Seaside Historical Society Museum

Discover the stories of Seaside, Oregon at the Seaside Historical Society Museum. Your adventure will take you back thousands of years, and then bring you forward to the recent past.

The special exhibit Meet on the Prom (see below) has been extended through the summer. Standing exhibits are being refurbished and new exhibits are underway. Newest renovation:  the Seaside Signal exhibit

We are very sorry to announce that the July 4th Old-Fashioned Social will not be held in 2022 -         hopefully we can return in 2023!

NEW HOURS - June 1, 2022 to October 1, 2022 - Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm

   In case you missed it! The Annual membership meeting was held April 28th

    here's a link to the video recording: https://youtu.be/HFBP2dOj2DQ

       

Trivia Question: The first public railroad in Clatsop County was built by the Astoria & South Coast Rail-road Co. This short line railroad ran from Young’s Bay to Seaside via Warrenton and small settlements along the way.
What year was this first railroad completed? Find answer further down the page.

To renew your membership (or join us for the first time) click here:  https://seasideoregonmuseum.square.site

Our current special exhibit:

                                                               
                                                                          

The Seaside Prom has been the main attraction in Seaside since its dedication in 1921. Thousands of visitors walk the 1.5 mile cement promenade every year to experience the ocean and the beach or just enjoy a pleasant walk with friends and family. The "Meet on the Prom" exhibit features photos of the early boardwalk and pier that existed before the Prom was constructed to views of the Prom over the last 100 years.

 Exhibits Info

Trivia question answer: 1890

THE SALTMAKERS RETURN!

Join us this year on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, 2022

Enjoy these photos from the Lewis and Clark Salt Makers event Sep. 11-12, 2021

      

         

What do you do when you run out of salt – and the nearest store is more than 2,000 miles away?

When the explorers of the Lewis and Clark expedition arrived at the Pacific coast in 1805, they needed salt to preserve meat, along with adding a little flavor to their meals. But the supply of salt which they acquired in St. Louis, before they began their long and arduous voyage across the vast American West, was exhausted.

So the members of the Corps of North Western Discovery – as Captain Meriwether Lewis called the party in his journal – did the only thing they could: make their own salt.

On December 28, 1805, Lewis and Capt. William Clark sent forth a special detachment from their just-completed winter quarters at Fort Clatsop. Five men traveled overland from the Fort to the coast, searching for the best location for making salt. On January 1, 1806, the fifth day of their search, these men found the perfect spot and set up camp: the beach of present day Seaside, Oregon. They proceeded to make salt by boiling sea water for nearly two months, all while enduring the wet winter weather, before they returned to Fort Clatsop.

On September 11th and 12th, the Seaside Museum, assisted by a grant from the city of Seaside Tourism Advisory Committee, sponsored Lewis and Clark Salt Makers. Members of the Pacific Northwest Living Historians (PNLH) shared the experience of that exploration group, bringing to life the salt camp which those explorers established more than 200 years ago. The program was held from 9am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 3pm on Sunday. The event site was on the Seaside beach west of the Avenue U and Prom intersection.

Visitors to the program entered the camp and found members of the PNLH busy making salt, as they boil sea water over a fire just as the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition did in 1806. The interpreters also shared the history and stories of the legendary expedition with everyone who came to the beach.

Lewis and Clark Salt Makers is a free interactive learning opportunity for the whole family. This event is sponsored by the Seaside Museum and presented by the PNLH. A portion of this project was made possible through a grant from the City of Seaside Tourism Advisory Committee, funded by room tax dollars. The program is also supported by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Seaside Public Works Department, and Sandy Cove Inn.

            

For more information, call the Seaside Museum at (503) 738-7065.

RAFFLE WINNER

                           

          Our raffle was won by Martha and Stan Pine of Astoria, who then donated it to the Seaside                       Museum! Thank you for your generosity!