People have always told me I have an old soul and I never knew what that really meant until I fell in love with history! But not just any history I am fascinated by the Gold Rush that took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I love visiting historic towns like Barkerville and Fort Steele and have always wanted to live in an old Gold Rush town, I might even volunteer there this summer! But back to the Titanic…I remember when the movie came out back in my teenage days (little secret – still have it on VHS), so when I had the opportunity to visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition while I was in Las Vegas I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas – Family Travel
Since I was staying at the Tropicana it was an easy tram ride over to the Luxor to take in the exhibit! When entering you receive a boarding pass that has real information of an original passenger who was on the Titanic! At the end you can view the memorial wall and see if your passenger made it safely off the ship. Although you can't take photos in the exhibit there is a photo opportunity on the full-scale re-creation of the Grand Staircase.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Grand Staircase
A little history:
RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from the UK to New York City. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of more than 1,500 people in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in modern history. On her maiden voyage, she carried 2,224 passengers and crew.
On 14 April 1912, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles (604 km) south of Newfoundland, she hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm ship's time.
Lifeboats: 20 for 1,178 people
Since there weren't enough lifeboats for crew and passengers there was the “women and children first” protocol, leaving over a thousand passengers on board as the Titanic sank.
The wreck of Titanic remains on the seabed, split in two and gradually disintegrating. Since her discovery in 1985, thousands of artifacts have been recovered and put on display at museums around the world.
It is hard to believe the recreation of the first- and third-class rooms on board the Titanic with pieces from the original manufacturer. As you walk through there are many original pieces that have been salvaged from the floor of the North Atlantic including an unopened bottle of champagne. The 25,000-square-foot exhibit features numerous items including luggage, the ship's whistles, floor tiles from the first-class smoking room, and a window frame from the Verandah Cafe.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition First Class Cabin
It is hard to believe that the wreck sits 2.5 miles below the surface. As you walk through viewing the artifacts and reading what happened that night they have done an excellent job of setting the mood on the night of the iceberg collision. As you walk through the outer Promenade Deck, complete with the frigid temperatures felt on that fateful April night, takes you back in time to what that night would of felt like. For me the most fascinating piece in Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is the section of the hull which really puts the size of the ship into perspective.
My daughter and I have been through the exhibit and loved it, she was 5 so it was hard for her to fully grasp what the actual exhibit was about. If you homeschool or are a teacher the exhibit offers a great opportunity for lessons in Science, History, Geography, Language Arts, Math and Technology. I highly recommend the exhibit, especially as an educational family experience, be sure to check out the multiple exhibit discounts so you can experience more of what Las Vegas has to offer in family travel.
I have more fun articles in the making on Family Travel in Las Vegas!
