The sinking of the Titanic has fascinated people for almost a century. Interest in the tale of demise of the “unsinkable” ship exploded when underwater explorer Richard Ballard found the remains of the luxury liner in 1985 and reached a fever pitch with the 1997 release of the Oscar-winning movie. Now Titanic buffs can stand at the grand staircase and view artifacts from the ship at the Titanic Museum in Branson, MO.
Built in half-scale, the museum is a replica of the bow of the world’s most famous ship. A greeter in period clothes meets visitors, and each guest is given a boarding pass with the name and story of an actual Titanic passenger. Many of the passengers have artifacts scattered throughout the museum, and visitors are encouraged to find information about their passenger. At the end of the tour is the memorial wall. Each of Titanic’s passengers is listed. The names of those that survived the disaster are underlined, so guests can learn the fate of their passenger.
The museum houses a large collection of photos from the collection of Frank Brown, a passenger that departed the ship at Ireland, before she left for her maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The photos give a glimpse into life aboard the Titanic, and provide some of the only photos of crew members as they went about their jobs.
The museum also features a full-sized replica of a third-class cabin. About the size of a modern walk-in closet, the third-class cabin featured four bunks, a chamber pot and a small sink. By today’s standards, the cabin was spartan, but the accommodations were the finest available for third class passengers. Artifacts in the third class corridor include a third class menu-breakfast, dinner, tea and supper were served.
The stark third class corridor is sharply contrasted by the site of the familiar Grand Staircase. Familiar to movie-goers the world over, the Grand Staircase at the Titanic Museum is an exact replica and was built using the original plans from the ship. The only change to the design as the addition of brass hand railings for safety. The staircase leads to a first-class stateroom, complete with a canopy bed, a desk and velvet and brocade upholstery and bedding. The size of the stateroom, meant for one or two people, dwarfed the third-class cabin.
The Titanic Museum has the life jacket of Madeleine Astor. It is one of only nine life jackets left, and the only one that can be tied to a person. There are also two deck chairs that were saved from the wreck, and the only intact first-class menu from the night the ship went down.
At the end of the museum tour is the Interactive Exhibit. Visitors can walk (or attempt to walk) up portions of a deck mounted at increasingly steep angles to mimic the angle of the deck as the Titanic sank. Visitors can also tap out a message in Morse code, sit in a lifeboat replica and find out just how long they could last in the cold water of the North Atlantic.
There is a large and well-stocked gift shop at the end of the tour. Selections range from the expensive-a crystal replica at $299-to the cheap-a Titanic in a bottle for $2.99. Stuffed Titanic teddy bears made an odd counterpoint to the solemn memorial museum.
Admission to the Titanic Museum in Branson is $20 for adults and $10 for children. Cameras are not allowed in the museum. The Titanic Museum is located at 3235 76 Country Blvd. in Branson, MO.
