Culture, Art & History
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Museums, Art Galleries & Live Performances

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Oregon’s Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston has an amazing network of museums, galleries, and live performances. Browse your way through our site or take advantage of some of our hand-picked adventures in art.

Coos Art Museum

Founded by local artists in 1966, the Coos Art Museum is the third oldest art museum in Oregon and the only one on its coast. Housed in a 1936 art deco building it features seven galleries with up to 24 changing exhibitions annually and a Steve Prefontaine Memorial Room. The Museum's permanent collection highlights contemporary fine art printmaking and artworks in all media by Pacific Northwest artists. Visit the Coos Art Museum website for more information. (opens in new tab)

Coos History Museum

Oregon's oldest continuously operated historical society boasts more than 250,000 historic photographs. With ever-changing exhibits, event and rental space, a unique museum shop, and a developing bayfront plaza, this community-built facility opened in its current location in 2015. Gain a historic overview of the Coos and Coquille Indian Tribes, as well as the coal miners, loggers, and shipbuilders who helped to shape the area. Local shipwrecks are chronicled, along with frequently changed exhibits on a wide variety of topics from pre-history to the present. Visit the Coos History Museum website for more information. (opens in new tab)

Marshfield Sun Printing Museum

Step back in time and see the original equipment from The Sun Newspaper as it was left in 1944. Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thur-Sat 1pm – 4pm. For group tours or other times of the year call 541-266-0901 or 541-267-3762.

Oregon Coast Historic Railway Museum

A must-stop for railroad enthusiasts. Ring the bell of the signature 1922 Baldwin steam locomotive! This museum showcases railroad and logging equipment in an outdoor display area, as well as photos and railroad memorabilia in an indoor mini-museum. Welcome aboard! Open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 11am to 4pm. Visit The Oregon Coast Historic Railway Museum Facebook page for more information. (opens in new tab)

Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery

Located adjacent to Marshfield High School, the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery encompasses four acres of greenspace with more than 2,000 gravesites dating to pre-Civil War times. Explore the cemetery with a self-guided brochure and learn about shipwrecks, the Civil War prison escapees, and many of the immigrants who made this region home. The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more about the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery. (opens in new tab) For the access code, call or stop by the Coos Bay Visitor Information Center. The cemetery is open dawn to dusk. Find the Visitor Center's hours and phone number on Facebook. (opens in new tab)

Charleston Marine Life Center

Located on the edge of the harbor in Charleston, OR, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology's Charleston Marine Life Center is an exciting place for discovery. Aquaria highlighting different coastal ecosystems, a tidepool touch tank, whale and sea lion skeletons, underwater video from deep reefs and undersea volcanoes, and a variety of specimens reveal the hidden and remarkable diversity of life off Oregon, from the coast to the deep sea. And that's all indoors. Visit the Charleston Marine Life Center website for more information (opens in new tab).

Liberty Theatre

In North Bend, this 1924 building is home to Little Theatre on the Bay, one of the oldest continuously operating community theatre groups in Oregon. The building was recently restored and added to the National Register of Historic Places, and the productions here are genuinely excellent. Their annual Little Ole Opry performances are a beloved local tradition — think singing, dancing, and the kind of warm, community energy that makes you feel like a regular even if it's your first time. Learn more about Little Theatre on the Bay's history (opens in new tab), or check the current season lineup and tickets (opens in new tab).

The Egyptian Theatre

Constructed in 1925, The Egyptian Theatre is a center for community events. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and boasts one of the only remaining operable Wurlitzer Organs in the state. Movie events and fundraisers are the weekly fare, but the theatre is also available for private events and screenings. Live music is featured on occasion, as well as beer and movie nights. With a new 4K projection system and top-notch surround sound, you can experience a theatre with 90 years of memories with modern amenities! Visit The Egyptian Theatre website for more information. (opens in new tab)

The Dolphin Playhouse

The Dolphin Playhouse is home of the Dolphin Players who produce six to seven full productions every year in an intimate setting. The theatre also offers classes and provides meeting space in the Empire District of Coos Bay. Visit the Dolphin Playhouse website for more information (opens in new tab).

Explore our Trip Ideas!

A historic black-and-white photograph of a parade along a crowded downtown Coos Bay street, with decorated floats, American flags, and Victorian-era storefronts lining the route.

Discover Historic Front Street

Hidden in plain sight, Coos Bay's Front Street was originally a wharf which became the bustling heart of a water-dependent community (then called Marshfield). From the mid-1850s until the 1920s, the south end of the waterfront street(now 101 paralleling the boardwalk) …

The arched entrance gate to the North Bend Boardwalk at sunrise, with golden light reflecting off Coos Bay and dramatic clouds filling the sky behind it.

Historic Walking Tour of North Bend

Asa Simpson – sea captain, shipbuilder, lumberman – built a sawmill and shipyard in the mid 1850s at the north bend of the Coos Bay. Most famous of the 55 vessels built here (1858-1903) was the Western Shore, a three-masted “Oregon clipper” that sailed between Portland and …

A sunny corner in historic downtown Coos Bay, featuring a curved brick commercial building adorned with hanging flower baskets and classic street lamps.

Historic Walking Tour of Coos Bay

What now makes up the central district of Coos Bay was called Marshfield until 1944, when residents voted to change the name to Coos Bay to match the name of the bay itself. The City of Marshfield was named after the Massachusetts home town of the…