(*Disclosure-I was invited to a semi-expense paid trip to Branson, courtesy of Stone Castle Hotel, to attend the #BloggingBranson Event in exchange for my coverage. No other compensation was provided. All views shared are completely my own.)
The luxury steamship RMS Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic after sideswiping an iceberg during its maiden voyage. 2,240 passengers and crew were on board and sadly more than 1,500 lost their lives in the disaster. Thanks to places like Titanic – The World’s Largest Museum Attraction in Branson, MO, we will be able to share the story with our children and grandchildren for years to come.
The Titanic was full of stories of people from all walks of life. The museum in Branson gives us the opportunity to read about these stories and give us an understanding of the tragedy that happened on April 15, 1912.
When you arrive at the museum, there is a huge replica of the ship. Granted is not the exact size of the actual Titanic, but it will give you an idea of large this vessel was. Once you enter the museum, you will receive a sheet with the story of one of the passengers that was on the actual ship. You will be able to read their story and see if they survived or perished the night the ship sank.
Here is the passenger that I had. Her story was a very inspiring one. During our tour through the museum, I kept wondering what emotions she must have had, and what everyone else on the ship must have felt during that fateful night.
The Titanic museum attraction is a self guided tour; however, our group had the pleasure of having some amazing tour guides. When you enter to buy your tickets to the attraction, make sure you look up. You will see a replica of one of the propellers from the Titanic, as well as a picture showing how large the Titanic was compared to some of the largest buildings in the world. You will also get to see over 400 artifacts from the ship. It is amazing how well preserved these artifacts are. I have to say I was taken aback by how fancy the first class passenger’s quarters and china were. These days, cruise ship accommodations are state of the art, so to see this from 1912 was incredible. You would also not believe how incredibly small the quarters were for third class passengers. Back then, people were a lot smaller!
While you are exploring, you will come to a section depicting the children of the Titanic. It was a very emotional part of the tour for me. You see all of the children that survived or perished that night, and it is truly heartbreaking. Most of the children that survived were from first or second class. Believe it or not, there were also dogs on the ship!
You will also get to see an incredible display of pictures taken by Father Browne of the Titanic before it set sail and pictures of people onboard the ship. It is the largest photo collection of Titanic passengers. He disembarked the Titanic in Ireland so he survived.
One of my favorite places at the Titanic Museum Attraction is the Grand Staircase. It is an exact replica of the staircase on Titanic. If you have seen the “Titanic” movie then you know the iconic scene where Jack is waiting for Rose. Unfortunately for me, Leonardo DiCaprio was not waiting for me at the end of the staircase. What’s great is that you can book your wedding at the museum and will be able to reenact that scene!
You will also see a replica of the deck of the Titanic. You will get to experience the cold temperatures that the passengers had to endure that chilly night. Make sure you also stop by the interactive activities, where you can put your hand in freezing cold water which replicates the temperature of the water that the passengers had to endure while waiting to be rescued, or climb into a lifeboat to hear different passenger stories.
At the exit of the museum, you will find out if the passenger that was given to you survived that night or not. Luckily, my passenger survived; however, a majority of the passengers did not. Once you visit Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, you will find that you will always have a special place in your heart for the Titanic passengers. I know I do.
Click to learn more about the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson.
Fun Facts about the Titanic Museum Attraction:
- Receive a Boarding Pass of an actual Titanic passenger/crew member
- View $4.5 million + of Titanic artifacts
- Walk the $1 Million exact replica of Titanic’s Grand Staircase
- Touch an iceberg and feel 28-degree water
- Shovel “coal” in Titanic’s Boiler Room
- Learn how to send an SOS distress signal
- Experience the Sloping Decks of the ship’s stern as she descended
- Sit in an actual size lifeboat and hear true passenger stories
- Discover your passenger’s fate in the Titanic Memorial Room
Here is a little video I made of Titanic – The World’s Largest Museum Attraction in Branson
Pam Wattenbarger says