RMS Titanic

I have wanted to see the Titanic exhibit since I've known about it. I don't know why but I've always been fascinated with the story.

Coupled with my irrational fear of being underwater (grew up on a lake, hello? insane much?) I've always half-jokingly wondered if I was a Titanic passenger. Also, the ship hit the iceberg on my mother's birthday (although she was born in 1935) and for some reason (see: fear of underwater) that has always linked the two in my brain.

I was enamored with the movie and still enjoy watching it, right up until they hit the iceberg then I'm all "Peace Out." The ending is just too Teh Sad. It is one of the few movies I've watched & enjoyed in the theater.

Of course I couldn't see the original exhibit in Seattle, that would have been too easy. Nor could I visit it the first three times I traveled to Vegas. So on this trip, I told Kevin that I didn't care what happened, I was going to see it.

I went all by myself which was kind of fun just on that basis. I could go at my own pace and there was no one to interrupt "the experience." Yeah, I just typed that and worse yet, meant it.

The exhibit is all about the ambiance. I chose to get the handset so I could listen as well as read, see, and touch. The handset told stories or gave background information in actual characters voices, be it a passenger or an officer of the ship.

At first the exhibit was brightly lit and cheery. It had a brief history of how the ship came to be including blueprints, pictures, and tools. All stuff we've read/seen/heard about before. Kinda boring but important.

Then it began to tell the passengers stories. It is simply astounding how many people were not supposed to be on that ship. There was a coal strike that shut down other ships and another ship was docked for repairs. Many passengers, it seemed, were booked on sheer serendipity. The displays had background noise & music to give the feeling of excitement of boarding the ship & preparing for a long journey.

Oh wait, I forgot an important part: they give you a Boarding pass much like what the passengers would have received. On the reverse side is information regarding an actual passenger.

Around a corner, after wandering down a hallway just like on the ship, you come upon the Grand Staircase. Complete with orchestra music playing. It was breathtaking. Your imagination allows you to see the ladies & gentlemen traveling along the stairs and balconies.



They recreated the cabins as they most likely appeared. The third class cabins were bunk beds and very sparse. The first class cabins were beautiful. Very similar, if not the same, as was shown in the movie. They included personal effects of actual passengers. It is astounding how the ocean preserved everything; paperwork, clothing, jewelry.

Then, then! They had you walk "outside" along the walkway. They had the sound of the ocean, the dark of the night, the smell of the saltwater, and I would swear a slight sense of motion. Again, it looked like the deck in the movie.

As you come off the deck, it takes you into a darkened hallway that is cold. You hear the warning bells and read each sign updating the latest sightings of icebergs, the last one being a ship that was stopped because it was surrounded by ice.

After you round the corner they've recreated an iceberg. It is cold and gives you a perspective of what was floating around that night. It explained the "tip of the iceberg" thing...that what you see is small compared to what was under the waterline. Remember, it is cold in there with the sounds of the warning bells. Very eerie.

They explain how the ship hit the iceberg, why it did, and how the ship sunk. Again, all stuff we know but becomes real while you are standing in the middle of it.

The exhibit switches back to who was aboard the ship. One person was actually quoted as "I wish I never got on this ship and wouldn't mind if it sunk to the bottom of the ocean." Ack. There are more personal effects with the owners stories posted for everyone to read. Some of them state whether or not they were survivors, some of them don't.

As always, the story of the Strauses breaks my heart. I would like to think that I would be brave enough not to abandon my husband but that is impossible to guess.

The end of the exhibit shows the recovery of the wreckage and the original display in Seattle. By that time you're so caught up in the stories of the people that it is difficult to concentrate.

The last piece is looking up whether or not your assigned passenger survived. Mrs.Goldenberg did indeed survive, as did her husband. As they were first class passengers, I was not surprised. I also wondered what my reaction had been if I'd gotten a person that hadn't survived.

This exhibit was exactly what I'd hoped it would be and more. I didn't anticipate my emotional response by the end. That proves what a fantastic display it is. If you get the chance to see it, take it. It is one of the most amazing things I've experienced.