Bring a picnic.
The Astoria-Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival
One of the Oregon Coast’s most beloved annual traditions, this festival arrives every last weekend of April at the Clatsop County Fair & Expo Center. Expect 150+ vendors, live music on two stages, and the freshest Dungeness crab you’ll ever taste. Running since 1982, it’s a North Coast rite of spring worth building a trip around.
World-Class Craft Beer & Local Dining
No spring trip to Astoria is complete without a pint at Fort George Brewery — one of Oregon’s best, housed in a converted 1920s auto garage — or a table at Buoy Beer Company, where glass floor panels look directly into the harbor (harbor seals sometimes haul out on the dock below your feet). Fresh Dungeness crab, locally caught salmon, and scratch-made chowder appear on nearly every menu in town.
The Flavel House Museum & Oregon Film Museum
Spring is prime time for Astoria’s iconic indoor attractions. The Flavel House Museum — a stunning Queen Anne Victorian from 1885, described by Sunset Magazine as the finest example of Queen Anne architecture in Oregon — is a transportive step back into Astoria’s gilded age. And the Oregon Film Museum, housed in the original Clatsop County Jail (famously featured in The Goonies), is a quirky, delightful stop that film lovers of all ages consistently love.
Why Stay at Clementine’s?
There are other places to sleep in Astoria. There’s only one Clementine’s.
Our 1888 restored Victorian inn sits in the heart of the National Historic District — within walking distance of the Riverwalk, the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Flavel House, antique shops, galleries, and the best restaurants in town. Rooms are individually decorated with eclectic antiques from Victorian, Asian, and rustic American periods. Many feature private balconies with sweeping views of the Columbia River and the coastal mountains beyond.
Guests return to Clementine’s year after year. They describe waking up here as stepping into Astoria’s own story — and we think that’s exactly right.
Clementine’s Guest House is a 5-time TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence recipient, ranked among the top inns in Astoria, Oregon. We’ve been welcoming guests to the North Oregon Coast since 1993.