Titanic Universe

Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge, TN

Pigeon Forge, TN is a town with a population of about 5,800 that will likely see over 11 million visitors in the coming year. The reason is the new Titanic museum that recently opened in 2010. Shaped like the Titanic herself, this $25 million 30,000 square foot replica of the ship holds an estimated $4.5 million in artifacts and other Titanic related attractions including a replica of the ship’s grand staircase.

Inspiration for the Creation of the Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge

Museum creator John Joslyn decided to build this museum while standing on deck 12,500 feet above where the Titanic sank. Joslyn’s first Titanic museum was built in Branson, MO, and a second one now stands in Pigeon Forge. Josyln’s museum project followed a $6 million expedition to the site which he himself co-led. Joslyn and his team completed 32 successful dives to the wreckage of the Titanic in a $20 million submersible. During these dives, the crew produced hundreds of hours of haunting images that later became the framework for a television special titled Return to Titanic…Live! This special became the second highest rated documentary of all time.

The thrill of standing 2.5 miles above the Titanic and seeing the legendary vessel first hand created somewhat of an obsession in the mind of John Joslyn and led to the creation of the two interactive Titanic museums.

Taking a Look Inside The Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge

After the amazing experience of visiting the wreckage of the Titanic, Joslyn dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the vessel and those who were aboard it during the maiden voyage. The Titanic museum of Pigeon Forge houses of the largest permanent collections of Titanic artifacts. Upon entering the museum, guests are given a boarding pass with the name of an actual Titanic passenger and experience what life would have been like aboard the vessel during its maiden voyage.

Joslyn aims to make the museum as comprehensive as possible for guests allowing for a hands-on learning experience. Guests will learn facts about Titanic passengers, see a collection of over 400 artifacts, feel the chill of 28 degree ocean water, send SOS signals on the ship’s wireless, touch the captain’s wheel located on the bridge, climb a re-creation of the Titanic’s grand staircase, and much more. The living theater aspect and interactive learning experience is something that people of all ages can enjoy and something that Joslyn believes will help people better understand the Titanic’s story.

Passengers aboard the replica Titanic will see some of the most exclusive artifacts of today, many of which are on display for the first time ever. Walk the halls of the ship and climb slanted decks while learning about the crew, passengers, construction, and history of the RMS Titanic. The heart of the tour features a $1 million re-creation of the Titanic’s grand staircase built from the original plans from Harland & Wolff, the shipyard in Belfast, Ireland that produced the Titanic itself. View third class and first class lounge areas and see how passengers lived.

From the grand staircase, guests are able to visit other areas of the ship and engage in various hands-on activities. Shovel coal in the boiler room, learn how to send an SOS, navigate decks that began to slope as the ship began to sink, hear accounts of survivor stories while sitting in a replica of a lifeboat, and discover the fate of your passenger (listed on your ticket) and the fate of many others in the Titanic memorial room located at the end of the tour. Oh, and don’t forget to visit the Tot-Titanic area designed for kids 8 years and younger.

One of the most authentic and comprehensive Titanic museums, the Pigeon Forge installment offers an interactive way to celebrate the accomplishment that was the Titanic and to remember those who were lost in its tragic sinking. Inspired by someone who has a love for the history and the grandeur of the Titanic, this museum is a must-see for those visiting Tennessee and the perfect destination for those interested in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage.

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Where did the Titanic Sink?

The sinking of the Titanic is a historical event full of facts and shrouded in a great deal of mystery. Many tell of captain Smith receiving an iceberg warning before tragedy struck and some even believe that if the ship had met the berg head on it could have avoided sinking. Unfortunately, the truth is that the disaster occurred and many lives were lost as a result. But where did the Titanic sink?

On her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, the Titanic was moving at a decent clip powered by her 16,000 horsepower turbine engine. Thought to be unsinkable, the vessel was the largest passenger ship over her time and was built with sixteen watertight compartments designed to close should the hull be breached. Passengers were treated to the finest in luxury accommodations and the maiden voyage included some of the most famous and wealthy figures of the time period.

According to crew members, there had been a message of iceberg warnings within the North Atlantic, but that did not slow down the ‘unsinkable Titanic’. Continuing its rapid pace, the ship sailed full steam ahead toward its North American destination. At approximately 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, the ship struck an iceberg. The nature of the collision resulted in a glancing blow to the side of the ship, tearing a large gash in the ship’s hull, thus causing the loss of a number of rivets which held the ship together.

