About The Hanthorn Cannery Museum: The Hanthorn Cannery, (Also known as the Bumble bee museum), is the oldest fish processing plant remaining on the lower Columbia River. The museum is run by former workers and managers of the Columbia River Packers Association and the Bumble Bee Seafood Corporation to commemorate the work done by thousands of employees who worked there between 1875 and the late 20th Century. An interesting fact is that Bumble Bee Seafood was founded in Astoria, and it closed its headquarters here in 1981. Their facility houses a collection of historic equipment and documents that is second only to the Columbia River Maritime Museum down the road. Many of these resources are accessible to the public at this museum.--
In the late 19th century a large immigrant population from China provided the labor to catch and process salmon, for a burgeoning market worldwide. Beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, a series of laws were passed over the next 20 years that ended immigration from China.
Europeans, especially Scandinavians, arrived in Astoria around 1900 and became a major part of the fishing industry and Astoria’s culture.
The canning industry boomed in the late 1800s and the pier grew to meet the growing demand for canned salmon and later tuna. In the 1940s, the Columbia River Packers Assoc. introduced the "Bumble Bee" brand that became famous throughout the world, and Pier 39 became the CRPA cold storage center. Fishermen now use the old freezer rooms to store their nets. 3 wooden gillnet boats are on permanent display, that show just how courageous these fisherman were, because the boats are pretty small for the amount of nets and fish they were pulling daily. In addition are canning machines and historic photo's. Seeing just how dangerous some of the machinery was gave us the chills as we walked through the old wooden-floored processing plant.
What we enjoy most about this museum is that it showed you the entire process, from the gill nets and vessels that caught the tuna and salmon, to the processing procedure and the canning process. It even goes into the workers and what they wore and how many there were at the peak of production.
The museum does work well as a self-guided tour, and you can take up to a half hour if you read the interpretive signs that are scattered throughout the museum. One of my favorite parts was reading about the past fishing heritage of the area, while hearing the sea lions barking on the docks nearby.
As I wandered around the dark Bumble Bee canning facility, I notice they had hats and other personal items from the people who used to work there, but don’t any longer. If you stand next to some of the old equipment, you can almost hear what it sounded like back in the 1870s when the plant was operating and it was Astoria’s largest employer.
Parts of Pier 39 are almost 150 years old, floors are uneven and there are trip hazards, so please proceed carefully and...
Today, it’s a museum that is a stark reminder about how the decline of the Salmon and other fisheries along the Columbia River, also meant the decline of the fishing and canning jobs. What was once a city that relied on natural resources – Astoria was named after fur baron John Jacob Astor – now relies on its cultural and historical attractions.
Absent the glitz and glamor of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, it tells an important story about the history of the city and the people who worked there.
With the museum sitting on a pier, it gives you a very cool vantage point to be close to the water, and you can even walk out and see some of the working docks. Looking out over the Columbia River you can also see freighters and other boats navigating the river and the Columbia Bar, adding to the ambiance of the site.
What we did after walking through the museum was enjoy a warm drink over in the Rogue Ales Public House which is right next door.
In the late 19th century a large immigrant population from China provided the labor to catch and process salmon, for a burgeoning market worldwide. Beginning with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, a series of laws were passed over the next 20 years that ended immigration from China.
Europeans, especially Scandinavians, arrived in Astoria around 1900 and became a major part of the fishing industry and Astoria’s culture.
The canning industry boomed in the late 1800s and the pier grew to meet the growing demand for canned salmon and later tuna. In the 1940s, the Columbia River Packers Assoc. introduced the "Bumble Bee" brand that became famous throughout the world, and Pier 39 became the CRPA cold storage center. Fishermen now use the old freezer rooms to store their nets. 3 wooden gillnet boats are on permanent display, that show just how courageous these fisherman were, because the boats are pretty small for the amount of nets and fish they were pulling daily. In addition are canning machines and historic photo's. Seeing just how dangerous some of the machinery was gave us the chills as we walked through the old wooden-floored processing plant.
What we enjoy most about this museum is that it showed you the entire process, from the gill nets and vessels that caught the tuna and salmon, to the processing procedure and the canning process. It even goes into the workers and what they wore and how many there were at the peak of production.
The museum does work well as a self-guided tour, and you can take up to a half hour if you read the interpretive signs that are scattered throughout the museum. One of my favorite parts was reading about the past fishing heritage of the area, while hearing the sea lions barking on the docks nearby.
As I wandered around the dark Bumble Bee canning facility, I notice they had hats and other personal items from the people who used to work there, but don’t any longer. If you stand next to some of the old equipment, you can almost hear what it sounded like back in the 1870s when the plant was operating and it was Astoria’s largest employer.
Parts of Pier 39 are almost 150 years old, floors are uneven and there are trip hazards, so please proceed carefully and...
Today, it’s a museum that is a stark reminder about how the decline of the Salmon and other fisheries along the Columbia River, also meant the decline of the fishing and canning jobs. What was once a city that relied on natural resources – Astoria was named after fur baron John Jacob Astor – now relies on its cultural and historical attractions.
Absent the glitz and glamor of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, it tells an important story about the history of the city and the people who worked there.
With the museum sitting on a pier, it gives you a very cool vantage point to be close to the water, and you can even walk out and see some of the working docks. Looking out over the Columbia River you can also see freighters and other boats navigating the river and the Columbia Bar, adding to the ambiance of the site.
What we did after walking through the museum was enjoy a warm drink over in the Rogue Ales Public House which is right next door.
Also at Pier 39 is...
- Coffee Girl Espresso, at the Bumble Bee Museum, one of the most unique coffee houses in the world and...
- Rogue Ales and Public House: You cannot help but feel like a salty old sailor when you belly up to the bar here. It is very hard not to completely fall in love with the place, especially if you love maritime views, really good hand-crafted ales and maritime nostalgia and...
- Hanthorn Crab Co. -- Largest visible crab tank on the Oregon coast & Pier 39 seafood. Tom Hilton, a native Astorian with family dating back to the 1800s has stories to tell. He is as delightful as the seafood and will make your adventure at Pier 39 one to remember. Stop In, Don't Be Shy. Dungeness crab, crab cocktails, salmon (seasonal) & Willapa Bay oysters.
- The Astoria Ferry (The Tourist No 2 is home ported at Pier 39. If you see crew aboard, you’re welcome to call “Ahoy!”). The Tourist #2 returns to the Columbia River. Built in Astoria in 1924, it is the last remaining of Astoria's original fleet. Her last run was in July 1996 when the bridge opened. Working the last 50 years as a passenger ferry in Puget Sound, in 2016 she was rescued from salvage, returning her in an epic journey from Seattle. She will now have a new life...follow her progress at astoriaferry.com. And...
- There's a stop for the "Old 300 Riverfront Trolley". 1 hour RT. And...
- See the sea lions - You'll hear them from Pier 39, but to see them its 1 trolley stop away or a 5 minute walk to the East Mooring Basin.
