My friend and I went here today wanting to see the lighthouse. We didn't know there was a museum too and I'm glad we checked it out! You need to buy an $8 pass to get in but that gets you into the museum and up the lighthouse so it's definitely worth it. The museum is two stories and has a basement with an art gallery. The top floor and basement are only accessible via stairs, so not mobility aid-friendly. There is some great history there and the artifacts are fascinating to look at. Take your time walking through and enjoy the history, it really is interesting! They have a bathroom on the main floor, I believe it's the only one on the grounds that is open to the public. They have a good amount of parking spots and it's easy to find the grounds, but miss the turn off 101 and you'll have to either drive a while to turn around or pull over and hope you get an opening to turn around. Definitely stop in here and support them! The history is amazing to see. read more

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A rare opportunity to be able to go up inside the lighthouse. The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and the museum was a great way to learn about the area. read more

Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum - A photo from the first room in the museum. - Museums Near Me - Winchester Bay, Oregon

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My family was out racing in the dunes so I decided to take the few hours they were out and explore the Reedsport area. There isn't much to do and so I was glad the lighthouse had a museum and tour I could go one. Plus there was one happening in 7 minutes when I got there. I paid for the tour which gave you access to the light house and museum house. I was excited we were able to climb up the light house and see the actual glass pieces. I learned a lot about the different orders of the Fresnel lens and how beautiful they are up close. I did this tour without my kids but I'm sure they would love it. I just got to explore it all in my own time. The only thing that would have made the day better was the weather. It was foggy, windy, and so cold on the coast in July'. read more

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Cool lighthouse. Able to get great photo on the inside. Interesting history tour. One of the multiple lighthouses on the Oregon coast one needs to see. read more

We had the lighthouse tour and it was fantastic. Dudley gave us lots of detail and background on the structure, lives of the lighthouse keepers, and the technology of the lighthouse, from the 19th century right through to today. To top it off, the site has a commanding view of the Umpqua River delta. read more

12.29.24. Read past reviews and agree to all the 5 star ratings- as it's a solid 5. On a US Coast Guard base - but lighthouses in state parks or private or at night cannot be walked into either and this one is literally 25 feet from the fence where you stand and look up at it (without a tour) take amazing photos. We took the tour and were the only ones on it. Worth the price - tickets at gift shop - tour begins at museum (next building ). Totally worth it to look out the windows and see the inner workings of the light. Learned a lot !! Across the street is the overlook of the ocean. Always worth the stop. Gift shop sells items of all types. Mostly to generate revenue for the lighthouse and grounds upkeep. This the higher prices. We did support - but if you hate high prices - drop $10 bucks on the donation box and don't purchase anything. Though hot cocoa was great ! Climb Good for older kids - nice views upstairs. After your go through the two floors of the museum!! read more

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Not recommended. We visited over this past weekend. Lighthouse - amazing. Absolutely stunning. One should know that it is INSIDE a military base, so you can't walk up to it if after hours. Understandable and fair. The museum itself (the gift shop)... not recommended. One it is just a bunch of random tourist trap items to buy. Nothing of any true value, all overpriced. Why 3-stars? Because I'm being generous. The staff is RUDE. Just RUDE. They are snipping, snarky, ridiculous, and unnecessarily rude. That is absolutely unnecessary. They should rethink their staffing. No plans to return for the tour. The staff was disappointing enough to detour us in the future. Too bad, this was the one I looked forward to the most. read more

Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum - Museums Near Me - Winchester Bay, Oregon

Didn't do the lighthouse tour but did go to the gift shop in search for coffee in Winchester Bay while staying at the Umpqua lighthouse State Park. Couldn't find any coffee shops around town but found much more than i expected here at the gift shop. This gift shop is AMAZING. The coffee was made perfectly to go along side the delicious and flaky pastry which are made locally and sold at the store. There are giant beautiful cookies and chocolatea to indulge in as well. This is one of the best gift shops for merchandise. It's not just coffee cups and key chains. There are some beautiful pieces for your home, Christmas ornaments, toys, clothing, etc. The woman working was delightful and packed up our pastries nice for our morning walk on the beach. Probably shouldn't but will going back tomorrow. read more