Water immediately began rushing into the watertight compartments flooding five of the sixteen, which is more than the designer had expected. He told the captain that the sinking of the ship was a certainty and the crew began ushering passengers to lifeboats. The famous lack of lifeboats aboard the Titanic prompted the “women and children first” rescue etiquette.

After a frantic scramble to get passengers onto lifeboats, the ship began to split in half and descend into the Atlantic. At approximately 2:40 am on April 15, 1912 the ship fully sank and 1,517 lives were lost. The Titanic’s final resting place was 13 miles southeast of her last distress call, about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The distance between the location of the final distress call and where the ship actually sank was a problem when it came to locating the wreckage of the ship. It wasn’t until 1985 that the Titanic was discovered at a depth of 2.5 miles (12,600 feet, to be exact). A noticeable aspect to the wreckage was that the ship had been torn in half and each section was facing opposite directions. The bow had planed off while sinking and landed relatively gently while the stern plummeted violently and had been torn apart due to implosion from the pressure of the water.

Upon inspection of the wreck many questions were raised as to factors for the disaster. It was discovered that many of the rivets used to hold the ship together contained a large amount of slag iron which could have become brittle in the cold waters of the Atlantic. Many believe that because the hull buckled and the rivets popped out that the weak construction may have been a key factor to the sinking of the ship. The lack of lifeboats aboard the vessel also contributed to the magnitude of the tragedy and more stringent standards were put in place to avoid similar disasters in the future.

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Titanic Museum Branson, MO

A permanent two story museum shaped like the historic Titanic, this attraction is located on Country Road 76 in Branson, Missouri. Built to 1/2 scale of the original RMS Titanic. Anchored in water to give the illusion of the Titanic at sea, the museum offers a 90 minute self-guided tour to give the guests a feeling of what it would have been like as a passenger on the vessel.

In business since 2006, the attraction supplies each guest with a boarding ticket with the name and information of an actual passenger aboard the 1912 maiden voyage. The ticket tells the story of the passenger and includes information such as the class they were traveling in and whether or not the individual survived the sinking of the Titanic.

Some of the exhibits on the tour include a replica of the Titanic’s grand staircase, interactive children’s area, iceberg exhibit, third class replica, 18 foot Titanic model, Titanic movie exhibit, interactive bridge area, launch and shipyard, and first and third class replicas.

Titanic Museum Tour Preview

The first step in the tour brings the visitor to the Titanic attraction lobby. With boarding pass in hand, the guest becomes immersed in the drama that was the sinking of the ship. Images and pieces of the vessel surround the guest and the tour has officially begun.

18-Foot Titanic Replica

Next on the tour is the amazing 18 foot Titanic model crafted by German designer Peter Davies-Garner. Created specifically for the museum, the model was crafted using the original design and drawings created by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.

Animals Aboard the Titanic

Newly added to the museum is an attraction featuring the only animal guests aboard the Titanic; two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by the name of Carter and Molly. The attraction offers interesting facts about the animals and is open to the public everyday from 9am to 5pm.

Replica of the Titanic’s Third Class Cabin

Guests then arrive at an exact replica of a third class cabin to see what it would have been like for passengers with less economic means. See how many people shared a room and learn interesting facts about the suite including how much it would cost in reference to today’s currency.

Titanic Grand Staircase

Built from the the original prints, the next attraction is the famous grand staircase. This handcrafted staircase cost the museum over $1 million to construct and leads to the central area where wealthy passengers socialized before dinner. Guests are able to walk the staircase and get a feel of what it meant to be a first class passenger on the most luxurious cruise vessel of the period.

Titanic First Class Lounge

Recreation of the first class lounge highlights the elegance of the vessel and supplies guests with interesting facts about what it meant to travel first class. The tour comes complete with stories from first class passengers.

Titanic Bridge

Next stop is the bridge room where guests can steer the ship and see the sights right before the Titanic struck the iceberg. Learn about the maiden voyage of the vessel as well as the facts leading up to the deadly collision.

Titanic Interactive Children’s Displays; 28 degree water!

Interactive children’s displays allow you and your family to hear survivor stories while sitting in a lifeboat, and offer a play area for your kids who are able to climb the deck of the Titanic as she began to sink. Other attractions include a display of 28 degree water (you can dip your hand in!) which was the temperature of the surrounding ocean that many unfortunate passengers were subjected to and also learn how to send and SOS signals.

