I am so glad that on this trip to the Smoky Mountains, we were able to visit the
Titanic Museum. Driving through Pigeon Forge, you can't help but take notice of the breathtaking ocean liner just before the mountain view.
Well, it isn't the entire ship. However, it is very large.
The museum is located on the main road through Pigeon Forge - you will not miss it as you drive by.
Standing next to it, you can only imagine the grandeur of the RMS Titanic.
"The best way to respect and honor those who gave their lives is simple:
Tell their stories..."
Even as you approach the museum, you notice that everything has been done with great care. It's peaceful. It's respectful. The smallest detail was given great attention.
Upon arrival, you will receive a boarding pass. Each pass represents an actual passenger aboard the RMS Titanic. In essence, you become that passenger. Your boarding pass gives history, information and reminds you of the true loss on that fateful night.
Walking through the museum, you will find scaled versions of the ship - showing in great detail all that she had to offer. A large portion of the museum is made up of items retrieved from the wreckage at some point since she sank. No pictures are allowed inside the museum, as most items are under copyright protection. You will be much too caught up in the stories, either on postcards and letters or through the audio tour if you decide to utilize that (and I highly suggest that you do). If you opt for the audio tour, there is a version for children and a version for adults. I took the time to listen to both. They were both very well produced. You will be able to listen to portions of interviews should you decide to take the self-guided audio tour.
Again, do it.
Inside, there are recreations of portions of the ship, including the grand stair case. They have also recreated the Bridge
(the room from which the ship is steered) of the Titanic. From there, you are given a view of what anyone in that room would have seen that night. The cold, dark sky. Stepping out into a room created to look like the front of the ship, you will find a real and growing ice berg on the starboard side. Reaching over the edge of the Titanic in this replicated room, you can touch and dip your hand into the icy waters. The room is kept at the same temperatures that were experienced that night. It will instill even more compassion for those who gave up or never secured a seat on one of the few life boats.
So many displays inside captured my attention and can never be forgotten. Entering one room within the museum, you will be presented with a staircase enclosed behind a protective window. Water rushes down the staircase, seemingly filling the room. For a moment, you have a window - a glimpse into history.
The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge is more than a tourist attraction. When visiting the area, you should plan spend a few hours walking through and getting to know some of the passengers and their stories. It took us two hours to make our way through the museum. I could have stayed another two hours simply gazing at displays and taking in a better reality of that maiden voyage.
Titanic Museum Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Titanic Museum Branson, Missouri
Check out
Jaynee's blog - the First Class Maid aboard the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri.
