Work and Play in Seaside              return to top

The Turn Around Building display depicts the original Oates Natatorium, built in 1914, which became known as the Turn Around Building. This is where visitors came to swim, skate and play. Surrounding the building were an ice cream and confectionary shop, a cigar stand, a barber shop, the William Montag Photography Shop and the Oregon Woolen Mills Store.

Right: The reverse side of this 1947 postcard includes the text "Constantly changing, filtered, chlorinated and heated pure water circulates through the several plunges. Between the large pools is an everflowing warm shower. Besides galleries for visitors there is a special passage from the well-kept dressing rooms to the ocean beach."

Pacific Pier photos and postcards help tell the story of the pier which was maintained from 1904 to 1914. Photos also show beach fun of that era as well as the boardwalk that was the forerunner of the Prom.

Left:Pacific Pier from a postcard bearing a 1909 Seaside Post Office postmark.

Broadway Billiards             return to top

This display tells how the Seaside Fruit and Produce Co. was purchased by B.J. Callahan in 1916 to become the Broadway Billiards.

The second floor was common meeting place for civic groups, unions, and lodges, and the local theater groups put on plays there. The first floor was a saloon that with the advent of Prohibition became a room for cards and billiards.

The building still stands at the west corner of Broadway and South Franklin Street.

Fun in Seaside                            return to top

Fun in Seaside is a pictorial display of the turn of the century parades, arcades, boating, camping, and beach activities.

Left: Sand Scultpture titled "Cast Up By the Sea". Photo by William Montag, 1912, at Seaside, Oregon.

Railroad History                        return to top

In this room you discover Seaside's Railroad history. First you learn how visitors would travel from Portland to Skipanon by ship. There they would step onto a dock that led them to a railroad pier whre a train would be waiting for their journey to Seaside. In 1898 a railroad trestle was built across Youngs Bay which allowed passeners to ride the train all the way from Portland to Seaside. Excursion trains and the "Daddy Train" are pictured. The original Seaside Station sign is on display along with other railroad artifacts.

Seaside Signal Newspaper                 return to top

The Seaside Signal room shows the working areas of the newspaper, from the Editor's desk through typesetting to the Linotype Machine that was used from 1953 up to the installation of the offset press.

Seaside Hall of Fame                  return to top

This hallway honors Seaside's past mayors and government officials.

School Days                          return to top

This exhibit includes a recreation of an "old fashioned" school room and a pictorial history of Seaside schools. In an exhibit dating from 1885 to 1949 visitors find class photos of students, with names. Some are graduating classes, others are not.

Seaside Volunteer Fire Dept  return to top

Standing "at ready" is Seaside's 1904 hose cart and various historical fire fighting equipment.

A display of the Seaside Fire of 1912 pictorially shows the city before and after the disaster.

A map illustrates the scale of the fire and listes the businesses that were destroyed.