The Columbia River Maritime Museum was founded as a not-for-profit organization in 1962 when Rolf Klep, a native of Astoria, returned to his birthplace after retirement. Klep, a long-time collector of marine artifacts, and a group of colleagues sought to establish a museum of national distinction to preserve the rich maritime heritage of the Columbia River region. Today the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s national reputation for the quality of its exhibits and the scope of its collections makes it one of the finest maritime museums in the nation. It is also the first museum in Oregon to meet national accreditation standards, and has been designated the official state maritime museum for Oregon.