Titanic Exhibit at Fort Worth Museum of Science & History~ Fort Worth, TX

 

I have been obsessed with all things Titanic ever since Leo shouted, “I’m King of the World.”  So when I heard that the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History had “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit“, I knew it was a must see on our trip to Fort Worth.  Was it worth it?  Oh yes! 

We planned to spend the entire day at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, so we had plenty of time to see this exhibit.  The museum has timed entries to see it, which I happen to love, as it doesn’t get too crowded.  And it is an additional cost to see the “Titanic”, but we thought it was definitely worth the price.

The Titanic exhibit begins with the planning & construction of the ship. See actual plans, hear ship-workers accounts and learn all about poor Captain Smith. He was retired, yet asked to lead the Titanic’s maiden voyage. He accepted and we know how his career ended……

Walk thorough recreated rooms, from First Class Staterooms to the third class bunkrooms, and learn all about how they traveled across the ocean.  It’s a stunning reality to see the gorgeous private bedrooms and smoking rooms and ballrooms for the rich and then find out that third class passengers had 2 bathtubs for the 700+ passengers on their deck.  See personal artifacts like recovered jewelry, dinner ware, and tiles from the Grand Ballroom.

The exhibit takes you down to the “boiler room”, where the atmosphere is dark, cold and you hear the engine sounds.  It’s a vast change from the light and happy one a few decks up. Actual tools and coal recovered from the ship can be seen here.  Learn about how the ship was powered across the Atlantic, even during a coal shortage.

As you walk through the timeline of events that occurred that fateful April night, you can’t help but see how this horrific accident could have been avoided. A cold room is recreated to make you feel as if you are on the ocean and you can even touch a big block of ice, the temperature of an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean.

What we enjoyed the most about the exhibit was how passenger’s stories are told – it brought the exhibit to life for us.  When you see the tickets, shoes, jewelry, etc. of a passenger and then hear who they were and why they were on the ship, you can’t help but feel sorrowful for their fate.  As you enter Titanic, you are handed a “passenger card” that details who they were, what class they were in and their personal story.  At the end of the exhibit, you can locate your passengers name to see if they were rescued and survived or not.  Very happily, 3 out of 4 of our families’, “passengers” did in fact survive.  

This exhibit was perfect for my 10 & 12 year olds – they were drawn to the artifacts and hearing the stories.  It enabled them to really understand the history better by seeing actual pieces, touching the cold iceberg, and learning about their passenger’s fate. Also, no photography is allowed.  Audio tours are offered for $5 and there is a comprehensive gift store at the end of the exhibit as well. 

There is special pricing for the Fort Worth Stock Show (Jan 18 – Feb 9, 2013) – $11-15.   

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