About the Titanic Museum Attraction
I remember learning about the Titanic in elementary school. I checked a book out of the library and my fascination with this great ship was born. I must have watched Titanic, the movie, three times the first week the movie was out! I also saw one of those traveling Titanic exhibits in Atlantic City one summer, around 10 years ago. Held at the Tropicana, it was called 'Titanic: The Experience,' and featured artifacts recovered from Titanic's wreck site. My husband didn't understand the allure, but I dragged him along anyway!
One museum I've always wanted to go to is the Titanic Museum in Branson. This Missouri attraction has been around for several years now, but just seems so out of the way, so I never even considered visiting. Titanic Pigeon Forge just opened, however, and Tennessee is only an 8-hour road trip away. A much more reasonable distance, if you ask me! Maybe we can keep going and visit Graceland as well. I've always wanted to go there, too!
Titanic Pigeon Forge and Titanic Branson are huge, permanent museum attractions. You could even say they're Titanic-sized. Built half-scale to the original ship, these two-story museums are shaped just like the ill-fated ship. When you enter the structure, you are given a "boarding pass" with the name of an actual Titanic passenger printed on it. During your self-guided tour, you'll hopefully get to learn more about this person, and ultimately, find out whether they survived, or went down with the ship. Costumed crew members are scattered throughout the ship, ready to introduce you to some of the 2,208 passengers and crew that were on board, as well as answer your questions.
Both attractions are filled with hundreds of artifacts from the Titanic displayed in 20 galleries, and many interactive, hands-on experiences. From learning how to send an SOS signal, to experiencing how cold the chilly ocean water was, these areas give families a sense of what it was like to be onboard the Titanic. There are full-size recreations, built to actual Titanic blueprints, of Third-Class quarters, a First-Class suite, dining rooms and (gasp!) and exact reproduction of the Titanic’s Grand Staircase. But it's not just for adults - there's even a Tot-Titanic area designed especially for kids 8 and under.
Tickets to these Titanic attractions can be purchased online, and cost around $20 for adults, $10 for kids 5-12, and those 4 and under get in free. There's a family pass available, which grants you a significant savings. For more information, visit www.titanicattraction.com and take a virtual tour online!
Mariana Perez blogs about life as a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful little girls over at Riding With No Hands. Follow her daily adventures on Twitter @ohMariana.
Photo credit: Titanic Pigeon Forge press kit
