Titanic Branson: Big city museum in a tourist town

Surprised to learn one of the world’s most comprehensive museums on the Titanic disaster docks in Branson, Missouri? So was I. From the outside, Titanic Branson looks suspiciously like any other gimmicky tourist attraction, a la Ripleys Believe It or Not or Madaam Tussauds wax museums. Step inside, however, and it’s an entirely different story.

titanic-branson

The brainchild and passion of former television producers, Titanic Branson is both a serious, historically accurate museum with actual Titanic artifacts and an immersive experience. I am hesitant to say it’s a ‘Hollywood’ experience, in fear this description will imply inauthenticity or hookiness…the museum is neither. Instead, it’s simply delightful, engaging, sobering, and meaty, all at once.

Visitors select an entry time to go through the museum, and the experience begins at the door, as you’re greeted by Titanic crew members. These individuals, who appear throughout the experience to educate, guide, and inform, are talented actors and actresses who know their facts inside and out. The interior of the museum is designed as a replica of the Titanic itself, with corridors, to-scale staterooms, and even a reproduction of the famous grand staircase. The building team used actual Titanic blueprints to create the museum: the result, even while in a group tour with artifacts and exhibits lining the walls, is fully immersive.

Upon arrival, guests are given a card with an actual Titanic passenger bio. Hang onto that: you may see information on your passenger as you tour the museum, and will learn the fate of him or her before leaving. The bottom levels of the museum—aka Third Class—tells the story of the building and departure of the ship in Belfast, and introduces visitors to both key players such as ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown Captain Edward Smith, and tycoons such as JP Morgan, as well as ordinary passengers you likely haven’t heard of. There are excellent exhibits on lesser covered passenger groups, such as the children of the Titanic, plus replica rooms of Third Class cabins and actual artifacts such as Titanic menus, tickets, and letters.

Visitors ascend the Grand Staircase, and upstairs, see a model of a First Class cabin, plus models of the bridge where the iceberg was spotted and the outside deck, complete with chilly air and starry skies. In a fully immersive hall, visitors can try to stand on a replica deck angled at three different degrees experienced by the passengers as the ship sunk, sit in a replica lifeboat, and plunge hands into a bucket of icy water the exact degree of the Atlantic on that cold April night. All the while, Titanic crew members regale with stories from the disaster. The entire experience is fascinating.

In the last hall, a Titanic manifesto lets you know if ‘your’ passenger perished or survived the disaster. While this comes at the end, make no mistake: the focal point of the entire museum experience is on personal stories. Yes, there are artifacts that wow, and yes, there is a lot of factual information, but where Titanic Branson shines is in making the disaster personal by telling personal accounts.

Note: The images and exhibits in the museum is suitable for all ages; however, school-aged kids of at least age 8 and up will get the most out of the experience. If you have sensitive children, you may want to wait until age 10 and up, and prepare kids by explaining the event of the Titanic before arriving. There are many stories of people who perished, of course, which could disturb young kids. In other words, this attraction isn’t just ‘movie level’ Titanic…it’s the real deal and sad stories exist here.

Distance from the interstate:

Right off Highway 65 in the heart of Branson.

Cost of admission:

Tickets are $27, with a $3 per ticket discount if booked online. To get the entry time you’d like, booking online is highly recommended.

Hours:

Hours vary substantially by season: check hours here.

Directions:

Find the museum located at 3235 76 Country Blvd & Hwy 165 in Branson, Missouri. Another location is found at Pigeon Forge, TN.

Photo credit: Brad Holt

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