Titanic Memorial Case at the Branson Museum

Guests near the end of the tour are able to honor those who died in the Titanic disaster by being given an actual rose petal that will be placed into a memorial case. The petals will be spread throughout the Atlantic ocean at the exact site of the sinking of the Titanic on April 10, 2012 by the United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol.

Titanic Museum Branson Wall Stories

The Titanic museum in Branson offers guests a unique glimpse into what happened to the 712 survivors after arriving in New York. Wall stories depict the events of the lives of the survivors following the sinking of the ship.

Here’s a cool video about the museum as well:

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Titanic Movie Cast (1997)

The James Cameron blockbuster Titanic was the highest grossing film of its time (and is now in second place behind Avatar) and its depiction of the sinking ship has made the film a Hollywood classic. Contained within this film is a rich cast full of talent which supplied memorable performances. Here is a little bit about the cast and crew that helped propel the Titanic film into the limelight.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jack Dawson

DiCaprio is the focal point of the film, a poor immigrant who wins two tickets to travel on the unsinkable Titanic during a game of poker. While aboard the Titanic, he meets Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), who at one point he saves from jumping from the ship. As Jack begins showing the buttoned-up Rose how to have fun and embrace life, they begin to forge a relationship which is forbidden due to Jack’s low social status. A talented artist, Rose allows Jack to sketch her wearing only the Heart of the Ocean, a magnificent necklace given to her by her fiancé (Hockley). When Hockley finds out about their relationship he imprisons Jack in the Master-at-Arms quarters. Once the ship strikes the iceberg it becomes a race against time for Rose and Jack as they must find a way to escape the doomed vessel.

Kate Winslet plays Rose Dewitt Bukater

Rose Dewitt Bukater is 17 during her voyage on the Titanic. She boards with her fiancé Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane) and her mother Ruth (Frances Fisher). Although a wealthy young woman, she struggles with being forced into an arranged marriage by her overly controlling mother. In an act of desperation, she tries to commit suicide by throwing herself overboard, but is saved by Jack Dawson. After getting to know Jack, she learns that he is a talented artist and allows him to draw her wearing nothing but the Heart of the Ocean, an extravagant necklace given to her by Hockley. When the Titanic begins sinking, Rose and Dawson must attempt escaping the ship while evading Hockley and his manservant Spicer Lovejoy (David Warner). You can read more about Kate Winslet here.

Billy Zane plays Caledon “Cal” Hockley

The wealthy fiancé of Rose Dewitt Bukater, Hockley is the quintessential businessman and certified jerk. Playing the main antagonist of the film, Hockley, after learning about the relationship between Jack and Rose, becomes obsessed with imprisoning them aboard the doomed vessel. With the help of his servant Spicer Lovejoy, Hockley numerous times imperils the young pair of Bukater and Dawson and even resorts to firearms at one point. Master manipulator and deceiver, Hockley, after attempting to kill Jack and Rose, boards a lifeboat with a stranger’s child.

Kathy Bates plays Molly Brown

Molly Brown was one of the actual passengers aboard the Titanic who was also depicted in the film. Although she plays a relatively minor part in the Titanic movie, the real Margaret Brown was a socialite that was responsible for convincing one of the lifeboats to return to the site of the wreck to search for survivors. Because of this act of heroism, Margaret was given the nickname the ‘unsinkable Molly Brown’. Check out our post on Molly Brown to learn more about her fascinating story.

Frances Fisher plays Ruth Dewitt Bukater

The mother of Rose Dewitt Bukater, she is responsible for the engagement between Rose and Cal Hockley. She believes she knows what is best for her daughter and that her marriage to Hockley will alleviate her secret financial problems. Her husband’s death left the family in debt and she strives to maintain her high societal status. Even though Jack loves Rose and even saved her daughter’s life, she scorns him due to his low class status.

Gloria Stuart plays Old Rose (Rose Dawson Calvert)

In order to present a historic narrative, Cameron added a character who survived the wreck of the Titanic. Gloria Stuart plays the part of Rose Dewitt Bukater, depicted many years after the Titanic disaster. She gives information to Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) on the Heart of the Ocean after he discovers the drawing of her wearing the necklace. The movie is Rose’s recollection of the events during the sinking of the Titanic.

Brock Lovett plays Bill Paxton

A fictional treasure hunter in search of the Heart of the Ocean, he finds himself quickly running out of money for his expedition. When he finds the drawing of Rose Dewitt Bukater in an old safe, he finds Rose Dawson Calvert and hears her accounts of the Titanic’s maiden voyage.

