In 24,000sq ft of well-designed exhibit space, the maritime museum captures the long and proud seafaring heritage of Astoria and the lower Columbia region. Historic boats dot the Great Hall, including a 36ft motor lifeboat built in 1943 and a 1950s-vintage fishing boat. At the north wall, visitors can peer through the periscope of a World War II submarine and watch river traffic outside the museum. The galleries east of the Great Hall cover many themes, including early exploration, whaling and navigation. Among the thousands of artifacts are examples of scrimshaw carved from sperm-whale teeth, Bowie knives made to fit 1861 naval rifles, 1920s photos of horses hauling fishing nets through shallow water, and a fid (a pointy tool for separating rope strands while splicing). Much of the museum is given to naval history; in fact, the museum was literally built around the 13-ton bridge of the USS Knapp, a 1943 destroyer that saw action in World War II and the Korean War. Outside at the pier, visitors can board the Columbia, a floating lighthouse that until 1979 was stationed at the treacherous mouth of the Columbia River, the "Graveyard of the Pacific.