While planning our Ireland trip with my parents I knew I wanted to take them to Northern Ireland. I hadn’t been to the North since I visited with my brother approximately fourteen years ago. I had a few must see items on the list but The Titanic Museum kept creeping up in my travel books and online. It’s a reasonably new museum one, to be honest, I didn’t have much interest in seeing. I figured I had seen all I needed to see of it from watching the Leonardo DiCaprio movie and a few documentaries on TV over the years.
Andrew Petcher from Have Bag, Will Travel recommended it SO highly that I gave it another thought. I knew we would be passing through Belfast on our way to the far North and figured it might be a nice place to stop one my parents might also enjoy. Thanks Andrew for the recommendation because all three of us really enjoyed it!
The museum is located on the grounds of the actual shipbuilding yard the Titanic was created on. The museum building is an architectural masterpiece mimicking the lines of the ill-fated ship. It is surrounded by a pool that mirrors the beautiful lines and bright silver exterior. The front of the building has a very cool and very large Titanic sign framing a stunning feminine sculpture.
Once one is done admiring the outside of the building and enters the museum they are treated first to a history of Belfast and what made her a great city during the time of the Titanic. Shipbuilders decided to build the infrastructure to build large ships before even having any contracts. Kudos to them for having the guts! Later in the museum visitors can better understand exactly how the ships were actually built. They can even take a short amusement park style ride that explains each step. (Sounds cheesy and maybe it is but it was fun!)
The museum describes throughout each exhibit people associated with the Titanic from those who built the ship, to those who worked on the ship, those that purchased tickets, and those who helped rescue passengers. This small and unassuming sequence of displays really makes the visitor connect with the human aspect of the tragedy in a way that is easy to ignore when we see or hear about the ship now.
Next, visitors can see the interiors of all of the rooms of the Titanic with recreations of the actual furniture, ceramics, silverware, textiles, clothing, etc. It was enjoyable to see the difference in the large staterooms versus the smaller rooms shared by lowers class passengers and employees.
Later the museum moves in to the accident and its response. It highlights the heroes and rescuers who saved many lives and those who were cowards and saved themselves while they let women and children die.
“…as the smart ship grew in stature, grace, and hue
In shadowy silent distance grew the Iceberg too.” – Thomas Hardy
The museum had another section on the discovery of the Titanic ship wreck and the technology required to find it. It even simulates, via video in the floor, the actual shipwreck as it looks today if you were floating over it in a glass bottomed submarine.
Finally, the museum focuses on the pop culture of the Titanic and its music, literature, theater, and movie history. You can be certain Celine Dion is belting out her tune probably much to the dismay of the staff who works there and listens to it over and over to the point of insanity.
This top rate museum does a fantastic job of exploring every single aspect of the Titanic from before it was built all the way to today. They do it in an interactive and interesting way where the visitor’s interest never wanes for a moment. I couldn’t recommend this museum more. As my mother put it, “This is the best museum I have ever been to!” Take it from my Mom because that is big talk.
To read about some of my other Irish shenanigans please click here…
Great article, really enjoyed reading it, and browsing the lovely pics – thanks! hope to make it there myself one day. Fascinated by the whole Titanic history, both beauty and tragedy of it. Oh, and had to laugh at your use of ‘shenanigans’, haven’t heard anyone (else) use that word, other than myself, for a long time! 🙂
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Thanks for stopping in and for the comment. You are welcome anytime.
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I was surprised by the statue. It reminds me of the one outside the Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand; another museum shaped like a ship. Both statues seem to be releasing their spirit. I didn’t understand the other until I saw your photo.
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There must be something behind it that I don’t know. But it does remind me of the female shapes that were found on the front of early ships. Perhaps that is what they were going for?
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True. I found the picture that I was thinking of and his back is arched like the bow of a ship. It also makes him look like he is falling off the walkway into the ocean. Interesting that they would be so similar.
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I found her kind of beautiful and ugly at the same time which is probably just about right for the story.
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Very similar to the one I am talking about. There is something in his face that says you don’t want to be him.
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Of course I agree with your Mom. So glad that you enjoyed it!
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This would be an AMAZING place to visit. It sounds extraordinary, the building is beautiful.
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Thanks! I thought so too. Much more impressive and interesting than I was expecting.
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What an amazing museum!
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Love the photo! I recently also went to the titanic museum and was impressed! It managed to be respectful to the lives lost but also not too morbid. Glad you enjoyed!
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Good points!
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I was in Belfast in 2011 (I went to see the docks the Titanic was launched from) and the museum was already looking impressive on the outside as they built it. I’ve always wondered what it was like once completed and now I know. 🙂
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Great. Glad I could complete the vision for you. Isn’t Northern Ireland great? What were the highlights for you?
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The Titanic Docks were my favourite, it was March and there were very few people around so I sat on the side of the dock with my legs over the edge and imagined the area full of activity. 🙂
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That is a stunning architecture! Fabulous captures! Thank you for take us there. 🙂
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My pleasure!
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A very nice post (unexpectedly) 🙂
I too would not have gone, but your post pushes it up the To-Travel list.
Thank you my friend.
🙂
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Great museum, we loved it on our visit – glad you did too!!
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Very interesting post. The Titanic story has always been an intriguing one! Great photos!
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Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment.
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Wow… This is the first time I’ve seen inside this museum, and it’s awesome! I’m sure you noticed a real change in the city since your last visit, too… I grew up just outside Belfast, at a time when things were still a bit “Troubled” and nobody wanted to take a holiday there. It’s great to see people visiting Northern Ireland, and enjoying themselves while they’re there 😀 Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks and yes it is very different! I have a post coming on Monday about the troubles particularly shankhill and falls road areas. I hope I did it justice. Thanks for the comment very much!
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Oh cool, I’ll check it out! I’ve really been enjoying reading about your Irish travels so far! 😀
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Thank you! Yours has been great as well! Cheers.
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Thank you 😀
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I long to walk up to structures and creations of these proportions, truly inspiring
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It is an impressive building for sure!
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It looks like a fascinating spot! I follow Andrew as well and yes I would take his advice to heart. What a wonderful architectural piece besides holding so much history.
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This is not somewhere I would ever think of going – but it really does look amazing!
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What a great post, I thoroughly enjoyed it all. 😀😀
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Thank you so much!
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Impressive architecture! I am glad they have Titanic museum and include the whole story of Titanic from the beginning until even now! It’s such a legend 🙂 Great post, truly enjoy reading it 🙂
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Thanks for the comment. I am glad you enjoyed it. It was truly a wonderful place to visit in a great city. Northern Ireland is fantastically beautiful. More posts to come soon…
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