Bernard Hill plays Captain Edward J. Smith

Named after the real captain of the Titanic, Captain Edward Smith plays a minor role in the plot of the film but is still depicted as a heroic ship captain (a reputation that extends to the real history of the Titanic). In the film he dies clinging to the ship’s wheel as water bursts through the bridge windows. There is a debate as to whether he died this way or whether he froze to death. He was last seen near the overturned collapsible lifeboat B.

David Warner plays Spicer Lovejoy

Servant to Caledon Hockley, Lovejoy is one of the primary antagonists of the film. Often used as a spy for Hockley, this ex-constable plays bodyguard as well as servant to Hockley and has harbors real distrust and dislike toward Jack Dawson. This fictional character is responsible for carrying out a large portion of Cal’s dirty work including attempting to murder Jack Dawson.

Victor Garber plays Thomas Andrews

Named after the actual builder and designer of the Titanic, Andrews is portrayed as a modest and pleasant personality. After the collision, he convinces passengers that the ship sinking is a ‘mathematical certainty’. In the film he is last seen standing next to a clock lamenting his inability to design a safer vessel. The real Andrews died during the sinking of the ship and accounts highlight that he helped others to safety, putting their lives even above his own.

Jonathan Hyde plays Bruce Ismay

A historic first class passenger aboard the Titanic, the movie casts him as a rich and ignorant man who convinces captain Edward Smith to speed up the clip of the vessel in order for an early arrival. Some historical perspectives believe that the speed of the actual Titanic played a part in its sinking, but there is not enough physical evidence to tell. Ismay is last seen sneaking onto a lifeboat ignoring the ‘women and children first’ standard of evacuation.

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Titanic Soundtrack

Released by Sony Classical on November 18, 1997, Titanic: Music From the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the James Cameron film Titanic. Composed, conducted and orchestrated by James Horner, the soundtrack mirrored the success of the film and topped the charts in nearly two dozen territories. The soundtrack itself sold over 30 million copies and became one of the best selling albums of all time and the top primarily orchestral soundtrack ever.

Director James Cameron initially approached new age musician Enya and even produced a rough edit of the film using her music as the soundtrack. After Enya declined, Cameron approached James Horner, whom he worked with during the filming of Aliens. The pair had a rocky relationship after this cooperation, but Cameron overlooked this fact due to the success of Horner’s work with the Braveheart soundtrack. The composition of the soundtrack was done with the stylings of Enya in mind and singer Sissel Kyrkjebø performed the wordless vocals. Sissel was the final choice after 25-30 singers interviewed for the position.

Those familiar with the soundtrack remember the hit single “My Heart Will Go On” by Canadian singer Céline Dion, but many aren’t aware that the song was not initially slated to be on the soundtrack.
Cameron did not want a song to be sung over the credits, but Horner secretly wrote the song and recorded it with Céline on vocals. The song ended up topping the charts all over the world and winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

The orchestral songs were recorded digitally by Horner and utilized a synthesized choir. Using a digital orchestra rather than a real one was a decision by Horner in order to avoid the soundtrack sounding like it was recorded in a church. In addition to Horner and Dion, Christian songwriter Michael W. Smith contributed the song “In My Arms Again”.

Following the success of the Titanic soundtrack, a second album followed titled Back to Titanic which included previously unreleased recordings as well as new recordings of songs in the film. Some of the contributors to this album include Clannad (a band in which Enya is a former member) and singer Máire Brennan. Back to Titanic ended up becoming a platinum selling record.

Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture hit number one in over 14 other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

Titanic: Movie From the Motion Picture track listing. All songs conducted and composed by James Horner.

“Never an Absolution” – 3:03
“Distant Memories” – 2:23
“Southampton” – 4:01
“Rose” – 2:52
“Leaving Port” – 3:26
“Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch” – 4:31
“Hard to Starboard” – 6:52
“Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave” – 3:56
“The Sinking” – 5:05
“Death of Titanic” – 8:26
“A Promise Kept” – 6:02
“A Life So Changed” – 2:13
“An Ocean of Memories” – 7:57
“My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from Titanic)” lyric by Will Jennings, vocals by Céline Dion, produced by James Honer and Simon Franglen – 5:11
“Hymn to the Sea” – 6:25

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The Titanic - RMS Titanic Ship Facts & Information

Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge, TN

Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge, TN

Inspiration for the Creation of the Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge

Taking a Look Inside The Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge

Where did the Titanic Sink?

Titanic Museum Branson, MO