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Wednesday 11am - 4pm Thursday 11am - 4pm Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 4pm

Cannon Beach History Center and Museum

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Cannon Beach, OR
Cannon Beach History Center and Museum

Where the past never gets old! The museum has fully reopened to the public, with no appointment needed! Admission to the museum is by donation.

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11am - 4pm, closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. The museum features a permanent exhibit of Cannon Beach and area history, and a replica of a Native American longhouse. We are also home to the very same cannon that gave Cannon Beach it's name. We also offer a variety of temporary exhibits that change regularly, special guest performers and lecturer

s, and special events. We have a gift shop, and an extensive archive of historic photos and documents from the area. You can find more information on our website at http://www.cbhistory.org or on our blog at http://www.cbhistory.wordpress.com

12/22/2025

We are still smiling after such an incredible Annual Frosted Holiday Celebration this past Saturday! The turnout was amazing, and our hearts are so full seeing the museum buzzing with joy, laughter, and holiday cheer all day long. From face painting, coloring, cookie decorating, hot cocoa sipping, and hair sparkles to visiting with Santa, it was truly wonderful to see all ages come together to celebrate the season.

A huge thank you to Cannon Beach Chocolate Café for so generously providing the delicious hot cocoa and cookies for decorating — they were enjoyed by all and kept everyone cozy and happy! Thank you as well to Lucky Locks by Christy for the hair sparkles booth, which was an absolute hit with kids and adults alike and added extra magic to the day.

And of course, thank you to our incredible volunteers who helped make this event possible. We truly could not do this without you. We look forward to continuing this tradition every year as a way to say thank you to our wonderful community for supporting your local community museum. 💛

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season! If you visited on Saturday, we’d love to see your photos. Feel free to share them below! ✨📸

12/20/2025

🎄✨ Join us today between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for our Annual Frosted Holiday Celebration! ✨🎄

This FREE event is open to all ages and includes:
☕ A cozy hot cocoa bar featuring cocoa from Cannon Beach Chocolate Café
🍪 Cookie decorating
🎨 A festive coloring contest
🎭 Face painting for all ages!
🎅 A visit from Santa Claus himself
✨ New this year! Lucky Locks Silk Hair Sparkles by Christy adding shimmer and a little luck to your locks

💛 The Frosted Holiday Celebration is proudly sponsored by Cannon Beach Chocolate Café, whose support helps make this sweet community tradition possible.

We look forward to celebrating the season with you!

12/19/2025

Today is the final day to write your letters to Santa at the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum! We are thrilled to be one of only two Official North Pole Mail Drop locations in the area. The other location is the North County Recreation District in Nehalem.

Children and kids at heart ages 1 to 93 are invited to write their letters and send them straight to the North Pole complete with a personalized reply from Santa himself! 🎅💌

✨ How it works:
1️⃣ Visit the museum today during open hours
2️⃣ Write your letter to Santa
3️⃣ Place it in an envelope with a return address
4️⃣ Drop it into our enchanted North Pole Mailbox
5️⃣ Watch your mailbox for Santa’s special reply!

This magical holiday tradition is free and generously sponsored by Imagination Factory LLC, whose creativity and support help bring this experience to life.

🎄✨ Don’t forget our Annual Frosted Holiday Celebration is tomorrow, Saturday, December 20! ✨🎄
Join us from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a festive day full of holiday cheer. This free event is open to all ages and includes:

☕ A cozy hot cocoa bar featuring cocoa from Cannon Beach Chocolate Café
🍪 Cookie decorating
🎨 A festive coloring contest
🎭 Face painting for kids
🎅 A visit from Santa Claus himself
✨ New this year! Lucky Locks Silk Hair Sparkles by Christy adding shimmer and a little luck to your locks

💛 The Frosted Holiday Celebration is proudly sponsored by Cannon Beach Chocolate Café, whose support helps make this sweet community tradition possible.

🎁 Both events are free and open to the public.
We look forward to celebrating the season with you!

12/18/2025

You can't talk about the holiday season in Cannon Beach without mentioning Jay Schwehr and the lamplighting ceremony. Jay Schwehr started the lamplighting ceremony tradition in 1973 and served as the lamplighter for decades. Included are the lyrics to "The Christmas Song, Cannon Beach," also called "Christmas Time" written by Bill Steidel in 1964, because you can't have the lamp lighting without our town Christmas song. 🎄

Share you memories of Jay in the comments below!