5 well deserved stars. First you walk up 58 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Our guide told us it was built in the 1800's & is still in use today. It was built after the first one (poorly built & on a sand foundation) collapsed. You can actually see into the rotating lens of the lighthouse. This particular light flashed two white beams & one red. The historic Coast Guard station is now a museum. Strolling through the rooms, you can see exhibits on the history of both the lighthouse & the Coast Guard. On a related note, it is still a Coast Guard housing area for active members & most of these homes are in desperate need of repairs. New roofs, doors etc. I don't understand why they don't fix these homes up for those that protect our coastlines, ships & country. read more

We absolutely loved the lighthouse tour; walking up the stairs into the lens was so beautiful. A huge thank you to the volunteer tour leaders! Well worth the stop! read more

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Absolutely incredible experience. The museum is a good small museum, but it was really the lighthouse tour that made this experience shine. We learned about the lighthouse keepers, the geometry of the building and lenses, and the history of this amazing place. Sticking my head up into the lens and seeing it slowly rotate around isn't something I'll forget. The gift shop is fine, but they have some really unique jams that I'm looking forward to trying. read more

Informative Tour and Museum My son , his girlfriend , and I did the lighthouse tour and museum . It is $8 a person and I recommend it . The tour guide was very informative about the history and things I didn't know about like the Japanese sending Balloon Bombs to the U.S. during WW II . The lighthouse glass has a red signal and the story of why is cool . The climb is not hard . The museum has a very good display of life in the Coast Guard at this station with lots of things to look at . It is definitely worth going to see . The town of Reedsport is a neat little town and access to the beach is not far . The parking at the beach is $5 and we were told by the guide to make sure you pay because they will write you a ticket quickly . The beach was cool and the waves were coming in pretty hard that day due to a storm off the coast . read more

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This working lighthouse was a small (for a lighthouse) and very solid plastered, brick structure. You are permitted to walk up the narrow, spiral, free standing, iron stairs to just below the actual Fresnel lens, lamp and rotation machinery and watch it working. Very interesting and impressive. But the real gem was the very knowledgeable woman that led the tour. She described the history and details of the lighthouse and the hard life of the keeper and his family, pointing to actual photographs and drawings as they kept the light burning (kerosene lamps) 24/7/365. read more

The tour of the lighthouse was very interesting. The tour guide gave a lot of great information about the history of the lighthouse. The tour costs $8 for adults, and is well worth it! There is also a museum that you can go in and explore yourself. Lots of interesting memorabilia about the lighthouse and the Coast Guard history. I highly recommend visiting this place! read more

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We stopped off here as a little adventure and really enjoyed it. The tour is $8, very affordable, but the tour does have over 100 steps, so keep that in mind, but it is wonderful to go all the way to the top! The views were lovely and the workers were very kind and helpful. Atop that, the history is so interesting! This is really a light house that is one of a kind. All around, a wonderful experience. read more

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Awesome time my wife and I had taking the tour ! I have a bad knee but was still able to climb the stairs of the lighthouse ! Hearing the tale of the ghosts that haunt the lighthouse was interesting. And seeing inside the light was neat as well ! Definitely worth it ! read more

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What a wonderful tour with Jerry and Dick! I would definitely recommend the tour of this lighthouse and museum. The tour was very informative and fun. The Winchester Bay Area is beautiful! read more

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We had Mike as our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and of the lighthouse including the grounds. Being about to go up into the lighthouse was super cool. The personnel were very friendly at the gift shop also. read more

Outstanding tours! Had a great time, Sue the tour guide provided us with so much information. Going inside the red Len was amazing. This is a must see lighthouse, a great value for the money. Will stop again the next time we are on the coast. read more

An adorable red roofed Umpqua River Lighthouse overlooking Winchester Bay whilst nestled amongst the towering Douglas Fir trees is truly a sight to behold. Camping, fishing, cute little Lake Marie, get away to here. read more

This is a cool museum for anyone who loves history. The museum tour is good to do before the included lighthouse tour, as you know something about what you are looking at before you go. Umpqua is unique in some respects, too - well worth the time. Kudos to the kind volunteer staff. read more