Titanic Museum {Branson, MO}

(Disclosure: I received a free trip to Branson, Missouri and tickets to the Museum while I was there. Thoughts are my own.)

It is said that the best way to respect and honor those who gave their lives is to simply tell their stories. This is what the Titanic Museum is around for. It’s a tribute to the ship and the 2,208 passengers and crew members that were on the Titanic when it sank in 1912. The Museum has two locations, one in Branson, MO and one in Pigeon Forge, TN. I visited the location in Branson.

When we got to the museum we were greeted outside by the “crew” of the ship. They gave us cards that had a name and story on it and told us it was the real name of someone on the ship. We could look for our name throughout the museum and I thought that was a really great way for people to connect personally with the experience.

We were also given personal listening devices to listen to more about the exhibits in the museum. Children were given their own as well and had special numbers so their stories were more age-appropriate. Upon entering the museum we stood inside the beautiful lobby where we saw a picture on the wall of how large the ship was compared to other things including the Statue of Liberty and the St. Louis Arch. The thing on the ceiling that looks like a fan was actually the smallest propeller on the ship {it doesn’t look like it in the picture but it is huge}.

There were many displays in the museum. There was a wall of ice you could touch and see what the iceberg might have felt like. There was a large model of the ship when you first walked in that was interesting to look at.

New this year, the Museum has a special children’s exhibit honoring all the children that were on the ship.

The boys were able to see what kinds of toys children played with years ago and see pictures of all of the children. We learned that the youngest survivor was an infant that the mother wrapped in her jacket and that baby grew up and just passed away a few years back.

I loved seeing the rooms on the Titanic. Above is where the 3rd class passengers stayed, four to a room and below is a picture of the rooms the 1st class passengers stayed in.

The boys enjoyed the interactive exhibits towards the end of the museum. They could sit in a rescue boat and listen to stories of passengers that lived. They could stick their hand in a vat of water that showed them just how cold the water was that fateful night. Most of all they enjoyed climbing up the different ship decks that showed what angle the ship was sinking at during different times of the night. They found it very hard to climb up and hold on when the ship was at the steepest angle.

Overall, we enjoyed our trip to the Titanic Museum and learning more about the Titanic than what was in the movie by the same name. I really liked that the Museum featured plenty for kids and wasn’t just for adults.

(Disclosure: I received free tickets to the Titanic Museum. Opinions are my own.)