12/17/2025

We will be closed today! Thank you for your understanding! Hope to see you tomorrow!

12/17/2025

The Museum will be closed today due to a power outage.
Power has been out since overnight and will be restored sometime today, but out of an abundance of caution we’ve decided to remain closed.
We will reopen tomorrow!

12/14/2025

In December of 1967, only a few years after the tsunami, the town was hit by an exceptionally destructive storm. West winds of great velocity and very high tides combined drown the town under three feet of water. Below is a picture taken by Sue Shields from the south end of town (Fernwood Dr. is what the back of the photo says.)

12/11/2025

Due to continued road flooding, staff are unable to safely reach the museum today. The museum will remain closed. We anticipate reopening tomorrow at 11am. Thank you for your understanding!

12/10/2025

📣 Museum Closed Today

The museum is closed today due to flooding. Our team cannot make it to the museum (the water decided to block our commute 😅). We are planning to reopen tomorrow. Sending safe wishes to everyone out there! 💙🌊

12/09/2025

Tilly Tuesday!

Pictured here is an artist rendering of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse by artist, Noel Day, along with his article about the lighthouse.

12/07/2025

This article was published in the Seaside Signal on December 7, 1989.

-Reflections-
Cannon Beach Cougars
By Vernice Goodman
Hillsboro

The Cannon Beach Cougars. As I read that name in a recent sports article in the Signal, memories came flooding back and I asked myself, "How many people around now know when and how that name was chosen?"
I taught upper grades and was the principal at Cannon Beach from 1956 through '49. The school was a three-room structure. The center, once a one-room school, had a room tacked on either side, done in two phases of expansion. There was no gym, not even a play shed.

Mr. Ted Erickson, who owned the Cannon Beach Lumber Yard, put up standards and two basketball hoops in our front play yard and one at his place of business. He coached the boys and set up a playing schedule, mostly in north Tillamook County: Garibaldi, Rockaway and Nehalem. We also played Seaside and Warrenton B-squads. There were seven boys in the upper grades so they had to recruit girls to get a practice game. They played outdoors, on uneven earth, many times in pouring rain.

As our boys won more and more games and their reputation grew, we decided we needed a name. A general Assembly was called. Everyone who wanted to suggest a name was encouraged to do so. The names were listed on the blackboard, a vote taken, the first five kept with the rest eliminated, then a final vote chose "cougars."

Picture circa 1949, Cannon Beach School basketball team photo. Front row: Bobby Donald, Dick Walsborn, Milton Sklar, Norman Wells, Donald Foster. Back Row: Charles Overton, Jerry Dennon, coach Ted Erickson, Charles Dorman.

12/06/2025

The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum invites the community to get into the holiday spirit at its Annual Frosted Holiday Celebration on Saturday, December 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This festive event is free and open to all ages, offering a day filled with warmth, creativity, and holiday cheer!

Guests can sip and savor a delicious hot cocoa bar featuring cocoa from the Cannon Beach Chocolate Café, decorate cookies, join in a festive coloring contest, and enjoy face painting for the kids. Cozy up for story time, where classic holiday tales will be brought to life, and a visit from Santa Claus himself!

✨ New this year! Don’t miss Lucky Locks – Silk Hair Sparkles by Christy, a pop-up experience that adds magic and luck to your locks! This festive addition is sure to bring extra shimmer and joy to the celebration.
Visitors can also look forward to special surprises throughout the day. The museum will be beautifully decorated for the season, offering the perfect backdrop for photos, laughter, and community connection.

The Frosted Holiday Celebration is proudly sponsored by the Cannon Beach Chocolate Café, who will be providing the hot cocoa and cookies for the event. Their support helps make this sweet community celebration possible.

Address

1387 S Spruce St (Corner Of Sunset & Spruce)
Cannon Beach, OR
97110

Opening Hours

Wednesday	11am - 4pm
Thursday	11am - 4pm
Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

(503) 436-9301

Website

http://www.cbhistory.org/

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Our Story

© 2020 Cannon Beach History Center & Museum The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum is home to the cannon that Cannon Beach is named for! The museum features a permanent exhibit of Cannon Beach and area history, and a replica of a Native American longhouse. We also offer a variety of temporary exhibits that change regularly, special guest performers and lecturers, and special events. We have a gift shop, and an extensive archive of historic photos and documents from the area that is available with an appointment. You can find more information on our website at http://www.cbhistory.org or on our blog at http://www.cbhistory.wordpress.com