More than boats.
A way of life.
The Dorymen’s Heritage Center (Dory Center) was born from the Pacific City community’s deep respect for place and tradition. The Dory Center comes together to honor the people, boats, and culture that have defined Oregon’s only beach-launched fishing fleet for over 100 years.
Here, history isn’t kept behind glass—it’s built into every board of a dory, every story told by a local fisher, and every wave that breaks along Cape Kiwanda’s shore.
We are committed to preserving this legacy with care, tribute, and purpose. Through oral histories, hands-on exhibits, and programs for all ages, we carry forward a story shaped by resilience, ingenuity, and salt air.
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The Dorymen’s Heritage Center (Dory Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by the Pacific City community to preserve the history of the Dory Fleet. This organization is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the dory heritage of Oregon’s North Coast.
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To be a leading cultural institution on the Oregon Coast known for its dynamic exhibits and engaging public programs. The Dory Center strives to be a destination for visitors and residents alike to celebrate and explore the rich heritage of the Pacific City Dory Fleet past, present, and future.
For over a century, Pacific City’s dories have launched straight from the sand. No docks. No harbors. Just timing, grit, and skill.
What began as a way for farmers, teachers, and craftspeople to support their families became a tight-knit fleet built on resilience and community. Long before this tradition took root, Indigenous peoples stewarded these coastal waters, fishing and gathering in relationship with the land and sea. Passed down through generations, the rare tradition of beach-launched fishing has since shaped the culture of Oregon’s North Coast. The Dory Center was founded to honor that legacy, preserving the stories, skills, and spirit of a living maritime history that continues to this day.
