Charleston Marine Life Center


This fantastic new little museum/aquarium has lots of interactive displays plus views out over the harbor. Touch a whale on a screen to hear its song, pet a baby seal pelt, watch a fun film larva or pick up a sea urchin from a tank. It's run by the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Sunset Bay State Park

2.5 MILES

Three miles southwest of town on Cape Arago Hwy, this state park is nestled in a small, protected bay that once served as a safe harbor for fishing boats,…

2. Shore Acres State Park

3.5 MILES

Beautiful rehabilitated gardens are the highlight of this unusual state park, 4 miles southwest of Charleston. Louis Simpson, a shipping and lumber…

4. Cape Arago State Park

4.49 MILES

About 5 miles south of Charleston at blustery Cape Arago you can scan the horizon for whales, seals and watch ships passing into Coos Bay. The 0.2-mile…

5. Coos Art Museum

5.89 MILES

The Coos Art Museum, in a historic art deco building, provides a hub for the region's art culture. Rotating exhibits from the museum's permanent…

6. Coos Historical & Maritime Museum

6.19 MILES

In gigantic and fancy new digs on Coos Bay's waterfront, this museum displays exhibits from Native American culture to maritime shipwrecks, plus mining,…

7. Bandon Historical Society Museum

16.15 MILES

This museum has exhibits on the area's historical industries and the Coquille Native Americans, along with memorable photos of Bandon's two devastating…

8. Washed Ashore Gallery & Workshop

16.16 MILES

This tiny but cool gallery features gigantic sculptures made from trash washed up from the sea. Walk through a life-sized whale skeleton made from plastic…