Last Updated on March 1, 2022
What really happened aboard the Titanic?
Titanic: The Exhibition, London is a unique narrative experience telling the stories of the people aboard history’s most legendary ship on its maiden and final journey. It is curated by Claes-Göran Wetterholm, one of the world’s greatest authorities on the history of the Titanic, who dedicated more than 40 years of his life to investigate and study the history of the Titanic including four expeditions to the wreckage of the ship. He has carefully selected over 200 artefacts and various personal stories that best convey empathy and a sense of closeness with all those who were aboard.
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In Titanic: The Exhibition, visitors will get to travel back to 1912 through photographs, handwritten letters, wayward keepsakes, and other personal belongings of various passengers on board. The objects on display range from those belonging to first through to third class and incorporate elements from the crew. There are also certain pieces of furniture as well as recreated interiors experienced by the various class members on display which helps visitors envisage what it was like to be on the ship.
The exhibition is accompanied by an audio guide that guides visitors through the exhibition. With a standard ticket, the guide can be downloaded onto your personal smartphone. Guests are therefore encouraged to bring their own headphones or earphones. As an alternative, a physical audio guide can be rented out for £3. The physical audio guide is free of charge for seniors, NHS, students, children, VIP guests and carers. Navigating the exhibition with the accompanying audio guide would take around 80 to 90 minutes in total. Of course, visitors are easily able to skip certain parts of the narrative if they choose to as well. However, the objects in the exhibition have very little text to them so it is strongly advised to listen to the audio descriptions.
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The journey starts as visitors pass through the recreated entrance of the ship. There is also an optional souvenir photo opportunity to pose with various props like luggage and a lantern used in 1912. VIP ticket holders have this souvenir photo included in their ticket.
The narrative starts with the inception of the Titanic. Visitors learn about Lord William James and J. Bruce Ismay’s plans for construction of three of the largest and most magnificent ships in the world: the Olympic, the Titanic and the Gigantic. The luxury and grandeur in Ismay and Pirrie’s ocean liners were unparalleled at the time as the interiors could compete with the best hotels and restaurants. We also see one of the state-of-the-art watertight door systems which gave their ships “unsinkable” status.
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Visitors also hear survivor testimonies about some relatives having premonitions that something bad was going to happen juxtaposed with optimistic letters from William Murdoch, First Officer on the RMS Titanic at the start of the voyage. We learn about the stories of various passengers ranging from first class occupiers on holiday to third class members who are hoping to make their fortune in America. The real life inspiration behind the Titanic film’s Jack and Kate are also revealed, and the beautiful pendant belonging to Kate Phillips is on display.
The variety between classes is also revealed via a first class suite recreation contrasted with a third class cabin. The first class accomodation really is luxurious, and one can easily mistake it for a hotel room in Mayfair. However, visitors might find themselves more comfortable walking along the recreated second class corridor, which can still be described as swanky by today’s standards.
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Inevitably, there are various descriptions and simulations of the ship when it sinks. The audio guide provides accounts of survivors describing what people felt when the iceberg hit, the movements of the ship’s captain and the lookouts upon impact and what it must have felt like to be plunged into the icy waters. In fact, there is a miniature iceberg on display that visitors can touch to feel what the water must have felt like at the time.
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Visitors are also privy to accounts of the mad rush to the lifeboats and how the Carpathia came to rescue Titanic survivors followed by the news of the Titanic’s sinking on papers the next day. Finally, visitors get to see underwater photos and replicas of what remains of the Titanic today. Titanic: The Exhibition gives you plenty of opportunity to explore
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Unfortunately, the deep sea hasn’t preserved the Titanic very well. However, the stories of these people will hopefully live on and inspire the next generation to pay attention to stringent health and safety measures. Do you have enough lifeboats onboard? I definitely hope so.
February 2022 until April 2022
Opening hours (time slots available every half hour):
Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesdays: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Fridays: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturdays: 9:00 am – 8:30 pm
Sundays: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Duration: approx. 80–90 minutes
Location: Dock X London – Unit 1, Canada Water, Surrey Quays Road, SE16 2XU
Looking for something different? You’ve still got a chance to catch the Van Gogh Immersive Experience at the Old Truman Brewery
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